1971 Ford Torino painted popular ginger
It’s not often that a man buys the same car twice, but David Claveloux has an explanation for this one: It really wasn’t the identical car.
Until he graduated from George Mason University in 1971, Claveloux motored about in a vintage Corvair. Upon graduation, he stopped by the nearest Ford dealer to see what he could see.
Claveloux was particularly attracted to the Ford Torino models and was seriously considering one of them when a salesman suggested that he might like the slightly more expensive Halo version of the Torino. All of the Halo models carried the special 65C code. The car weighed 3,356 pounds.
Ford sold 32,900 of the Halo treatment Torinos that were offered in only three distinctive colors. A total of 9,492 green versions were sold and only 8,821 cars wore the pewter color. By far the most popular color of the Torino Halo series was the ginger color of which 14,587 were manufactured.
Claveloux liked what he saw from the unique vinyl-covering on the roof to all of the bright work and pin striping.
He bought the car, and he and his wife, Mary, spent the next few years thoroughly enjoying their Halo Torino.
As their family began to grow the Torino was sold in favor of a more practical vehicle that could haul their four children along with all of the paraphernalia that goes along when transporting children and their friends.
After a couple of decades passed and with all four of his children through college, Claveloux once again began shopping for an antique car, but not just any old car.
In October 2010 he located, unbelievably, a 1971 Ford Torino Halo model, which was identical to his first one. Everything was the same from the Select Shift transmission to the two-spoke steering wheel. This particular ginger colored Torino was sold new in California where it received kid glove treatment by the owner and then eventually the owner and his relatively rare Ford moved to Iowa.
Negotiations began and detailed pictures of the car showed that it had received a thorough and correct restoration. Claveloux was convinced that this Halo Torino was the car to take him back to the days of his youth. He bought the car without traveling to Iowa to see it in person. He sent the money and within a few days the Ford arrived at his Virginia home.
Beneath the hood was a 302-cubic-inch snarling V-8 engine that delivered 210 horsepower complements of a two-barrel carburetor. Optional equipment included not one, but two outside mirrors along with power-assisted front disc brakes and power steering. The transmission was automatic and the entire car rolled on an 117-inch wheelbase supported on gleaming Magnum 500 wheels.
Mounted in the dashboard is an AM/FM radio. Besides the speaker in the dashboard two more speakers are mounted on the rear package shelf. Claveloux explains that his spectacular car has a GT interior with yellow accents on the seats and door panels.
Since acquiring the car, which is a clone of the first one he bought. Claveloux keeps busy enjoying his trip down memory lane in his 1971 Ford Torino with the Halo package.
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