Go Big: 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport
In the spring of 1972, Scott Geller’s father Steve traded in his ’68 Ford Mustang fastback car for a brand-new ’72 Gran Torino Sport fastback with the Q-code 351 Cobra Jet V-8. The reasoning for this could have been attributed to many things, but Scott believes his dad wanted a change from the small-ish sports car he had been driving the previous four years, opting for a larger, but still sporty Ford performer.
That particular Gran Torino would stay in the family until 1976, the year after Scott made his official appearance into the Geller family. It was then that the big and brawny Blue Oval was traded in for a more family-friendly four-door car: a Mercedes Benz sedan. “I’ve been told that I rode in that Torino many times, but I have no recollection of that. However, as a child I saw many pictures of it and always daydreamed about what an awesome car it was, and what it would be like to have my own one day,” says Scott.
That vehicular inspiration stayed with Scott over the years, feeding a lifelong passion for anything mechanical. He knew at a very early age that he was destined to work with his hands for a living, and before long, Scott was enveloped into the world of automotive culture and mechanics.
“My first car was a 1967 VW Bug, which I restored when I was just 12 years old. This achievement continually fueled my passion for anything automotive,” Scott recounts. He then went on to become a full-time mechanic in his late teens, ultimately starting his own auto shop in 1999, one which he continues to run today nearly 25 years later.
Go Big: 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport
As far as what Scott liked to own and drive personally, Ford products have been a mainstay in his life. “I’ve always loved Fords and have owned many 1960s and 1970s Mustangs over the years, as well as countless Fox-body models in my younger days. The car that I owned the day I got my driver’s license was a ’70 Mach 1. Yes, I know it’s cliché to say this, but man I wish I never sold that car.”
Over the years, Scott pined for a Torino of his own, but timing was never on his side. However, in 2003 he decided that it was time to put up or shut up, and he started a search for a suitable project ’72 Torino to build. “I found several possible cars over those years that were in my budget—all were basket cases. I picked them all up on the cheap.”
An important fact here is that all Torinos up through the 1971 model year were unit-body construction. However, for 1972, Ford decided that the third generation of this model would move to body-on-frame construction, for a quieter, more refined ride. Scott admits he ended up choosing the car with the best frame to restore completely, since it gave him a better starting point.
All the Gran Torinos that Scott bought were found online. “In the early 2000s, eBay was the place to look for your project,” Scott says, pointing out a common pitfall with that approach: “The first one I bought was from Florida and when it showed up, it turned out to be a lot worse than described. So, I figured it would be good for parts.”
The second car was also too rough to restore and was used for its usable parts as well. The one he finally used as his starting point was purchased out of South Jersey. It was a running 351 car with a solid frame and reasonably good body. So, with enough pertinent pieces and parts to start his own Torino salvage yard, Scott got to work. “I stripped Gran Torino number 3 down and sent the body and frame (as a unit) out to be sandblasted to see what we really had. To my delight, the car I picked was very solid, except for the roof. This car had a vinyl top, and the roof was like Swiss cheese.” Scott had his good friend and master body man Alan Carr graft a clean donor roof onto the Torino body, even using lead in the seam between the roof and the quarters as the factory had done.
Once this was accomplished, the Torino’s body was near complete, with just some minor metal touchups to be done. Scott then got to work, sanding and cleaning up his bodywork before sending the car to J&R Auto Body in Morristown, New Jersey. “These guys are longtime friends. They first prepped the car and gave the Torino its new skin. The original color was 3B Light Blue. We decided to go with something fun, so we went with 2B Bright Red, a color that was available on the Torino in 1972.”
Though Scott set himself up to get this Gran Torino together within a certain period, he soon found himself pushing the project off, hopefully to be finished later. Schedules can look good on paper, but there are just so many hours in a day to get things done. “With two kids and a thriving, time-consuming business, time comes at a premium for parents,” Scott says, citing obligations many of us are familiar with. But then Scott’s life took an unforeseen turn: “I got divorced. After that, the car sat for an extended period, from 2009 until 2022.”
For many people, that might have been the end of the project for good, but things did improve for Scott. “My new wife and I decided to sell our respective houses and buy a new one. It was at that point we decided that the Torino needed to be finished, so it was brought to the new garage. And the best part is that we did it together and made it a family affair.”
So, the family moved forward, with everybody pitching in to help with the restoration. Scott started by harvesting all of the brightwork needed from his parts cars to make one restorable set. This included the moldings, bumpers, bezels, and other trim. Once collected, they were all sent out to be refreshed or re-chromed where needed.
From there Scott worked on the running gear, rebuilding the front and rear suspension while wife Michelle cleaned up and wire-wheeled many of the parts on the Torino. “I upgraded the front suspension and rebuilt everything. I freshened up the factory disc brakes up front and rebuilt the stock drums out back.” Once finished, Scott chose to shoe his ride with classic 15-inch Magnum 500s, finished off in BFGoodrich rubber.
The new-for-’72 Torino had a cavernous engine bay, easily accommodating a 460 and its factory A/C system, which is now fitted with an updated compressor.
For the engine, Scott started with a 460 block he sourced locally, then handed it over to master engine builder Barry Barco of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Barry built the 385-series big-block Ford with an all-new rotating assembly topped with fresh Thunderjet cylinder heads that were ported and polished. An Edelbrock Performer aluminum intake was added, mounting a Holley 850-cfm carburetor. A TCI-built C6 automatic transmission with a mild street torque converter was chosen to back the completed 460.
Scott’s twins, Michael and Mackenzie, assisted their dad by helping lower the engine and trans combo into the engine bay by way of forklift. Once settled in, the new drivetrain was hooked up to the rebuilt Ford 9-inch rear, now sporting a set of 3.00:1 gears.
When it came to the interior, Scott wanted it to look sharp and mimic the original cockpit. So, he reskinned the stock seats in new vinyl and restored a donor dash to original specs. Scott’s stepson, Sawyer, helped lay down the Dynamat before adding a fresh carpet to the mix. Michelle helped with the carpet, and restored the original Rim-Blow wheel, before moving on to refinish the trunk and aiding in the installation of the reproduction Torino factory laser stripes. The interior panels, seats, instrument cluster, and center console all came from the donor cars and were restored by Scott and Michelle. Lastly, AM Trimmers in Dover, New Jersey handled the task of installing the new headliner and did it to perfection.
Once finished, Scott got the chance to reflect on the build. “It’s a dream come true to see the car come together after all these years. As a family, we have had such a great time making memories, like going to car shows, cruises, and spontaneous ice cream runs. There’s something about driving a vintage car… you can still feel the effort the manufacturers put into ride comfort and style. We tried to find a decent balance of performance and drivability as we wanted to be able to get in and go. The best part is we made it a family affair.”
As far as performance goes, he couldn’t be happier with the final product. “The big-block has delivered tire-smoking power combined with reliability, even in hot weather and traffic as well, all while enjoying the factory air conditioning. We went with a reasonable rear end gear that will cruise on the highway, too.”
Scott sums it all up like this: “You don’t see a ton of Gran Torinos, especially ’72s, at car shows, and people really enjoy seeing this one. We were so happy to achieve our goal of having this car ready for its fiftieth anniversary celebration at Carlisle, and we even took home an award. We really look forward to years of fun and camaraderie to come.”
