In the spring of 1968, Billy Ray Sullivan walked into Pegues/Hurst Motor Co. in Longview, Texas, to place an order for a new Ford Torino GT. Billy Ray was greeted by a salesperson and the two stepped into an office and methodically checked off boxes on an order form to ensure Billy Ray would get the exact 1968 Torino GT his heart was set upon.
Billy Ray’s plan was to equip the Torino GT with high-performance options cloaked beneath an unassuming hardtop exterior. The car he would create would be a one-of-a-kind Ford that would fly under the radar.
Ford Motor Co. had recently introduced the high-performance R-Code 428-4V Cobra Jet engine with a factory rating of 335 hp, and Billy Ray made sure his ’68 Torino GT was equipped with the new power plant. His paint color of choice for the body was Raven Black which he had mated with a luxurious-looking black vinyl roof and red interior. His order additionally included the C-6 automatic transmission, the 3.91 Traction-Lok rear axle and power disc brake options. It was obvious this Torino GT was purposely ordered from the factory with a great deal of thought going into how the owner would use it once he received it.
Billy Ray had been stashing funds from his job working for the State of Texas to save enough money to buy the car of his dreams in that spring of 1968. He was 33 years old at the time and feeling good about the opportunity to finally own a muscle car. This was his first new car, and everything about it had to be spot-on.
The factory fulfilled Billy Ray’s dream on May 4, 1968, when the car was built at Ford’s Atlanta Assembly Plant, with Billy Ray taking delivery on June 14. Billy Ray wasted no time taking his new Torino GT to the local drag strips around his hometown of Longview, and he and his “sleeper” Torino GT soon earned a reputation on the street racing scene as being fast. Locals knew the car was quick, but out-of-towners usually found out the hard way. They’d see Billy Ray’s stealthy Torino GT pull up next to them at a stop light, they’d share a momentary glance, then a nod, and then they’d square off when the light turned green. More times than not, Billy Ray and his Ford would leap off the line, leaving the unsuspecting opponent in the dust to gaze upon the Torino’s fading square taillamps and round GT deck lid emblem as it pulled away.
In 1971, Billy Ray met Jean, his future wife, on a date in San Antonio. Their friends had arranged for the two of them to meet, and of course Billy Ray arrived in his black ’68 Torino GT. Jean thought it was a pretty car, but Billy Ray, unassuming in his own way, didn’t share much about it. Not long after, Jean had an opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive the Torino GT herself.
“I goosed it — gave it some gas — and realized it had a lot of power, and realized Billy’s Ford was something special,” she recalled from her first drive.
Billy Ray and Jean hit it off and things became serious. They were married in 1973. Several years later — in late 1977 or early 1978 — the Torino GT’s engine developed an issue. Apparently something let go in the engine and the car was permanently idled.
According to Jean, Billy Ray parked the Torino GT soon after the engine was blown and essentially moved on. The couple had recently welcomed their third child, David, and besides, it was time to start looking for a car that was more family-oriented. With a recently enlarged family, the couple had new priorities and had to make sacrifices to make ends meet. The ’68 Torino GT was no longer practical, but for Billy Ray, it remained his pride and joy, even in its idled state. But he never made getting the car running an issue and, for the most part, never complained about it being inoperative. One thing was certain, though — he never wanted to see it leave his family. It was special to Billy Ray, and over the decades it was parked, the “old Ford” evolved into a family heirloom, especially for their youngest son, David.
As evidence the Torino GT remained out of sight but not out of mind, Billy Ray reached out to the selection committee at Chip Foose’s “Overhaulin’” TV show in hopes of having his beloved Ford restored. To Billy Ray’s disappointment, his car was not chosen for a makeover by the show’s selection team, and the car continued to sit idle for decades.
In 2005, Billy Ray’s youngest son, David, decided he was going to start the process of restoring the car. He disassembled the Torino GT, but then realized he was in over his head. The car was then parked again, awaiting rescue from the pasture where the landscape eventually overtook it.
David didn’t just lack the skills of a professional restorer, he lacked the time needed to acquire those skills in order to properly restore his father’s Torino GT. The year before he tore into disassembling the Torino GT, David won the 2004 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his acting role in the film “Primer.” With an opportunity to kick his acting career into a higher gear, David relocated to Hollywood, the acting capital of the world, to pursue work in motion pictures and television productions. But in the back of his mind, the thought of fulfilling his father’s dream to restore the 1968 Torino GT continued to resonate — especially after his father’s 2013 passing.
One day, while searching various Ford Fairlane and Torino posts on social media, David stumbled onto a Facebook group that had connections to Marty Burke, head judge for the Fairlane Club of America (fca.clubexpress.com). David reached out to the group with his story about the 1968 Torino GT that his father had bought new and received Marty Burke’s contact information. David sent Marty a text message and Marty quickly responded. The two then had a lengthy phone conversation in which David indicated his dream to have the Torino properly restored. Marty told David the project would be costly — not just in dollars, but in time — yet David remained adamant about making it happen and said he would do everything required to support the project from start to finish.
After numerous conversations, Marty invited David to see his personal collection of Fords and Mercurys. It was during this visit and laying eyes on Marty’s 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler Dan Gurney Special that David asked if Marty would be interested in restoring the 1968 Ford Torino GT R-Code hardtop his father had bought new. David shared his family’s history with the car and how it was now David’s dream to get it restored and looking the way it would have looked the day his father picked it up at Pegues/Hurst Motor Co.
Marty informed David that he wasn’t the one who restored his ’69 Dan Gurney Special.
“I can’t take credit for this one,” Marty told him. “It was done by Billups Classic Cars in Colcord, Oklahoma.”
Marty went on to tell David that if he was serious about having his ’68 Torino GT restored to the same world-class standards, he’d connect David with Jason Billups, owner of the restoration shop. Marty added that Jason and his team would be the only ones he’d recommend for a restoration of this magnitude.
The 1968 Torino GT’s journey to look new began on March 13, 2021, when David and his mother and her partner, Jeff, delivered the car to Marty’s home in Texas. It was the first time Marty had seen the car in person. He knew it would be rough, but as the saying goes, seeing is believing.
“Wow, this is going to be a big project,” Marty told David. “It’s going to need more than a makeover.”
Basically, the project essentially started with the skeletal shell of the 1968 Ford Torino GT. Spending decades parked in a field near Longview had also taken a toll on the car. Adding insult to injury were the years since the car was disassembled, during which time parts had gone missing. But after seeing it in person and evaluating its overall condition, Marty knew that Billups’ exceptionally talented team of highly skilled technicians could give this Ford a new life by restoring it to better-than-factory standards.
Marty’s role in the restoration project was to evaluate the Torino, take an inventory of what remained and what was salvageable, and then start sourcing parts until Jason Billups could pick it up. The Torino was stowed at Marty’s home until Sept. 22, 2022, when Jason and Casey Kelly arrived to transport it to Billups Classic Cars for the start of the restoration. Upon arrival, Jason and Casey were also surprised by how little they had to start with. This was going to be a huge undertaking and challenge, but one they welcomed.
Adding to the challenge was that the Torino had to be restored and ready to “day-view” during an official unveiling ceremony at the Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals (MCACN) on Nov. 18, 2023 — just a little over a year away. This was not the first MCACN unveiling for the team at Billups Classic Cars; they’ve experienced a handful of MCACN unveilings over the years, with the most recent being “The Green Hornet” Shelby GT500 EXP coupe in 2018. Billups’ team knows the amount of time and effort that goes into the process to make everything come together for that special day at MCACN when the cover comes off and the world sees their finished restoration for the first time. Working against the calendar, they loaded the Torino into their enclosed trailer and hauled it to their shop in order to dive into an in-depth evaluation and restoration.
The restoration started during early 2023 and required three different ’68 Torino donor cars to acquire enough usable body panels to complete the rebuild of the body shell. Hard-to-find components, such as fenders, doors, a hood, a trunk lid and many of the under pinnings, were removed from the donor cars and used to restore the ’68 Torino GT.
Marty has spent decades collecting hard-to-find, new-old-stock (NOS) Torino parts. His collection of ultra-rare parts were vital during the project.
“When I started collecting these parts nearly 40 years ago, I intended to have them available for my own personal collection,” Marty said. “But once I met David, heard the story about his father’s Torino GT, and felt his passion to get the car restored, I decided to make them available for the restoration project. These Torino parts are rare, with most of them not being reproduced; it was going to take something special to get them from me, and this project was the perfect fit.”
On Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, with the work of Marty Burke and Jason Billups, Billy Ray Sullivan’s dream to have his 1968 Torino GT restored was fulfilled. Under the lights of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., the cover was lifted off the Torino GT during MCACN to reveal the factory-new-looking car. It was the first time David’s family and friends had seen the car looking as it did in 1968, and all were delighted, notably his mother, Jean, his sister, Jennifer, and his brother, Steve.
After allowing everyone to take in the glimmering black car, a proud and emotional David Sullivan shared the fascinating story about the 1968 Torino GT that his father bought new and the incredible journey it’s taken during its lifetime. He went on to say he feels a newfound connection to the car and understands why it meant so much to his father.
“When I saw this car in finished form, I could feel my father’s presence in my heart,” David said. “Restoring it was what he wanted, and I’m grateful to the people who helped make it happen and really humbled by this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can still feel his presence, even now, and know he’s proud of how the car turned out and to see his dream fulfilled.”
The appreciation was mutually shared by other members of David’s family.
“Seeing the car restored during the unveiling sent butterflies through my stomach,” Jean said. “I felt a tidal wave of emotions. It was electrifying, something I’ve never felt before, and I didn’t expect it. I know it’s going to be in good hands and in a good place. I’m so happy for David and looking forward to seeing the Torino GT at other events around the country next year. His father would be so proud.
“I also want to thank everyone who had a role in making this happen,” Jean added. “Without them, none of this would have been possible!”
The day after the restored car’s unveiling at MCACN, David and the ’68 Torino GT received the prestigious Concours Gold and Platinum Judge’s Pick award during the 2023 MCACN awards ceremony. It was a fitting conclusion to a rewarding experience for all of those involved in bringing back Billy Ray Sullivan’s Torino GT to June 14, 1968 — the day he drove it home for the first time.
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