Earlier this week we presented a 1970 Mercury Cyclone GT as our Pick of the Day. How about the Ford version of the same car? The 1970 Torino GT played a similar role in the Ford lineup as an upscale, sporty model in the mid-size series. This SportsRoof for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Sherman, Texas is now our Pick of the Day.
Unlike the Cyclone series, the Torino GT was available as a convertible in addition to the SportsRoof fastback (the Cyclone had a notchback design). The Torino GT was available with hidden headlights, but it was optional (the Cyclone GT had them standard). You could opt for gradated Laser stripes on your Torino GT, adding some pizzazz to the styling, while the Cyclone GT featured standard, contrasting tone-on-tone paint, though it could be deleted.
Under the hood, the Torino GT came with a 302 two-barrel standard, while the Cyclone GT’s standard powerplant was the 351 two-barrel. If you wanted ram air on the Torino GT, you could opt for the Shaker scoop on both 351s and the 429 Cobra Jet, while the Cyclone GT’s vacuum-operated system was only available on the 429 CJ.
When it comes down to it, it must come down to styling: Do you prefer the Torino’s NASCAR-bred shape or the Coke-bottle curves of the Cyclone GT?
This 1970 Ford Torino GT SportsRoof for sale is one of 1,564 Raven Black SportsRoofs built that year; of those, only 106 were ordered with the white vinyl bench seat interior. The original buyer spec’d out the optional 360-horsepower 429-4V (often known as the Thunder Jet, and coded “N” in the fifth character of the VIN), of which it’s one of 2,223 built with the C6 automatic (this one a column-shift). Not many options on this one per the Marti Report: Laser stripes, electric clock, Visibility Light Group, front disc brakes and AM radio. This is a solid muscle car from the peak of the era. Seller claims the 429 is numbers-matching and that it “runs and drives great.”
So, maybe this 1970 Ford Torino GT SportsRoof is a step down in power from the Cobra Jet-powered Cyclone GT, but its price is also more likely in line for the average collector. For $45,500, that seems to be the going rate for big-block goodness these days.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com