Nice looking car.  Wold be nicer looking with a 500HP 445 stroker in it connected to a 5 speed. 

It’s only original once, perfect the way it sits!

This is like autoporn at its best. Don you better delete your browser history!!

Don,
Did you forget that I have a ‘70 Torino Cobra GT with a 429?

It’s driveable, but the 7.0 liter motor doesn’t make a good road car.

Bolted to Floor wrote:

Hornman wrote:

It’s driveable, but the 7.0 liter motor doesn’t make a good road car.

Is it a little thirsty!!
 

 
Just a touch. 7-8 mpg highway. About 4.0 around town.

Rudi wrote:

Hornman wrote:

Bolted to Floor wrote:

Is it a little thirsty!!
 

 
Just a touch. 7-8 mpg highway. About 4.0 around town.

Slide an 5 or 6 speed OD unit behind those cubes to quench its thirst.
 

maybe a diff carb / intake and electronic ignition /  still 4-5 around town YIKES   or as wife states put in a bigger gas tank  ha

 

Last edited by Don (2/26/2019 5:30 PM)

Don wrote:

Rudi wrote:

Hornman wrote:

 
Just a touch. 7-8 mpg highway. About 4.0 around town.

Slide an 5 or 6 speed OD unit behind those cubes to quench its thirst.
 

maybe a diff carb / intake and electronic ignition /  still 4-5 around town YIKES   or as wife states put in a bigger gas tank  ha

 

 
Sadly, the car is worth more stock, so the C6 stays. It only makes trips to car shows and the barber shop, so the milage isn’t a factor.

Bolted to Floor wrote:

Ron, you can make all those changes and a different set of gears and the mileage goes from really bad to just bad!!

I use to tell people my old F250 got double digit mileage....8.6 running empty and 6.5 loaded!! 

 
Now that's pretty funny right there!

MS wrote:

Hornman, are you telling us you now actually have one of your classics in running condition?

 
The Torino has always run, it just wasn’t street legal due to wiring problems with the lights. It was down about a month to swap the 351C for the correct 385 series 429 (no, it’s not a 460).

The 53 Chebby truck has always run too. It too had electrical problems with the lights. (Why would anyone put a fuse on the top of a light switch that sits high in the dash?) Of course there was the spontaneous leakdown of the radiator, but hey, it’S an old truck.

The 65 Mustang is the problem child, but I guess that’s because I keep tearing it apart to “improve” it.

The 66 fastback was a running, driving car until I met you and your fastback. Ever since then, every time I think I’m ready to start putting it back together I find something else that isn’t MS quality, then I tear it apart a little more.

Hornman wrote:

TKOPerformance wrote:

I used to believe my car was worth more stock too.  When I came to the conclusion that I was likely never selling it I determined its worth was only measured by one person: me.  Having a car I couldn't use because it couldn't do what I wanted made it pretty worthless.  So the modifications began, and six years later I have a car I drive more each year.  I've kept all  my stock parts, and the car could be returned to original condition if I ever wanted to sell it (I won't), but I get to enjoy the car right now instead of worrying about what may or may not happen in the future.

Not saying what you should or shouldn't do; this was just my experience. 

 
I don’t disagree in general, but the Torino is scary enough with the stock motor. Although a build Kasse 552 stroker would be fun. My problem is that I have more old vehicles than I can work on. The Torino is in good shape and is a real nostalga ride. Plus it has stupid amounts of torque.

I wouldn't touch the engine; no point.  I was more referring to swapping to an overdrive trans.  On stock width tires most anything with a big block already had too much power.  I've either driven or ridden in most of them over the years.   The scariest by far was my uncle's old '67 Vette with an L88 427.  650HP in a 2,500 lb car.  It didn't have an accelerator; it had a tire spin pedal.  That close ratio 4 speed spent all its time in 2nd and 4th, take off in 2nd, shift to 4th.  1st and 3rd were only used if you wanted to watch the car try and swap ends.

At this point the car goes to one of my kids.  The hardest thing I guess at some point will be figuring out which one gets the '89 and which one gets the '67.  But I'm dead certain neither of them will ever be returned to stock; what would be the point?  What my kids are going to remember is that it was dad's car, and they'll likely want it the way dad had it.  To return it to stock at that point would be to remove the personality from it, which with vehicles valued in sentiment instead of dollars is all that really counts anyway.