The seventh installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, simply called Furious 7, will forever be known to fans as the last one to star Paul Walker. That's because a tragic car crash took the life of the actor, and nothing was the same after that.
There are, of course, a lot of other things to remember the movie for. As usual in the franchise, a lot of screen time is reserved for incredible cars and other vehicles, which are forced, just like the actors, to perform stunts they would normally not try in real life.
There was one car in Furious 7 that was so special no one dared do anything to damage it. As a result, it was only briefly featured on camera, appearing in just two relatively minor scenes, but it was enough to ignite people’s imagination.
The car in question is, by its full name, the 1969 Ford Torino Talladega GPT Special. It's not any kind of Talladega, if there ever was such a thing, but one so heavily modified it’s a well-known recipient of awards.
By its nature the Ford Torino Talladega is one of the many homologation special models that have come to be worth a fortune over the years. The family was only made briefly in 1969, and in very limited numbers (about 500), so it’s highly appreciated today by collectors in the U.S., especially if they come in stock form.
The one we have here does not, as it was modified by Illinois-based Rad Rides by Troy to an extent that, strangely enough, gives it even more potential.
The Torino was put together more than a decade ago, and it was shown for the first time during the Detroit Autorama in 2013. Since then it managed to snatch on two occasions the Goodguys Street Machine of the Year at SEMA, and, even if it wasn't driven in Furious 7, it did have Vin Diesel's behind sit on it during filming.
Photo: Mecum
Compared to a regular Torino of this kind the GPT Special is miles away. The bodywork was altered to give the feeling of a much meaner machine, with almost no bits left untouched.
At the front, for instance, the front fenders are three inches (7.6 cm) shorter than they used to, and are placed to either side of a fully modified front end, on top of which sits a custom hood with the proper scoop.
At the opposite end, on the quarter panels, the crowns were extended by one inch (2.5 cm) and now feature integrated brake cooling scoops. The rockers were extended and now feature integrated exhaust cut-outs, and the wheel lips are both wider and higher than on the base car.
The bumpers on both ends have been made by hand by the shop behind the build, and so have the chin spoiler and grille.
The modified body rests on an Art Morrison chassis equipped with a Mark Williams Ultimate 9 rear end. The suspension system is the same as on the Chevrolet Corvette C5 at the front, while the rear is supported by a 4-link system.
The car makes the connection to the ground with the help of Billet Specialties wheels sized 18 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear. All four of them are shod in Michelin Pilot Sport tires and hide Wildwood braking hardware on all four corners.
Photo: Mecum
A normal Ford Torino Talladega packed under the hood a 427ci engine, but the range was no stranger to the larger Boss 429. It's the latter that animates this particular example, no longer in stock form but significantly modified.
More to the point the powerplant was treated to Kaase aluminum heads and a modified Hilborn injection system. It is tied to a Tremec TKO 600 5-speed manual transmission, and it has a total power rating of 750 horsepower.
The driver and passenger can enjoy the roar of the Boss while sitting in racing-style seats with brown leather upholstery. The habitat is equipped with Classic Instruments and Holman Moody gauges, a period-correct Hurst shifter, and toggle switches that look just the way they did back in the day.
The two-tone Tennessee Whiskey Gold and Daytona Sand beauty has become the focus of our attention today because it is scheduled to go under the hammer in early March at the hands of auction house Mecum.
The car is listed as one of the main attractions of the event, and for good reason. We have no mention of the expected sale price for the Torino, and we don’t have info on it having sold before, so it’s impossible to make an estimate of its worth. There seems to be a reserve on it for the Arizona auction, albeit undisclosed.
As usual, we'll come back on this story and update you with the sale price, if there will be one, as soon as we know it.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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