For Sale - 1969 Ford Torino Cobra 🐍 (Ram Air Fastback) $38,800 (Salinas, CA) - Not Mine

[Mark Huston]

Not Mine.  Craigslist Ad:

 

https://monterey.craigslist.org/cto/d/salinas-1969-ford-torino-cobra-ram-air/7453816808.html

 

If you see this post, the car is still available.

$38,000
1969 Ford Torino Cobra 428 Cobra Jet with Ram Air, SportsRoof (Fastback).

1 of 249 with this paint and trim code.

R-code 3 Speed, Automatic, SelectShift Cruise-O-Matic, it’s equipped with a C6 Transmission.

Original 428-4V Cobra Jet V8 big block engine- Numbers Matching. 3.0 Traction-Lok differential, Power Front Disc Brakes, and a Tachometer. I also have the hood pins.

The car is registered and it comes with a Clean California Title. It has 95k original miles.

Original rare color Lime-Gold. The interior consists of Black Cloth and Vinyl bench seat with black interior. Interior is in great condition.

Car has been in California for approximately 10 years, it previously lived in Florida for 25+ years.

Please see additional photos/ videos here:

https://myalbum.com/album/pfWHDDVNMRMR
https://myalbum.com/album/stUwknRHN2bn

Recent service includes:
Replaced oil pan (OEM), gaskets, installed a Holley Performance Fuel Pump, replaced spark plugs, spark plug wires, rear main seal, oil pan gaskets, valve cover gaskets, oil pump housing gasket, water pump, water pump gaskets, new radiator hoses/ vacuum hoses, new alternator, and pinion seal gaskets.

I will include a framed Marti Report, sales pamphlet, owners manual, magazine promotional ad, Richard petty autographed Ford Torino photograph, I will also include Ford Torino Performance portfolio book, Encyclopedia of original part numbers and codes, and a large canvas portrait of the car.

This car was featured in the book, “American Performance V-8 Specs: 1963-1974.”

What it needs:

Body is in great overall condition. No rust on floorboards or body. All original panels. There is very minor bubbling on driver’s door and underneath the passenger side door, there is no cancer and the panel is pretty solid around the bubbling. Please see pictures.

Original tachometer and original radio are in the vehicle they just need to be hooked up. I also have the hood pins for the car.

Specs:
Displacement… 428 Cubic Inches
Torque… 440 lbs/ft @ 3400
Carb…4V 735 cu. ft./min.
Bore & Stroke… 4.13” x 3.98”
Comp. Ratio…10.6 to 1
Exhaust… Dual
Valves… 2.06” dia. intake
1.625” dia. exhaust
30 degree valve seat
Cam… Long duration, high lift
Lifters… Hydraulic
Fuel… Premium

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Mine.  I have not personal interest in the sale of this 1969 Ford Torino.  

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Mark Huston (see edit history)

[TerryB]

Bench seat and automatic on the column, quite an unusual combination paired with the big motor under the hood.

[1912Staver]

Reasonably common on a Torino Cobra.  Ford was trying to keep the base price down on these to go head to head with the base model Road Runner.

My 69 Cyclone CJ was a fair bit pricier , but the nicer options were more common on the Cyclones. Mine was a buckets and console car. Hate to say it , but I used a ,Grabber Orange, Torino Cobra like this one as a parts car for my Cyclone { a long time ago } The Cyclone was a C6 , the Cobra a top loader. Presto chango a 4 speed Cyclone. At the time it all made perfect sense.

[TerryB]

I worked at a gas station in the late 1960s, one of the mechanics had a new green Plymouth Road Runner with bench seat and column shift.  Even then I couldn’t figure out the reason to get a bench seat and column shifter. The way cooler ( to a 17 yr old) Chevelle SS cars had buckets and floor shifts.  At the time I was driving a beat up 1958 Dodge 4 door so I had no bragging rights about owning a cool car of my own.

[TAKerry]

My first 'car' was a 72 gran torino with a bench seat column shift. Before that I had a 65 f100 hot rod, with buckets and a 4 speed. For a 17 yo I have to say I much preferred the bench seat over the floor shift and buckets😇

[=diego=]

That car is not a Torino. In 1970, it was a Torino.

[58L-Y8]

On 3/25/2022 at 10:22 PM, =diego= said:

That car is not a Torino. In 1970, it was a Torino.

Yes, identified in the Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975, edited by John Gunnell as still a "Ford Fairlane Torino GT Cobra" for the 1969 model year.  For 1970, Fairlane was the base trim level of this body series, Torino became the middle and upper plus performance trim level model name.   

 

As was common industry practice, the top-line model name of the 1950's, gradually became superseded and demoted until it was a base-level until it was deleted altogether. 

Edited March 27, 2022 by 58L-Y8
Source identified (see edit history)

[TexRiv_63]

Nice. I have always wanted one of these.

[=diego=]

4 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Yes, still a "Ford Fairlane Torino GT Cobra" for the 1969 model year.  For 1970, Fairlane was the base trim level of this body series, Torino became the middle and upper plus performance trim level model name.   

This is actually not true at all.

 

The 1969 models went as follows:

 

Fairlane

Cobra

Fairlane 500

Torino

Torino GT

 

There was no such thing as a “Fairlane Torino GT Cobra.”

 

In 1970, it went like this:

 

Fairlane 500

Torino Cobra

Torino 

Torino GT

Torino Brougham

…and the 1970.5 Falcon was slotted beneath the Fairlane 500.

 

 

[Guest]

"Original rare color Lime-gold"

 

Hmmm?

I believe this was the most ubiquitous color Ford had in that era.  It was on literally thousands of Mustangs, Falcons, Fairlanes and full sized Fords. 

The color did not stand the test of time very well.  It's usually the lowest on the collectible Mustang owner's list of desirable colors.  Engine is great but bench seat and column shift are a hit as well. 

Does it seem odd that a customer placing an order for the highest performance engine offered in this platform would conciously choose this incongruous seat/shifter combination?

Appears to me like it may have been set up almost as a rental car would have been back in the day. 

Of course this is only my opinion and I could be wrong.

Cheers, Greg

[Guest]

Just to follow up on my earlier post.

The Marti Report pictured is very difficult to read but I managed to decipher it.  Under "Order Type" it lists "Basic Off-Standard Equipment" which does make this car a little unusual.

There were a couple dozen order types but the main 5 types were as follows:

 

 

 

1	Retail	An individual comes to a dealership and orders an, as yet, unbuilt vehicle. Sold orders have a customer name assigned to them in the system. These also usually have price protection in case of an increase. Stock units don't.
2	Stock	Unsold orders for dealer inventory. A Stock order may be part of a dealer’s basic allocation, or an addition to the basic.
5	Fleet	A company that orders five or more vehicles yearly qualifies for price breaks on these vehicles
3	Basic	Basic (Company) Orders – Back Lot Storage Ford has excess capacity on an assembly line and produces vehicles to keep the plant busy
C	Basic Off – Standard Equipment	Was a basic order with one or more options that were not standard ones. Fleet Type.

 

So it appears this car was a very basic everyday build, done to keep the plant producing and generating random stock for dealers.  Codes 3 and C explain it best.   It makes you wonder who the guy was and what his thought process may have been when he decided to take this very basic, grocery-getter, regular 302 V-8 looking coupe and then install the super high performance 428 Cobra Jet engine with no other complimenting options.

Very odd indeed.

But, as Staver said, Mopar did the same thing.  I've seen many high performance Roadrunners (and other B bodies) with a great power plant and then a bench seat column shift.  Real bargain basement muscle cars I suppose.

[=diego=]

Greg, I agree that, upon first glance, Lime Gold is not rare--after all, it was Ford's most popular color for 1967 and may have been up there for 1969.

 

But if you glance at the Marti, it shows to be about 6-700 for the fastback, which is about 7% of fastback production. I'd guess that's middle of the road for colors for that car.

 

FWIW, I don't think the bench/auto combo is remarkable. Don't forget, the Cobra was the response to the Plymouth Road Runner, so many cars came with bench.

[TexRiv_63]

22 hours ago, GregLaR said:

"Original rare color Lime-gold"

 

Hmmm?

I believe this was the most ubiquitous color Ford had in that era.  It was on literally thousands of Mustangs, Falcons, Fairlanes and full sized Fords. 

The color did not stand the test of time very well.  It's usually the lowest on the collectible Mustang owner's list of desirable colors.  Engine is great but bench seat and column shift are a hit as well. 

Does it seem odd that a customer placing an order for the highest performance engine offered in this platform would conciously choose this incongruous seat/shifter combination?

Appears to me like it may have been set up almost as a rental car would have been back in the day. 

Of course this is only my opinion and I could be wrong.

Cheers, Greg

I have always wanted one of these cars but NOT in this color.

[TexRiv_63]

21 hours ago, GregLaR said:

Just to follow up on my earlier post.

The Marti Report pictured is very difficult to read but I managed to decipher it.  Under "Order Type" it lists "Basic Off-Standard Equipment" which does make this car a little unusual.

There were a couple dozen order types but the main 5 types were as follows:

 

 

 

1	Retail	An individual comes to a dealership and orders an, as yet, unbuilt vehicle. Sold orders have a customer name assigned to them in the system. These also usually have price protection in case of an increase. Stock units don't.
2	Stock	Unsold orders for dealer inventory. A Stock order may be part of a dealer’s basic allocation, or an addition to the basic.
5	Fleet	A company that orders five or more vehicles yearly qualifies for price breaks on these vehicles
3	Basic	Basic (Company) Orders – Back Lot Storage Ford has excess capacity on an assembly line and produces vehicles to keep the plant busy
C	Basic Off – Standard Equipment	Was a basic order with one or more options that were not standard ones. Fleet Type.

 

So it appears this car was a very basic everyday build, done to keep the plant producing and generating random stock for dealers.  Codes 3 and C explain it best.   It makes you wonder who the guy was and what his thought process may have been when he decided to take this very basic, grocery-getter, regular 302 V-8 looking coupe and then install the super high performance 428 Cobra Jet engine with no other complimenting options.

Very odd indeed.

But, as Staver said, Mopar did the same thing.  I've seen many high performance Roadrunners (and other B bodies) with a great power plant and then a bench seat column shift.  Real bargain basement muscle cars I suppose.

In addition to the taxi interior and column shift it also appears to have manual steering. Another reason to order a "stripper" back then was because the buyers intention was to drag race it! Like any muscle car a buyer needs to take a very close look underneath....