The Ford LTD was in its second year in 1966, an upscale version of the Galaxie 500 that the company promoted as being quieter than a Rolls-Royce. This 4-door hardtop ran when it was parked in a fancy barn 15 years ago, and the seller has brought it out into the daylight, untouched. Located in Lanesboro, Minnesota, this possibly easy project is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $5,000. “Zappenduster” brings another cool tip our way!
At first, the LTD was the Galaxie 500 LTD in 1965, but it was so popular it became a series of its own in 1966. Ford gambled that there was a market for a car between the 500 and a Mercury, and they were right this time (unlike with the Edsel). Sales jumped from 37,000 units in 1965 to 101,000 in 1966 and surpassed 400,000 copies in a single year before the end of the decade. The car’s quick success didn’t go unnoticed by the competition as Chevrolet soon added the Caprice, a gussied-up Impala.
The seller has been trying to sell this ’66 LTD 4-door hardtop for a couple of months. It’s a true barn find that may have little rust under all the dirt (mostly patina, per the seller). 95% of the car’s trim is said to still be there and in good shape. A 352 cubic inch V8 is under the hood, but the fuel system will need cleansing since the car has been idle since around 2011. Being a luxury car, it also has an automatic transmission, the 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic. Somewhere along the line, the Ford picked up air shocks in the back.
Perhaps after a bath, a new battery, a tune-up, and fresh fuel, this Ford will start up and drive around. Of course, it will need the rubber goods replaced, like the tires. The mileage isn’t disclosed, so a wild placeholder is used in the listing. We’re not sure if the vehicle has two-tone paint or a vinyl roof covering. Get out your elbow grease and see if this Ford will shine again!
I bet that car would clean up pretty nicely. The interior is kinda fancy, too. I hope someone saves it.
I had 2 dr of one of these when I was in my 20s. I treated like a race car (it wasn’t). With the “cruise o matic”, when I put it in low and did a burnout, it would shift into 2 gear by itself. Can anyone tell me why it would do that? I’ve always wondered how/why that was. I’m sure it was something that wasn’t supposed to happen.
A college crony of mine had a 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix with 400-4V and TH400 transmission. He loved to show off by dropping the shift lever into L1 (1st gear) and flooring the accelerator. If he kept his foot in it for the duration, that transmission would always shift up to 2nd then to 3rd. We figured that the transmission was designed that way to avoid the engine over revving. Don’t know if that was GM’s intent but that’s how his car performed (at least til it got totaled – can ya imagine that?!). As for the feature car, it appears that it has the somewhat rare Brougham interior and I do think that the top has a vinyl covering. Hope it finds a good home and a caring owner.
Bud Lee, that was the dual range “green dot” transmission Ford products used until 1966. The small dot closer to neutral would start in 2nd and go to 3rd. The bigger (or green) would go through all three gears normally. It makes sense that low gear would shift into second eventually, as you said, IMO.
Needs some Country Squire-ing. Love the body style.
Seems to be all there. I hope this one is saved. It was last started in 2011 and should not be that hard to get running and it would be a nice weekend cruiser here with A/C.
These were real company director rides down under back in the day when I was a wee sprog. The fire chief in Brisbane used to change his every 2 years (always black) and my neighbor, who was a good friend of his, used to buy his low mileage one every 2 years for a song. That one is as straight as a die and rust free. I’m a fan, pity I am not in the US.
I’m 72 & have lots of age spots all over my body.
Guess I can start calling that patina too.
Patina is forgiven when it comes to human beings. Wear it with pride. And for Gods sake, don’t cover yourself in linseed oil.
Tried that once, but my wife just laughed at me as I slid out of bed.
Couldn’t sell it for months? I wonder if $5G’s is the new, lowered price?
Could be, but at the end of the day this is a non-running project from a state known for its harsh climate and salty roads that has been parked for 15 years. Any downside is squarely on the buyer, that’s likely why no one has stepped forward to put down their cash.
Steve R
Look at the frame real close, Full size Fords of this time frame where notorious for the frames rusting away. the body could look great but the frame would be shot.
Cruise o Matic was a marketing ploy to make it sound as it Ford products were more geared for interstate driving as the nation’s interstate grid expanded in late 50s and early 60s. D2 started your car in 2nd gear to get better economy for interstate driving because of fewer gear shifts. Ford tried to woo drivers that might otherwise want to “See the USA…
In a Chevrolet!!!”
it’s really cool but not running i would want to be in @ 2500.00. reminds of the FBI cruisers but they all had 390s in them
Yes, this one will probably clean up nicely. I kind of like the idea of a 4 dr. Nice canvas for a sleeper. Not sure how much you can wake up a 352 but a hopped up 390 would slip right in, with a 4 spd of course …
5k way too high for not running. And there’s probably a boat load of mechanical issues if you can get it started. I can already hear the loud knock and tapping and see the blue smoke come out of the exhaust. Or tranny’s shot and it’ll start but can’t move on it’s own..
Now that’s just not being negative, but this also needs way more than spit shine. So expect 10k in drive train work plus at least 10k in rust repair and another 6-7k for a repaint and a thousand for the interior issues… I can’t see it being worth as much as you have to put in it after it’s just brought up to “pretty driver” standards.
Don’t get me wrong, I love cars like this. But is there really anything special or in demand about this? Enough to make a person take a loss overall?
I could smell the mold when I saw the 3rd picture.
That said,I love the ’66 & ’67 LTD’s & wouldn’t mind having
one if I needed a car like this.
We had friends who visited my parents & had a ’67
in Copper color with a Black vinyl top.That was a really nice-
looking car.
Might look better cleaned up