🌪 The 1970 Mustang Twister Special: A Tornado of Ford History
- Gasket Case Garage
- Oct 7, 2025
- 3 min read
By Gasket Case Garage
When you think of rare Mustangs, the Boss 429 or Mach 1 might come to mind.But tucked away in Ford’s history is a regional promotion so unique, so limited, and so misunderstood that even seasoned collectors sometimes overlook it — the 1970 Mustang Twister Special.
This isn’t just a car story.It’s a story of a canceled pace-car deal, a last-minute marketing pivot, and one man’s lifelong dedication to preserving their history — a legacy that almost disappeared forever.
🌾 The Kansas City Connection
In late 1969, Ford’s Special Promotions Division prepared a batch of Mach 1 Mustangs for American Raceways, Inc.(ARI), who planned to use them as pace cars across their new tracks.When ARI went bankrupt before delivery, Ford’s Kansas City sales district decided to repurpose the cars for a one-day regional event — “Total Performance Day” — held on November 7, 1969.
To make the cars stand out, each one received:
Grabber Orange paint (Code “U”)
Black Mach 1 striping
The now-famous “Twister Special” tornado decal on the rear quarter panel
A DSO (District Sales Office) code of 53, marking Kansas City
Consecutive VIN numbering for local dealership allocation
Only 96 Twister Mach 1s were built — 48 with the new 351 Cleveland 4V and 48 with the mighty 428 Super Cobra Jet.Ford also produced 90 Torino Cobra Twisters for the same promotion, making the total Twister family just 186 cars strong.
⚙️ Under the Hood: The Heart of the Twister
351 Cleveland 4V
300 horsepower @ 5400 rpm
380 lb-ft torque @ 3400 rpm
Closed-chamber heads, 10.7:1 compression
Dry intake design and canted valves (Boss 302-inspired)
428 Super Cobra Jet
335 horsepower (gross) @ 5400 rpm
440–445 lb-ft torque @ 3400 rpm
Optional Drag Pack, 3.91 or 4.30 gears, external oil cooler
Both versions shared the same Grabber Orange body and tornado graphics — but under the hood, they represented two very different kinds of power.Where the 351C loved to rev, the 428CJ was all about torque.
📜 Terry Fritz: Keeper of the Tornado
For decades, Terry Fritz was the heart and soul of the Twister Special Registry.He tracked VINs, owners, and photos across the world through his website TwisterSpecialRegistry.com.Terry’s passion and persistence kept these rare Mustangs connected long before social media existed.
After Terry’s passing, the registry site went offline — and with it, much of his collected work.
That loss inspired Gasket Case Garage to begin documenting what remains — to reconnect owners, archive surviving VINs, and ensure that the Twister’s story isn’t lost to time.
“It wasn’t just a car to Terry — it was a piece of Kansas City’s soul.”— Gasket Case Garage, Twister Legacy Project
🧩 Preserving the Twister Legacy
Today, fewer than 50 original Twister Specials are known to survive in any condition.Their values at auction continue to climb, not just for rarity, but for story — the combination of:
Regional exclusivity
Factory color and DSO rarity
Balanced 351C/428SCJ production split
Dealer-level promotional heritage
We’re working to rebuild the lost archive one car at a time.If you own a Twister Special or know someone who does, we invite you to contribute to the new registry project.
📂 Twister Archives & Resources
Downloadable artifacts and references are available below:
📁 VIN & DSO 53 Production List Stub 0F05M/R118XXX
(All materials shared under fair-use for educational and historical purposes.)
🎥 Watch the Video
In this Gasket Case Garage original, we explore the forgotten history of the Twister Special, the life of Terry Fritz, and the effort to preserve this chapter of Ford’s legacy for future generations.
⚡ Join the Movement
If you’re as passionate about Ford history as we are:
Subscribe to Gasket Case Garage on YouTube
Follow @GasketCaseGarage on Facebook
Together, we can make sure the next generation knows what makes the Twister Special more than just a car — it’s a symbol of local pride, performance, and the people who refuse to let history blow away.
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