1969 Ford Torino Talladega 428 CJ from North America

Summary:

This is a great classic car that is also a very important chapter in the muscle car wars of the 60s

Faults:

The gas gage is unreliable - hey, it's nearly 40 years old...

General Comments:

This is a very rare muscle car that ushered in the "aero wars" in racing (especially in NASCAR). It is one of only 754 total units (1 of only 743 production models) that were built by Ford specifically to homologate Ford's race cars in 1969. At that time, the cars that appeared in NASCAR had to start life as real cars, and a minimum of 500 had to be built and sold to the public by a manufacturer before they would be approved for racing. This is the car that dominated the super-speedways in 1969, and led Chrysler to build the Daytona - too little, too late. It continued to do extremely well in 1970 when Bill France finally pulled the plug on the specially built aero cars from that ere.

This car has tons of torque from the 428 CJ. This car handles like most cars from the 60s, which is poor by today's standards, but, very good for 1969 technology. It also has great top end. From the factory, they were rated for a top speed of 135+. However, that was a very conservative rating for these cars. The styling of these cars makes them appear to be flying, even when they are parked.

It is really nice to have a rare muscle car from the late sixties that not only looks really fast, it is. It is a real head turner and a head scratcher for most, as these cars were so rare that very few people actually saw one when they were new, except on Sunday afternoons. These cars were all built during a six week period in January and February of 1969 at Ford's Atlanta plant, using parts that were designed and fabricated by the Holman-Moody Racing Team to help Ford with their latest Going Thing, during their Total Performance years. This car will absolutely scream when that big 4 barrel kicks in.

These cars so dominated the high speed tracks on Sundays that NASCAR actually rewrote the rules to virtually outlaw them and the others that followed in their wake.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th May, 2008

3rd Jun 2008, 16:55

Interesting reflection. However, you are incorrect.

Yes, I do own one. If you would care to see a photo (actually 4 pages worth) of my car, go to the March 2008 Issue of Muscle Car Review magazine.

23rd Jun 2008, 18:08

The comment about the Dodge Daytona being "too little, too late" is also incorrect. They neglect to mention the Daytona's twin, the 1970 Plymouth Superbird, which dominated NASCAR to the point that they were banned from racing because there was virtually no competition against them --- no, not even from the Talladega.

1976 Ford Torino Gran wagon 351-2V Cleavland from North America

Summary:

A tough workhorse

Faults:

Only general maintenance items. Car finally was wearing out from use. Transmission failed at 185K and rust was taking it's toll on the body.

General Comments:

351 engine was somewhat underpowered for this 4400 pound tank, but the car ran well and only needed general maintenance items like brakes,shocks, and exhaust work. It only left the family stranded twice, once when the starter failed and at the end when the transmission would not engage anymore.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd February, 2008

1972 Ford Torino Station Wagon 351 Windsor from North America

Summary:

Great Car

Faults:

A flat tire near the Grand Canyon in the summer of 75.

General Comments:

WOW!!! What a great car, reliable, comfortable, lots of space, surprising power. My parents bought the "Jolly Green Giant" in the spring of 72 - kept it until 1980. Loved that car - always reliable, never let us down. I drove the car in high school - may not have been the coolest car, but oh the memories!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 16th May, 2007

1985 Ford Torino from North America

Summary:

This car is terrible, and I would not recommend it

Faults:

The transmission was shot at 53,00 miles. The car will not switch from second to third gear, and it needs to be rebuilt entirely -- the car is not worth that expense. In the meantime, if the tempermental overdrive kicks in, I can drive the car, but it takes a while for it to decide to work properly.

The fan was flat-out stuck at 60,000 miles, so the car was constantly overheating until I got it replaced.

The button of the gear shift broke off at 65,000 miles. Every now and again it falls off, so I have to go digging under the seat to find it.

Today, I turned the ignition of the car, and apparently the steering column busted -- I couldn't even turn the car off. The locksmith finally found a button in the steering column to turn off the motor after fiddling with it for 40 minutes.

General Comments:

This car seemed like it would be great -- I was excited to have a T-Bird. However, the car has been nothing but problem after problem. I am counting the minutes until I can save up enough money to ditch this car and buy something that actually works.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 22nd April, 2007

23rd Apr 2007, 16:03

Are you sure if your car is a Torino? They've stopped making the Torino's after the 1976 model year.

24th Jun 2007, 04:44

I bet it's actually a Taurus. He mentions radiator fans and transmission stuff not even remotely found on a Torino.

31st Oct 2007, 08:17

Yeah, this review can't be of a Torino. I don't see how you could drive a Torino without the fan turning since it's connected directly to the engine. I actually grab the fan to turn the engine over when I'm marking the crankshaft dampner when I'm timing the engine.

I wish my Torino had overdrive!

The previous poster is correct, the last Torino was made in 1976.

4th Feb 2008, 16:46

I think the Taurus was introduced in 1986 so I have no idea what model this person is reviewing. Torinos were produced up to 1976 as stated in a previous post and the LTD II (restyled Torino) was made until 1979.

17th Aug 2008, 20:39

It is obvious that the original reviewer has no idea what he/she was driving. Based on that given lack of knowledge, it is very difficult to give that reviewer much, if any, credibility on their critique of this "unknown" car, which may or may not even be a Ford. As the owner of a 1986 Thunderbird ("SuperCoupe" model), which I purchased brand new, I would find the original reviewers comments to be a serious anomaly compared to the general knowledge that I feel that I have amassed over the years regarding this particular model. I can't speak about the attributes of a 1985 Taurus, but, based on the buying of the general public, they seemed to consider them to be very good cars. However, I am still very biased toward the handling characteristics of a front engine rear drive car - probably based on what I grew up driving.