|
David W.'s 1976 Gran Torino®
"Starsky & Hutch"®Replica
|
|
|
| David's car is a 1976 Gran Torino with
a 351 Windsor fitted with a 4-bbl Holley carburetor and dual Flowmaster exhaust system. Interior is restored in
leather with bucket seats, and has both a CD player and a DVD player. It has air conditioning and is an automatic
with column shift. It is fitted with custom chrome wheels, similar to the slots of the 1970s, and air shocks. |
|
|
| The car is often booked in the UK for
promotional appearances and weddings, and draws crowds wherever it goes. David says other drivers take pictures
of it with their camera phones in traffic all the time! This photo with the Biker Scouts and Stormtroopers from
Star Wars is probably the coolest picture I've ever seen of a S&H Torino. Check out the two guys in the car
in the photo on the right. If that's a phony photo, I can't take credit for it. |
|
|
| David's Torino has been featured in
several TV programs in the UK, including one called "Shameful Secrets Of The '70s" filmed at the "Top
Gear" track in Surrey, and also a show called "100 Greatest TV Cars." It also appeared in the September,
2004 issue of FHM magazine along with K.I.T.T. from "Knightrider." In the photos above, the TV crew can
be seen attaching a small camera to the side of the car to shoot close-ups of the wheel and side of the car while
it's moving (left), and shooting some video of it standing still (right) with a Sony Digital Betacam camera and
Sachtler (my personal favorite) tripod - not the kind of video gear you get at Best Buy! |
|
|
| David's car had spent most of its life
in Sacramento before being sold to a company in San Diego, California, where it was repainted from its original
dark blue to Viper red with white stripe. Due to defects in the paint job, David had it repainted by Euro Vehicle
Engineers of Boreham in Essex. They removed the paint all the way down to bare metal, re-painted the whole car,
and weather sealed the undercarriage. It looks fantastic! |
| |
|
For
more information about David's S&H Torino,
visit his Web site: Zebra3UK.com
|
| |