1970 Torino And Fairlane Builds

Well about a month ago we drug these two cars home. This will be a slow developing thread. We’re currently buried in projects. But in the next year I believe both these cars will be back on the road.

After much chatting with the father in law we’re each getting one. They were both originally his, he gave them to Gene (our engine builder and family friend). When he passed we just needed to get them out of there before they were scrapped and they landed at my house. He finally decided on the white (pastel blue) Fairlane for himself which leaves me the gold Torino, which is awesome because although rougher I believe is the perfect canvas for a read roadkill style build.

So far I haven’t done much. Again 2 of 3 weekend days has been up north dealing with Gene’s estate and the 3rd day has been working on the blazer for weeks now. I got the seats, carpet and deadening material out to assess floor damage from both cars. The gold Torino has had a busted driver window for a 25 years. Well Jeff (fil) brought over a window from his 70-71 Torino parts hoard last week and today I had a chance to clean up the mess inside the door and install the new glass. While in there I worked the giant door dent a bit. It’s not right but pretty ok and you can’t see out from space now. It’ll still leak from the bullet (appears to be 9mm?) hole in the roof but won’t rain directly inside anymore so that’s a win.
Last picture is with the door glass and with a much smaller dent in the door.

 

I see a 460 in your future..

 

X2. With some Kaase heads.

 

In the short term the gold Torino will get the 351c out of the F100 once the 460 plan is finalized. The current c4 trans will need resealed and a shift kit then that combo will get installed. Then brakes, cooling, fuel system and lighting and electrical will all need attention. Oh and floor pan patches.

The white/blue Fairlane needs basically all the same. We have a MPB small diameter booster and disc/drum brake master that was only on Anna’s Falcon for a year we’ll use on this car as well. The engine is still up in the air. I’m going to drive to Idaho at some point to buy a 302/fmx from Tumbleweed. But Gene had built a nice 351w and installed it in a beater bullnose ford 2wd pickup. Jeff is working on buying that truck for the engine. Regardless there’s some options. And it’ll need all of the same treatment as the other. Cooling, fuel, brake, electrical, floor patches and a little metal work around the trunk channel.

 

I'm on board too!

 

My vote goes to a 347.

 

Too much room under the hood for that!

 

True and the 347 would be happier in a fox body. Find a CJ might be difficult as that would be more correct.

 

347 is a fun option. I like the compact packaging and maybe in the future. We’ve collected a few bored and ready 302 and Windsor blocks, heads, cranks, and a few sets of new hyper pistons. Maybe a 347 but I like more ci for less effort to the goal power numbers. That said big block motor mounts for these cars are stupid expensive, and header design is horrible, the driver side being a two piece, two pipes over, two pipes under the power steering ram assist. Maybe some shorties would work but then what’s the point?

 

You would think so but the gap between the shock towers would surprise you. I think a taller deck small block is perfect for these cars.

 

Put a Cleveland in it as the powers that be intended it.

My dad had a '70 Fairlane that was the same color gold as the Torino you have. Basic car. 302 2 bbl, auto. One of my favorite body styles of all time. I recall a canary yellow Torino GT that used to run around town here. Can't wait to see what you do wit these.

 

You mentioned 351C though, that's also a great buil

Hard to argue that haha..

 

That’s funny. Jeff, my father in law, also has a gold 70.5 Falcon, and a canary yellow 70 429 cobra jet 4 speed Torino. The Falcon has a nasty 13:1 4bbl Cleveland and an fmx he’s been beating on for years. The cobra he had built for drag racing but a few years ago had the 429 rebuilt back to stock specs. Both are super cool cars. The Falcon has a beautiful original gold repaint and the cobra has all of the stuff to repaint it the original single stage yellow. We just need to find out build a paint booth.

The other bit of comedy is this Cleveland actually came out of the wife’s 70.5 Falcon when the 460 went in. I searched for and picked up a 67 f100 specifically to be the home for that Cleveland. Now it’ll live in a Torino type car again, its 3rd engine bay in about 5 years.

 

I been through several 67-72 F series trucks. I have my name in the glovebox of a one owner '72 F100 2WD that has never seen snow. I talk to the owner from time to time. He's in his early 80s and still does lawn work for some people using this truck. Last year he spun it around in the rain and slid into a pole, damaging the driver side door. He said the truck has a Detroit Locker in it and "it came around like THAT," as he snapped his fingers. I'll be curious to see if is indeed a Detroit. He would have had to have put it in. I'm already sort of looking for a red replacement door, hopefully from the southwest or some other arid or rust free environment. Truck is a 360 4speed. I'd like to do to it what I never could do to the other trucks I had. I'd like a 428 and 4 speed ( not the truck 4 speed it has now) and a repaint in the same metallic maroon my old '72 was. But I'm planning something I don't own yet, I DID tell the wife that, when the phone call comes, I'm buying the truck. Heck, I'd like to buy the business and all and get away from my current line of "work." I even like the old dudes' house, from the outside anyway.

Anywho.....how about some pics of these hot rod Fords.

 

I’d be curious if it’s one of the Dana rear ends. In the f100’s limited slips weren’t an option with the 9”, but rather a Dana 60-3 or Dana 44. They’re fairly rare but I owned a 68 f100 4x4 with that semi float 5 lug 60-3.
I don’t have any pictures of the cobra but here’s part of their fleet.
The Maverick has a nice little built 302 he put together for Denise to race. But neither it or the Falcon have been out in 6-7 years. The red is a montego convertible with a stock 302, just a nice little cruiser. Same with the Torino wagon, stock 302, new trans and front suspension rebuild in the last year. All of these cars are painted by Jeff, including the all of what would have been decals from the factory, and the wagon wood grain is hand painted. And the gold one of course is the 70.5 Falcon.

 

I love, love, love ❤️ that wagon!!

I hope to have a late ‘80s Chevy wagon again. We had an ‘89 that our boys called the “Shaggin’ Wagon”. Mrs. B. and I called it the DogMobile, since we hauled two big Labrador mutts around in it.

Jon B.

 

Nice cars. A guy in school had a Montego. First one I had ever seen. It seemed huge. I think it had a 351 in it but not sure.

I don't recall dads' Fairlane having the metal in between the front and rear side windows. I recall just rubber but could be misremembering.

 

Ah you’d be right. That’s the easiest marker for spotting the 70.5 Falcon vs a Torino or Fairlane. There are a few other subtle differences but the door post and wing windows are a dead giveaway. Torinos or Fairlanes have neither.

 

That wagon is bad-***, if it ever needs a new home let me know!