1968 Ford Torino GT Packs Cobra Jet Punch

Say what you will about the Internet, but the power for it to do good is unimaginable until you experience it. Yes, 40 years later it’s possible to find your long-lost orphan sibling, but we’re talking about cars here, so let’s get some perspective and focus on what’s important: a man and his father’s 1968 Ford Torino GT hardtop.

David Sullivan’s late dad bought one of these cars new. The Longview, Texas resident spec’d out his car in black with red bench seat interior, but what truly made this car different from most Torino GTs was that it was built with the 428 Cobra Jet. Ford’s mid-size series was all-new for 1968 and featured two new models at the top: Torino and Torino GT. The latter replaced the 1966-67 Fairlane GT, while the Fairlane 500 and Fairlane continued to hold the lower end of the series. While the hardtop and convertible were carried over for the Torino GT, it was joined by a new fastback.

Standard power was the new 302cid V8 offering 210 horsepower with a two-barrel carburetor (later, the trusty 289 became the standard engine), with a pair of 390s being optional, the better of the two offering 325 horsepower with a four-barrel carb. A Cobra 427 V8 with 390 horsepower was the top engine, though only available with an automatic and only for the hardtop and fastback.

However, after many promises, the 427 was discontinued in April 1968. Why Ford never supplied its factories with the 427 is a topic lost to posterity, but patient Blue Oval fans were rewarded with the introduction of the 428 Cobra Jet. Though rated at 335 horsepower, the true output was closer to 415. Like the 427 that never happened, it was only available with an automatic transmission, something quite different from the Mustangs and Cougars that were built with this engine in 1968.

Torino GT fastbacks with the CJ, though rare, are much more common than the hardtop, so it was with some excitement that I discovered a post on Reddit several years ago by a gentleman who claimed he had his dad’s Torino GT and he needed help finding someone to work on it. Considering the car’s rarity and somewhat enigmatic status (when’s the last time you’ve seen one?), I knew this car needed the right treatment. I PM’d the gentleman, told him I had co-authored a book on Cobra Jets, and told him I’d be back with help.

I then messaged Marty Burke, the most knowledgeable Fairlane guy I know. Not only does Marty have connections, but he also lives in Texas, which is where the GT was located. I had them exchange emails and then that was that … until this past November when the car was unveiled at MCACN.

David Sullivan, the guy I had chatted with several years before and the son of the original owner, is an actor who may be familiar to those of you who are into movies and television. He really pulled out all the stops with the unveiling, bringing his family from Texas, as well as a small film crew to cover the event because, after all, this car is a part of his family now that Dad is no longer with us. Special kudos must go to Billups Classic Cars for their expertise in bringing this Torino GT to a level not often seen.

Check out the above trailer on David’s dad’s car and its life-changing restoration. You may also enjoy Kevin Oeste’s Muscle Car of the Week for an in-depth look at this special 1968 Torino GT hardtop.