1973 Gran Torino Sport Question

Was searching around the net today and found this great forum. Look forward to many hours of reading here. The reason for the post here is that since 1990 I have owned a 1973 Gran Torino Sport which I believe to be quite rare but have been unable to actually find a detailed breakdown of numbers produced with the factory options that it has. The only rust the car has is some bubbling under the vinyl roof and a slight bit on the drivers door seam. Other than that the car has always been kept indoors and the body oiled yearly. The undercarriage is spotless as are the floorpans. It was previously a southern USA car. I know how these cars rust as I previously had a 1974 Torino Brougham that had no floor pans or door bottoms left due to rust. The car does need total restoration as the it drives OK but the paint is very faded and the engine is getting a bit tired. It has 121,000 original miles and the interior is close to mint other than a worn carpet. I don't imagine original interior material is easy to find for these cars. I was hoping someone here might be a Torino expert. The details on the car are:

1973 Ford Gran Torino Sport (Formal Roofline)

Factory Options:
4 spd with Hurst Shifter, and Console with Bucket Seats
Air Conditioning
351 C - 4bbl (Q code)
Magnum 500 rims

The car is factory black/black with a black vinyl roof.

The car has no rear defrost or posi.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. If I figure out how I will post a pic.

Thanks!

NOt as rare as you think but still a decent car... Pictures please...

Host them somewhere then use these brackets ]img[ your photo link here ]/img[

Just be sure to invert the brackets...

photobucket.com and ImageShack.com are a couple good sites to store photo's on.


FE
[addsig]

Now if someone will indulge me I always thought to get the Sport on Gran Torino you needed to have a fastback I know formal roofs came with 351cj 4 speeds but they were not sports in my book even with a q code for the vin maybe i am wrong on this just curious?

There were actually Formal Roof and Fastback Roofline Sport models built. I have been able to find out through research that about 51,000 Fastback Sports and 17,000 Formal Roof Sports were built in 1973. I would like to find out the option/production breakdown though. I did see a fastback on ebay for sale one time that was a 4spd and the seller stated a production of 1700 but I'm not sure what his source was. I am just assuming that going by his numbers and the production difference between formal roof and fastback models the 4spd formal roof models would be much rarer.

Well, in considering the "rarity" of your sport, it's a 4 speed car, which in that itself is a very awsome thing. My 1972 Fastback Sport is a 351c 4v cj 4 speed car, originally optioned with 12" brakes, a 3.50:1 rear end gearing, N case center section, non-ac, non-power disc brakes.
I could not tell you how rare mine is, either, but after spending 6 + years of bringing it back online after it spending 17 years in a barn, I guess I don't care.
Just look at it this way, you got a cool car, you'll get lots of thumbs up, and the 4 speed and a 351C are the way to go.

Here is a shot, before I bolted my bumpers on, and put it's license plates on.


good luck.

You can get the information that you are looking for from www.martiauto.com
Here is what a deluxe Report looks like.

sorry about the quality of the picture. The deluxe reports cost @ $45.00

Originally Posted by 73GTS

There were actually Formal Roof and Fastback Roofline Sport models built. I have been able to find out through research that about 51,000 Fastback Sports and 17,000 Formal Roof Sports were built in 1973. I would like to find out the option/production breakdown though. I did see a fastback on ebay for sale one time that was a 4spd and the seller stated a production of 1700 but I'm not sure what his source was. I am just assuming that going by his numbers and the production difference between formal roof and fastback models the 4spd formal roof models would be much rarer.

I saw the same eBay auction and he had the Marti Report for that car. The number was either 1703 or 1708, and that was the total number of '73 "63R" Sportsroofs with the "Q" code engine and "5" code 4 speed trans combo. Your formal roof car would be rarer still.

If you order the Elite Marti Report, you will get the most complete breakdown and it's not unheard of them to find what you think isn't really that rare of car is actually 1 of 1 when they look at every last single option. The example on their site is a '70 Mach 1 that happens to be a 1 of 1. That's sometimes a bit of overkill, because there may have been many other cars built that look exactly the same inside and out (body style, int/ext color, motor/trans), but because it was ordered with or without a rather insignificant option that makes it 1 of 1. Of the few key options you mentioned, besides being a formal roof with a CJ/4 spd, the black exterior might be the single biggest thing that brings it closest to being 1 of 1- that was actually a special order only color that was not even on the dealer's option sheet. Factor in all the other things like trim packages, rear axle, tires/wheels, radio, etc. and you cetrainly could have a 1 of 1. According to the dealer literature I have, the color-keyed Dual Racing Mirrors were not available with special paint, so yours probably has a std chrome mirror on the left side only?

I have one of those 1703 or 1708 '73 Sportsroofs with a 351CJ and 4 speed, but the extra cost option Blue Glow Metallic paint coupled with lack of common options like Rallye Equip Group (no gauge pkg), power steering, AC, and center console could easily cut that number in half or more.

FWIW, there were 2091 '72 Sportsroofs with the Q-code and 4-speed like eliteman76's.

hi! try kenosha classic auto interiors.wiscosin. 1(262)658-1999.

hi! i have a 73 gts. the miles are about the same. try kenosha classic auto interiors.wisconsin. 1(262)658-1999.