Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, the new CEO of Ford was largely responsible for the T-Bird's makeover in 1970. While remaining relatively consistent with the '68/'69 models, the one major difference was with the addition of a new "beak" shaped fascia on the front hood. The effect made the front grille pointy and angular while also exposing the headlamps. This was a popular move with car buyers of the day and remains so with auto restoration buffs today. Sadly, Bunkie wasn't quite as popular with Henry Ford II as he was fired in September of 1969.
In 1970, Ford also instituted stricter testing procedures for all of its models. They eliminated their famous 12 mile road test and replaced it with mechanized testing right in the factory. In addition, they added a water seal test, an air conditioning test, and even ran it on seven different chassis dyno tuners!
The stock engine, a 429 cubic inch V8 scored well on these tests, delivering an impressive 360 horsepower. It was fast too, delivering 0-60 in 6.4 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.7!
All in all, 1970 T-Birds are very common in Los Angeles and Southern California, so they make an ideal auto restoration choice. You can find junkers for right around $1500 and we've seen fully restored ones sell for around $15K-$20K at auction.
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