The Ford Gran Torino could never, in any generation, match the Mustang in popularity. It was a bigger, more comfortable and somewhat more expensive car. It was higher in the lineup than everyone’s favorite Mustang. And it found its fans, including Clint Eastwood as Walt Kowalski in the 2008 Gran Torino movie. In that movie, the ’72 Mustang was shown. And in the series Starsky and Hutch, known to many, the car was shot in ’74. The ’73 and ’74 versions are easy to distinguish by the radiator grille, the ’73 had a flatter grille.
The 1973 Ford Gran Torino is the third generation of the model, which was produced from ’72 to ’76. Compared to the ’72 model, the Gran Torino lacked some of the more powerful V8 powertrains, such as the big 429 engine. It was the time when America was shaken by the oil crisis. But even with not the most powerful engines, many people liked the Gran Torino on the move. Thus, the famous car and driver magazine said that Gran Torino drives as smoothly and comfortably as Lincoln, and it is comparable to Mustang by its excitement and fervor. Part of the credit was due to the rear, spring suspension, which was not typical of American cars of those years.
Sale and Price 1973 Ford Gran Torino.
This Gran Torino was produced in 11 modifications. The most expensive was the car in a two-door body type of hardtop in the Brougham version. Today, perhaps due to a fairly large series, and perhaps not too high demand, even good copies are not too expensive. Thus, it is possible to buy quite well-groomed car for 15 thousand dollars. Sufficient offers are sold for 4 – 5 thousand dollars.
Today it is a great option for fans of American classics who want to stand out and get a unique driving experience.
Appearance and photos.
The easiest way to visually distinguish the ’73 car is by the radiator grille. It became more flat and rectangular than it was in ’72. Just from the photo you can see that the turn signals are built just in the grille. The front bumper was also changed. Which received a more simple shape, but became energy absorbing. The shape of the rear bumper has not changed.
As before, the Gran Torino’s body was framed and attached through special, rubber dampers. The base two-door car with a 250 cubic inch engine had a curb weight of 1689 kilograms. The base model used 215/75 R14 tires. These tires were very high profile, which is typical for American cars of that time.
The two-door has a length of 5283mm and a wheelbase of 2896mm. The two-door Gran Torino was available as a fastback and hardtop. The four-door hardtop had a body length of 5,385 mm and a wheelbase of 2,997 mm.
According to the latter parameter Gran Torino was comparable with modern executive class sedans. The car was also sold as a station wagon, known to many as a vanogh.
The roof of the Gran Torino could be covered with vinyl. The taillights were built into the bumper (but such a solution was repeated on a ’72 car). The side of the body could be decorated with decorative strips.
For the Gran Torino, as well as for the Thunderbird, its own emblem was designed. Although there is a Ford inscription on the edge of the hood, it seems to be the only place on the body that has the name of an American company on it. It is noteworthy that if it was a Sport modification, then this designation was also present on the emblem. The same goes for the inscription on the front fenders – if it was a car in the Sport version, it was written directly on the fender.
The gas tank hatch, and consequently the filler neck, were built behind the rear license plate, which was typical of American cars of that time.
Interior and equipment.
In basic equipment Gran Torino was equipped with one-piece, front sofa. Optionally, it was offered with separate seats. Compared to the ’72 car, the seat backs here are lower, but equipped with headrests. Of course, this Ford is equipped with hydraulic power steering.
In the basic modifications Gran Torino is equipped with mechanical windshield wipers in the back and front, which suggests that this is not too expensive car. Ford was equipped with two-point safety belts. From the photo, you can see how deeply the instrument dials are recessed. In the American way, the parking brake is in the form of a pedal, to the left of the clutch pedal. A radio receiver is installed in the front panel, which was the norm for American cars of the time. The inscription on the front panel, in front of the passenger reminds that you are sitting in Gran Torino.
Of course, in terms of equipment this Ford is far from the Lincoln, but it was already quite a large, and therefore spacious in the cabin car. Some people could buy a two-door Gran Torino simply because the Mustang was too cramped inside for them. Especially since this, the larger Ford had considerably more room for those sitting in the back.
Engine and Specifications 1973 Ford Gran Torino.
The base engine was a 250 cubic inch inline six. With 93 horsepower, this Gran Torino with a manual transmission could reach 100 miles per hour in 16.8 seconds, and in 21.7 seconds to go ¼ mile. Its top speed was 148 km per hour. Of course, this isn’t particularly impressive, especially considering that the 7.0 liter V8 was in production for many years.
More powerful was base model 302 V8 with 139 horsepower and 312Nm of torque. With a terpspeed manual transmission such Ford could reach 100 km/h in 11.6 seconds and could reach a top speed of 175 km/h.
The 351 cubic inch V8 with two valves per cylinder produced 159 horsepower and 339 Nm of torque.
The most powerful engine offered for the 1973 Ford Gran Torino was the Cleveland Cobra. It had the same 351 cubic inch capacity (5.8 liters). It had four valves per cylinder, which was unusual for an American car of that time. The engine produced 245 horsepower at 5400 RPM and 423 Nm of torque at 3600 RPM. It took 7.7 seconds to reach 100 miles, and in 50.5 seconds, the Gran Torino went from zero to 200 miles per hour. The Gran Torino could go ¼ mile in 16 seconds, which was a respectable performance. Valve covers are stamped with a Ford decal, and the air filter has a sticker indicating the service schedule. Remarkably, the compression ratio of this engine is not high – 8.0:1, which allows using low-octane fuel. Police versions of the Torino were equipped with this engine and had larger, rear drum brakes.
The hood of the Torino was mounted on heavy-duty springs and not on gas pads, which was the norm for the time. As mentioned above, the rear
The rear suspension was spring loaded. The Torino was offered with a 3 and 4 speed, manual transmission, as well as a three speed automatic.
This is a very cool, yet not so expensive car. Today, it will allow you to stand out on the road and have a unique experience of driving a Gran Torino. Yes, – the ’73 car no longer had a big engine block, but the Clevelend Cobra engine was powerful enough to easily outrun most cars of the time.
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