Rupert E.'s 1976 Ford Gran Torino®
"Starsky & Hutch"®Replica
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Rupert says creating this S&H Torino
is something he has wanted to do "for a very long time." It took him almost five years to find a Torino
in Vermont. This car was first sold in Vermont in June of 1976, so it has stayed close to home.
It would not be as it is now, Rupert says, if it was not for his sons, Eric and Nick. It took the three of them
about two years to get the car into the condition it's in now. They did all the work themselves, except the engine
rebuild and the paint. |
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Rupert renewed the complete front-end
suspension, including ball joints, control arms, bushings, etc. The car's body is all steel - no body filler. The
paint is base coat/clear coat with five coats of clear. It has air shocks, 15-inch slotted mags, and 255/60/R15
tires on the back, and 14-inch mags on the front with 225/70/R14 tires. |
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The car now has a completely new interior
from the headliner to the carpet. It also has new door panels and bucket seats now, although it originally had
bench seats. This winter, Rupert plans to upgrade the transmission, including torque converter and rear end. He
wants to have the bumpers and head/taillight bezels rechromed, add a center console between the bucket seats, and
a few other small things. |
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This car has the original 351 Windsor
engine which has been blue printed, bored out, balanced, and tested on a dyno. It has an MSD ignition, Hooker Super
Comp headers, Edelbrock intake and 600 carb, and an aftermarket aluminum radiator. It has a C-4 automatic transmission
and Ravin dual exhaust. |
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Rupert and family have been driving the car a little
and working out the bugs, and they say they have been "shocked at the attention we have gotten." Get
used to it, guys! You're driving a replica of one of the most popular cars on the planet, and a really nice-looking
one at that! |
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"Starsky
& Hutch" Torino Home
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This Page © 2006 StarskyTorino.com
Created July 30, 2006. All Rights Reserved. Photos are the Property of the Car's Owner.
"Starsky & Hutch"®
is a registered Trademark and Copyright of CPT Holdings, Inc.
"Ford Gran Torino"® is a Trademark of Ford Motor Company.
The presence of strobe lights, wig-wags,
sirens, and/or red revolving lights
in any car that is not an official Police car is illegal in many states.
Check your own State and local regulations!
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