Road map for my torino

[Ghost Magnum]

I coming up with a road map for my 68 Torino GT. Y'all probably remember my 3x2 intake manifold I just bought for my 427 fe.
I'm going to build it to look somewhat original. Like original 427 valve covers and air cleaner.
But with cast aluminum heads. I can get the CR closer to factory specs much more safely than I can with vintage iron. Someone already used that combo with a 3x2 intake manifold.
Roller cam. My engine had just about everything when I bought it. I just need heads and better pistons. I'm debating to myself if I should used the rods (C7 forged rods)
Electric fan and probably water pump for less power lost.
Factory specs for the 427 was 425 HP. That is good enough for me. It would be best to focus on my car weaknesses.

I was thinking about buying and rebuilding a top loader is. But the prices for them are not competitive to buying a good 5 or 6 speed transmissions. And my transmission tunnel is butchered to fit the old v-gate shifter. So wether or not I buy a 4 speed up. That hole needs to be fixed. I can also run better gears in the back.

I'm going to retro mod the interior of my car. Try to make it look factory. But with my own twist.

I'm going to go with a fiberglass hood. Wider tires in the back and better traction control and brakes.

The deal is though I can buy all kinds of awesome vintage performance parts and make my torino something of a period piece.

One thing I can't decide on is paint. I love the blue. But my car was originally white with blue stripe on the side.

 

[NYlakesider]

I coming up with a road map for my 68 Torino GT. Y'all probably remember my 3x2 intake manifold I just bought for my 427 fe.
I'm going to build it to look somewhat original. Like original 427 valve covers and air cleaner.
But with cast aluminum heads. I can get the CR closer to factory specs much more safely than I can with vintage iron. Someone already used that combo with a 3x2 intake manifold.
Roller cam. My engine had just about everything when I bought it. I just need heads and better pistons. I'm debating to myself if I should used the rods (C7 forged rods)
Electric fan and probably water pump for less power lost.
Factory specs for the 427 was 425 HP. That is good enough for me. It would be best to focus on my car weaknesses.

I was thinking about buying and rebuilding a top loader is. But the prices for them are not competitive to buying a good 5 or 6 speed transmissions. And my transmission tunnel is butchered to fit the old v-gate shifter. So wether or not I buy a 4 speed up. That hole needs to be fixed. I can also run better gears in the back.

I'm going to retro mod the interior of my car. Try to make it look factory. But with my own twist.

I'm going to go with a fiberglass hood. Wider tires in the back and better traction control and brakes.

The deal is though I can buy all kinds of awesome vintage performance parts and make my torino something of a period piece.

One thing I can't decide on is paint. I love the blue. But my car was originally white with blue stripe on the side.

With all that your doing you car is far from original, do it the way you want it!

 

[kraynky]

I love the Torino line, but I only ever owned but one. I bought a 1973 Gran Torino Fastback in 1976, with 32,000 miles for about $3000. I drove the hooey out of that car (wrecked it a few times) but sold it about 6 years later with 260,000 + miles on it, still running the original motor and transmission.

I always like the white fastback with a blue side strip, and I know they made them as late as '72, may even '73, then they got ugly. I would enjoy seeing photos of what you're starting with and along the way update pictures. Sounds like a great project, and that you know what you're doing.

(I vote to stick with the original look, with a sleeper badazz power plant that folks will think is a 390 car) Good luck with it!

 

[GypsmJim]

Back in the day Grandpa always bought used cars. He never had a lot of money. When I say "used", I mean it. They were almost "used up". Grandma died in 1963. My Aunt (Grandpa's sister) died in 1968. Grandpa inherited a very small estate, just enough to buy a new car. He always wanted a "new" car.

It was late 1968. I had just come home from college and I heard a horn beeping in the driveway. It was Grandpa. Dad said OMG I can't believe he bought that car. Mom said he is just an old fool. I said "Grandpa can I drive it"?

That was the first and only time I ever drove a 1968 Torino GT, mag wheels, stripes and all.

 

[snowman]

Ghost,

Have you told us what rear end you'll be using?

Andy

 

[Sandman4delta]

I am a big fan of the "Grabber" colors of the late sixties.
Grabber Blue is my favorite and looks awesome with any accent stripes.
Black is most common but I have seen white and silver (Argent) also.
I even repainted my 2000 Powerstroke to Grabber Blue when I fixed the paint cancer a few years ago.

But all in all I agree with above posters. If you're not doing a perfect restoration, paint it how you like it.
BTW I went with a quality single stage paint.
It will not suffer the degrading of clearcote over time and has that vintage paint vibe.
Good luck with her!!

 

[joe44va]

Miss my 68 Torino GT. Tried to teach my wife to drive a standard in it (4 speed). Either stalled it or left black streaks with blue smoke. Total fail. Almost clipped an A&P parking lot pole. Gave up and bought an automatic Duster (bummer). Ahhh, the good old days.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

I will probably just reuse the rear axle. I will just swap out parts in it. I'm going to convert to disk brakes.

The paint is something I haven't decided on.

 

[6518John]

Forum Brother Ghost Magnum—Have you given any thought to the fact that you can buy a nice Shelby Mustang that is 10 or so years old for $25k or less with 30-50K on the odometer and be burning gas and busting bugs tomorrow without all this time and trouble? (And expense).

And there are a lot of other late model high end muscle cars out there that are probably even better deals (I just follow the Shelby Cobras).

And PLEASE understand, I am not being critical of your project or plans, and I know there is immense satisfaction in doing all the wrenching oneself. But I have found by the time you add up the parts and labor (even at minimum wage) you simply can’t come out on these cars.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

Forum Brother Ghost Magnum—Have you given any thought to the fact that you can buy a nice Shelby Mustang that is 10 or so years old for $25k or less with 30-50K on the odometer and be burning gas and busting bugs tomorrow without all this time and trouble? (And expense).

And there are a lot of other late model high end muscle cars out there that are probably even better deals (I just follow the Shelby Cobras).

And PLEASE understand, I am not being critical of your project or plans, and I know there is immense satisfaction in doing all the wrenching oneself. But I have found by the time you add up the parts and labor (even at minimum wage) you simply can’t come out on these cars.

Yeah I have before. I had a chance to buy a higher end 2012 dodge challenger with the larger displacement hemi, 6 speed transmission. Gray on gray interior and shaker hood. All with less than 30 thousand miles.

My life kinda fell apart after shortly after I bought the torino. Years from 2013 to 2018 have not been kind to me. A lot of family problems, forced to drop out of college and the fact that I have to come to terms that a lot of career ideas will never happen. I don't have a wife and kids. I don't have really that much to look forward to.

Every time things got hard. I would day dream about rebuild my car in my head. It helps me keep from going crazy and to stop dwelling on stuff. I must have rebuilt my car in my head thousands of times.

 

[dasnake]

Another fellow.........

In another forum is going on a 69, he is bringing up about putting in a top load close ratio.