19 miles really?

Even more suspect is where the heck is the door panel?
As far as the inspection sticker goes, in New Jersey, every new car gets a sticker from the dealer. Don't know if it was that way in New York back in '76.
If this guy wants $5000 for it, he ought to spend a day detailing it, put the missing hubcaps back on and make it look like a 19 mile car. What's he thinking, fcol.

 

Perhaps there's another auction on Ebay: 1975 Ford Torino station wagon door panel - only 19 miles!

 

This is really weird, wonder what the "rest of the story"(as Paul Harvey used to say) is?? What's that handle looking thing on the trans hump??

 

Theory: This was some sort of a movie prop car??

 

I think it is the rearview mirror. I enlarged of a view of it. My first thought was aftermarket 4 wheel drive!

 

Wow, that must have been optional that year? Wonder how well a trans hump rear view mirror worked,lol? One of Ford's "Better Ideas" I suppose.

 

Or....stolen from a dealer lot back when it was new. Hence the hand written sticker and missing locks, etc.

 

that is a rearview mirror. It probably came off after being adjusted so many time from being driven "19" miles

 

Maybe it was driven 19 miles by Clark Griswold buring the filming of vacation!

 

Curious mystery this......

Windshield is missing the mirror, so at least that question is solved.....

I reviewed the pics closely......

No air conditioning.....
2.75 rear end ratio......
Appears car was ordered (you would probably have to if you wanted the 460..)
Ordered end of March, delivered 5/7/75

Seems to me it would have been ordered with a specific purpose in mind. But then, with only (supposedly) only 16 miles on the clock, it wasn't used at all for that purpose.

Maybe a criminal? Gun-running? Moonshine (in the mid 70's...?)
- Maybe the buyer was caught and taken to the hoosgow.....

 

asked a question.......

 

I agree the car was likely ordered for a specific purpose, such as towing a trailer or as a back up secondary souce of transportation, and by the time the owner took posession of the car, the need no longer existed. The savings withdrawal reciept from the bank would indicate that the buyer likely paid cash for the car. Drove it home, parked it and never touched it again. I would guess a wealthy owner that couldn't be bothered with re-selling the car when it was new.
Mice likely destroyed the headliner. Hubcaps are likely off as they may have had to free up the rear drums to move the car out. Keys were likely lost decades ago, and doors may have been stuck closed as well. That would explain the missing driver's door panel and lock cylinder.
Dents and scratches are probably because the car was stored in a barn or garage where tools and equipment might bump into it from time to time.
In this case, poor storage and lack of use caused deterioration, but it does appear to be a car that could clean up nicely. I'm guessing the photos were taken the day the car emerged from hibernation.

 

.....and the mystery grows.......why did someone put 15's on it so it could sit in a barn?

 

I wonder what the rest of the interior looks like. Is Hoffa in the spare tire storage?

The pictures shown were taken at two different locations as well.

What's up with the Christmas wreath on the garage (reference foliage green in background, in New York).

get to work Rodney...

 

could be the obituary notice for the original owner Elton Satterlee

Elton was born on May 27, 1933 and passed away on Monday, August 17, 2009.
Elton was a resident of Galway, New York.

NO WAY! I accidentally just found the guy's social security number! crazy