1972 Ford Torino review from North America
"Crude, but simple, rugged, and effective"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Head gasket blown twice.
Engine rebuilt once.
Heater core replaced once.
Stock radiator was a joke, way too small.
Brakes replaced many, many times.
Replaced card twice, rebuilt car twice.
U-joint broke once.
Parking brake cable broke at about 310,000 miles.
Rear springs sagged after 20 years, replaced.
Really almost everything replaced at least once except the transmission.
General comments?
First the good.
The automatic transmission is amazing. One fluid and filter change in 32 years of service with 320,000 miles! That's it!
Car is strong. It's been hit hard by many other idiots in modern cars. It has totaled two cars and damaged at least three others with much less damage to itself.
The 351 Ford V-8 is a great engine except for gas mileage. Good power at all RPM. Parts easy to come by even today. Easy to work on due to simplicity and huge engine bay.
No smog checks required.
The Bad.
Terrible bad weather car. Side and rear vision is zero due to fogging. Rear/side vision is always terrible due to huge side pillars. A small car can be invisible in that huge blind spot.
Rear end fishtails like mad in wet weather.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1972 |
| Year of manufacture | 1972 |
| First year of ownership | 1976 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 351 Windsor Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 45000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 320000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 14th November, 2004 |