This 1970 Ford XL is a big bruiser of a muscle car but it’s a bit bruised up at the same time. Still, in spite of its rough around the edges look, this Ford maintains a lot of originality and is a representative of a disappearing breed. Found in Granada Hills, California, this XL is available, here on craigslist for $6,000.
According to Hemmings, Ford’s sporty full-size package was popular with about 33K finding owners in ’70. The XL, however, did not necessarily back up its looks with engine room grunt. The standard motivator was a V8 engine but one of only 250 gross HP which isn’t going to put much of a dent in tackling the sound barrier all while wrapped in 4,200 lbs. of girth. But…there were options, always helpful of course. And in this case, the original owner specified the top dop powerplant in the form of a 360 gross HP, 429 CI “385 series”, V8. The seller states, “Got all the mechanical work done, Running strong, brakes awesome… new hoses, new battery, etc” The mileage is recorded as being 97K but there’s no claim to that reading so the engine’s future viability is difficult to determine. The listing states that a manual transmission is in place, but that’s not the case as a typically found three-speed automatic, the only game in town, is handling all things gear-wise.
The exterior of this old Ford looks as if it has participated in a little bumper car action. The passenger side, in particular, looks like it missed the garage door opening, and then something either got in the way of the door, or the door got in the way of something. And to add to the distress, there are many smaller contusions here and there – and that passenger-side headlight door appears as if someone tried to open it with a crowbar. Interesting to see, however, are the remnants of the optional black-out treatment that was applied to the hood, tops of the fenders, and then along the top edge of the doors all the way back to the quarter windows. It’s faded, but it’s still there. The seller adds, “car has surface rust, no cancer (a term that I would prefer to not use), car has a lot of dents“.
Inside, we find optional bucket seats and a center console, but there’s a lot of other “stuff” to be found too like a missing rear seat bottom, a trashed dash pad, split upholstery, no carpet (better to see the floors, I guess), and a very worn instrument panel. It’s going to need a lot of work!
Many of the XLs that I have discovered from the ’69-’70 model years are not equipped as well as this example is – they’re really just posers, this car backs up the look with some impressive muscle. Then again, this one is going to need a lot of work in the aesthetic department though it is portrayed as running well. So, $6,000, hmmm, what do you think, priced right, or not quite?
Thanks Jim. I had forgotten about the two-tone paint treatment. I remembered the two-tone on the Marauder but not on the XL. From the Ford brochure, “There are other better idea options like Dualtone paint (new fashion hit)…”
Aside: while looking at the brochure, I counted the available options. For the full size line as a whole, there are about 40. Of course not every option was available on every model, but it illustrates how optioning a vehicle has changed.
Plenty of work here. But if restored this rarely-seen model would have quite the presence and would make a great cruiser.
This car looks like it was born to be in a low-budget 70s/80s action movie chase, like it’s natural role is to plow through an unfortunate fruit stand or group of garbage cans.
It’s a pretty cool car…I hope someone takes the restoration project on.
Or into a brick wall.
Didn’t we see Fred Dryer driving this in the pilot episode of HUNTER?
The hard part of this restoration will be finding the missing stainless trim that edges the blackout area. I’ve only seen one other XL with that option, and that was in a junkyard 20 years ago. Love the way Ford/Mercury flipped the blackout area, Ford hood on the XL, Mercury tunneled backlight on the X-100.
Never knew Ford utilized a horseshoe type shifter also on their automatic console. Only seen it on GM
Hum. If the current owner decides to part this one out. I’d like a few pieces. It was once a very nice car, but not anymore. Restoration on this one is going to break the bank.
Its beat, but this is what it would have looked like in Connecticut in the early 1980s . At that time we would have paid 50 bucks for it or less, stripped it ,painted a number on the door and destroyed it in a derby and not thought twice about it. Doubtful this one is worth the asking price , it looks like its going to need everything
Being from the San Fernando Valley, rust should be minimal. I’m sure there are parts available in some of the wrecking yards. Unfortunately, the FEDS (Environmental Dept) put an end to the biggest parts reservoir in the SFV several years ago.
Pricing on this one? Owner smokin some strong stuff.
$6,000.00? More like $600.00.
A cool car. Definitely worth saving IMHO. Being an N code car for starters. The missing fender chrome was shared with the LTD brougham and not that hard to find. I’m pretty sure I have some NOS pieces of this leftover from the one I did a few years ago. I had a dual tone paint XL that I regret selling. Also the power windows and speed control and bucket seats are great options and not all that common. This car deserves another chance. If I wasn’t so car poor . . .
I’d drive that son of a b1tch the way it is get a turn out exhaust right in front of rear wheels, and some wide tires on steel rims. Terrorize the neighborhood!
Hey. I’m Steve Clinton. I don’t know anything about cars but want to comment saying run a old classic big block ford into a wall. Cause I bang my head into a wall so I think people with cars should also.
“CLINTON”….Nuff said…. just Red Formans favorite shoe covering!!
I saw “Red” on an old episode of Star Trek Voyager last night. I was just waiting for him to call Janeway a “Dumbass”. .