Would you pass this car forward if you knew it was going to a "good" home? (Which of course a good home in this case is somewhere that someones going to drop in a 460 based stroker and blast this thijg down the strip 🙂 - she deserves to go out with her boots on, no wither away in a corner. "Better to burn out than fade away")
Personally id keep her, this body style is coming back in to popularity and manufacturers are starting to make the parts for them. They are also not seen very often
I think this is a great project to generate a lot of interest from the subs. I know I’m very interested. I would love to see the 429 rebuilt and put back in. A close second would be a hot 460 swapped In ultimately I would love to see some passes down the drag strip. Thanks for showing this really cool car.
It might have started life as a SCJ because of the appearance of what looks to be a transmission cooler next to the radiator and CJ's didn't come with them. Did he say it's not the original motor?
I gave my recommendation in the last video, I said keep it and make it your #1 priority. From what you said about the supercharged car next to the Torino, it could be made to run while your rebuilding the 429 or building the possible 460. At any rate, they will both be awesome. I'm 51and the most important lesson I've learned about cars is absolutely don't sell anything you remotely like on a whim...You will definitely regret it later. Like you said, where and when could I find another complete pro-streeter for under $10 grand....never- nowhere!! You lucked out on this Torino. An added bonus is you have the first pro street car among any of your friend's you tube channel's plus its an actual build from way back in the day, not a modern imposter. Start saving for fresh "steamroller" rear tires tomorrow!!!
We all have to remember Luke works a 40 plus hour day job with a side hustle (carb cheater) and a RUclips channel! I don't know where he finds the time.
@garywinters2282 : You make the time. Sleep when your dead!!! I have a 45 hour a week gig as a heavy duty truck mechanic, do side work whenever I can, plus work on my 4 vehicles, A 1969 LeMans, a 1979 Toyota Supra, a 1987 Fiero GT, and a 1999 Silverado 1500 short box Z-71. Where there's a will, there's a way, and I'm 20+ years older than Luke.
I miss the regular videos,I've learned a ton about carbs from you. I hope you have the time and money to keep up all this awesomeness. If not I'll enjoy what I get. I hope you keep this rig as well but everything is for sale for the right price. Good luck uncle Luke!
Luke, I know you said you got alot of projects but don't sell it, it's one of those cars if you do sell, you'll forever curse yourself for not hanging on to it. If it was mine....I'd keep the mad max/ratty vibe and set it up for drag n' drive events. 2 schools of thought on how to move forward, you pull the 429 and do a budget refresh and focus on making the car safe, get the cooling side of things locked down and set-up right, replace/rewire, inspect the cage and chassis and bring em' up to spec, then sort out the interior stuff and make it as safe, comfortable and user friendly (as much as a drag car can be) for yourself and passenger. This is where I'd spend the big $$$$ I'd go with a speed gems 6r80 conversion kit and v8 6r80 trans and trans controller or at a minimum a built 4r70/5. Bolt it all together go shake it down, then go have some fun and drive the tyres off it. Yes, it won't be the fastest thing but you'll get to learn the cars quirks, faults quickly....leaves it open to do a big banger engine at a later date. Then theres the 2nd way....this is where it might become one of those never ending parts list/project type deals....carry that same look/feel, again using an overdrive trans but you forego the budget build, throw everything at it all at once and jump right into a big hp combo. You'll still have to go through everything as before but I guess you don't have to do an engine swap later....they both have they're good/bad points. Possible race/promo vehicle for carb cheater???? Give it a name like, thunder road, thunder row, Thunderino....anyway, I think I'll just exit here now. Lol Cheers 🍻 Rob.
I’d just pull it and have it decked with a .030 overbore like you mentioned. You could also pick up a 460 short block and use the 429 heads since they are the smaller chamber, higher compression heads. Cant wait to see what you do with this project👍
yeah but those cast heads add so much weight to the car. and they are a biatch to change. plus you'd want to go all the way through them. new valves,guides, seats ,resurfacing etc.and while you're at it new springs and rockers. you could make up for the lack of closed-chambers on the aluminum heads with a little more aggressive piston. remember the deck on the block needs surfacing too so theres a little more compression there.
With a little scraping, a few gaskets and an oil drain plug put it back together and fire it up! Plenty of time for the Galaxie. Part three would be timely now. More content on this story please! ;-)
@@scotthanson7888 Absolutely. I'd really like to see it converted back to a street car, put a street rear end in her, low rise intake a single 4bbl, daily drive her. But that's me.
I like the 429 more than the 460, because it likes to rev, and has better throttle response. The cast iron intake is so heavy, I thought for sure I'd left a bolt on it somewhere! I'd deck the block, clean it really good, run the oil pump without the heads, put it back together. 850 CFM carb and headers and you'll be amazed by the performance. 🙂👍
Thanks Luke, you are motivating me. My Mustang is still on its side jigged up to finish the restore. Only thing on it is steering column. Got flooded with Hurricane Ida, a pink title from that and cancer. All is back to normal, and I am catching up. I will be back on my 1968, 289, cherry red convertible Mustan restore this winter. I have been following you for years now. I have owned the Mustang since 1984.
I'm a Mopar guy, but that Torino body style is awesome! Definitely rebuild it! Looks like a good investment. Plus, you would be Mr. Cool driving it around! Yep. Definitely that too!
Just a suggestion to help save what's left of your back: remove the hood and use your cherry picker/engine hoist to get the heavy intake, heads, etc. off the engine. As an older fellow with a badly damaged back, I wish I'd taken better care of mine 😢
Definitely keep it and get it running! Too damn hard to find cars like this anymore! This will make great content if you choose to proceed with this one.
My dad bought a 1970 Torino brand new and it was “the one that got away” for him. He always regretted selling it. He bought a brand new 1972 Torino to replace the 70 and hated everything about it!! His 70 had a 351 Cleveland, 4 speed manual and he street raced everyone in his small town he lived in and according to him was the car to beat around there. It’s a car that I would love to own someday in his memory! This will be a fun little series for me. Hopefully it continues for awhile 😁
Man I'm grateful I found you Thunderhead. Watching you do things makes me realize how I've been doing things wrong on my old Ford and how to correct those mistakes
Glad you doing YT again. You're another average guy like the rest of us showing everyone you don't need a bunch of sponsors and/or money to do this stuff. Thank you!
I'm kinda interested in seeing you do a rebuild on this engine and what your process would be. Plus I honestly don't think you'll ever get a chance on another this cool for cheap
Love the quick follow up to the initial engine video. I would love to see you rehabilitate the 429 so I can learn more about engine builds. I am slowly doing a 401 Nailhead and the more I see of this content helps me on my projects. Great video!!
Thank you. This is a tough decision, man you can make this car just fly and it sure is nice . Very likely there are a lot of people that just want to watch you do your thing , and with what you do , it is remarkable plus you just put out great entertainment
I must add just an observation on the 'Subscribers' to this channel, and that is to say they are total 'Gearheads' and Luke has a massive following of them, SERIOUSLY! Just reading through the comments tells one that Luke has much RESPECT from the old school mechanic to the relatively newbee. p.s. Edit: Oh yeah, as someone here mentioned, congrats Luke on attaining 289K subscribers...
you know luke was talking about getting rid of this car what luke fails to realize is that once you gas and grease in your system you cant let a hot rod go with out hearing run at least once
I've heard Kevin say a thousand times to always buy a carb that is useful for the street. With that being said, I think it would be awesome to see you rebuild the 429 or put a budget 460 in it and actually get those racing carbs set up to go to a drag event
Budget 460 build! One of the great channels for quality Ford and Hot Rodding content! Honestly I would finish one project at a time. But I'm a sucker for 460s and galaxies. So either way is alright by me.
I'd like to see both naturally. The Torino might be worth a bit if you can get it running. A 429 isn't a bad engine, and if you get it out, it would give you a chance to get the rattle can blue off of the oil filter and reuse it. That would save you a good $8 right there..
I would like to see you build a motor for it whether you use the 429 or build a 460 . You are very passionate about your cars and would hate to see it go to someone that wouldn’t care for the car
It may be worth going thru the engine, Luke. You know there aren't many like it left. It would be a cool car to have stored in a barn for a while. I think you'd get your money back, plus .
I was a computer programming instructor for more than 20 years. In that time I had many students who were previously mechanics and were retraining due to workplace injury. Watching you lift those heads gave me a good idea of how they got hurt. Keep up the good work. I recently subscribed to your channel.
I found your channel while searching for advice on reviving 302's when I took my first steps into the hobby with my own '71 Torino. I don't have it anymore, but I think it's fitting the guy who helped me out so much with mine would get his own top-end model of the car. This member of the peanut gallery thinks you should keep it.
Keep it. Pull the engine have it decked rebuild it and have some fun with the car. As you said all of the expensive mods to make it a drag car have been done. It totally has a Mad Max vibe!
Have you run the numbers on the car? Is it a Torino Cobra? What heads are on it? If it has D0VE heads with flat top pistons it’s around 10.5:1. That engine with a good cam, right intake, carb and headers is a 500hp engine all day. I would definitely do some digging on numbers to verify what everything is. I would also check the block numbers. You just might have a unicorn sitting there. Just my nickels worth of free advise.
I had a 385 series 429 I put in a 69 F-100 short bed when I was 15 and I’m 41 now. So yes im very interested in watching you bring it back to life. Plus that old Torino is just so cool! If I had my choice of my original build, I’d pick the Torino. But I got my 429 out of a school bus and put in a RV cam and tried polishing the heads myself, and it ran ok. But I was young and dumb and didn’t know what was was doing. But watching your videos brings back so many memories of my 385 series 429 that I’ve had a smile that won’t go away. Just keep thinking about, the shoulda, coulda would’as! If I had the cash I have now to play with something so cool.
I think the high temp silicone thing comes from them being needlessly cheap. They figure you can use high temp in low temp situations but not vice versa. You're def not wrong about it being an indicator of hackery
Hackery? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Most of the time it's a lack of education regarding gaskets and sealants along with when and where to use them. Most folks never attain any formal training in the mechanical arts and it shows. Best wishes! - Max Giganteum
Good informative video! Those Ford shock towers surely get in the way, I see there are shock tower delete options now? I vote for the 460 and take it to the strip
Build the 429 or the potential 460. This car was once somebody's pride and joy and I don't think it would be that hard to bring this car back into legend. If they did no prep on the rattle can job maybe you could even salvage the original yellow if you were careful. You have all the skills to make this car something really special and it suits you, even if it takes a couple years. If this car isn't a Maverick 2.0 I don't know what is.
Muito bom, realmente o dono anterior deveria ter enviado o motor para a retífica e plainado o bloco e o cabeçote. Thank you for the vídeo, congrats from Brazil!
Go to town on it! For what the car is, it's really good. A lot of the hard work in making it a drag car has already been done. You can add your touches and style to it and make it live again.
I hope you either rebuild it or do an engine swap. This is an awesome car. And an awesome series. And maybe work on the super charged car while the machine shop is working on the engine. Or while your waiting for parts.
That poor neglected Galaxy! Finish the damn thing already... I remember that when you and Kevin had that rental shop together. Love your content and shenanigans I can just hear all machinist moaning at the dingle ball scene.😁
I'll say it again: keep it, build it, have fun with it. Unless you're likely to pick up something like this again in the future (assuming you want something like this in your life at all), letting it go now just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Besides, there's probably a fair amount of appealing content you can create with this car if you're feeling motivated to do more RUclips on the regular again.
Keep it. Keep the goodies. We're in an era where we don't know if in the next 5 years we will be able to get any more classic/muscle cars, even more the rarer ones!
A healthy short block 460 (in production till 96 or 97) can be had real cheap and in good working order - then heads are roughly 1300 and your ready to go. The 429 to return to "as it was" would be roughly 3500. The 460 is actually the cheaper options and would make notably more power. "460" just doesn't sound as cool 🙂
Looks like you have a set of thunderjet heads there. Really underrated! They were closed chambered, slightly smaller valves, with non high performance valve train. Stoplight to stoplight will outperform a set of CJ heads. In stock configuration. Mild port on the exhaust runners, 460 crank, high performance adjustable valve train with a decent cam and you have an easy 500hp on the cheap. When considering what aluminum heads cost these days. I completely agree about the orange gasket maker as well, my dad used that all the time back in the day and he was a hack from way back🤣🤣🤣🤣
You are a very intelligent young man with a great talent. I believe whatever decision you make will be the right one for you. I very much enjoy all of your videos and look forward to your next one.
If it were me, I’d rebuild the existing engine but would examine closely and determine how much overbore and also any crank turning your gonna need to get it true. The heads are gonna need to be reworked and depending up degree of damage (I’d strip, vat soak, clean and NDE the heads for cracks) and also determine how much you’ll need to mill to get it flat. Then after that you can decide on pistons, rods and cam. It’s likely you might have a cam stuffed in there already by the previous shadetrees. Main thing is. At the end of the day, once it’s installed, it will run and be something a buyer would be more likely to become interested in, especially if you do it right and chronicle the rebuild via RUclips. The car is no doubt a resto-mod project and anyone else considering it for such will be more likely to spend more if the engine and drivetrain is sound and engine rebuild fresh (and done correctly NOT by of the former mechanics who had a hand in this engines life up until you got it). One of the other commenter suggested staying with 429 heads. I agree however since the heads are at that point of needing serious attention, you might be able to do some great improvements to valve seats, guides and valves to enable some cool stuff like NOS or boost or just get the Cobra, CobraJet performance anyone would want in such a car versus. I do NOT think you should try to build a “Hell Yeah Brother” out of that beater. Make it run RIGHT! Re-evaluate your love affair with the car, the. Maybe sell it for a more healthy sum than you have in it even after the rebuild. Being able to prove and convince a buyer that the engine is fresh, of known specification, provenance and performs on par with the 429 SCJ of the era AND was rebuilt with rings and pistons that would adapt to NOS or boost etc., if I were considering buying that car, for a race car build, I’d be most concerned with the engine and drive train in order to build confidence and better understanding of what else’s it will, cost to get her on the track. I wouldn’t be expecting it to be track ready (thus the word race car project). Just break it in right no don’t F-up the wear in by trying to make burnout videos, save that for the day of the sale. Good luck
I would clean the bores and piston tops, clean the heads and valves, lap the valves and Install the heads and do a leak down test. The results will determine what to do next.
Had a T-Bird with a 429 in high school. Don't know how i didn't get killed. Now I'm working on a 71 Torino GT convertible. I have a Boss 429 to go in it but first things first. i gotta fab a frame and do the suspension. That flex unibody will never do! Keep up the RUclips stuff! Love the projects and info!
This car has attracted a lot of attention. Id build the 460 and get it running showing progress along the way if budget allowed. It is a very worthy addition to your channel and fleet
My grandfather used to work on the old prohibition cars waaaaay back in they day and was crawling under cars until a few days before he passed away at 94 years old. Long story long...he said to NEVER lay under a car unless you put cardboard down first. To this day I still won't go under one without it.
Oof. I really felt it when you said that cars with the red RTV were usually cobbled together by the last owner. I'm currently rebuilding a '73 D100 that had an engine swap done by the last owner, and dude thought that he could just slather red RTV on the block to fix an exhaust manifold leak. I wish that was the least of my problems.
You have the talent and the knowledge Luke. Maybe is one in a lifetime opportunity to get a car like this for the price you paid. Short block is the best option. It’s ok we can wait for you. We know you have a full time job and a life to live. No rush, we have faith in you.
I would go for a period correct look with it, go with a typical 514 but keep the 80s/90s look, keep it relatively mild for drag and drive fun.. It's not going to beat anything modern at the track, but would be a good time. Looks like it was yellow, maybe try to get that black paint off and see what's underneath.
Love the 429 it was my dream engine tried to talk dad into buying a brand new yellow cobra with the shaker hood in 1970. I was 16 he loved the idea, however mom said a Sunday school teacher cannot be seen driving around town in a car like that. They bought the more modest 351 Cleveland fastback in a metallic green.
"Never Give Up, Never Surrender?" Well Thank You Commander Taggart! I'd Expect Nothing Less From Someone With A Personal "Galaxy Quest" Keep On Wrenching!
Please please keep and deck this motor for a 30 over bore! You won't regret it. No other channel has ANYTHING CLOSE TO THIS PROJECT CAR. You have a realnrace engine! May us geeks get the VIN # to look up and investigate? I've followed you now for 5 years and this is my favorite build thus far. Please create a $.99 members only for your added benefit of having a little extra coinage for these types of projects. You're a genius Luke and inspire my son to have your same skills!
Tom foolery aside, you have it and mine as well put a little time into it to get it back on the road and take it for a rip and then decide what you want to do with it. Yes I would love to see your galaxy run and drive again and maybe a power tour or big road trip like what you did a few years back when you were going to school. Make the old snake strike again and then show it off to Kevin and Mook for some fun memories. Keep up the great work. I use card board all the time when I work on my stuff here in Montana. We are called Big Sky mechanics. Always doing the work outside. Can't wait for the next video, whatever that might be!!!
43 years in the business take it apart clean it up put it all back in it will probably run like a champ and don't forget to lap the valves all new seals at least and hey give it what it needs new seals maybe even the timing chain because it's a badass motor
I say keep it. Its a badass car for sure. You're already this far into it. Mine as well go all the way....im sure you won't be disappointed when all is said and done! Good luck luke
When I was your age, I discovered that leaning over the hood of a car for a session of wrenching was giving me several days of sore lower back muscles. Even when I wasn't lifting off anything heavy. I found that wearing those black back protectors with the velcro greatly reduced that. You can get them at Harbor Freight last I checked. I was worried I'd look like Roland LeBay in "Christine" if I wore them, but they can go under a t shirt. Now, I think I should get actual Roland Lebay type back protectors or braces or whatever they were if the still sell them.
If it was me, I'd keep her. She's a good rig but she's hurting. Think many of us here would love to see more episodes of the old girl being brought back to life. Cheers from Australia.
Honestly the worn rattlecan special goes well with that little car you've done all the carb experiments on, thats your street banger, this is your drag banger for when you want to get serious, i say keep it, those 2 cars are like a big n little brother to eachother, a photo side by side would be SICK, the peppy school boy street car vs big daddy and the dual carb stacker rising out the hood like a rising rock concert podium!
Back some years ago I had a 1970 Torino it just had a 351 in it but it was a great family car for going on trips I remember driving it to Idaho to see a friend of mine. But unfortunately a few years later I let my wife drive it once and it got wiped out by a laundry truck. Good luck with your drag car.
I think it boils down to the two questions every gearhead has to ask when considering a project... first, do you want it? Second, do you have the time and money to make it right? If the answer to both of those questions isn't an emphatic "yes", then sell it. If the answer is yes, then you already know what you want and need to do. Working on these things when your heart isn't really into it is a major drag.
Assemble the 429… bump the compression, and run it on E85. You could easily do 10:1 or more on corn. Do some sort of holly injection, a rowdy I’m hot for teacher cam, the aluminum heads you mentioned… Slap it in with a transasapt and bolt up a freshened up junkyard 4L80E with a 3500-ish stall. Budget paint and body, dark silver always looks amazing, some sort of darker silver, almost gunmetal grey stripes painted on and a dozen coats of clear… all done on the cheap of corse… in the back yard even. Lose the drag tires… run some 22”x12” wheels in back with a 395 or more section width, and a little more sidewalk than normal, and some 19x8 or 20x8 up front. Lowered, but not slammed. Tune the piss out of it like only you can do and see if you can get over 20MPG on the freeway. You could probably do all this for 15K, so it could be a long term project, but I think this would be easy for you, could turn out to be a very nice car, and would be stupid fun on the street.
Bowtiejunkie here, Got bored, watch your videos on this 70 torino 429, Had to say I'm doing the same on a 69 corvette sportwagon with a 427, 4spd, it sat outside for 20 plus years, only thing im missing is the tunnel ram, but I am pulling the heads and inspecting and just go thru everything, I see all thumbs up, and no catastrophes on it so far. Agree on arkology dig!!! Fun looking and learning Wish you fun luck on it...
There was a Torino just like that, that sat at a gas station near my house when I was a kid. What I found out about that car was it was always a drag car. It also had lettering on the rear quarters that read The Green Machine.
I had a 65 galaxy as a first car back in the day, it had a blown 352. I found a 69 third 429 thunder jet put that in the galaxy along with a 323 gear and posi unit. That car was bad ass. Wished many times I had kept it. It was a super sleeper.
At approximately 5:12... "You know what they say, you're not a real mechanic unless you're laying on cardboard...". I don't know who "they" are either but I know who I am and what I say. What I say is to score a decent piece of carpet that's about 6 feet by 12 feet in size and lay on that instead of cardboard. You just roll it up for storage and unroll it under your rig when you go to work on it. Used carpet works just fine and isn't difficult to come up with if you get to know a general contractor or a carpet installer. They not only install, they often remove as well and when they do? The used carpet mostly gets tossed into a dumpster. The great things about carpet: 1. It acts as an insulator against heat or cold (you'll massively appreciate it in the Winter!) 2. It acts as a barrier against pests if you lay it on the ground under a rig in the field. 3. It'll keep you cleaner than cardboard, especially if you use it in the field. Working in tall grass and mud blows. 4. You can easily vacuum it or beat the dust out of it to keep it clean. 5. If the carpet gets slimed with something like oil, you can toss it - it was free so no loss. 6. Spray the backing with silicone or some kind of a water barrier, it'll stay dry - cardboard absorbs water. There is a bit of a downside to carpet... it isn't as easy to get as cardboard for most people. You do have to be mindful of spilling liquids into carpet, liquids like oil won't want to easily come out. Unless you've got an easy supply of used carpet, you've got to be mindful of the carpet or you'll slime it and dog yourself. Laying down on carpet that has oil or trans fluid spilled into it isn't as bad as laying right on concrete that has oil or trans fluid spilled on it... but it's bad enough. Don't ask me how I know that. Even so, if you're reasonably careful, having carpet to lay on is totally worth it IMHO. I recommend grabbing whatever pieces that you deem worthwhile and giving them a try. Peace & good vibes to all! ✌🏻👍🏻🤘🏻 - Max Giganteum
Would you pass this car forward if you knew it was going to a "good" home?
(Which of course a good home in this case is somewhere that someones going to drop in a 460 based stroker and blast this thijg down the strip 🙂 - she deserves to go out with her boots on, no wither away in a corner. "Better to burn out than fade away")
build it yourself!!!!
Honestly I think your right you probably couldn’t get another car of that caliber for under ten grand. Just my opinion I’d keep it
Personally id keep her, this body style is coming back in to popularity and manufacturers are starting to make the parts for them. They are also not seen very often
id be interested in buying it. how do i get ahold of you?
I hope you mean a "good home" where we may continue to see it on YT? If so I'd approve, if you really are more drawn to your other projects.
ThunderHead289 with 289K subs! Anyone else notice? Congrats!
Yep 👍 Congratulations to you from the start.
I remember when you and the rest of the car crowd started out at this.
I worked on cars for 25 years and my back hurts just watching you work with the hood on !
Screenshotted
Awesome. Now we just have to watch the video 2,89 million times for more Torino 429 Cobra content in the future.
I think this is a great project to generate a lot of interest from the subs. I know I’m very interested. I would love to see the 429 rebuilt and put back in. A close second would be a hot 460 swapped In ultimately I would love to see some passes down the drag strip. Thanks for showing this really cool car.
It might have started life as a SCJ because of the appearance of what looks to be a transmission cooler next to the radiator and CJ's didn't come with them.
Did he say it's not the original motor?
I gave my recommendation in the last video, I said keep it and make it your #1 priority. From what you said about the supercharged car next to the Torino, it could be made to run while your rebuilding the 429 or building the possible 460. At any rate, they will both be awesome. I'm 51and the most important lesson I've learned about cars is absolutely don't sell anything you remotely like on a whim...You will definitely regret it later. Like you said, where and when could I find another complete pro-streeter for under $10 grand....never- nowhere!! You lucked out on this Torino. An added bonus is you have the first pro street car among any of your friend's you tube channel's plus its an actual build from way back in the day, not a modern imposter. Start saving for fresh "steamroller" rear tires tomorrow!!!
We all have to remember Luke works a 40 plus hour day job with a side hustle (carb cheater) and a RUclips channel! I don't know where he finds the time.
@garywinters2282 : You make the time. Sleep when your dead!!! I have a 45 hour a week gig as a heavy duty truck mechanic, do side work whenever I can, plus work on my 4 vehicles, A 1969 LeMans, a 1979 Toyota Supra, a 1987 Fiero GT, and a 1999 Silverado 1500 short box Z-71. Where there's a will, there's a way, and I'm 20+ years older than Luke.
Yeah .. what he said!
I miss the regular videos,I've learned a ton about carbs from you. I hope you have the time and money to keep up all this awesomeness. If not I'll enjoy what I get. I hope you keep this rig as well but everything is for sale for the right price. Good luck uncle Luke!
I completely agree!!!
Luke, I know you said you got alot of projects but don't sell it, it's one of those cars if you do sell, you'll forever curse yourself for not hanging on to it.
If it was mine....I'd keep the mad max/ratty vibe and set it up for drag n' drive events.
2 schools of thought on how to move forward, you pull the 429 and do a budget refresh and focus on making the car safe, get the cooling side of things locked down and set-up right, replace/rewire, inspect the cage and chassis and bring em' up to spec, then sort out the interior stuff and make it as safe, comfortable and user friendly (as much as a drag car can be) for yourself and passenger.
This is where I'd spend the big $$$$ I'd go with a speed gems 6r80 conversion kit and v8 6r80 trans and trans controller or at a minimum a built 4r70/5. Bolt it all together go shake it down, then go have some fun and drive the tyres off it. Yes, it won't be the fastest thing but you'll get to learn the cars quirks, faults quickly....leaves it open to do a big banger engine at a later date.
Then theres the 2nd way....this is where it might become one of those never ending parts list/project type deals....carry that same look/feel, again using an overdrive trans but you forego the budget build, throw everything at it all at once and jump right into a big hp combo.
You'll still have to go through everything as before but I guess you don't have to do an engine swap later....they both have they're good/bad points.
Possible race/promo vehicle for carb cheater????
Give it a name like, thunder road, thunder row, Thunderino....anyway, I think I'll just exit here now. Lol
Cheers 🍻 Rob.
I’d just pull it and have it decked with a .030 overbore like you mentioned. You could also pick up a 460 short block and use the 429 heads since they are the smaller chamber, higher compression heads. Cant wait to see what you do with this project👍
Great comment. I agree.
yeah but those cast heads add so much weight to the car. and they are a biatch to change. plus you'd want to go all the way through them. new valves,guides, seats ,resurfacing etc.and while you're at it new springs and rockers. you could make up for the lack of closed-chambers on the aluminum heads with a little more aggressive piston. remember the deck on the block needs surfacing too so theres a little more compression there.
@@Hobodeluxe960 all good points, sir.
30 over always overheat easy
I agree 2 on this
Keep it Luke. We all obviously want to see more of this car.
With a little scraping, a few gaskets and an oil drain plug put it back together and fire it up! Plenty of time for the Galaxie. Part three would be timely now. More content on this story please! ;-)
I'm with you!
@@bigjohnson7415 I agree. If it eventually does destroy itself go the built 460 route
@@scotthanson7888 Absolutely. I'd really like to see it converted back to a street car, put a street rear end in her, low rise intake a single 4bbl, daily drive her. But that's me.
Clean it up, reassemble....send it!👍
A 'little scraping' isn't likely to do the trick. A composite type head gasket with Copper coat failed. The deck surface is damaged.
No 460! Get this one running…
Great content & info watching you troubleshoot the car…👍🏻
You have got to keep this. One of the cool'est body's of the mid sized Ford's. Drag Week is the prise.... 🤟😎
Absolute killer stanse, wide meats in the back and hideaway headlights. This one is a total gem 😊 This will get you to 500k subscribers
Truly an amazing find, unlikely to find one even close to this monster, I would not ever sell this BA ride.
I like the 429 more than the 460, because it likes to rev, and has better throttle response. The cast iron intake is so heavy, I thought for sure I'd left a bolt on it somewhere!
I'd deck the block, clean it really good, run the oil pump without the heads, put it back together. 850 CFM carb and headers and you'll be amazed by the performance. 🙂👍
Thanks Luke, you are motivating me. My Mustang is still on its side jigged up to finish the restore. Only thing on it is steering column. Got flooded with Hurricane Ida, a pink title from that and cancer. All is back to normal, and I am catching up. I will be back on my 1968, 289, cherry red convertible Mustan restore this winter. I have been following you for years now. I have owned the Mustang since 1984.
I'm a Mopar guy, but that Torino body style is awesome! Definitely rebuild it! Looks like a good investment. Plus, you would be Mr. Cool driving it around! Yep. Definitely that too!
Would love to see you build it and bring it back to life. Car has potential to look and run like a beast.
Just a suggestion to help save what's left of your back: remove the hood and use your cherry picker/engine hoist to get the heavy intake, heads, etc. off the engine. As an older fellow with a badly damaged back, I wish I'd taken better care of mine 😢
It’s only a few bolts and takes no time
Forget all that nonsense... just have the wife do the heavy lifting. I'm sure her back is just fine... 😉
- Max Giganteum
Definitely keep it and get it running! Too damn hard to find cars like this anymore! This will make great content if you choose to proceed with this one.
My dad bought a 1970 Torino brand new and it was “the one that got away” for him. He always regretted selling it. He bought a brand new 1972 Torino to replace the 70 and hated everything about it!! His 70 had a 351 Cleveland, 4 speed manual and he street raced everyone in his small town he lived in and according to him was the car to beat around there. It’s a car that I would love to own someday in his memory! This will be a fun little series for me. Hopefully it continues for awhile 😁
Man I'm grateful I found you Thunderhead. Watching you do things makes me realize how I've been doing things wrong on my old Ford and how to correct those mistakes
I'd rebuild the 429. Do all the stuff you said, deck it, bore it, and get it some fun, go fast parts. If it's a good drag car base, just go for it.
Glad you doing YT again. You're another average guy like the rest of us showing everyone you don't need a bunch of sponsors and/or money to do this stuff. Thank you!
I'm kinda interested in seeing you do a rebuild on this engine and what your process would be. Plus I honestly don't think you'll ever get a chance on another this cool for cheap
Love the quick follow up to the initial engine video. I would love to see you rehabilitate the 429 so I can learn more about engine builds. I am slowly doing a 401 Nailhead and the more I see of this content helps me on my projects. Great video!!
Rebuild and revive.The content is worth it.
Luke has done things to that motor that would make a ford fan proud and he just got started on it.
Thank you. This is a tough decision, man you can make this car just fly and it sure is nice . Very likely there are a lot of people that just want to watch you do your thing , and with what you do , it is remarkable plus you just put out great entertainment
I must add just an observation on the 'Subscribers' to this channel, and that is to say they are total 'Gearheads' and Luke has a massive following of them, SERIOUSLY!
Just reading through the comments tells one that Luke has much RESPECT from the old school mechanic to the relatively newbee.
p.s. Edit: Oh yeah, as someone here mentioned, congrats Luke on attaining 289K subscribers...
you know luke was talking about getting rid of this car
what luke fails to realize is that once you gas and grease in your system
you cant let a hot rod go with out hearing run at least once
I love you old Fords!
Especially the trucks!!
I've heard Kevin say a thousand times to always buy a carb that is useful for the street. With that being said, I think it would be awesome to see you rebuild the 429 or put a budget 460 in it and actually get those racing carbs set up to go to a drag event
Budget 460 build! One of the great channels for quality Ford and Hot Rodding content!
Honestly I would finish one project at a time. But I'm a sucker for 460s and galaxies. So either way is alright by me.
I’d love to see you make a series going through rebuilding that engine!!!!
Yeah, why do we have to jump from shitty rust bucket to shitty rust bucket just to have a perfect 38 min (or whatever) video?
*My dream of making one of these, congratulations on the work* 👏👏
I'd like to see both naturally. The Torino might be worth a bit if you can get it running. A 429 isn't a bad engine, and if you get it out, it would give you a chance to get the rattle can blue off of the oil filter and reuse it. That would save you a good $8 right there..
I love the seriousness of this comment lol
I would like to see you build a motor for it whether you use the 429 or build a 460 . You are very passionate about your cars and would hate to see it go to someone that wouldn’t care for the car
@@ThunderHead289 I wonder if you can get new decals for an oil filter?
@8:58. Thank you, Luke! 👍. U just saved $$$ for someone.
It also has the plates to go with it
Despite a nagging compulsion to play with my Wahl mini trimmer, I really enjoyed these videos.
It may be worth going thru the engine, Luke. You know there aren't many like it left. It would be a cool car to have stored in a barn for a while. I think you'd get your money back, plus .
I was a computer programming instructor for more than 20 years. In that time I had many students who were previously mechanics and were retraining due to workplace injury. Watching you lift those heads gave me a good idea of how they got hurt. Keep up the good work. I recently subscribed to your channel.
That's why I'm an automation programmer now, I have a bad back from my decade of turning wrenches
I’m digging these videos on this car, makes me want to build something soon to rip around.
I found your channel while searching for advice on reviving 302's when I took my first steps into the hobby with my own '71 Torino. I don't have it anymore, but I think it's fitting the guy who helped me out so much with mine would get his own top-end model of the car. This member of the peanut gallery thinks you should keep it.
Keep it. Pull the engine have it decked rebuild it and have some fun with the car. As you said all of the expensive mods to make it a drag car have been done. It totally has a Mad Max vibe!
Do them all, just one at a time, just don't burn your self out just a little at a time, really enjoy your videos you seem like a really good guy.
Have you run the numbers on the car? Is it a Torino Cobra? What heads are on it? If it has D0VE heads with flat top pistons it’s around 10.5:1. That engine with a good cam, right intake, carb and headers is a 500hp engine all day. I would definitely do some digging on numbers to verify what everything is. I would also check the block numbers. You just might have a unicorn sitting there. Just my nickels worth of free advise.
By the body style being it looks like a sedan it can’t be a cobra.
I had a 385 series 429 I put in a 69 F-100 short bed when I was 15 and I’m 41 now. So yes im very interested in watching you bring it back to life. Plus that old Torino is just so cool! If I had my choice of my original build, I’d pick the Torino. But I got my 429 out of a school bus and put in a RV cam and tried polishing the heads myself, and it ran ok. But I was young and dumb and didn’t know what was was doing. But watching your videos brings back so many memories of my 385 series 429 that I’ve had a smile that won’t go away. Just keep thinking about, the shoulda, coulda would’as! If I had the cash I have now to play with something so cool.
I think the high temp silicone thing comes from them being needlessly cheap. They figure you can use high temp in low temp situations but not vice versa.
You're def not wrong about it being an indicator of hackery
I call them mastic monkeys. More often than not, I've found it where it isn't even bloody needed 🤨
Hackery? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Most of the time it's a lack of education regarding gaskets and sealants along with when and where to use them. Most folks never attain any formal training in the mechanical arts and it shows. Best wishes!
- Max Giganteum
Pull it bore it and rebuild it. You got the baseline for one heck of an old school drag car. This definitely has my attention.
Good informative video! Those Ford shock towers surely get in the way, I see there are shock tower delete options now? I vote for the 460 and take it to the strip
Build the 429 or the potential 460. This car was once somebody's pride and joy and I don't think it would be that hard to bring this car back into legend. If they did no prep on the rattle can job maybe you could even salvage the original yellow if you were careful. You have all the skills to make this car something really special and it suits you, even if it takes a couple years. If this car isn't a Maverick 2.0 I don't know what is.
Muito bom, realmente o dono anterior deveria ter enviado o motor para a retífica e plainado o bloco e o cabeçote.
Thank you for the vídeo, congrats from Brazil!
Go to town on it! For what the car is, it's really good. A lot of the hard work in making it a drag car has already been done. You can add your touches and style to it and make it live again.
I hope you either rebuild it or do an engine swap. This is an awesome car. And an awesome series. And maybe work on the super charged car while the machine shop is working on the engine. Or while your waiting for parts.
That poor neglected Galaxy! Finish the damn thing already... I remember that when you and Kevin had that rental shop together.
Love your content and shenanigans I can just hear all machinist moaning at the dingle ball scene.😁
Great video Luke thanks for taking us on your adventure. I know how it is the more you do the more you want to keep it
Bill in Fort Wayne Indiana
I'll say it again: keep it, build it, have fun with it. Unless you're likely to pick up something like this again in the future (assuming you want something like this in your life at all), letting it go now just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Besides, there's probably a fair amount of appealing content you can create with this car if you're feeling motivated to do more RUclips on the regular again.
My vote is rebuild the 429 and restore it to a running car. This is a sweet car and you are so fortunate to have it. Don't let it go!
Looks like nobody bought it! Guess we'll get another uncle Luke series out of this one. (Such a shaaaaaaame) 😂. So excited to see this thing run
Keep it. Keep the goodies. We're in an era where we don't know if in the next 5 years we will be able to get any more classic/muscle cars, even more the rarer ones!
which is cheaper? deck/bore/build or a 460 build? seems like the 429 rebuild would be cheaper so do that! great content.
A healthy short block 460 (in production till 96 or 97) can be had real cheap and in good working order - then heads are roughly 1300 and your ready to go.
The 429 to return to "as it was" would be roughly 3500.
The 460 is actually the cheaper options and would make notably more power. "460" just doesn't sound as cool 🙂
So, build a stroker monster then with the 400m block there are rotating assemblies built for this fairly reasonable priced.
ok then....460 it is. cant wait to hear her run!
Looks like you have a set of thunderjet heads there. Really underrated! They were closed chambered, slightly smaller valves, with non high performance valve train. Stoplight to stoplight will outperform a set of CJ heads. In stock configuration. Mild port on the exhaust runners, 460 crank, high performance adjustable valve train with a decent cam and you have an easy 500hp on the cheap. When considering what aluminum heads cost these days.
I completely agree about the orange gasket maker as well, my dad used that all the time back in the day and he was a hack from way back🤣🤣🤣🤣
You are a very intelligent young man with a great talent. I believe whatever decision you make will be the right one for you. I very much enjoy all of your videos and look forward to your next one.
Thank you for the kind and reasonable comment
If it were me, I’d rebuild the existing engine but would examine closely and determine how much overbore and also any crank turning your gonna need to get it true. The heads are gonna need to be reworked and depending up degree of damage (I’d strip, vat soak, clean and NDE the heads for cracks) and also determine how much you’ll need to mill to get it flat. Then after that you can decide on pistons, rods and cam. It’s likely you might have a cam stuffed in there already by the previous shadetrees. Main thing is. At the end of the day, once it’s installed, it will run and be something a buyer would be more likely to become interested in, especially if you do it right and chronicle the rebuild via RUclips. The car is no doubt a resto-mod project and anyone else considering it for such will be more likely to spend more if the engine and drivetrain is sound and engine rebuild fresh (and done correctly NOT by of the former mechanics who had a hand in this engines life up until you got it). One of the other commenter suggested staying with 429 heads. I agree however since the heads are at that point of needing serious attention, you might be able to do some great improvements to valve seats, guides and valves to enable some cool stuff like NOS or boost or just get the Cobra, CobraJet performance anyone would want in such a car versus.
I do NOT think you should try to build a “Hell Yeah Brother” out of that beater. Make it run RIGHT! Re-evaluate your love affair with the car, the. Maybe sell it for a more healthy sum than you have in it even after the rebuild. Being able to prove and convince a buyer that the engine is fresh, of known specification, provenance and performs on par with the 429 SCJ of the era AND was rebuilt with rings and pistons that would adapt to NOS or boost etc., if I were considering buying that car, for a race car build, I’d be most concerned with the engine and drive train in order to build confidence and better understanding of what else’s it will, cost to get her on the track. I wouldn’t be expecting it to be track ready (thus the word race car project). Just break it in right no don’t F-up the wear in by trying to make burnout videos, save that for the day of the sale. Good luck
I would clean the bores and piston tops, clean the heads and valves, lap the valves and Install the heads and do a leak down test. The results will determine what to do next.
Had a T-Bird with a 429 in high school. Don't know how i didn't get killed. Now I'm working on a 71 Torino GT convertible. I have a Boss 429 to go in it but first things first. i gotta fab a frame and do the suspension. That flex unibody will never do! Keep up the RUclips stuff! Love the projects and info!
One of my favorite cars. I hope to see it get some love.
This car has attracted a lot of attention. Id build the 460 and get it running showing progress along the way if budget allowed. It is a very worthy addition to your channel and fleet
My grandfather used to work on the old prohibition cars waaaaay back in they day and was crawling under cars until a few days before he passed away at 94 years old. Long story long...he said to NEVER lay under a car unless you put cardboard down first. To this day I still won't go under one without it.
Oof. I really felt it when you said that cars with the red RTV were usually cobbled together by the last owner. I'm currently rebuilding a '73 D100 that had an engine swap done by the last owner, and dude thought that he could just slather red RTV on the block to fix an exhaust manifold leak. I wish that was the least of my problems.
You have the talent and the knowledge Luke. Maybe is one in a lifetime opportunity to get a car like this for the price you paid. Short block is the best option. It’s ok we can wait for you. We know you have a full time job and a life to live. No rush, we have faith in you.
I would go for a period correct look with it, go with a typical 514 but keep the 80s/90s look, keep it relatively mild for drag and drive fun.. It's not going to beat anything modern at the track, but would be a good time. Looks like it was yellow, maybe try to get that black paint off and see what's underneath.
Love the 429 it was my dream engine tried to talk dad into buying a brand new yellow cobra with the shaker hood in 1970. I was 16 he loved the idea, however mom said a Sunday school teacher cannot be seen driving around town in a car like that. They bought the more modest 351 Cleveland fastback in a metallic green.
"Never Give Up, Never Surrender?" Well Thank You Commander Taggart! I'd Expect Nothing Less From Someone With A Personal "Galaxy Quest" Keep On Wrenching!
Yep without a doubt high temp orange and red never fails to lead to an interesting day. Every time!!
I think you have the core engine and the skills to build that 429 into a great runner. Off to the machine shop!!
Please please keep and deck this motor for a 30 over bore! You won't regret it. No other channel has ANYTHING CLOSE TO THIS PROJECT CAR. You have a realnrace engine!
May us geeks get the VIN # to look up and investigate? I've followed you now for 5 years and this is my favorite build thus far.
Please create a $.99 members only for your added benefit of having a little extra coinage for these types of projects. You're a genius Luke and inspire my son to have your same skills!
Tom foolery aside, you have it and mine as well put a little time into it to get it back on the road and take it for a rip and then decide what you want to do with it. Yes I would love to see your galaxy run and drive again and maybe a power tour or big road trip like what you did a few years back when you were going to school. Make the old snake strike again and then show it off to Kevin and Mook for some fun memories. Keep up the great work. I use card board all the time when I work on my stuff here in Montana. We are called Big Sky mechanics. Always doing the work outside. Can't wait for the next video, whatever that might be!!!
KEEP IT, very rare you run into another like it and if its good do it on a budget to enjoy!
I love carbureted big block stuff. Glad to see you on YT, Luke.
I'd sure be tempted to bring that engine back from the dark side, but totally understand the hesitancy!
Nice seeing you back Luke love the videos
Luke, as soon as you said you were thinking about a budget 460 build, I felt the scale tipping toward you keeping her.
43 years in the business take it apart clean it up put it all back in it will probably run like a champ and don't forget to lap the valves all new seals at least and hey give it what it needs new seals maybe even the timing chain because it's a badass motor
I say keep it. Its a badass car for sure. You're already this far into it. Mine as well go all the way....im sure you won't be disappointed when all is said and done! Good luck luke
Keep it and build it Luke! The people need more of your great content! 😁
When I was your age, I discovered that leaning over the hood of a car for a session of wrenching was giving me several days of sore lower back muscles. Even when I wasn't lifting off anything heavy.
I found that wearing those black back protectors with the velcro greatly reduced that. You can get them at Harbor Freight last I checked. I was worried I'd look like Roland LeBay in "Christine" if I wore them, but they can go under a t shirt. Now, I think I should get actual Roland Lebay type back protectors or braces or whatever they were if the still sell them.
If it was me, I'd keep her. She's a good rig but she's hurting. Think many of us here would love to see more episodes of the old girl being brought back to life.
Cheers from Australia.
Honestly the worn rattlecan special goes well with that little car you've done all the carb experiments on, thats your street banger, this is your drag banger for when you want to get serious, i say keep it, those 2 cars are like a big n little brother to eachother, a photo side by side would be SICK, the peppy school boy street car vs big daddy and the dual carb stacker rising out the hood like a rising rock concert podium!
Back some years ago I had a 1970 Torino it just had a 351 in it but it was a great family car for going on trips I remember driving it to Idaho to see a friend of mine. But unfortunately a few years later I let my wife drive it once and it got wiped out by a laundry truck. Good luck with your drag car.
I think it boils down to the two questions every gearhead has to ask when considering a project... first, do you want it? Second, do you have the time and money to make it right? If the answer to both of those questions isn't an emphatic "yes", then sell it. If the answer is yes, then you already know what you want and need to do. Working on these things when your heart isn't really into it is a major drag.
Assemble the 429… bump the compression, and run it on E85. You could easily do 10:1 or more on corn.
Do some sort of holly injection, a rowdy I’m hot for teacher cam, the aluminum heads you mentioned…
Slap it in with a transasapt and bolt up a freshened up junkyard 4L80E with a 3500-ish stall.
Budget paint and body, dark silver always looks amazing, some sort of darker silver, almost gunmetal grey stripes painted on and a dozen coats of clear… all done on the cheap of corse… in the back yard even.
Lose the drag tires… run some 22”x12” wheels in back with a 395 or more section width, and a little more sidewalk than normal, and some 19x8 or 20x8 up front. Lowered, but not slammed.
Tune the piss out of it like only you can do and see if you can get over 20MPG on the freeway.
You could probably do all this for 15K, so it could be a long term project, but I think this would be easy for you, could turn out to be a very nice car, and would be stupid fun on the street.
Bowtiejunkie here,
Got bored, watch your videos on this 70 torino 429,
Had to say I'm doing the same on a 69 corvette sportwagon with a 427, 4spd, it sat outside for 20 plus years, only thing im missing is the tunnel ram, but I am pulling the heads and inspecting and just go thru everything, I see all thumbs up, and no catastrophes on it so far.
Agree on arkology dig!!! Fun looking and learning
Wish you fun luck on it...
Likewise, good luck on yours 🙂
Keep the car luck you are the man for it make it better than it is so worth it dude
Like you said luke a once in a life time car that's pretty much on point and you got really lucky getting it plus it's already set up
I would love to see ya bore it and rebuild. Great video 👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
There was a Torino just like that, that sat at a gas station near my house when I was a kid. What I found out about that car was it was always a drag car. It also had lettering on the rear quarters that read The Green Machine.
I had a 65 galaxy as a first car back in the day, it had a blown 352. I found a 69 third 429 thunder jet put that in the galaxy along with a 323 gear and posi unit. That car was bad ass. Wished many times I had kept it. It was a super sleeper.
Manual transmission conversion, and budget (but reliable) rebuild. 429’s were pretty spicy engines, and now are becoming more rare.
At approximately 5:12... "You know what they say, you're not a real mechanic unless you're laying on cardboard...". I don't know who "they" are either but I know who I am and what I say. What I say is to score a decent piece of carpet that's about 6 feet by 12 feet in size and lay on that instead of cardboard. You just roll it up for storage and unroll it under your rig when you go to work on it. Used carpet works just fine and isn't difficult to come up with if you get to know a general contractor or a carpet installer. They not only install, they often remove as well and when they do? The used carpet mostly gets tossed into a dumpster. The great things about carpet:
1. It acts as an insulator against heat or cold (you'll massively appreciate it in the Winter!)
2. It acts as a barrier against pests if you lay it on the ground under a rig in the field.
3. It'll keep you cleaner than cardboard, especially if you use it in the field. Working in tall grass and mud blows.
4. You can easily vacuum it or beat the dust out of it to keep it clean.
5. If the carpet gets slimed with something like oil, you can toss it - it was free so no loss.
6. Spray the backing with silicone or some kind of a water barrier, it'll stay dry - cardboard absorbs water.
There is a bit of a downside to carpet... it isn't as easy to get as cardboard for most people. You do have to be mindful of spilling liquids into carpet, liquids like oil won't want to easily come out. Unless you've got an easy supply of used carpet, you've got to be mindful of the carpet or you'll slime it and dog yourself. Laying down on carpet that has oil or trans fluid spilled into it isn't as bad as laying right on concrete that has oil or trans fluid spilled on it... but it's bad enough. Don't ask me how I know that. Even so, if you're reasonably careful, having carpet to lay on is totally worth it IMHO. I recommend grabbing whatever pieces that you deem worthwhile and giving them a try. Peace & good vibes to all! ✌🏻👍🏻🤘🏻
- Max Giganteum
- Keep it.
- Rebuild it … when you can of course - we’ll be here.
- Drag it’s butt off!
😎
Definitely agree on the red RTV experience. Have noticed the same thing. Greetings from Sweden.
Yes, another video on this one! Anxious to see that was hanging up the motor.
Im just glad you're doing something new, and you're not seeing the need to be a teacher to your audience
This channel is a lot óf fun😂 Thunderhead 289 don't sell it bro that car deserves a good owner. Keep it.