Brown Bomber: 1972 Ford Gran Torino Squire

As autumn enters the month of October, the work on classic vehicles slowly begins to shift from outdoors to indoors. For my family, the work outdoors continues, with my dad, my brother Kurt and I are working on repairing my brother's 1990 GMC K2500 and my dad's new 1997 GMC K2500 HD. By the time winter rolls around, work will shift to my dad's 1986 Corvette. For those still looking for a classic car to tinker on, looking outside of the box is a perfect way to score an interesting classic vehicle. This 1972 Ford Gran Torino Squire would be a perfect car to build up to one's desired look. Find it here on Craigslist in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with an asking price of $6,800, with trades for a 1999 or newer Dodge Cummins pickup or 1998-2002 Ford Powerstroke pickup considered.

For 1972, the Torino was redesigned using many characteristics carried over from the previous generation. The 1972 Torino styling emphasized the "long hood, short deck" look, and had strong elements of coke-bottle styling. The Torino line was also revised to be made up of basic models called "Torino" and more upscale models called "Gran Torinos." The most radical change was a large eggcrate grille in an oval opening on Gran Torinos. Tom McCahill, automotive enthusiast and writer for Mechanix Illustrated, stated that "the gaping grille [of the Gran Torino] looks a little like it was patterned after Namu, the killer whale", but also stated that the Torino had "kind of pleasing, no-nonsense styling." Gran Torinos had chrome bezels surrounding the headlamps on each side of the large oval grille. This Gran Torino is a Squire station wagon model, and is one of 35,595 built for 1972. Looking over the car, the car is in pretty decent shape, with no rust or dents in the body. I would ditch the roof-mounted spoiler, but the chrome roof rack is really cool. The picture above shows the car rolling on a set of American Racing Salt Flat wheels (most likely 17-inch wheels), but they are no longer on the car. The seller does include Mopar Police Rally wheels (in 15X7 or 15X8 sizes), as well as 17X8 Mustang GT wheels, but I prefer the look of the stock wheels and hubcaps shown in the first photo.

If by now you're still wondering what makes this sleeping-looking Squire so special, here's your answer: the powertrain. Powered by a big-block 429 and backed by a heavy-duty three-speed C6 automatic, this car is very nicely optioned in terms of powertrain. Rated at 208 horsepower and 322 lb-ft of torque, only the 351 four-barrel made more horsepower, and no Ford engine surpassed the 429's torque rating for 1972. The seller says that the 429 was rebuilt 15,000 miles ago, as was the C6; new steering (with a new fast-ratio Lares 841 Mustang box, new hoses, suspension parts) was installed, as was a new clutch fan, alternator, hoses, and belts; the power brakes were rebuilt; the  radiator was recored, and the air-conditioning was converted to R134A. The carburetor needs to be rebuilt, as the car has been sitting for three years. I would build up the 429 a bit (perhaps to Cobra Jet specs), add a Gear Vendors overdrive unit to the C6, upgrade the gear ratio in the factory nine-inch rear (which is currently 3.0-geared), and perhaps swap in a T56 Magnum 6-speed manual at some point.

There is nothing like an interior from the 1970s in my opinion. The factory comfort-weave interior is cool, as is the two-spoke wheel, factory AM/FM stereo with four factory speakers, and sporty gauges in the dash. Upholstery, dash, and headliner all look new, and a new carpet is in the box, ready to install. Note the factory grille on the floor; a Gran Torino Sport grille is currently installed on the car. Overall, this car is going to need some work, but would be perfect as a winter project for any car enthusiast. What are your thoughts on this factory big-block Squire station wagon?