#11 - What the Heck is a 1969 Ford SportsRoof?! Part 2 - Cars
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- Опубліковано 12 лип 2024
- Hello, and welcome back to the “Yours in old FoMoCo iron” UA-cam channel! My name is Adrian Clements, and in this video we’re going to answer the question, “What the heck is a 1969 Ford SportsRoof?!”
You’ve likely already come across the “SportsRoof” body style marketing term at some point in your old car travels, and in video #10 Part 1 we had a look at exactly WHERE and WHEN this term was used in the 1969 FoMoCo lineup. We also saw some examples of the use of the term “SportsRoof” in period FoMoCo literature and advertising.
In this video #11 Part 2 we’ll see examples of some beautiful 1969 SportsRoof cars.
Let’s get started!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:49 SportsRoof
1:41 1969 Ford full-size #1
3:41 1969 Ford full-size #2
4:50 1969 Ford intermediate #1
6:39 1969 Ford intermediate #2
8:05 1969 Ford intermediate #3
9:31 1969 Ford intermediate #4
10:46 1969 Ford Mustang #1
12:12 1969 Ford Mustang #2
13:36 1969 Ford Mustang #3
14:44 Close-Out
I think 1969 was the greatest year for the American automobile industry.
@georgeharleydavidsonrider156, I agree - The Big Three all had great offerings that year! If you haven't done so already, please a) check out my other videos #1 through #13, and b) subscribe so that you can be alerted as each new video is released - there are LOTS more coming! Video #14 is coming together well. Thank you!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Your right,,,,I had a 69 442, factory ordered,,,,
It was great to see so many wonderful examples,!
@DSP1968, I'm glad that you liked the variety of 1969 Ford SportsRoofs that I presented in the video! I have built up an extensive FoMoCo photo archives through many years of work, and I was happy to draw from that collection of information for photos of 1969 Ford SportsRoofs to put in video #11.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Indian Fire Metallic on your thumbnail Mustang is my favorite 1969 color. My aunt bought a brand new Thunderbird 4-door Landau in that color, with black top and black Brougham interior. Truly a stunning combo.
@sooverit5529, Indian Fire is a gorgeous paint colour - your aunt's Thunderbird sounds stunning
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
My first car was a '69 Mach I, 390/4spd/3:55 Traction Loc. Loved this car!! Thanks for taking me back to a better time Adrian!!
@markreed171, wow - she must have been a blast! For the record, there was no 3.55:1 Traction-Lok rear axle for the 1969 model year. It was likely a 3.50:1 Traction-Lok, which was AXLE code "S".
If you haven't done so already, please Subscribe to my channel so that you can be alerted when each new video comes out. There's LOTS more to come; I have just released video #12 a few minutes ago. Thank you!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
In 1969 I was a Ford addict. My father drove them and I got to hangout at the local Ford dealership whenever we went to town on Saturday. I was in heaven as any 12 year old car nut would be! I remember how hot the Torino GT SportsRoof was that year. The little dealership could not keep them in stock.
@dave1956, your dealership adventures sound like time very well spent!
If you haven't done so already, please Subscribe to my channel so that you can be alerted when each new video comes out. There's LOTS more to come; I'm working on video #12 already...
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
@@adrianclements8916
My parents did not agree, but they are the fondest memories of my childhood.
We got a. 390 premium fuel 2V 4 door sedan. Light green but it had been up north and the floor wasn’t bad, but the frame was gone and couple of booger welds and some baling wire was all it was. Drove 👍 I pulled out the 390 C//6 and put it in my 67 F100.
Good day Adrian,
Commenting on both videos absolutely a pleasure & the knowledge I gained is unquestionably fantastic.
Even though I am a Mopar Guy I have always loved the look of the Torino's with the Sport Roof look.
Ford just did it right from the get go.
There is not a bad angle on those Torino's.
Have a look at Aussie Ford Muscle Cars.
My favourite is the 1972 XA GT RPO83 Hardtop similar to the 1970 & 1971 Torino just a wee bit smaller version.
Definitely a SportRoof look but the name never applied.
What annoys me is so many video's on the
XA, XB & XC Hardtop's on UA-cam but professional's call them Coupes even diecast manufacturers.
Ford clearly on the compliance plate called them a Hardtop.
Is the LTD the top dog as far as luxury & price point for Ford back in 1968, 1969 ?
Love the Full Size XL.
Any chance doing a video on the difference between
428 & 429.
Enjoying your videos that Wimbledon White Cobra my type of SportRoof.
Cheers
Louis Kats from Melbourne, Australia. 🇺🇸 🇦🇺
@louiskats5116, thank you - I'm so pleased that you liked both videos #10 & #11!
People call cars the wrong name all the time, which is part of the reason I created this video series to clear the air about Ford's 1969 SportsRoof models.
Yes, the LTD was the top-of-the-line full-size Ford series for the 1968 and 1969 model years.
Your video suggestion comparing and contrasting the 428 FE engine and the 429 385 Series engine is an excellent one - thank you. I have added it to my "Future Video Ideas List".
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
My first car was a 69 Ford Custom. I have since moved up to a 68 Cougar XR7-G. Old Fords and Mercs are the best! So many engine options for 69, it was Fords hey day.
Amazing level of knowledge Adrian. Now here's a gauntlet. We are both Canadian, albeit I grew up in western Canada. Have you ever heard of the 1968-69 Ford RF500? Huh? It was a special production run
of Custom 2-door posts fitted with LTD hideaway front ends. They were exclusively sold by Rankin Ford in London, Ontario. I was totally unaware of these until I read about them in a book called Canadian Cars by Perry Zavitz .
@roger628, very interesting - I have never heard of a 1968-69 Ford RF500! Were they offered for both the 1968 and 1969 model years? With "500" in the name, were the cars Custom 500 2-door sedans and not Custom 2-door sedans? R. Perry Zavitz is the author of the brilliant book "Monarch Meteor" from 1993; I'll have to get a copy of his "Canadian Cars" book. Thank you for the heads up, Roger.
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Yes-both 1968-69. They are so rare that the book contains no images of these cars. Can you imagine finding even a mimeograph or something in the literature department? Was there even any literature?
T@@adrianclements8916
My belief concerning the “sports roof” moniker is that Ford wanted to homologate their sexiest “fastback” model in what was becoming America’s premier road racing series, the TransAm. Problem was the previous Mustang “fastbacks” (officially called “2+2s” by Ford) were not considered “sedans” as required by the SCCA to enter T/A (as such, the more pedestrian hardtops were raced in T/A in 1966-1968). The term “2+2” alone is stating that the vehicle is not a sedan but instead a GT that in a pinch can seat four. So Ford retooled the “fastback” Mustang concept some by adding a small opening rear passenger window and changing the name to “sports roof.” Voila, the “fastback” Mustang became a sedan and went on to legendary accomplishments in the SCCA’s T/A series.
The other sports roofs, full and mid-size just came along for the ride…heck, the 1968 “fastback” Fairlane was same body as 1969 but did not become a sports roof until 1969.
My dad used to get a new Ford company car for a number of years. In '69 we got a conventional 2dr hardtop Galaxie 500. Even as a kid, I noticed a marked decline in build quality, and cost-cutting in the '69s compared to earlier versions. For example, on our sample, pushing hard on the radio controls on that weird dash would cause the whole radio chassis to move in and out in the dash. Very flimsy IMHO.
BTW, vinyl roofs look like crap on those Sportsroofs.
@roger628, I wonder if some of the attaching hardware for that '69 Ford radio wasn't installed at the assembly plant. I've seen that many times in my years of working on '67 Fords.
If you haven't done so already, please Subscribe to my channel so that you can be alerted when each new video comes out. There's LOTS more to come; I'm working on video #12 already...
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
I think 1970 would be the best year as far as styling goes for the auto industry. I also happen to think that the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS is the most handsome muscle car ever to be released onto the streets of America!! It was so good looking and better looking than any of the other muscle cars. The design was perfect from the duel headlights and grille to the square taillights enclosed in the bumper in back. If that chevelle was a guy, he would be voted the sexiest man to ever live!!
So the 1969/1970 Mercury Marauder X100 has a tunnel back similar to the Ford XL.
Not a Sports Roof?
@michaelruys5021, correct - the term SportsRoof was not used by Mercury. The 1969 and 1970 Mercury Marauder X-100s were officially called a "2-door hardtop", though Mercury did use the verbiage "long-hood, short-deck design and tunnel roof fastback styling" when describing the 2-door hardtop body style.
If you haven't done so already, please Subscribe to my channel so that you can be alerted when each new video comes out. There's LOTS more to come; I'm working on video #13 already. Thank you, Michael!
Yours in old FoMoCo iron,
Adrian
Ask anyone with this roof on full size car how fast the rear window area fills up with snow while driving!
ANOTHER journey to old fomoco clarity! Not opinion.....