Have you seen the movie 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story? Well, if you have you’re one step ahead of us, because up until we found this car, we didn’t know the movie existed. Probably for good reasons, too…Teresa Earnhardt did not authorize it, Richard Childress sued for copyright infringement over the stylized “3” used, and has plenty of inaccuracies and anachronisms that will fill up a night of Trivial Pursuit, the Gearhead Edition. But that’s the way it goes…a made-for-ESPN movie got made, and in the process some cars were dolled up to become race car look-alikes. This 1973 Ford Torino was one such car. 
There is truth to the story here…after Junior Johnson told Childress to let drive for someone else so that the cost of wrecked racecars could be spared down, Earnhardt found himself in the #96 Ford Torino of Cronkrite Racing for four races of the 1978 season (Charlotte, Daytona, Talladega, and Darlington). But that actual NASCAR was a Starsky and Hutch-era Torino, not a 1973. 
Given that the made-for-cable flick was a flop and that the car is a hurriedly-done replica that is a 351-auto machine, what’s left is a Ford that looks race ready but is really a bit of a kitty cat. But as project cars go, we see potential. We always do. We’d start by ditching the livery altogether for a one-color scheme with no numbers. Keep it simple, keep it menacing. Maybe lower it down to look less like a dirt-tracker and more like an actual NASCAR piece from the 1970s. And side-exit exhaust. That’s a must. Keep it street legal and drive it where everybody can see it.
I know of one guy whose eye must be twitching right now. Are there any more of you?
My Grandpa had one of these, for an everyday car. I’ve always loved the look. And still think these are the next big thing.
On the movie…they took some big liberties, with history…but the basic story was good.
FYI…fun fact…TJ Majors, who currently is Joey Logano’s Spotter in the Cup series, and formally, Dale Jr’s spotter…was cast as Dale Jr, in the Movie.