69 Torino Cobra Jet

[60scarguy]

My newest project is a numbers matching 69 Ford Fairlane Torino Cobra Jet with Ram Air (an R code car). Trying to research the car's previous owners - car was in Maryland in 1999 and up to 2006.

Picture below is actually the before picture. Car delivered. Body redone but floors and frame rails shot.



Now the work begins. Engine, drivetrain removed, Interior removed. Rusty Floor pans and crossmembers to be cut out and replaced.



Here is the treasure - a numbers matching 428 Cobra Jet engine. Block, heads, manifold all correct parts. Block VIN matches body.



Hoping to have the Torino finished for Syracuse Nationals in July, but taking the 69 Camaro on the Power Tour this year.

[67pete300]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

That thing is sweet. Perfect mix of different but good looking. And a Cobra Jet! Awesome car. Keep us up to date.

[fast Ed]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

Going to be nice!! We need more good looking Fords on here. ;D


cheers
Ed N.

[Jim Rockford]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

BAD ass i'm not a huge ford guy , but i like some of the older stuff and even got a great deal on a 68 fairlane fastback , 302 auto ..added some wheels and sold it on the bay.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

dare to be different

[67pete300]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

I was just admiring your car again. It just clicks. The white paint, black scoop, chrome trim and wheels all complement each other perfectly. This car has the potential to be really ugly, but yours is perfect.

[60scarguy]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

Thanks guys for the compliments.

It will be fun to build and fun to run. Actually I am not doing the actual work - its two guys I know who are really really good. They also have their own very cool cars - Ford Highboy and 34 Ford Coupe, 2 Vettes and a 56 Chev Post - the 34 has hand built frames... anyways, I thought it would be interesting to see some pics every so often as the work gets done on this pretty rare Ford Cobra.

According to the Marti report, there were only 1,324 2 door Hardtops built with the CJ 428 engine and C6 auto tranny.

Here is the passenger floor cut out, awaiting new sheet metal, rails and torque boxes, after getting rid of the mice in the old torque boxes (part of floor frame)



More to come in the next few months.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

Sweet. A 428 too.

[Darren N.]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

Awesome and unique ride: sure don't see too many hardtop Torino's. As mentioned, the colour combo is bitchin'!

I never understood why people would redo the body but leave rusty floors unrepaired. I guess it's because I grew up in my dad's body shop, but it seems like people don't think the structural integrity of a car is important as long as it looks good.....bah, less work for you, the paint is done :P

The 428 CJ rocks and I look forward to seeing the progress ;D

[Dirt Rod]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

Man oh man, I love these cars....

Friend of mine had a '69 Fairlane mordor blue/blue 302 3 speed on the column.

That car lived through so much teenage abuse it was amazing!! strong little car... bought it from an old lady named Hazel for $400 and drove it for 8 years!!

Too many stories about that car to even start talking about it

Ax

[60scarguy]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

Here is Update for first week of May:

Passenger floor and torque box (front of firewall and frame) done





Now on to the driver's side.....
Stay tuned

[purplecobra]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

I take it you knew about the rust before ya got it? Nice car, rare.

[60scarguy]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

Hey Purplecobra:

I knew there was some rust, but not to the extent that it turned out to be. All covered in bondo and black tar, and was not apparent until the floor was sandblasted. Yet the body was redone and all trim was new, and the interior was complete. During test drive car did not steer well, so did not do an extended test drive, but the engine looked like an original 428 CJ, sounded and ran like one and made all the right noises, and the engine date casting numbers matched the Dash VIN date from the Marti Report, so I took a gamble and bought it.

The research on the car paid off, and I got a little lucky too.

Turns out that the rust was a blessing in disguise, since by redoing all the floor pans and torque boxes, we had to take the whole car apart, and found other things that were just plain wrong and dangerous.. missing nuts on suspension components, rear brake lines not attached, missing bearing on steering column, holes in heater box, leaking heater core, rotted bolts holding steering box to frame etc etc.

and some things that were just plain right...

Numbers matching 428 CJ engine, complete interior intact, all trim pieces replaced on body, including new bumpers, headliner, carpet, new front suspension, rebuilt transmission, engine completely rebuilt - all new cam, rocker arms, springs etc, and new front disc brakes.

I went back to the dealer who sold it to me, who had just bought the car on consignment a few months earlier, and he felt bad so he helped contribute $ back into the restoration. A stand-up guy!

So a minor restoration expectation became a major restoration project - but it is a numbers matching and a rare car.

My goal is to bring it back to stock so that I can drive it and smoke the tires. No 18 inch rims or billet for this baby.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet

It's interesting how many good looking cars are absolutely scary when you drive them. The half assed repairs the previous owner did to the steering and braking on your are frightening. Steering box bolts, disconnected rear brake lines?!, missing nuts on the suspension bolts. Yikes. I'm glad you find out was wrong before getting into an accident.

I recently went to look at and test drive a 69 Mustang Sports Roof for a friend. He lives in Sacramento and the car he found was in Riverside. Good thing I did. The car had a recent paint job, newer interior, and a rebuilt engine that ran great, but there was something seriously wrong with the suspension and braking. When I backed the car out of the driveway, it felt like the left front tire flopped from one side to the other. Going on 35 mph was a challenge to keep the car straight because I had 180* of steering slop. The brakes hardly worked at all. The other problem was that it felt like it was going down the road sideways as if the frame was bent.

My car is really ugly, but I feel absolutely safe driving down the road at 90 mph. I'm not the slightest bit worried about that something was going to fly apart on me.

[malc]

Re: 69 Torino Cobra Jet