Cheap Cruiser: 1978 Ford LTD Two-Door

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More than a few folks will get a chuckle out of the title and then notice the surface rust on this 1978 Ford LTD. The seller has to be talking about rust holes rather than surface rust, known as the ever-popular patina. The seller has this interesting car posted here on Facebook Marketplace in Harris, Minnesota and they’re asking $3,800. Here is the original listing.

This car is a two-door pillared hardtop body style, and there was also a four-door in this trim level. The Landau models had hidden headlights and a few more luxury touches, but this is what a private eye would have driven in the late-70s on any self-respecting Quinn Martin production. Although, those color-keyed wheel covers are a bit fancy for a private eye car. I’m thinking about Barnaby Jones’ ride, the brown LTD. Some thin white walls would look nice on this car.

If this is a Minnesota car, despite the low miles (61,250), I’d want to see what the underside looks like if the body is showing so much surface rust. The pillared hardtop was the lowest-priced LTD in this era and this is a second-generation car. They were made from 1968 for the 1969 model year through 1978, and there was a big redesign for the 1973 model year that resulted in the style that you see here.

While the exterior looks a bit rugged as far as nice, shiny paint goes, the interior looks much nicer than I thought it would. The seats are beautiful in that fantastic late-70s pattern fabric called “Athea Cloth”, and other than maybe doing some carpet cleaning and general extraction cleaning and/or dry ice cleaning, it looks pretty nice inside. As a base-level car, I’m not surprised to not see power windows. The back seat should have room for three adults so five passengers can ride with you on the way to the gas station, aaaaaaagain.

The engine is Ford’s 302-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have been factory-rated at 134 horsepower and 238 lb-ft of torque when it rolled out of the factory. This one runs and drives great, according to the seller, who says that it has a freshly-rebuilt carb. Any thoughts on this LTD?

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Comments

  1. Bob_in_TN Bob_in_TNMember

    Good job Scotty. Full-size sedans of this time period, like the LTD, did what they intended to do very well. It’s interesting to realize that two-doors still had a place in the market. I like the upholstery; blue patterned cloth, you won’t find that today.

    The elephant in the room is, of course, the surface rust. To me the car deserves paint, but that would cost a ton of money on a car which will never be very valuable. Maybe Earl Scheib could make a comeback…. per Wikipedia, his paint jobs were $39.95 to $59.95 by 1974. $60 would be $371 in today’s dollars. Can you get **anything** done at a body shop today for that amount of money?

    Like 10
    • Scotty GilbertsonAuthor

      Thanks, Bob. I really like that car and if I had the talent or experience of Todd or almost every other writer and reader on this site, including you, I’d probably want to paint it myself. I agree that this car deserves to look nice and shiny again, it’s a nice ride, especially with that interior. I made fun of the MPG, but with a 302 it might get 10-12 MPG in real-world conditions? That isn’t horrible.

      Like 3
      • Tony Primo

        There was an article a few years back in Hot Rod Magazine, where they painted a car with a sponge roller on the cheap. It turned out okay for a ten footer.

        Like 4
    • NormL

      Estimate??

      Like 1
    • Bub

      In Aloha Bobby and Rose, Bobby had to take his Camaro to Earl Scheib’s for a quickie after the ill advised liquor store gag. Couldn’t get it started later, so the cops offered to give him up push start. Kabitzed with him for a brief moment about it having a 302.
      Saw him on his way, then noticed the wet paint on their hands.

      Like 1
  2. Zen

    Overpriced. I like that it runs and drives, and the interior is in nice shape, but the 302 is a dog in those years for a heavy car. I had one. That said, I hope it finds a good home.

    Like 3
    • rustylink

      exactly my thoughts having owned an 78′ 4 door LTD II – with the same POS 302. That car was a dog….

      Like 2
      • Bob C.

        My 1975 Granada had a 302 with only 122 horsepower. That thing drank gas like a tugboat.

        Like 2
      • JoeNYWF64

        Imagine a full size ’72 Galaxy with the still available 240!! cube
        straight 6 !!, a/c on, carrying 5 adults & their luggage, trying to go up a steep mountain. lmao

        Like 0
  3. Nelson C

    Scotty, you always find some of the most interesting vehicles to write on. As if to quote Bullwinkle, Watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat! Nicely equipped for a relatively low end car. Small engine and cruise control say that they were trying to wring out every mile in the thick of the energy crisis. Even has the nicer wheel discs to go with the quarter roof.

    Like 4
  4. William MilotMember

    Problem is the engine in this one would strain itself going through any area that has any up hill grade and drink the fuel like a 460! Because it would be at 3/4 throttle all the time trying to keep it at 70 mph or would have to practically floor it to take off on a busy road to lower the chance getting rear ended it wouldn’t get very good mpg and would be completely worn out by 90k miles! The Windsor or modified would be a better powertrain for it, personally I prefer the Windsor but you rarely see them in the 78. The Modified is a slug too and sucks fuel like a 460. I guess what I’m saying is whoever gets this one might want to consider finding a good 460, change the timing chain to get the cam & crank zeroed out and you’ll add around 40 to 50 Horsepower, and about 40 more lbs of torque to it and believe it or not around 4 mpg hwy and close to 3 mpg in the city! The 460 will now be as economical as the smaller engines but also do an AWESOM BURNOUT just by flooring it as well as tow anything you can hook to it! As it sit’s though I think it’s way over priced, but has the potential to be awesome!

    Like 1
    • Nelson C

      I agree with you on the large displacement engine. My ability to squeeze 16-17 mpg from a BB Chevy in the age of Stay Alive, Drive 55 was easy enough if I stayed out of the carburator. These cars came to us from the laboratory and we hoped that the EPA figures back then.

      Like 1
  5. Rob

    I remember when these cars were brand new. My Brother had 1978 four door Landau Red with Grey interior and vinyl top. It also had the fender skirts with these same hubcaps. Man I miss the days of these land yachts. Now everything looks the same! Too bad.

    Like 3
  6. Kelly g

    Thoughts you say??? Yes, I do have a few thoughts, as this was the first car I ever drove. I remember it like yesterday. It was the night before the big high school ski trip. Of course, this meant a large party at someone’s folks house. Which meant a keg and bong hits galore. Which meant I had to drive my friend home in his pops giant LTD, as he amused himself by opening the rear door and leaning out, laughing hysterically, as I tried to see over the dash of the LTD, careening down the interstate at midnight sans drivers license or even a learners permit. Somehow we arrived safely….at the Baptist church pre-ski trip lock in. Banging furiously on the Church door shouting , ” let me in, its Satan”, we were ushered into the sanctuary by the scowling youth minister and into a circle of young believers who apparently had been roused from a sound sleep to pray for our souls, my best buddy giggling through several offered prayers. Soon enough it was 0430 and time to board the charted bus for the slopes. Buddy hurled furiously in the bus toilet all the way to the ski mountain 4 hrs distant. Great Car!

    Like 5
  7. Frank Drackman

    my 1978 ex Georgia State Patrol LTD had that same interior color (no carpet, Pepsi) 140mph “Certified Calibration” Speedometer and a big Ammeter, Big 460 which had less HP than my 03′ ex GSP Crown Vic,
    got 8mpg no matter what type of driving, this links to a pretty nice
    Mass State Police model.
    https://code3garage.com/massachusetts-state-police-1978-ford-ltd/#:~:text=The%20460%20Police%20Interceptor%20in%20this%201978,Ford%20LTD%20was%20rated%20at%20202%20horsepower%2C

    Frank

    Like 0
  8. 370zpp 370zpp

    When they rust like this one, it often indicates the car spent most of its life around salt water, coastal beach areas.

    Like 0
  9. John Oliveri

    In the later years of the show, while this body style was still in production Barnaby did indeed drive one of these optioned out with Power windows and moonroof, to be able to compete with Frank Cannons MK IV

    Like 2
  10. Paul Porter

    I drove a 77 LTD from Huntington,WV into Michigan, to Cincinnati & back to Huntington & had to top off once. It had a 302 & road like a dream! That back seat was great to stretch out & lay down on. Wish I had that car today. It was kept tuned up, clean & ready to roll & got better than 12 mpg if I remember correctly!

    Like 0

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