After featuring an LTD the other day, this one really caught my attention. These Luxury Fords have never seemed very exciting to me, but this particular one is different story. The black steelies may have tipped you off to the fact that something strange is going on here. The 429 badge on the fender does not seem out of place on a big cruiser, but that four-barrel beast of an engine is currently strapped to a 4-speed manual transmission! Now, that’s not an option you would normally find on a car like this, so I’m guessing that a previous owner decided that they wanted to row their own gears. I love the thought process here. If you can’t afford a real big-block muscle car, why not buy the luxury version and build your own? It may not be as potent as a Cobra Jet car, but I’m sure it is still a thrill to drive! Take a look at the Hemmings ad here where the seller is asking $13,250.
hard to tell from photos if this came new with a 4 speed or not. might be a fun driver but i think the rust repairs will take some work first. falcon in background is interesting also. nice find
it doesn’t come stock with a 4 spd
Yes they did. There is an old Burt Reynolds movie called Gator. They drove several of these LTD/Galaxy cars in it. Yes the one Burt drove had a 4 speed in it. I used to own a 71 LTD Brougham. It had a 400M, C6 trans. disc brakes, bench seats with single armrest. I knew where the was 4 cars setting in a field and the guy who owned em would sell me a fender for $25. I had that car for 5+ years. I had rebuilt the engine with Edelbrock performer+ upgrade, and trans with a shift kit.
69 was the last year the 4-speed was available in a full sized ford.
Although the big Ford is nice, I’d rather have the Falcon soft top as I prefer smaller cars.
this has all sorts of cool written all over it. bench seat-4 speed-429. hopefully dual exhaust. would love to fix the rust, remove the white vinyl roof and make the interior black or at least black carpets. then just drive and enjoy. price seems reasonable.
360 hp and 476 # torque. i’m getting goose bumps just thinking about it.
Sure would like a better look at the right side of the steering column to see if it’s indeed a factory optioned manual or transplant with auto shift lever removed.
Yes, I’d like to see that, too. I don’t think a four speed was an option on this car, and even if it was a special order, I see cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. Modern cars have cruise with sticks, but I’m not sure it fits here. That aside, it’s a nice cruiser. Love the hide aways!
This could be a fun car!
Interesting the way the stereo is integrated in to the speedo cluster, never seen that before and I’ve had a couple early LTD’s.
yes its different but ive seen a couple that way in my 64 years needs a lot of body work for sure a maco job just like the riv no center cap rusted whell lugs ive owned about 30 rivs and nevr seen one with a intiour like that and the engine compartant no way 10 k like to see under side better and see if org exhust so much scam and bs now a days getting more for clones then the real deal don’t know what thse guys are on but it must be gohe 1962 Mercedes 190 sl look at the bid over 30k look in the old car collector book 30 k wil buy a nice running one besides u have to have something to start with hello must going to use the paper work for another but the aug 22 now theres some cars ben
Now I’m not an annoying spelling cop but it’s nearly impossible read without capitalization and punctuation.
Ford went to a cockpit instrument panel in 1969-70 and moved the radio to the left side of the IP. It certainly kept the kids from playing with the radio stations.
Very good shot at ergonomics and a cool dash overall. BMW started using driver oriented consoles in their E21 cars…that were out about 7 years after Ford did it.
Cool car BUT it’s not a factory 429/4spd. 5th digit in the VIN is an H which makes this a 2bbl 351 car off the assembly line. Now that could have been a 351W or a 351C just to confuse the owners and parts counter jockey.
In hs, mom had a ’71 ltd when I first got my license 351W 2bbl which I think was standard, auto column shift. Broke the motor mounts my first month doing “neutral drops” lol. Mom had her hands full! lol
Where did you see the vin#?
This reminds me of the car Burt Reynolds used in “White lightning” w/Jerry Reed. Burt played a moon-shine runner, Burts was a 4dr though.
Burt had a ’71.
I really like these big Fords, and I do believe the 4 speed is stock. I had a friend with a ’68 Ford 2 door fastback, with a 390, 4 bbl. and a factory 4 speed. Wiki claims Ford offered the toploader trans. ( which I believe this car has) until 1973. Again, it would be a thirsty beast, but great fun on the highway. Guaranteed to give the cops a run for the money. Too bad, as fast as this car would be, you can’t outrun a radio. Very, very nice car.
Hemmings did a story a few years back about a ’68 LTD 4 door with a factory 428 4 speed.If I remember correctly the car was mis-ordered and sat on the dealer’s lot for a while before it found a buyer.
I have a 68 XL fastback that’s been in my garage for the past 27 years. 390 4V with the aircraft auto shifter, console, and bucket seats. I’m trying to convert it to a 4-speed without altering anything on the car, other than drilling a hole in the firewall for the clutch rod to pass through. It will be able to be converted back to the original automatic and console once my son inherits it from me, if he wishes.
Always have wanted a full size, big block with a 4-speed since seeing “White Lighting “ when I was a kid!
I’d be willing to bet the 4 spd is factory. Hell, you could even get a column shifted 3 speed LeSabre up until 72. Not that anyone ever did……..
I’m thinkin’ stoplight sleeper…..who cares if it came with a 4 speed when new? It’s not a high-dollar collectible-it’s light-em-up fun and it’s different…
You are right, it’s not a high dollar collectible but the seller has it listed at about 4 times what a similar LTD coupe would run. As such the real value of this paricular car is whether its a factory optioned car. If not, then the asking price is way over the top….
yes a 4 speed on floor was an option for 1970, rare to see it with a/c as well.
i had a 71 ford xl edition. it was a spe. ordered car. 429 4 spd. bucket seat console car. had the curved back seat like the birds had.it had 71000. miles on it when i got it off of my uncle.he got nabed for d.u.i in it and i paid his fines for it. it took me a year to find a cluch kit for it. one for a dump truck worked. the parts books had no listing for it.i got a d.u.i. in it about a year later. i finaly raped it around a light pole right at the door post and top were you couldn’t save it. i have never seen one like it.115 in 3rd gear
I know the 4-speed was available in earlier LTDs, but I wasn’t able to find any proof that it was offered from the factory in 1970. Here is a brochure page that I found and it looks like only the SelectShift automatic was fitted.
I found it for 1969 http://www.automobile-catalog.com/car/1969/815975/ford_ltd_2-door_hardtop_429_v-8_2v_4-speed.html
Due respect to notes above, but ’69 was end of the road for 4 speed in the LTD. NO factory built 4 speeds in 70, and certainly none in 71 either. Still a fun car, conversion as it is.
I can’t help but wonder how in the heck that firewall (?) tag got bent up like that. That dash pic showing the gas gauge on “E” is accurate because that’s where it would be sooner rather than later driving one of these beast.
Cool car.
I found this post while looking for the car I grew up with. 1969 LTD convertible, 429 4 speed with buckets and a console. The console was chromed and had finned top.
I loved that car. When I was small, I would stand up on the seat and hold onto the top of the windshield post, mom would floor it and make me fall into the seat…. I loved that game.
In 1971 a Friend of my dads had a 69 2 door LTD 429 and factory 4 speed. He bought it cheap on a used car lot. He was only 5’2″ and had to put blocks on the peddles so he could use 2nd and 4th with the bench seat. I’ll never forget that car, I still want it!
My 63 Impala 409 4speed had factory cruise ànd air.
In 1971 I worked as a finance mgr. for Coletto Ford in San Pedro. My demo was a 2-door LTD, white with white interior, gorgeous and luxurious. Ford did NOT offer an automatic for this, its top of the line car.
As a dysfunctional 16yo boy with a new drivers license & a divorced mom with a ’71 Ford LTD 2dr w/351W 2bbl it didn’t take long for the motor-mounts to break doing neutral-drops lol Yes, it did have an automatic!
1969 was the last year that a 4 speed manual transmission was offered in the big Ford in all body styles except the wagon. And only with the N-code 429. The 240 6, 302, 351W and the 390 made do with the 3 speed manual trans.
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If that’s the OEM steering wheel and it looks like it is, the Cruise Control buttons confirm it was originally an automatic car. No domestic Fords offered cruise with a manual until the early ‘80s.
I had a 69 390 4 dr. 125 mph no problem. The rust demons got to it.
My 71 LTD Brogham 400 was interesting. It had Edelbrock Performer+ kit which was Cam/intake/Holly 650 Carb that Edelbrock said to put with it. Trans was rebuilt with shift kit. Had 8″ aluminum slots on it. Front had a rubber coil in the spring to lift it. Rear had station wagon springs. This is how we did it back then. Rear springs were $25 air shocks were $150. My rear end was 2.7? very much hi-way gears. Worked well with auto trans. When I floored it and left shifter alone. It shifted into 2nd gear at 45mph. 3rd was at 95. I never found out what was top end. Due to the lifted springs once the speedo needle was buried the car started to lift. There was power left but no way to use it. MPG was 13 before 19 MPG after kit. 400 was ford’s last new pushrod v8. 71 was only high compression year. The 429/460 had lots of torque but couldn’t pass a gas station. This was a family car 100mph across KS. 19mpg 1985-90 yrs. It was also a southern bell.