The dream to build this car started when Mike was 17, circa 2004, when previews were released for the "Starsky & Hutch" movie. Mike had never heard of "Starsky & Hutch" prior to that, so he decided to see the TV series before he ever thought of seeing the movie - and he's glad he did. He went to the local Tower Records store to get the TV series first season box DVD set. Within two episodes, he fell in love with the car and decided that it would be the first car he would restore. As he watched through the full series, accumulating the rest of the series on DVD over the next 1-2 years, Mike noticed the differences in the cars used from one season to the next (trim, mirrors, stripe design, etc). When doing his research, he saw that most people who own S&H Torinos either own one of Ford's Limited Production S&H Torinos or they build a replica of the Season 1 Torino. Mike opted to be different and have his Torino stand out from the rest while also paying homage to "the third star of the show" and build a replica of the Pilot TV Movie Torino.
The Pilot Torino was Mike's favorite of all the cars. He found that people didn't remember it or don't realize how unique it was because it was only used for one episode. His dream was simple - to create the most factory correct and accurate replica of the very first "Starsky & Hutch" Gran Torino that fans fell in love with, and he never looked back.
The restoration took nearly 6 years! For most of the course of the project, Mike spent top dollar for every New Old Stock Torino part that was available on eBay or word of mouth with his Torino network, including forums and social media accounts on the build.
Unique features of this car to make it true to the Pilot S&H Gran Torino include:
In addition to finding every available NOS Torino part for this build, Mike also spent upwards of $10,000 replating every piece of metal trim and emblem inside and out, including pieces like the column shift lever, seat back levers, and even the ash tray! Cutting no corners, leaving no stone unturned, and keen attention to every detail of the TV cars have rendered what Mike says many S&H fans and experts consider the most accurate replica tribute to the Pilot Torino known to exist.
Mike's car also has four autographs between the instrument cluster bezel and the glove box door. Those two parts circled the globe to obtain the autographs of actor and stunt performer Charlie Picerni (Georgia), Paul Michael "Starsky" Glaser (Southern California), Antonio "Huggy Bear" Fargas (Nevada), and David "Hutch" Soul (United Kingdom).
The build was completed on April 30, 2025 - the 50th anniversary of the release of the S&H Pilot TV Movie. The car made its first public appearance just three days later on May 3, 2025, at the 50th Anniversary of "Starsky & Hutch" in San Diego, CA. Mike's car was one of only two S&H Torinos featured at the event, and fans absolutely loved the car and the story behind the build and what it had taken for Mike to realize his dream over more than 20 years.
The pictures below are from the event, including some with Paul and Antonio. The car now resides full time in Phoenix, AZ and is already becoming a crowd favorite at local Cars & Coffee events. Mike plans to attend bigger events in the Greater Phoenix Area in the future such as Barrett Jackson week, Good Guys shows, and more.
You can see the full story of Mike's S&H Torino project on Facebook and Instagram.
Also, the car is featured on two full episodes of Brock's Garage on YouTube.
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