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| MY 69 TORINO GT |
| MY 69 TORINO GT |
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| I got my 69 GT fastback in the spring of 1992. It was purchased to serve as a parts car for a 1968 GT Torino I had gotten the previous summer. It was hit in the rear very hard and had damage to just about every panel except the roof. The car was very cheap and seemed to be just the ticket to get the '68 on the road. It had a 351w and a 9" rear, perfect to replace the 302, 8" that the '68 came with. I had to abandon my attempt to fix up the '68 as it turned out to have terminal rot.Torque boxes, rails& firewall rusted beyond repair and the cost to replace the parts was insane, well beyond what I was willing to pay.I spent the next few months searching for a better body. I looked at a few cars and could find no Fairlane or Torino bodys that appeared suitable, They were either too expensive or too rusty. A friend of mine who is in the body shop buisness suggested I take another look at the 69 as he felt It was fairly rust free and could be repaired reasonbly cheap. ( he was right about the rust part ). The 69 was a very solid car with many options. The first task was what to do with the bent up rear body. A pair of rust free rear quarters and wheel houses was located in Hemmings, These were aquired and along with the tailight panel and decklid from the 68, the rear of the car was repaired. Body work and paint was finished in early 1993 . |
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| Once the car was back from the body shop the real fun began, it was time to search every swap meet and salvage yard for missing parts. Most of the interior was toast save for the front seats which had been recovered sometime in the past and were usable. The dash pad was shot and the dash itself had been butchered for a stereo. The '68 GT (now a parts car) provided the steel dash panel and dash pad. I was also able to salvage the door panels and armrests. Leon's Auto Parts ( just outside of Culpepper Va.) provided numerous parts including a Rim Blow wheel and a replacment console (the original was cut up for a CB radio). Autocrafters (Broadway Va.) provided a new headliner, carpet and all weatherstripping and soft parts. A tach cluster and AM/FM stereo were found at a swap meet to replace the missing ones.The original clock was salvaged with a new quartz movement. As a consession to make the car more enjoyable, a modern AM/FM cassette was hidden in the glove box. Now I had a nice straight body in fresh Wimbleton white paint, with a nice interior. It was time to get started on the drive train. The original block was long gone, in its place sat a reman 351 truck block sporting the original heads. A '69 cougar lost its "correct" block, this was rebuilt using the truck crank and rods, forged flat top pistons (.030) and a new oil pump. A Crane cam was installed(split pattern; 264/274 dur-448"/472" lift) along with a double row chain.The heads were rebuilt after a mild port job, they are fitted with chevy valves, crane roller rockers, screw in studs and guideplates.The original cast iron intake and Autolite 4v were shelved and an Edelbrok Performer and Holley 600 were put in use. Both the intake and exhaust manifolds were gasket matched to the heads. The trans (the original FMX) was taken to county transmission in Vienna Va. for a complete rebuild and was upgraded with a shift kit and a GER 3000 stall converter. The 9" was fitted with a 3.25 Trac Loc , new axle bearings , and seals. New leaf springs and shocks were also fitted when the rear was installed. The front end was overhauled with all new bushings,balljoints,tie rods, shocks and springs. The power disc brakes and power steering got the same treatment. All components were rebuilt or replaced.Much attention to detail here as a corner cut could result in the loss of the car. Finally the outside of the car was reassembled after a long search to find all the missing trim.Again I must mention Leon's Auto Parts as most of the trim was found in his yard. The car has been on the road since 1995 has seen countless shows and cruises. But... it's still not done! |
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| M code 4v 351 power steering and power disc brakes Bucket seats w/Console shift auto trans factory AM/FM stereo radio factory tach./factory clock 3.25 trac-lock diff. factory tinted glass GT package including upgrade suspension/stripe package/hoodscoop dual exhaust dual sports mirrors rim blow steering wheel |
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| This site created by TorinoJH |
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