Fresh out of long-term storage, this one-family-owned 1972 Ford LTD Convertible looks like an outstanding car to tinker with. Yes, it isn’t currently running, but it turns over and look at that solid body on this rare ragtop! The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Kennewick, Washington, and they’re asking $4,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
A lot of us dream about finding a car like this LTD convertible hidden away in storage. This is one great-looking car. We don’t know too much about its history, other than it’s supposedly a one-family-owned car and is fresh out of long-term storage. We don’t know how long it was stored or where, but it was presumably in storage, as it looks rock-solid.
And, the rear window is out of the convertible top, so outdoor storage wouldn’t have been good. As it is, even indoor storage isn’t ideal with a window missing. Or, with a window out, it isn’t missing; the seller says it’s included. They also say it’s super solid and rust-free; it doesn’t get much better than that. $4,500 for this car seems like a no-brainer to me. Of course, shipping a non-running vehicle is more expensive than shipping a running vehicle. Ford made the second-generation LTD from 1968 for the 1969 model year until the end of 1978, at which point, the design had changed quite a bit. This is the last year for the LTD convertible, and this one almost appears to be wearing the base-level Custom trim wheel covers rather than the LTD full wheel covers?
The Pacific Northwest wins again; the interior looks great in this 54-year-old car. The white vinyl seats look almost perfect with no visible cracking, an amazing feat for seats this old in a convertible. Was the top ever down on this car? The back seat looks equally perfect, and we don’t get to see the trunk or any photos of the underside. Those would have been nice, but the seller has included more photos than most craigslist sellers. Here’s a 1972 Ford brochure, and another one.
The dusty engine is Ford’s 400-cu.in. OHV V8, which was rated at around 172 horsepower, and it’s backed by an automatic transmission, of course. The seller says this car isn’t currently running because it’s in storage, but it turns over. Hagerty is at $16,300 for a #3 good-condition car, which this one isn’t, but it’s just a random value for the next owner to shoot for as they start tinkering with this one. I’m guessing the paint would shine up nicely, and hopefully the mechanical issues aren’t too daunting. Plan on doubling the asking price to get this one on the road (tires, brakes, shocks, fuel system, battery, etc.), but that would still be a bargain price for a car this nice. Any thoughts on this LTD convertible?
Good write-up SG. Looks like a solid Ford. I agree, get the mechanicals in shape, fix the top, and try to get some life back into the paint. (This color was everywhere back in the day, now it would be completely unacceptable on a new mainstream vehicle). Then the decision: stick with the dog dishes, or give it some flashy wheels.
Thanks, Bob. I’d stick with those wheel covers, even though it’s probably sacrilege for a high-trim LTD. I guess if it were a Custom or even a Custom 500, they may be more appropriate.
Give it the upgraded hub caps!
RK, our own Ron Denny wrote up two really nice examples in that same color, a few years ago (I should have mentioned them), and Adam just wrote one up a few days ago. I’m not a big fan of the turbine-1960s-spy-movie-looking wire wheel covers for LTDs in this era, but I like the ones shown above.