http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=144127 Green Meanie By John Pearley Huffman, Contributor Email Date posted: 03-13-2009 STORY TOOLS Digg this! del.icio.us What Clint Eastwood did for the 1972 Gran Torino in Gran Torino, Fast & Furious will try to undo. Because in this movie, the very nastiest bad guy — you know, the chief henchman who does the dirtiest deeds and dies just before the big boss bad guy gets his — drives a '72 Gran Torino Sportsroof. The inspiration for the Gran Torino in Fast & Furious comes from a similar Torino built for Dan Widmann at Steve Strope's Pure Vision Design — the same shop from which emerged the Hammer Road Runner that's also featured in the film. Strope brought Widmann's Torino to a casting session and a star — well, a co-star — was born. The one significant visual change between Widmann's Torino and the replicas built for the film is that Widmann's car is blue, and the bad guy Torinos were painted green. It seems that blue was already assigned as super-dreamy Paul Walker's color in Fast & Furious, so the bad attitude character "Fenix Rise" (played by Laz Alonzo) would have to wear green. Little matter, however, as the Gran Torino looks dang good in green. To portray Fenix's FoMoCo, the picture car department acquired six '72 Torino Sportsroof models and one '73. As with the Charger, some of the stunt cars were fit with Chevy crate V8s and automatic transmissions, but at least one of the cars was originally equipped with a 429 and four-speed manual transmission. Five of the cars were either destroyed during production or ripped apart for parts. Among the Torinos destroyed was that 429 four-speed car. Sometimes evil must be done in order to portray evil. As Portrayed Specifications* Engine Type: Ford 429 Cobra Jet Carburetor: Holley Ignition: MSD Intake: Weiand Valvetrain: Jesel Air filter: K&N Fuel pump: Holley Plumbing: Earl's Fuel cell: Jaz Drivetrain Transmission: Top Loader four-speed Bell housing: Ford original equipment Clutch: Hays Shifter: Hurst Driveshaft: General Rear axle: Ford 9-inch with Detroit Locker Final-drive ratio: 4.56:1 Headers: Hooker Exhaust tubes: Morse 2.5-inch Mufflers: Afterburner Suspension Front: Hotchkis sway bars, springs and shocks Rear: Hotchkis sway bars, springs and shocks Braking Front: Wilwood disc Rear: Wilwood disc with additional rally calipers Wheels Type: Coy's C-67 Gun Metal Front Size: 18-by-9 inches Rear Size: 18-by-9 inches Tires Type: Continental Sport Contact Front size: 255/45R18 Rear size: 285/50R18 Interior Seats: Sparco Cage: Matt Sweeney Door Panels: Matt Sweeney Wheel: Grant collector's edition Gauges: Ford original equipment Exterior Body: Ford original equipment Hood: Ford original equipment Paint/Graphics Paint: Jack's Auto Body * "As Portrayed" specifications indicate the state of the car as portrayed in the film. No single car was necessarily built to these specifications by the Picture Car Department. But all the cars built to portray a vehicle in the film were constructed to appear as if so equipped.
i hate when they destroy old cars to make a movie.. even of other makes... destroy the new ones.. !! they can make more... ugh!
Who cares if they wreck a few; it just makes yours more valuable. Anyway, as soon as the baby boomers (us) who love and collect these 'old cars' are out of the way in 20-30 years, you'll be able to buy a pristine 1970 Z-28 for $3000. Most of the next gen will be buying up the Civic Si's, etc.
ehh just wreck more 67/68 mustangs...Dynacorn is remaking those...best of both worlds.. . just hate to see a pretty car go to waste...ok maybe not so much the rust buckets... but that 429 4 speed car... (sniffle)
1972 429's only came with automatics, Q code 351Cs were the olny ones to get 4 speeds for 1972. The owner of the Blue Gran Torino that the Fast And Furious based their Gran Torino off of was not too happy with the producers of that movie, http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/torino-pages/476071-72-gts-new-fast-furious-4-a-2.html
my youngest daughter went to see the movie last night... said she screamed when they destroyed the first one... she said its miraculous how it came back flawless so many times LOL aren't movies great....
trying to coordinate the family schedule so we can all go see it together..I've enjoyed them all...mindless fun!! but a torino getting crunched....I might cry!
Waste of good cars that are irreplaceable for a flick with no redeeming value or even a plot! In the days of computer generated images, no less, when they could easily CG a hundred off a single untouched example and destroy all of the electronic ones they want.
He lowered his muscle car and put big tires on it. What, does he really think he thought of that? Whiny loser.
Actually it was the builder not the owner that bitched! and he did do a lot more than just that to the torino but yes I agree with you Sean. He IS JUST PISSED HE DID NOT GET ANY ROYALTIES OUT OF IT!
I thought they looked smaller...color looks different too but it could just be the pic contrast... the blue one looks like it has gold tone centers...I think white centers would look "spiffy" Was reading a female reviewers column on the movie...referred to it as "Car Porn" definately makes it worth seeing...besides...they have a tooled up GNX in there..
My friend also has a 72 Chero, made a cd with the film on but my player will not play it so i drank some W and coke instead, Will se that film soon.
I'll wait for the DVD to rent (although, I could use a good scream about now). I just dropped my girls off to see the Hannah Montana movie. Tickets = $15 Popcorn and soda for 2 = $18 The look on the face of the guy running the snack bar when I told him making a $16.50 profit on popcorn and soda is highway robbery and he should be ashamed of himself = Priceless.
