The company where my father was a CEO driver, they had a 1973 LTD Country Squire. I loved that car to bits. It was probably the only one in the Netherlands. It was bought to impress a Japanese delegation coming over for very important contract negotiations. When the car got them from Schiphol airport to Haarlem (20 km/ 13 miles) and next day back again, it served its purpose. All drivers hated the car because it was too wide for Dutch roads and used too much fuel. Even the CEO's did not like the rear bench. Occasionally they would pick it for errands and then I was allowed to go with my father (school permitting of course). It stood there for 10 years in the shop, hated by everyone but me, and I frequently polished it inside out, hoping I could buy it after I got my drivers license. At 19 (I was studying, so I had no money for a car yet), my father bluntly said during dinner that finally the Ford LTD was sold for almost nothing. I was deeply disappointed. Man, I was gutted. It was 10 years old and had 8000 miles on the clock and because of standing inside and me polishing it all the time, it was in mint condition.
Sorry to hear that you were never able to take over the car from your father. From your story, you are about the same age as me (57). Growing up in the 70's was a great time for me (my father worked for GM in Pontiac Michigan). I got to visit the assembly lines during Family Day. If you don't mind me asking....did you ever purchase an American automobile? Cheers from Guam USA👍
Wat een verhaal zeg, dat zal je altijd bijblijven. Normaal gesproken waren auto’s in die tijd rijp voor de sloop als ze 10 jaar oud waren vanwege roest. Uniek dat er een Amerikaanse auto in Nederland was die altijd binnen had gestaan en weinig gereden. Daar heeft een of andere handelaar waarschijnlijk een koopje aan gehad😔🙏 Misschien bestaat de auto nog als je het kenteken nog weet.
Aced my driver's license test in this exact car, in blue, parallel parking included. So refined. Trust me, the 351 still has plenty of torque in '74, and these were not race cars. They were graceful high speed cruisers.
I think that the 71-74 LTD Brougham & Marquis Brougham were excellent luxury cars & were extremely quiet & comfortable, especially with the high back twin comfort lounge seats!!! 👍👍🙂
I just started restoring a 74 Brougham pillared hardtop I picked up for 500 bucks. A 4 barrel really brings these motors alive. Mine has the 400ci, climate control, optional interior lighting, intermittent wipers, rear deck speakers, the velour power splint bench seat and the rare rim blow steering wheel
If it was good enough for "Quinn Martin" and "Barnaby Jones" it was good enough for the general population. I purchased new. a 2-door Ginger Glow Metallic LTD Brougham with the 460 and nearly every other option offered. It was test driven by Ford for a few miles before delivery to the dealer and came with that documentation of the test results. I owned the car for a few years and drove it across the Country a couple of times. It was virtually trouble-free other than a noisy steering box (Saginaw) that was replaced under warranty early on. The ride and comfort was amazing and passengers often commented that it was quieter and rode better than their Cadillac, Buick, Chrysler, etc. I miss that car. I sold it when I bought a new 1979 Cobra Mustang. A car I still own. Adam, you did mention the LTD dash "creak." Mine had a minor dash noise that was slightly annoying given the quietness of the interior. I removed the main speedo-instrument woodgrain surround panel and simply glued some felt backing to it. Creaking solved. "Quiet is the sound of a well-made car."
I'm 53 years old -+ my first car -was the family -- 1973 Ford ltd station wagon -- copper + brown - color - not a woody -- my sister - refused to drive it -- on my 16th birthday -- I inherited - it -- OMG !! 3 years of highschool -- with 5 of my closest friends -- had -- the greatest times -- that we still talk about 35 years later !! ❤️
Nostalgia for me. My parents had a few 70's Ford's. For much of my teen years they had a 73 Merc Montego with a 302- dark green with a cloth interior. Dad later had a 73 Country Squire wagon, which we nicknamed the blunderbuss. My uncle had a 73 LTD, light green with dark green vinyl roof and vinyl bench seat interior and a 351. The LTD was a very comfortable road trip car.
My mother had a 74 LTD Broughm coupe. It had those exact brown hi back seats! I remember very well how comfy they were and how they reclined when my girlfriend and I were dating ;)
Thank you for sharing. My grandparents had the same car shown. And had blue interior and exterior. Still was a great car. Later in the later on bought a grand torino and owned a Ford thunderbird.
Maybe I’m crazy but your videos are my favorites lately. I’m so impressed by your knowledge of the technical aspects and your interviews with the designers - but also of course your expertise in the financial aspects. I was particularly impressed by your detailing the very small profit margin.
I was in high school from 1984-88 and two friends of mine drove these big LTDs. One was a 1976 two door with the 400 and the other was a 77 wagon with the 460. The 400 wasn't bad but it felt underpowered next to the 460. Even though the wagon was heavier than the two door the wagon would take off and leave it in a drag race. These were solid cars that also had ice cold A/C. It could be 95 degrees outside and you could see your breath if you sat in the front seat. Too bad Ford isn't building cars like this now.
For some reason I always liked the 65, 66 and 67 full sized Fords. Maybe because when I was a kid, we had a old beat up 66 wagon that we used for going to the beach. Adam, your right about the door hinges, ours was a beater car but the doors always shut and stayed shut.
Again, thanks for the memories. I remember that the 400 in my parent’s car had low oil pressure at idle starting around 80,000 miles. And you could hear the main bearing rumble upon startup. But even then the engine still had a lot of life left. I believe they got at least 140,000 miles out of that engine which wasn’t bad for that era. Even then it was because the valve seals deteriorated fell into the oil pan and jammed the oil pump. He simply installed a used engine at the time and drove it for another 40,000 miles. My sister and her husband had it by then. It had a bad flywheel. And they never fixed it. Amazingly the vinyl roof never deteriorated.
My parents had a 1974 LTD BROUGHAM ! It was their VERY FIRST new car. It also had electronic ignition. I think the 351 still had points 1974. It was Brown pillared hardtop with a 400 engine. With a vinyl roof. It was almost identical to one of the ones you showed! I was 10 years old at the time. They kept it until I was old enough to drive. As a 17 year old I drove it almost at top speed. I got it to 110 MPH before I lost my nerve. Of course my parents NEVER found out.😂.
Yes, only the 400V-8 and 460V-8 had the new Electronic Transistorized "Duraspark" ignition system, anyone unlucky to have the standard 351V-8 was stuck with points and condenser ignition!!!
When I lived in California, I remember a neighbor with a twin to the one (pictured). Was in a fenced-in yard, and parked in the driveway untouched for 30 years.. Looked. Still had the California Blue & Gold plates on it. That's whats cool about California; you see old cars hanging around like this, and residents don't care, and will practically give them to you!
Never realized there were three versions of that engine. Always knew there were "cleveland and windsor" engines, but never heard of the "m" engines. Look forward to hearing more about this...
I love these cars. I used to own a 73 Squire and now have a 74 Squire with twin snorkel 460 and even the magnetic checker board in the back. I also have a 70, 72, 75 and 78 LTDs - the 78 being a Landau pillared hardtop. I also have the Mercurys, which ride slightly better although the LTDs are terrific in terms of ride quality too.
@@413x398 they are around but more so the 1975-8 models. I have a 76 Grand Marquis, Chocolate Brown 77 model and a dream 78 Colony Park. I quite like the later ones but I know Adam prefers the earlier ones.
Our 69 chevy Belair was at the end of its life,in 76 and my father bought his aunts 74 LTD sedan. It was baby blue with bears blue padded roof and had a landau bar on the C pillar. Interior was dark blue cloth. The car was in Syracuse NY and he flew up there from NJ to pick it up and drive it home. When he arrived home, the car was covered in salt and looked brown. The next day we washed and waxed this beautiful car back to New. While the body had no rust, we quickly found out the frame was very rusty. Within a couple of years, really bad. The battery tray, rotted away and we found the battery hanging from its wires. You slam the door and a bunch of rust fell off the frame. Yet the body never showed any rust at all. The following August my father allowed my sister to drive for a bit on the way home from vacation. While on the highway, we heard a weird loud noise. My sister said to my father, what was that? He said, not sure, keep driving. We got home, unloaded the car and then we looked under the hood. The frame gave way and the engine mounts had rotted clear off. Luckily it was a tight fit and the engine only dropped a bit. That weekend we got a new 79 Chevy Impala
Those high back chairs were in my parents 1977 Ford Château club wagon. that, in case anybody doesn't know, was a factory done E150 van. But fit it out with what they thought of as a nice interior. Not as luxurious as that certainly, but quite comfortable compared to most vans of the time. With those chairs in front and two bench seats behind. With plenty of cargo space behind that.
Love it man. The LTD has always one of my favorite cars, growing up my father had a 73. I had a 75 at one point in time but i was too young to appreciate it and ran it into the ground
My father's buddy had a brand new one. His oldest son sideswiped not one not two but three phone poles. On the positive note the poles kept him from going over a fifty seven foot drop into the Atlantic ocean, pure luck. She was mint on the passenger side. I remember Beef (nickname) just looking at his new car in silence. Lol
My Dad had bought my Mom a used 75 LTD. It was a great car. I used to do the tune up on it because it was so easy to do. My Moms was that same brown and black vinyl top you showed.
Another great video. I am really looking forward to hearing you talk about the 351 Windsor, Cleveland, and 351 M version of engines. The first car I owned was a 1976 Mercury Cougar that I bought in 1984 from my uncle. It had the Cleveland engine and to this day he always reminds me of that every time I see him.
The 351 Cleveland engine has a mystique among Ford people. They almost always note when a 351 is a Cleveland compared to the other, ‘lesser’ 351 variants. It’s kind of like when Chevy guys point out that a 350 small block is the 4-bolt main variety, as compared to the less desirable 2-bolt main version. I too am looking forward to the discussion about Ford’s various V8 engine architectures of the 1960s and 1970s.
I enjoyed this review very much, Adam. I once had a dark green metallic '74 4-door pillared hardtop with the Brougham Luxury Group as a loaner. It was a very nice car, as nice as the '76 LTD Landau I had, though I preferred the latter's Knit Kasman Cloth interior upholstery and 460/heavy duty suspension.
I remember my Dad being thrilled that he was able to get 18 MPG out of the 400 cid engine on one occasion. I think he was only driving at the mandated 55 mpg or less. But typically we got around 16mpg when driving a more typical 60-65 mph. It wasn’t considered terribly bad at the time.
@@socalltd I remember getting around 16 mpg On the freeway In around 1980 . But my brother was driving. He probably was driving 60-65. And the car had well over 100,000 miles by then.
351 Cleveland has legendary status amongst Ford fans in Australia. It circulated from 1970 to 1982. Look forward to your video on the 351 engines. We also had the Windsor 351 for 69/70. Never had the M. In 73 production of 302 and 351 Clevelands commenced here.
Struggle to understand why the US guys froth over the 302 windsor, which i think is a great engine by the way, but ignore the 351 in windsor and cleveland guise and flat reject the 400 is a mystery to me. The thought of a junkyard available 400 cube "cleveland" is something i couldn't ignore!.
@@watsisbuttndo829 People reject the 351M/400 because they had a lot of issues early on in life. Prior to 3/2/1977 cracked cylinder heads were very common, they wore out the main and rod bearings faster than other Ford V8's and chronic low oil pressure was common, they were dogs due to the low compression and retarded cam timing to pass emissions. My grandparents had a 77 F150 with a 351M and it was clattering, thrashing junk by 79,000 miles and barely 10 years old. Well maintained engine too. All of the 289,302 and FE engines they had WAY outlasted that thing with better reliability to boot.
@@MattsRageFitGarage fully understand that in stock form the 400 would have been a turd but underneath all the emissions guff is basically a overbored high deck cleveland, which also had its share of oiling problems that have been documented and sorted out. I would be willing to take a shot at building one but alas, never got them in oz. That said if I had a 460 sitting on the floor beside it and i could fit that in the engine bay, 460 it would be!.
@@watsisbuttndo829 Yes, there are fixes for all of that engine's shortcomings nowdays but a lot of people either had one in the past and had a bad experience with them or they just don't want to bother since the 460 basically drops right in place in a lot of applications using the 351M/400 transmission already in the vehicle and is a much better engine in stock form.
@@MattsRageFitGarage what about the 302 but? Thats a great little engine but here in Aus the 351 pretty much fits anywhere a 302 will. Why does the 302 get so much attention when roller 351w,s are , i presume, everywhere? If I was genuinely chasing horsepower I would not be starting with a 5.0
There was a one year only "Brougham Luxury Group" package consisting of a high back split bench with manual passenger recliner covered in crushed velour, velour door panel trim with pull straps, 25 oz thick cut carpeting, carpeted trunk trim. convenience group/lighting, bumper guards and extra sound insulation.
Great video! I would love to see a video on the 1969-1970 Full Size Fords. The Custom, Custom 500, Galaxie 500, LTD, LTD Country Squire and the XL. I love those cars.
@@MrHenrymcneely I agree, I’ve noticed over the years that the 1969-70 full size Ford’s are sometimes disregarded. We can’t forget about the cars with the radio on the left side of the instrument cluster! 🙃
That '73 LTD grill looks like a portent to the Torino Elite! And again tonight, I notice a door-bump molding which spears through the rear marker light. Nice!
My parents traded their 1970 Ford XL convertible with a 429 4v, AM/FM cruise control and Bucket seat car g=for a 1973 LTD coupe.... U=I was so mad.... I loved that '70..... It would smoke the rear tires. I finally got to drive the '73.... That $29 was still there... But not as much... I wish I had them both now! Thanx Adam
Really appreciate all your videos. Brings back so many memories and at the same time, a desire to want some of that Detroit metal from the day. Perhaps a video on tips for finding one that is in good condition. Too bad for that damn government junker clunker buy back program where a lot of cool cars were junked.
1974 Ford LTD 2DR, My first car. I paid $400.for it 1987, bought it from a widow whose late husband drove it, she wanted something newer and smaller, and her sons didn't want it at all so I lucked out on this deal. I loved that car.
tuff car! I had a 73 brhm 429 regular gas 4V. hd suspension pac. had been a county car, coroner, mayor's office. it was big and fast and handled well for a big car. green w black top. we called it Gator maccluski.
I remember these cars having a large dashboard , which combined with the large transmission tunnel made the front seat area feel kind of cramped for a large car . The door openings were also a bit small .
Buddy of mine back in college had the 351m built up in a Foxbody Mustang. Was probably the fastest Foxbody within about 50 Mi of here because he was also running a Paxton Supercharger on it and full length headers. Don't underestimate the low compression 351m motor as a boat anchor it was a stout motor practically indestructible even in Factory trim. And with Edelbrock Performer RPM intake for 4-barrel carburetor since those were Factory 2 barrel carburetor only, even before the Paxton Supercharger the engine was already putting out 210 horsepower in his Mustang. With the supercharger and high boost set it was capable of making 320 horsepower. While some Factory 50 motors made considerably more horsepower out of the gate none of them had the torque of the 351m. Right after I put my 455 Rocket in My Cutlass Supreme I tried to go head-to-head against him and since I knew that one was good for 290 horsepower I figured I would have a chance. Even with him disconnecting the belt supercharger and essentially just running natural aspirated, nope, Foxbody left G-Body Cutlass in the dust....
My grandfather had at least three different LTD wagons. He used them as backup cars for his bread delivery business. I remember how hot the hump for the transmission got after running for a while. Brings back good memories. Thanks for the video Adam.
One of my grandmothers had a '73 LTD Brougham sedan (pillared), white with dark blue vinyl roof and dark blue cloth interior, a very nice car. Maybe that's why I prefer the '73 grille to the '74 grille.
My parents bought a new 74 LTD, dark brown 4 door, and I am sure it came with a 351 Windsor engine. Not sure if the Canadian vehicles were more likely to get the Windsor blocks than those offered in the USA. They drove it until 86, when they bought a new Crown Victoria. Both great family vehicles.
My '72 Squire wagon on same 'bones', though ageing when I got it in '81 (🇨🇦 $350), still had upscale ride - and *power* in its 429 4-barrel. One of my faves among 20-ish cars owned overall.
0:44 It's interesting that the 4-door hardtop was the rarest for this Ford, whereas with most of the GM models that offered a choice, the 4 door hardtop was usually much more popular than the sedan. It looks as if Ford used frameless glass on the sedan version of the LTD, so the two models were not that easy to tell apart, but the difference in popularity might also have been a function of how many each manufacturer decided to ship. If the GM sedans were only available on special order, and I assume more of them were fleet cars, that would have put a big damper on off-the-lot sales. You might want to do a video on all the 1950s-1970s modes with a hardtop VS. sedan choice; it's a chapter of automotive history that seems almost unimaginable today.
Great video.I have a 2 dorr coupe just like the one you have,except mine is black with a gold interior.The 400cc engine with two bbl carb is plenty of power.Very reliable and comfortable to drive
I enjoyed this so much I'm watching again next day. Adam. Here You've Done mid 70s Ford, Few months Back You Had a Friend of Your's Late 80s Lincoln Town Car. I've Not Seen You Do the Downsized 1979-82 Ford LTD. My Dad had an 1981 Marquis Brougham 2 Door. Two Tone , Tan over Dark Blue W/ Dark Blue Landau w/ Light Blue Leather interior & had the Optional 5.0 Ltr. I just learned that My Dad's Mercury for 1981 was about 2,900 Coupes Built as apposed to the 1981 Ford LTD just over 17.000 Coupes Produced.
Soy de Villa de Cura. Estado Aragua. Venezuela. Mi papá compro una verdadera joya en el L,T,D. Brougham 1974. Color azul agua. Una verdadera belleza de carro.
my step father in '76 had the '74 2 door brougham and i drove it a lot , lol even playing bumper tag occasionally with a '74 4 door Mercury . My step fathers had the 400 c.i. motor and was very fun to drive , of course it wasn't a rocket but very comfortable .
Thanks for the informative video. Grew up in the seventies when these where everywhere. One thing I always thought these grills would benefit from were hidden headlamps. At least standard on the LTD. The Galaxie could have the standard grill.
Always wanted a base model '74 LTD. First year of the true 5-mph battering rams, front and rear, last year of that menacing front end treatment (rear design was also new for '75.) The C6 and 9" rear were great of course, however the 400 Cleveland was a bit junk when new but had good bones and could really be brought to life with a focused rebuild + 4bbl, real cam, ect. 25 years ago nobody wanted these things and folks were almost giving them away.
A four-door 1974 LTD was my driver training vehicle in High School. And, I know it doesn't make sense, but my brother always said that LTD stood for "Lemons, Tangerines and Dummies" (totally nonsensical).
Excellent video. Although I prefer Chryslers, your assessment of the fit and finish, ride, and paint being better on Fords at that time is dead on. For me the closest to the satisfying door sound of a Ford of that time was a Mercedes of the time - and that was much more expensive than a Ford. Regarding ride, at highway speeds -especially 70 or more, the Chryslers felt more sure-footed to me due to the stiffness than comparable Fords or GM cars. Another great video. Thanks Adam!
Even in a climate when people were chasing after all the Toyotas, Nissans and Mazdas of the world, I would never lose faith in the big sedans. I had my eyes on one of these at one time!
Loved the cars from that Era. Heavy on gas BUT easy on repairs so it evened out compared to the cheap so called economy cars that needed fixing over and over.
The only LTD of that generation I've ever driven was a 2dr 76 with the 351 2bbl. Nice riding, roomy, quiet, but gutless. Yes, plz do the 351 differences. I actually don't know why Ford did that, so that should be interesting.
Hey Adam remember how many of these we seen getting tore up from the floor up on Streets of San Francisco television series I'm sure they sported everything from the 351c or w 390, 400, or maybe even a big block 4 Barrel 460 but man these were cool cars and could really move!
If you lean out the air fuel to something reasonable they do pretty good on fuel. 13 city and 17 Hwy are easy to get. They are so rich they hardly need a choke up in the Colorado mountains.
I dig the grille on the '74, and I like the fact it still has round headlamps. I've never been a fan of square sealed beams, which I think were introduced in '79 (maybe?)
I recall stacked square headlamps on the '77-'79? LTD IIs (what a strange introduction they were to replace the curvy, sculptured Torino that looked smaller than those ponderous "downsized" mid-size Fords!) If memory serves, the LTD at some point ('75?) got the covered headlights until the end of that generation. The downsized '79 was (to me) a really obvious chop job on the former full-size Fords in many ways more than just length and width and weight. The '79 (and after) "greenhouse" and body appeared as if not fully put-together, styling-wise (GM did a much better job of making their full-size '77 and later models look solid).
Drove the family 1975 LTD Country Squire wagon while in high school. Green with the woody decals on the side. Vinyl seats. What a beast! Had the 400 and got about 15MPG. Not exactly a chick magnet…
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Dude, as a boomer, I love your channel!
The company where my father was a CEO driver, they had a 1973 LTD Country Squire. I loved that car to bits. It was probably the only one in the Netherlands. It was bought to impress a Japanese delegation coming over for very important contract negotiations. When the car got them from Schiphol airport to Haarlem (20 km/ 13 miles) and next day back again, it served its purpose. All drivers hated the car because it was too wide for Dutch roads and used too much fuel. Even the CEO's did not like the rear bench. Occasionally they would pick it for errands and then I was allowed to go with my father (school permitting of course). It stood there for 10 years in the shop, hated by everyone but me, and I frequently polished it inside out, hoping I could buy it after I got my drivers license. At 19 (I was studying, so I had no money for a car yet), my father bluntly said during dinner that finally the Ford LTD was sold for almost nothing. I was deeply disappointed. Man, I was gutted. It was 10 years old and had 8000 miles on the clock and because of standing inside and me polishing it all the time, it was in mint condition.
Sorry to hear that you were never able to take over the car from your father. From your story, you are about the same age as me (57). Growing up in the 70's was a great time for me (my father worked for GM in Pontiac Michigan). I got to visit the assembly lines during Family Day. If you don't mind me asking....did you ever purchase an American automobile? Cheers from Guam USA👍
What an interesting story ✔️
Wat een verhaal zeg, dat zal je altijd bijblijven. Normaal gesproken waren auto’s in die tijd rijp voor de sloop als ze 10 jaar oud waren vanwege roest. Uniek dat er een Amerikaanse auto in Nederland was die altijd binnen had gestaan en weinig gereden. Daar heeft een of andere handelaar waarschijnlijk een koopje aan gehad😔🙏 Misschien bestaat de auto nog als je het kenteken nog weet.
Classic Europeans hating on true cars. Why do Dutch ppl love to pay so much for fking fuel you guys are like the 2nd in the world at high gas prices.
From my experience you’ll never forget it , I was aiming on my father 1976 / olds 98 my dream car / he sold it for nothing after .
The perfect car to live out your own personal “Quinn-Martin Production” fantasy - be it Kojack, Cannon, McGarrett, Quincy, etc.
RIP Aunt Helen & Uncle Floyd Holdridge.❤
Aced my driver's license test in this exact car, in blue, parallel parking included. So refined. Trust me, the 351 still has plenty of torque in '74, and these were not race cars. They were graceful high speed cruisers.
I think that the 71-74 LTD Brougham & Marquis Brougham were excellent luxury cars & were extremely quiet & comfortable, especially with the high back twin comfort lounge seats!!! 👍👍🙂
I just started restoring a 74 Brougham pillared hardtop I picked up for 500 bucks. A 4 barrel really brings these motors alive. Mine has the 400ci, climate control, optional interior lighting, intermittent wipers, rear deck speakers, the velour power splint bench seat and the rare rim blow steering wheel
If it was good enough for "Quinn Martin" and "Barnaby Jones" it was good enough for the general population. I purchased new. a 2-door Ginger Glow Metallic LTD Brougham with the 460 and nearly every other option offered. It was test driven by Ford for a few miles before delivery to the dealer and came with that documentation of the test results. I owned the car for a few years and drove it across the Country a couple of times. It was virtually trouble-free other than a noisy steering box (Saginaw) that was replaced under warranty early on. The ride and comfort was amazing and passengers often commented that it was quieter and rode better than their Cadillac, Buick, Chrysler, etc. I miss that car. I sold it when I bought a new 1979 Cobra Mustang. A car I still own. Adam, you did mention the LTD dash "creak." Mine had a minor dash noise that was slightly annoying given the quietness of the interior. I removed the main speedo-instrument woodgrain surround panel and simply glued some felt backing to it. Creaking solved. "Quiet is the sound of a well-made car."
I had a 74 Galaxie, and it was a good car. You're right about Ford's build and ride quality for this era
I'm 53 years old -+ my first car -was the family -- 1973 Ford ltd station wagon -- copper + brown - color - not a woody -- my sister - refused to drive it -- on my 16th birthday -- I inherited - it -- OMG !! 3 years of highschool -- with 5 of my closest friends -- had -- the greatest times -- that we still talk about 35 years later !! ❤️
Adam, I remember these when they were brand new. The ride quality was as sublime as you indicate. 😁
As long as you were on a smooth surface they had a smooth ride . But they quickly lost their composure on anything resembling a rough road .
A quality Ford product. They were used on TV and in movies a lot in the 70s I recall. Love the interior and color of the one you own.
Simply beautiful cars. Sadly we just don’t see them in the UK 🇬🇧 I always enjoy your videos on cars of this era.
Live like Barnaby Jones! A Quinn Martin Production.
Nostalgia for me. My parents had a few 70's Ford's. For much of my teen years they had a 73 Merc Montego with a 302- dark green with a cloth interior. Dad later had a 73 Country Squire wagon, which we nicknamed the blunderbuss. My uncle had a 73 LTD, light green with dark green vinyl roof and vinyl bench seat interior and a 351. The LTD was a very comfortable road trip car.
My mother had a 74 LTD Broughm coupe. It had those exact brown hi back seats! I remember very well how comfy they were and how they reclined when my girlfriend and I were dating ;)
Thank you for sharing. My grandparents had the same car shown. And had blue interior and exterior. Still was a great car. Later in the later on bought a grand torino and owned a Ford thunderbird.
Maybe I’m crazy but your videos are my favorites lately. I’m so impressed by your knowledge of the technical aspects and your interviews with the designers - but also of course your expertise in the financial aspects. I was particularly impressed by your detailing the very small profit margin.
Awesome. Thx!
Adam is the truth 💯
I was in high school from 1984-88 and two friends of mine drove these big LTDs. One was a 1976 two door with the 400 and the other was a 77 wagon with the 460. The 400 wasn't bad but it felt underpowered next to the 460. Even though the wagon was heavier than the two door the wagon would take off and leave it in a drag race. These were solid cars that also had ice cold A/C. It could be 95 degrees outside and you could see your breath if you sat in the front seat. Too bad Ford isn't building cars like this now.
Lol, ain't that the truth! But don't blame Ford blame the U.S. government.
Beautiful cars.I had several back in the day.
Can't wait for your video on the different types of 351 engines. I've always wondered about that.
For some reason I always liked the 65, 66 and 67 full sized Fords. Maybe because when I was a kid, we had a old beat up 66 wagon that we used for going to the beach. Adam, your right about the door hinges, ours was a beater car but the doors always shut and stayed shut.
Many recollections of riding in the backseat of a 71. ENORMOUS space. MASSIVE leg room. Soft ride. Quiet yet very strong. Noble beasts indeed.
Again, thanks for the memories. I remember that the 400 in my parent’s car had low oil pressure at idle starting around 80,000 miles. And you could hear the main bearing rumble upon startup. But even then the engine still had a lot of life left. I believe they got at least 140,000 miles out of that engine which wasn’t bad for that era. Even then it was because the valve seals deteriorated fell into the oil pan and jammed the oil pump. He simply installed a used engine at the time and drove it for another 40,000 miles. My sister and her husband had it by then. It had a bad flywheel. And they never fixed it. Amazingly the vinyl roof never deteriorated.
We had the 1973 Mercury Marquis Colony Park wagon with a 429. The dash was similar to the one on this car. A great ride.
I LOVE the yellow in the last pic. Also the light green interior!
What a beauty! Love the Panthers too.
These Ford LTD looks great in it’s own way
My parents had a 1974 LTD BROUGHAM ! It was their VERY FIRST new car. It also had electronic ignition. I think the 351 still had points 1974. It was Brown pillared hardtop with a 400 engine. With a vinyl roof. It was almost identical to one of the ones you showed! I was 10 years old at the time. They kept it until I was old enough to drive. As a 17 year old I drove it almost at top speed. I got it to 110 MPH before I lost my nerve. Of course my parents NEVER found out.😂.
Yes, only the 400V-8 and 460V-8 had the new Electronic Transistorized "Duraspark" ignition system, anyone unlucky to have the standard 351V-8 was stuck with points and condenser ignition!!!
When I lived in California, I remember a neighbor with a twin to the one (pictured). Was in a fenced-in yard, and parked in the driveway untouched for 30 years.. Looked. Still had the California Blue & Gold plates on it. That's whats cool about California; you see old cars hanging around like this, and residents don't care, and will practically give them to you!
Never realized there were three versions of that engine. Always knew there were "cleveland and windsor" engines, but never heard of the "m" engines. Look forward to hearing more about this...
I love these cars. I used to own a 73 Squire and now have a 74 Squire with twin snorkel 460 and even the magnetic checker board in the back. I also have a 70, 72, 75 and 78 LTDs - the 78 being a Landau pillared hardtop. I also have the Mercurys, which ride slightly better although the LTDs are terrific in terms of ride quality too.
Very cool collection! I've been looking for a Mercury of this vintage but still nothing.
@@413x398 they are around but more so the 1975-8 models. I have a 76 Grand Marquis, Chocolate Brown 77 model and a dream 78 Colony Park. I quite like the later ones but I know Adam prefers the earlier ones.
Do you think the Mercurys ride a little better because of the longer wheelbase?
@@Primus54 yes, for sure. The LTDs still ride extremely well but the Marquis is better.
Our 69 chevy Belair was at the end of its life,in 76 and my father bought his aunts 74 LTD sedan. It was baby blue with bears blue padded roof and had a landau bar on the C pillar. Interior was dark blue cloth. The car was in Syracuse NY and he flew up there from NJ to pick it up and drive it home. When he arrived home, the car was covered in salt and looked brown. The next day we washed and waxed this beautiful car back to New. While the body had no rust, we quickly found out the frame was very rusty. Within a couple of years, really bad. The battery tray, rotted away and we found the battery hanging from its wires. You slam the door and a bunch of rust fell off the frame. Yet the body never showed any rust at all. The following August my father allowed my sister to drive for a bit on the way home from vacation. While on the highway, we heard a weird loud noise. My sister said to my father, what was that? He said, not sure, keep driving. We got home, unloaded the car and then we looked under the hood. The frame gave way and the engine mounts had rotted clear off. Luckily it was a tight fit and the engine only dropped a bit. That weekend we got a new 79 Chevy Impala
I look foreward to the Ford 70’s 351 discussion.
Remember them in many movies and TV shows.
My late Dad had a 69 LTD, 390 2V Ice cold ac and 20 mpg going to Ocean City, Md Nice car
Those high back chairs were in my parents 1977 Ford Château club wagon. that, in case anybody doesn't know, was a factory done E150 van. But fit it out with what they thought of as a nice interior. Not as luxurious as that certainly, but quite comfortable compared to most vans of the time. With those chairs in front and two bench seats behind. With plenty of cargo space behind that.
In 1980, this was my first car. Same color and everything......cool to see it again. It was the coupe....LTD brougham....same shade of green....
I once got a ride in a 74 Marquis Brougham and hot damn that was a comfy ride 😊
"Ride Engineered by Lincoln Mercury"
Remembering these when they were about 8 to 10 years old, I never would have thought they'd ever be collectible.
You probably didn’t foresee how boring new cars would become
@@RareClassicCars Haha. That's true, you got me there. They're not just boring now, most are downright ugly.
Love it man. The LTD has always one of my favorite cars, growing up my father had a 73. I had a 75 at one point in time but i was too young to appreciate it and ran it into the ground
My father's buddy had a brand new one. His oldest son sideswiped not one not two but three phone poles. On the positive note the poles kept him from going over a fifty seven foot drop into the Atlantic ocean, pure luck. She was mint on the passenger side. I remember Beef (nickname) just looking at his new car in silence. Lol
My Dad had bought my Mom a used 75 LTD. It was a great car. I used to do the tune up on it because it was so easy to do. My Moms was that same brown and black vinyl top you showed.
Another great video. I am really looking forward to hearing you talk about the 351 Windsor, Cleveland, and 351 M version of engines. The first car I owned was a 1976 Mercury Cougar that I bought in 1984 from my uncle. It had the Cleveland engine and to this day he always reminds me of that every time I see him.
The last year for the 351 Cleveland was 74 . It was replaced by the 351M in 75 , which was a 351 Windsor crank in a 400 block .
The 351 Cleveland engine has a mystique among Ford people. They almost always note when a 351 is a Cleveland compared to the other, ‘lesser’ 351 variants. It’s kind of like when Chevy guys point out that a 350 small block is the 4-bolt main variety, as compared to the less desirable 2-bolt main version. I too am looking forward to the discussion about Ford’s various V8 engine architectures of the 1960s and 1970s.
@@turdferguson4124 many people called their 351's clevelands even when they weren't a Cleveland .
@@HowardJrFord Thanks for the info.
@@turdferguson4124 Thanks for the feedback.
I enjoyed this review very much, Adam. I once had a dark green metallic '74 4-door pillared hardtop with the Brougham Luxury Group as a loaner. It was a very nice car, as nice as the '76 LTD Landau I had, though I preferred the latter's Knit Kasman Cloth interior upholstery and 460/heavy duty suspension.
Ese L.T.D. Brougham era una belleza por dentro. Y tremendo aire acondicionado. Un verdadero lujo para ese tiempo.
I remember my Dad being thrilled that he was able to get 18 MPG out of the 400 cid engine on one occasion. I think he was only driving at the mandated 55 mpg or less. But typically we got around 16mpg when driving a more typical 60-65 mph. It wasn’t considered terribly bad at the time.
He got 18mpg because the carburetor was a two barrel about the sit of a child's fist. LOL. But the bottom end torque was incredible. I had a '73.
I have a 74 LTD 2 door 400 2V and could get 17-18 on the freeway above 55.
@@socalltd I remember getting around 16 mpg On the freeway In around 1980 . But my brother was driving. He probably was driving 60-65. And the car had well over 100,000 miles by then.
Always liked those cars.
351 Cleveland has legendary status amongst Ford fans in Australia. It circulated from 1970 to 1982. Look forward to your video on the 351 engines.
We also had the Windsor 351 for 69/70. Never had the M. In 73 production of 302 and 351 Clevelands commenced here.
Struggle to understand why the US guys froth over the 302 windsor, which i think is a great engine by the way, but ignore the 351 in windsor and cleveland guise and flat reject the 400 is a mystery to me. The thought of a junkyard available 400 cube "cleveland" is something i couldn't ignore!.
@@watsisbuttndo829 People reject the 351M/400 because they had a lot of issues early on in life. Prior to 3/2/1977 cracked cylinder heads were very common, they wore out the main and rod bearings faster than other Ford V8's and chronic low oil pressure was common, they were dogs due to the low compression and retarded cam timing to pass emissions. My grandparents had a 77 F150 with a 351M and it was clattering, thrashing junk by 79,000 miles and barely 10 years old. Well maintained engine too. All of the 289,302 and FE engines they had WAY outlasted that thing with better reliability to boot.
@@MattsRageFitGarage fully understand that in stock form the 400 would have been a turd but underneath all the emissions guff is basically a overbored high deck cleveland, which also had its share of oiling problems that have been documented and sorted out. I would be willing to take a shot at building one but alas, never got them in oz. That said if I had a 460 sitting on the floor beside it and i could fit that in the engine bay, 460 it would be!.
@@watsisbuttndo829 Yes, there are fixes for all of that engine's shortcomings nowdays but a lot of people either had one in the past and had a bad experience with them or they just don't want to bother since the 460 basically drops right in place in a lot of applications using the 351M/400 transmission already in the vehicle and is a much better engine in stock form.
@@MattsRageFitGarage what about the 302 but? Thats a great little engine but here in Aus the 351 pretty much fits anywhere a 302 will. Why does the 302 get so much attention when roller 351w,s are , i presume, everywhere? If I was genuinely chasing horsepower I would not be starting with a 5.0
There was a one year only "Brougham Luxury Group" package consisting of a high back split bench
with manual passenger recliner covered in crushed velour, velour door panel trim with pull straps, 25 oz thick cut carpeting, carpeted trunk trim. convenience group/lighting, bumper guards and extra sound insulation.
My parents had a 74 LTD with the Landau roof. 4 door, 400M engine. Underpowered but it was very reliable.
Great video! I would love to see a video on the 1969-1970 Full Size Fords. The Custom, Custom 500, Galaxie 500, LTD, LTD Country Squire and the XL. I love those cars.
That's exactly what I wanted to ask him. The 69 / 70 models are often overlooked. Although quite different from the models before and after.
@@MrHenrymcneely I agree, I’ve noticed over the years that the 1969-70 full size Ford’s are sometimes disregarded. We can’t forget about the cars with the radio on the left side of the instrument cluster! 🙃
@@vacuumbed1 Haha, and a glove box door the size of a mailbox flap. The little weird things give them more character though! 😄
That '73 LTD grill looks like a portent to the Torino Elite!
And again tonight, I notice a door-bump molding which spears through the rear marker light. Nice!
The coupé is a very handsome car.
01:41 It has "The Streets of San Francisco" written all over it. 👍
My parents traded their 1970 Ford XL convertible with a 429 4v, AM/FM cruise control and Bucket seat car g=for a 1973 LTD coupe.... U=I was so mad.... I loved that '70..... It would smoke the rear tires. I finally got to drive the '73.... That $29 was still there... But not as much... I wish I had them both now! Thanx Adam
Really appreciate all your videos. Brings back so many memories and at the same time, a desire to want some of that Detroit metal from the day. Perhaps a video on tips for finding one that is in good condition. Too bad for that damn government junker clunker buy back program where a lot of cool cars were junked.
1974 Ford LTD 2DR, My first car. I paid $400.for it 1987, bought it from a widow whose late husband drove it, she wanted something newer and smaller, and her sons didn't want it at all so I lucked out on this deal. I loved that car.
tuff car! I had a 73 brhm 429 regular gas 4V. hd suspension pac. had been a county car, coroner, mayor's office. it was big and fast and handled well for a big car. green w black top. we called it Gator maccluski.
I remember My Grand Mother's 1973 Mercury Cougar; Baby Blue ; nice lead sled
Ford made one hell of a boat back then.
Landbarge
I remember these cars having a large dashboard , which combined with the large transmission tunnel made the front seat area feel kind of cramped for a large car . The door openings were also a bit small .
Buddy of mine back in college had the 351m built up in a Foxbody Mustang. Was probably the fastest Foxbody within about 50 Mi of here because he was also running a Paxton Supercharger on it and full length headers. Don't underestimate the low compression 351m motor as a boat anchor it was a stout motor practically indestructible even in Factory trim. And with Edelbrock Performer RPM intake for 4-barrel carburetor since those were Factory 2 barrel carburetor only, even before the Paxton Supercharger the engine was already putting out 210 horsepower in his Mustang. With the supercharger and high boost set it was capable of making 320 horsepower. While some Factory 50 motors made considerably more horsepower out of the gate none of them had the torque of the 351m. Right after I put my 455 Rocket in My Cutlass Supreme I tried to go head-to-head against him and since I knew that one was good for 290 horsepower I figured I would have a chance. Even with him disconnecting the belt supercharger and essentially just running natural aspirated, nope, Foxbody left G-Body Cutlass in the dust....
My grandfather had at least three different LTD wagons. He used them as backup cars for his bread delivery business. I remember how hot the hump for the transmission got after running for a while. Brings back good memories. Thanks for the video Adam.
I put Flowmaster on my 351m400 was slow as hell but sounded like godzilla with diarrhea was the same color as godzilla and his diarrhea lol
One of my grandmothers had a '73 LTD Brougham sedan (pillared), white with dark blue vinyl roof and dark blue cloth interior, a very nice car. Maybe that's why I prefer the '73 grille to the '74 grille.
My parents bought a new 74 LTD, dark brown 4 door, and I am sure it came with a 351 Windsor engine. Not sure if the Canadian vehicles were more likely to get the Windsor blocks than those offered in the USA.
They drove it until 86, when they bought a new Crown Victoria. Both great family vehicles.
Another great review Adam, thanks for all your efforts! I still envy your black 1968 LTD.
My '72 Squire wagon on same 'bones', though ageing when I got it in '81 (🇨🇦 $350), still had upscale ride - and *power* in its 429 4-barrel. One of my faves among 20-ish cars owned overall.
0:44 It's interesting that the 4-door hardtop was the rarest for this Ford, whereas with most of the GM models that offered a choice, the 4 door hardtop was usually much more popular than the sedan. It looks as if Ford used frameless glass on the sedan version of the LTD, so the two models were not that easy to tell apart, but the difference in popularity might also have been a function of how many each manufacturer decided to ship. If the GM sedans were only available on special order, and I assume more of them were fleet cars, that would have put a big damper on off-the-lot sales. You might want to do a video on all the 1950s-1970s modes with a hardtop VS. sedan choice; it's a chapter of automotive history that seems almost unimaginable today.
Quiet is the sound of a well made car.
Built Ford Tough. Very interested to see that video about the three 351' variants.
Great video.I have a 2 dorr coupe just like the one you have,except mine is black with a gold interior.The 400cc engine with two bbl carb is plenty of power.Very reliable and comfortable to drive
Ford advertising used to say "Quiet is the sound of a well made car."
I enjoyed this so much I'm watching again next day. Adam. Here You've Done mid 70s Ford, Few months Back You Had a Friend of Your's Late 80s Lincoln Town Car. I've Not Seen You Do the Downsized 1979-82 Ford LTD. My Dad had an 1981 Marquis Brougham 2 Door. Two Tone , Tan over Dark Blue W/ Dark Blue Landau w/ Light Blue Leather interior & had the Optional 5.0 Ltr. I just learned that My Dad's Mercury for 1981 was about 2,900 Coupes Built as apposed to the 1981 Ford LTD just over 17.000 Coupes Produced.
I had one of these in the late 70's
Soy de Villa de Cura. Estado Aragua. Venezuela. Mi papá compro una verdadera joya en el L,T,D. Brougham 1974. Color azul agua. Una verdadera belleza de carro.
my step father in '76 had the '74 2 door brougham and i drove it a lot , lol even playing bumper tag occasionally with a '74 4 door Mercury . My step fathers had the 400 c.i. motor and was very fun to drive , of course it wasn't a rocket but very comfortable .
Sometimes I just have to laugh. I like the 73 front end so much more!
Haha!!
Neighbours were into mercury cougars back then so the Ford Ltd 2 door seemed really similar.
I think this is a sharp looking car. 👍✨
I had the same green 2 door 1974 LTD with 400ci & FMX transmission.. Tough very dependable ride! Ford definitely don’t make anything like that today!
Thanks for the informative video. Grew up in the seventies when these where everywhere. One thing I always thought these grills would benefit from were hidden headlamps. At least standard on the LTD. The Galaxie could have the standard grill.
Always wanted a base model '74 LTD. First year of the true 5-mph battering rams, front and rear, last year of that menacing front end treatment (rear design was also new for '75.) The C6 and 9" rear were great of course, however the 400 Cleveland was a bit junk when new but had good bones and could really be brought to life with a focused rebuild + 4bbl, real cam, ect. 25 years ago nobody wanted these things and folks were almost giving them away.
Brother in law had a 74 all white. Christmas Eve 1977 they were hit head on by a 69 Mustang, he only had 1 payment left, it was a beautiful car.
A four-door 1974 LTD was my driver training vehicle in High School. And, I know it doesn't make sense, but my brother always said that LTD stood for "Lemons, Tangerines and Dummies" (totally nonsensical).
These were ubiquitous around my place when I was a kid. The Ford dealer nearby was owned by a real good PR guy.
Excellent video. Although I prefer Chryslers, your assessment of the fit and finish, ride, and paint being better on Fords at that time is dead on. For me the closest to the satisfying door sound of a Ford of that time was a Mercedes of the time - and that was much more expensive than a Ford. Regarding ride, at highway speeds -especially 70 or more, the Chryslers felt more sure-footed to me due to the stiffness than comparable Fords or GM cars. Another great video. Thanks Adam!
Even in a climate when people were chasing after all the Toyotas, Nissans and Mazdas of the world, I would never lose faith in the big sedans. I had my eyes on one of these at one time!
It would be awesome if we could still buy these old classics for what they costed back then
I had a 1975 LTD Blue with a Standard Interior, Beautiful Car Many Options, Plush good Driver......
Loved the cars from that Era. Heavy on gas BUT easy on repairs so it evened out compared to the cheap so called economy cars that needed fixing over and over.
The only LTD of that generation I've ever driven was a 2dr 76 with the 351 2bbl. Nice riding, roomy, quiet, but gutless. Yes, plz do the 351 differences. I actually don't know why Ford did that, so that should be interesting.
Hey Adam remember how many of these we seen getting tore up from the floor up on Streets of San Francisco television series I'm sure they sported everything from the 351c or w 390, 400, or maybe even a big block 4 Barrel 460 but man these were cool cars and could really move!
If you lean out the air fuel to something reasonable they do pretty good on fuel. 13 city and 17 Hwy are easy to get. They are so rich they hardly need a choke up in the Colorado mountains.
That's the car a 4 door was my drivers ed car..omg what a boat !
As a kid I loathed the old land yachts. As an adult I drool over them and currently drive a Lincoln Towncar.
I dig the grille on the '74, and I like the fact it still has round headlamps. I've never been a fan of square sealed beams, which I think were introduced in '79 (maybe?)
I recall stacked square headlamps on the '77-'79? LTD IIs (what a strange introduction they were to replace the curvy, sculptured Torino that looked smaller than those ponderous "downsized" mid-size Fords!) If memory serves, the LTD at some point ('75?) got the covered headlights until the end of that generation. The downsized '79 was (to me) a really obvious chop job on the former full-size Fords in many ways more than just length and width and weight. The '79 (and after) "greenhouse" and body appeared as if not fully put-together, styling-wise (GM did a much better job of making their full-size '77 and later models look solid).
We had a 78 LTD || with square headlight one over the other.
Wish I still had it
These cars seemed to be in every TV cop show/crime drama back in the '70s, from what I remember.
The green was an excellent color.
Frank Cannon APPROVED!!
Drove the family 1975 LTD Country Squire wagon while in high school. Green with the woody decals on the side. Vinyl seats. What a beast! Had the 400 and got about 15MPG. Not exactly a chick magnet…