Ford’s mid-size segment car, the Torino, has a strange relationship with gearheads. Some love it because of it’s star power, though the showings in question are “Starsky and Hutch” and “Fast and Furious” (the fourth installment). Some love it because of it’s shape…the Gran Torino’s SportsRoof shape is one of the most impressive forms Ford Motor Company has produced, giving what would otherwise be a standard midsize car a rather menacing look, sleep and purposeful, one that was spread out to the Mustang and the Australian Falcon. Some love it due to it’s racing history…the Torino and it’s immediate predecessor, the Fairlane, had been the cars that had been battling with Chrysler products on the ovals of the NASCAR circuit throughout the 1960s. From the radical big-blocks that NASCAR legislated out of existence before they had a shot, to the Aero War battle between the Dodge Daytona/Plymouth Superbird and the stillborn Ford Torino King Cobra, Ford had managed to stay very competitive.
The seller claims that this is a Junie Dunlavey-built car, and if it’s true, all the better, but even if it isn’t, the specs are spot-on: a 351 dry sump Cleveland, Bud Moore box intake, Dominator carb, original headers, radiator, fuel cell, coolers, banjo seat, 800-820 Goodyear blue streak tires, and the Truxmore livery come together to form one wicked Ford. 
Surely, you wouldn’t mind running a couple of historical races if you owned this monster, would you? We know you wouldn’t mind giving that gearbox a good thrashing when nobody is looking, would you?
Craigslist Link: 1972 Ford Torino ex-NASCAR
(Thanks to Andrew Crouch for the tip!)
You can drop that off in my garage for me. 😉
Dear Santa, I’ve been a really, really good boy this year!
Oh Santa…I’ve been very good this year
I always liked them. My old neighbor who use work for WABC TV was responsible for putting cameras in the cars. Vern was Junie’s friend in high school and drove a 39 Ford moonshine car for Junie’s uncle until the Woods brother’s uncle who was the sheriff arrested him. Vern knew all these old NASCAR guys real well. He was finishing buddies with a lot of them. Vern had some pretty wild road stories too!