3rd Generation Ford LTD the 1st Panther Platform

In today’s video we take a look at 1st Ford to roll out on the Panther Platform. Ford spent almost 1 billion dollars on research and development of this new platform and July of 1978 Ford began building a Downsized LTD for the 1979 Model year. This car would become the LTD Crown Victoria in 1980 and that car is one that almost everyone who was alive in 80’s in America is familiar with. Many of us rode in one at time or another and not because we purchased one. Crown Vics were purchased for use as taxi cabs, police cruisers, in fire departments, the US Military purchased these cars and these were used in almost every Hollywood production and television show that was shot in the era and for years afterwards.
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[@williampalmer8052]

I really believe this is exactly what people still want to this day. Solid, reliable, and easy to maintain. If Ford were to bring the basic Panther back tomorrow at the equivalent price point (with just a few safety upgrades) I think it would fly off the lots.

[@tommerry2814]

Agree totally. Hsve an 89 rsnger feel dame way about it

[@gh2687]

I agree to. People want these

[@ryanelectra225]

Just something called fuel economy and crash regulations

[@Ronn-p3r]

@@williampalmer8052 agreed 💯

[@TheREALOC1972]

Agreed, Idk where you live but I live out here in the Southwest Triangle and the mid 70's- mid 80's cars are by far the most popular cars that people are buying up and putting back on the road. That's what people are wanting again, cheap reliable transportation without all the bullsh!t tech that the car companies THINK we want. We want cars that we can do Maintenace on in our driveway again that doesn't take a special tool to change a tire and a paint job that doesn;t has and chip up after a couple years.

[@scottmiller8791]

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, one of the best cars Ford ever made is the panther platform. I buy, sell, and part out the rusty ones as a hobby and I’ve had over 75 of them and have 5 panther platform vehicles at the moment in my collection. the diamond of my collection is my 2004 Mercury Marauder. You should do a video on the Mercury Marauder one day. Your videos are great.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank for sharing your experience and for the kind words!

[@brentleslie8156]

These were very solid cars! I was issued as patrol cars over the years a 83, 89 and an 91 all with the 351W. Their short coming was that “Variable Venturi “ two barrel carburetor. They would have benefited by a four barrel or fuel injection. They were more solid than the Chevys but the Chevys were faster with the 350 with a 4 barrel or fuel injection (depending on the year).

[@Dac54]

1991 Crown Victoria models with the 351cid engines (5.8 liter) were the final carbureted American/Canadian manufactured cars. The last GMs with carburetors were the 307cid (5.0liter) engines found in the 1990 Oldsmobile, Chevy Caprice, and Buick wagons, and the Cadillac Brougham. The last Chryslers with carburetors were the 1989 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, Plymouth Grand Fury, and Dodge Diplomat, all of which came with the venerable 318cid (5.2 liter) V8 engines.

[@sombra6153]

I remember occasionally using one 1987 CV police that surprisingly ran pretty strong. We had some 88 Chevys with 350s, don’t remember if they were four barrel or throttle body but also don’t remember them being all that much faster. The 91 Caprice “shamus” were a different story even though they were still TBI 350s and not the later LT1s.

[@aaronwilliams6989]

I miss those cars and others like em.

[@davidgold5961]

Some of us got a free ride in the back of a police car.

[@joshgreen2164]

Was it really free though?

[@gahanhagerty4978]

My family still has PTSD from driving with my Grandfather in his LTD wagon, and guess who got to sit up front between the grandparents? Thinking about driving with Grandpa makes me twitch, I swear that man could hold a complete conversation while looking at me and grandma and not looking at the road. Thanks Tony for making me need counseling again....

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

You made it! Maybe he had one eye on the road and one one the conversation!

[@jeffb6786]

My second car at 17 was a '79 LTD Landau 2-door that I bought in 1983 for I think $3k. It only had about 70k miles on it and always ran great. It was kind of floaty but it was very comfortable, and always reliable. Since then I've had an '83 Grand Marquis LS, a '94 Lincoln TC, and a '96 Lincoln TC. Currently drive a '10 F-150 Lariat, but I have to say, I miss the panther platform vehicles I've had over the years. Ford got it right on those, and I was really bummed when they stopped production. Thanks for the video; it brought back some great memories.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[@MisterMikeTexas]

The Panther cars were among many casualties of the SUV and the crossover. My mother paid cash from her savings for a new 1999 powder blue Grand Marquis. It served her well for nearly 13 years.

[@edmccandlish520]

Hey Tony !!!!! Another great profile !!!!! My fire department had an 83' wagon, and 87' and 91' sedan over the years. I remember when these cars were commonplace on the roads. I was just just lucky enough to rescue an 87' 2 door from a garage in Western Pennsylvania that was slated for the wrecking yard. Also had a 91' back in 2000. Great solid cars with bulletproof drive trains. Thanks for remembering this sadly overlooked Era of Fords !!!! 👏 Be well Tony !!!!! 👍

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks you for the kind words and for watching the video! More to come on the Panther platform.

[@donaldwilson2620]

Always loved Ford's Panther platform. Simple, reliable, and comfortable at the same time. Even some livery drivers still prefer the classic Lincoln Town Car over the large SUV's (Suburban, Expedition, Escalade, etc) that they drive now.

[@manthony225]

A neighbor bought a new 79 LTD coupe when I was 12. I was so wowed by it. Made our 73 LTD seem ancient.

[@atleewong7636]

Love the old commercials!

[@PapiDoesIt]

I had two of them at the same time! Two wagons. Not only comfortable on trips but doubled as a pickup truck on weekend projects. Drove the wheels off.

[@weegeemike]

Maybe the best Ford platform ever. I'm not a Ford guy but I have huge admiration and respect for the Panther platform. So simple, sturdy, and easy to work on. Had reliable powertrains, always of the V8 variety. Its probably the only Fords that I'd buy manufactured in the last 50 years. If I had the extra cash, I'd love to pick up a clean, grandma owned Panther. Almost bought a MINT '03 Town Car that was owned by an old lady that passed away a few months ago, but the kids knew what they had and wanted waaaay too much for it. It was garage kept is whole life and only had like 50k mi on it. Everything was in perfect condition. I'd really rather have a Vic or Marquis so I could avoid the Lincoln's air suspension and all of the issues that come with it, but I'd buy any reasonably priced, clean, old person owned Panther at this point. Great, informative video.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experience.

[@Ronn-p3r]

Man!!..I wish they still made these...I grew up seeing these cars new.Thanks Tony.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching!

[@AbronHawkins]

My late grandparents had a 1984 LTD Crown Victoria and it was nice. I drove it and that was the best card Ford has put out

[@hm12460]

Love the early Panther's.

[@stonytark1987]

My grand father had this LTD, probably 2. Had the Crown Victoria too. Great cars, poor mans Lincoln Continental.

[@artmellon8852]

My dad bought a brand new 1979 Ford LTD coupe, two tone Maroon with Maroon two tone velour interior. It had the dual headlights not the quad setup and a 302 V8. It was a really nice car and ran well. I drove Crown Vic's my whole career and love them. They were well built, no-nonsense cars that were really reliable. I also had a 1984 Baby LTD police interceptor 5.0, based on the Mustang fox platform and that was another great car. When I finally let it go, it had over 300,000 miles on the original 5.0 / 302 V8.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for sharing your experience with these cars!

[@w.a.mproductionsinc9340]

0:56 I loved this model especially the coupes which were rare

[@billolsen4360]

Hate it that coupes are almost dead now. Not even VW builds one.

[@getoffenit7827]

I like the vintage commercials you put in your videos. I remember watching TV with my Dad,A Ford commercial always brought out his praise or derision for Ford's latest models

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching!

[@kirkcather3670]

Had one of each (Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car). Loved them all.

[@dmandman9]

I find it interesting that although it differed from the preceding platform in several ways. They kept the familiarity in an important way. The fuel tank location and the Trunk was the same as in the previous platform. The deep trunk was retained. And you still filled the tank on the left side. I think this pattern was established in 1967 in the full sized cars.

[@tonywestvirginia]

My grandpa had a 1980 black 4 door with tan top and interior. Nice riding car. I hated that he traded in his 1971 LTD convertible light brown, white top and black interior with bucket seats. Man, I wish I had that car!

[@bradyelich2745]

Two of my Brothers owned and operated this one special green f250 1984 supercab 4x4 400m. Someone rebuilt the engine and port matched the gaskets, and it would haul asss. With a 200 gallon slip tank of stolen fuel from the rigs, 140 mph. The two times it got thrown into reverse at 100 mph on gravel to make the 90 degree turn. Dang is his namo. I mentioned it b4. That truck was a hero.

[@louislepage5111]

I remember seeing these things everywhere 😊

[@AlexanderWaylon]

I enjoyed this video… I love the 79-82 LTD

[@yankeetraveler1118]

Fords hey day! Between the Fox and Panther platforms has any automaker had two home runs of this caliber?

[@herbienbrian2]

I have the two door, it's pretty good.

[@flashgordon99999]

I had an 81 Merc Marquis version. Great car.

[@ADF-fe7fv]

I couldn't believe how beautiful the coupe was when it was first introduced! Still a great looking car to this day. Ford could do no wrong back then. Nuff said.

[@deanstevenson6527]

Nested in the options list was the G code P71 and ( later) P72. For 1980 this 351W HO was introduced (high lift, long duration cam, same as the 351 Marine cam and similar ro the last 1994 SVT 351 Mustang SN95 cam;) it had a four cataylst dual exhaust, and ended up with three different power ratings ..165-172hp (until 1983) and 180hp (1984-1991) Unlike the HO 5.8 F trucks and E vans, the engine had a mandatory VV7200 Feedback 2 bbl Motorcraft carburetor, not the 4bbl Fox Mustang or Truck Holley carb..

[@JeffKing310]

Great recap of an iconic car. Thanks Tony!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for the kind words!

[@malcolmhamilton5200]

I remember seeing those marker lights in the grill of the cop car in the rearview mirror. That meant it wasn't a Monaco and you could easily outrun it, no problem. Gutless didn't cover it. With a light bar on the roof we couldn't get the 80' Marquis cop car to hit 88mph at our stealership, where as even the 360 Monacos would easuly hit 130mph. Later I owned a 90' Town car, last of the EFI 5.0 litres, first with the jelly bean, aerodynamic front nose. I played with the timing and exhaust and intake and improved both the pick up and mileage considerably. Very comfortable, nice riding(air suspension), roomy car with a cavernous trunk. Once put 6 golf bags in the trunk, 3 of them Dangerfield cart bags, AND several bags of groceries. Best car I had for comfortable long trips since the 440 New Yorker and significantly better mileage, especially after the mods.

[@sombra6153]

I was in high school and in an explorer program sponsored by my local sheriffs department in 1979. The department had purchased a fleet of 79s for the road deputies. They had the 351W 2V. They weren’t very fast and the 140 mph speedometer was more optimistic in those cars than in others. Stock with an old school bugle gum machine light bar, they’d hit between 105-110. One deputy I rode with regularly decided to rebuild the carb and threw extra stuff away, and removed the smog pump belt. His ran a bit better after that. Then the county decided to convert all of them to dual fuel LNG and the problems really began. What was slow became slower. That program when away when new Fords with the 351 police were ordered for the 82 or 83 model year. I started in uniform in 1990 when the organization where I worked still had some square body Crowns as old as the 85 model year. Fond memories of one 85 that apparently had the seven-cylinder option but would still run in excess of 90 on the “suburban” circuit. The Panthers would get a little tail happy like the Fox body Mustangs, but if you knew how to drive with the tail out once in a while, it was not a problem.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

LNG was considered by many to be a viable gasoline replacement in the early to mid eighties. Thanks for your comment and for watching

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025]

Great detail parrot I still got a Ford LTD station wagon it's an older one.

[@petertornabeni602]

Good solid car. Underpowered V8 - but one that needed minimal maintenance and lasted longer than most !

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Totally agree!

[@DSP1968]

A great overview of these wonderful cars, Tony. As someone who has been a true FoMoCo diehard since I was a little kid in the 1960s, I must say, you're getting better and better in your research and presentation. Well done, sir! Keep 'em coming.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for the kind words.

[@BlackBart479]

Lots of great memories of these Vics. My parents had a 1981 4d in white. Tuff vehicle!! Only flys in the ointment was AOD trans was in its infancy and crapped out at about 80K. Was just a down cpl hours at trans shop on vacation. They had remans on stock so popped in one & ours went to rebuild bench for next guy. Other thing on it was the infamous VV carb. Depolute it some and stuck a regular 2V carb on and it went forever. Great in snow and decent MPG. Love these cars just be aware of first couple yrs of AOD and buy a carb if its a VV or stock the glove box full of diaphragms. LoL BTW...i stated it was white and all the cop cars around where you guessed it White! Punked my buddys alot with it. I grew up fomoco all the way and these videos are spot on and accurate. Great research and presentation.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment and for the kind words.

[@KenVic02]

My parents bought a '79 LTD and when I first drove it, it felt exceptionally tight and nimble relatively to the wallowing boats that were typical up until that time. Our previous car was a '76 Grand Marquis as an example. Also recall that Ford marketed the car as offering "command position" driving experience due to the low belt line and seemingly higher seat location. Of note, the car came with the infamous variable venturi carburetor which was not reliable and Ford soon dropped it. My dad had ours replaced with a regular two barrel carburetor as a result.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I don't think there are many variable venturi carburetors in service on any cars on the planet. :)

[@MisterMikeTexas]

0:40 "You think you hate it now, well wait till you drive it!" 😅

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That’s a great line

[@Slimjim260]

I loved the steering wheels in them

[@careful...Icarus]

My first car was a 1979 LTD Police cruiser. 351ci,four doors,navy blue outside,lighter navy blue interior. No air,minimal heat,no radio. It was pretty fast for a brick.$700 dollars and I drove it hard for almost 6 years until it started hemorrhaging every fluid on a daily basis. Lol.Looked much like the one at 7:50. Wish I stlll had it.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and those were built tough.

[@Crazytwister-vw4er]

Basically this here is my fav and dream car. No Lamborghinis no Bugattis. No FORD LTD CROWN VICTORIA 1983 And nothing better then that

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very Awesome Thanks for sharing!

[@derekgilbert2884]

What was price on 2 door, 4 door and station wagon and engine, productions numbers did sale lots from 1979 to 1991? Great video keep up good work thanks again for answering my questions. 😊😊

[@dmandman9]

Fun fact: I loved the shape of the fuel tank on the full sized Fords. The narrow deep shape allowed me to siphon fuel more easily from my parent’s previous generation LTD as well as the panther platform. 😂.

[@dmandman9]

A follow up to the fuel tank comment. I had a customer with a 1989 crown Victoria. We’d installed a remanufactured engine. The customer came back the next week saying the car had used an entire tank of fuel in a day. Of course I checked it over real closely to make sure there were no leaks. I also noted that if it had actually consumed that much fuel, it would be smoking and running badly. I suspected a faulty fuel sender. So I added about 5 gallons of fuel to see if the guage responded. It did. I told her to fill it up and keep me informed. She called about an hour later to tell me her grandson had siphoned the ENTIRE TANK and put it in his Silverado. Her car was on a hill. The truck in a parking space just below. He didn’t even have to use a can. He siphoned directly from her car to his truck. I’d have NEVER had the nerve to do that. (I would occasionally get a gallon or so to get me to the store. But they knew that. 😅

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Ok that's a new one and a good one. :)

[@pcno2832]

@@dmandman9 And I thought I was bad for returning my parent's car with just barely enough fuel (a little over half-a-tank on that car) to keep the needle on the F mark.

[@billolsen4360]

The lack of rear seat legroom in these models made it impossible to wriggle out of handcuffs back in my teens, but they DID look good.

[@dmandman9]

@@pcno2832 this kid disrespected his grandmother (wealthy but frugal) in ways that made me angry. Thankfully, he grew out of that phase before she died. At the time I wondered to myself “is this how rich white kids treat their grandparents?” . Thankfully, his behavior was not typical for most kids of any race. He was just a spoiled, disrespectful brat . And sadly those also exist in every race. But at the time, this was the only wealthy Caucasian family of whom I knew the INSIDE dysfunction . I realize Dysfunction knows no color. I later found out that several of them admired our family’s respect for each other. I’m still in touch with them from time to time. The now 40 something and I still talk about the time he drained his grandmas tank.

[@leonardgilbreath9004]

I ordered a 79 LTD and my wife was very excited about getting it but somehow ford lost the order and we got a 86 Crown Victoria and that car was very nice.

[@kc0lif]

i had 1987 ltd wagon. i saw ltd 4 door on in the heat of the night tv show.

[@bradyelich2745]

My next younger bigger Brother used to drive outa oil well leases, pushing mud hood high, witha 2 wheel drive 1996 f150 Supercab. He would pass guys stuck in 4X4's. Dang (is his namo) "Dad taught us well, drive Fords and hold it to the floor". Yeah, replace the pushrods fella.

[@bradyelich2745]

Tony, ur a good guy. Thank you.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you & anytime brother

[@bradyelich2745]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs You might not realise this but u help me release with my crazy brain. and when I see all my comments not being deleted, it gives me hope. Thank You.

[@pcno2832]

5:15 I've often wondered if the "Landau" half-vinyl roof cost buyers less than a full vinyl roof. There obviously was less vinyl to buy, but on some models the finishing work for a metal top was more expensive than the vinyl to cover up a mess, and with the Landau top, it was probably more of a challenge keeping it from getting blown off by the wind. I've seen a few Landau roofs on the highway blown up like balloons.

[@OathTaker3]

I never had one of this generation or drove one but I did ride in the back of a bunch of them, 😉😁.

[@jamesrodriquez2863]

I'm not sure why you included the Blues Brothers clip when that was a 74 Dodge, but otherwise another good video.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

When I was putting together the Police package part of the video it reminded me of the that scene in the movie.

[@jamesrodriquez2863]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Oh, ok. Because of the cop suspension and all that. I get it now. LOL!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@jamesrodriquez2863 Yes sir that's where it came from.

[@davidgrisez]

The last car that my father purchased was a 1982 Full Size Ford LTD. This car had the four speed automatic overdrive transmission. It also had the 5.0 liter V8 engine was an electronically controlled variable venturi carburetor. This variable venturi carburetor was an unreliable item. When it failed the exhaust emissions of the engine would dramatically increase. The Ford dealers would never repair this carburetor, they would only replace it with a new one that would fail in about 2 years. In the mid 1980s this specialized carburetor cost over a thousand dollars. It was good that Ford finally went to throttle body fuel injection.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

All the variable venturi carburetors from any make were mostly bad. Fortunately they could be replaced by a standard carb.

[@davidgrisez]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs There was a mechanic at a gas station that recommended replacing this variable venturi carburetor with a standard one.

[@bradyelich2745]

Mom's daily drive was a 1965 Thunderbird Convertible. Mom really liked the look of the speedo at 85 mph. Mom drove that car until 1983. Mom and Dad went on a party, so I stole the car, top down , got some neighbor kids and went cruising. I lost the hubcap, o brother and i went to toon town to steal one, found a red one, we took it apart, painted it, reinstalled. Old Neighbour Ray Huggins. after the snow melted, he personally gave me the original hubcap back. He never told Dad. Ray, I love you. RIP. He saved me a week of beatings. On that trip, with crew and Kurt was one. We went to Dundurn bar, they made me sign Kurt signature, since i used Kurts ID. I signed not a problem. On way out i physically ran into one of the nice RCMP, roy, doorway is narrow, im underage, so ran to 1964 Tbird, and drove away. Roy gave me my first booze ticket.

[@bradyelich2745]

it was a 1964 Tbird. I'm drunk gimme a break.

[@ronaldlebowitz7409]

aahh ,i had a 88 crown vicky lx 4 dr.white with white half top blue inside 5.0 fuel inj. it was my first and only 4 dr. car

[@gssher6743]

Tony, this was a great video. I would love to drive a full size sedan like these today.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

You and me both!

[@OLDS98]

Thank you for this video. Once again excellent coverage, footage and information. The thing that blew my mind is I thought this car was longer. You shared the brochure and it said 209 inches long. I thought this car was longer than that. It looked longer than it actually was. That was interesting to know. I was not a fan of the base model front end design. The quad headlight design was better. It is interesting that design stayed around from 1979-1991 and it had updates over time as well. I was going to mention the Mercury Grand Marquis, but it will be coming in a future video. Thank for the video.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and yes I will cover them all at some point. I still have a long way to go.

[@OLDS98]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs You do a great job every week. It is interesting, informative and great footage. I know the videos take time to produce.

[@robevand1144]

Great video, thank you.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you!

[@chadakoin1]

The Blues Brothers car was a Dodge Grand Monaco.

[@billolsen4360]

And I think Carrie Fisher was shooting at them from a US army surplus shoulder-mounted rocket launcher from her 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

When I was putting together the police car segment I was reminded of that scene from the Blues Brothers

[@Kevv554]

Great job Tony

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you sir!

[@christopherg9806]

My dad had a '79 coupe (crap) followed by an '86 Grand Marquis (very good) and a '90 Grand Marquis (excellent). The '90 had dark blue leather seats, which were fantastic. I also had an '81 Country Squire, which was good, other than the 302's oil pump problems. Later, I had an '85 Mercury Colony Park, which was wonderful, other than the oil pump problem. (Fortunately, it already needed the oil pump when I bought it, so the dealer covered the cost.) The only design flaw I can think of is that the wheelbase should have been three inches longer to better fit the body. And I hate the Ford 302. Aside from that, they were rugged, well-built cars, with that unmistakable Ford door latch that always closed beautifully.

[@matthewq4b]

You have some errors the 351W continued on in Canada till 86 in regular production cars.

[@JTKels]

Excellent content my brother

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Much appreciated! Thank you!

[@davidmckinney6577]

I love them cars I've had four of them I had a eighty three and two eighty fours and I had a eighty four mercury grand marquis. My favorite is the eighty four model. I had a white lx model I wish I would have kept it I'm going to find another one I love them but I think the eighty four is my favorite. I almost forgot I had a 2 door eighty five model and I had the midsized ltd.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing

[@komradkolonel]

It's not hard to make the case that the LTD/Crown Vic is the best car Ford has ever made. I'm generally not a fan of the downsized cars from the late 70s and early 80s but this one worked better than most. I've been in both these and the bigger, previous LTD and even those these were much smaller outside they still had a big car feel to them.

[@desertmodern7638]

I like these, but thought the narrow rear track added a slight awkwardness to the car. This was rectified for 1990, the last year before the new look debuted.

[@wardy98px1]

So solid

[@bradyelich2745]

then in 2016 or so, my friends grand kids are impersonating RCMP on highway with their crown vics. They pulled over semis and took their booze. I'm impressed.

[@bradyelich2745]

They were caught and not arrested, but not imprisoned. The fuckig RCMP I grew up with know t a joke and spank us and let us go.

[@tripyramidpictures9224]

The 😮front looks like an Oldsmobile 98

[@Laughter_in_da_rain]

The first Panther platform was actually the Ford Fairmont/Merc Zepher which debuted a year before for the '78 model year.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Both of those cars were built on the Foxbody platform. You might want to check your notes.

[@johnnymason2460]

​@@TonysFordsandMustangs Exactly. The Fox platform and the Panther platform are two different platforms. I believe the Fox platform was a unibody platform. The Panther platform was definitely a body on frame platform.

[@Laughter_in_da_rain]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Yeah, I'm a Chevy guy so I'm willing to admit I'm probably wrong on this one. Not my area of expertise. As far as I'm concerned, most Fords are junk.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@Laughter_in_da_rain Thanks for watching the video.

[@justinwhite9689]

Damn good car

[@joeymccullough2716]

Damn, Tony-you’ve covered everything that Ford has built. What’s next, Bronco Sport reviews?🤔

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

There’s plenty to go before I get to the Bronco Sport 😉

[@pcno2832]

"all new"? Sort of. I saw a story on Wordpress, or one of those self-publishing sites, by a guy who replaced the frame of a '73 Gran Torino coupe with one from a 2005 police cruiser; there was just a little drilling and welding to make the recirculating-ball steering box and the bumpers fit. While getting more space into a smaller car using bits and pieces from Ford's previous mid-size and full-size lineup seems simple enough--just make everything a bit taller--it must have been a major challenge making a smaller, lighter version of Ford's existing platforms pass 1979 crash and bumper standards. Ford's mid-1970s models did that with massive overhang, but for 1979, they actually had to design crush zones into the structure of the frame, so the engine would slide under the car in a crash. Volvo had a head start on that sort of thing, but Ford had to learn it in a hurry.

[@MarkWG]

Ford Motor Company and General Motors should really talk to the car buying public more. We are sick to death of SUV's and trucks. Don't get me wrong, I am in love with my F-350 Power Stroke. But, PLEASE give us a Crown Victoria, Marquis, Caprice, Le Sabre, Catalina, Delta 88, 98, Sedan de Ville, Town Car, again PLEASE!!!!!😢 My mother had a 1987 Crown Victoria, a 1990 Grand Marquis, then she switched to a 1993 Sedan de Ville. My grandparents had a 2004 Grand Marquis. I really do think the car companies need to rethink the traditional family Sedan that people can afford.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

From your comment to their ears!

[@MarkWG]

@TonysFordsandMustangs I walk into Ford dealerships all the time and just chat with the salesmen if my truck is being serviced. Four different dealerships in North Texas here locally have all told me that customers come in constantly asking for Crown Victoria's, Town Cars, and Grand Marquis. Not everyone wants or needs a truck or SUV. We miss the "family car" with room for six adults, RWD, and a gasoline V8. The buyers are out there.

[@Ronn-p3r]

@@MarkWG Thank you!!! I'm glad someone said something.. They should ask the buying public what they Really want. Totally Agree 👍

[@latashafreeman563]

@@MarkWG Devil's Advocate: But those same "family" people back in the late 1990's & early 2000's were too busy buying legacy foreign import brand's cars or the latest F-150 or Suburban to notice, and they called (Crown Victoria) them "old head cars" for a reason...

[@sff1987]

Thanks Tony that was comprehensive and fun to watch except for one thing......fix the cigarette lighter.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That was Dodge in the Blues Brothers but when I was putting together the Police package part of the video it reminded me of the that scene in the movie.

[@drno-xc1yt]

I didn't realize you could still get the 351 in an LTD as late as 1981.

[@NLJosh83]

In Canada, you could up until 1991. I had an 89 Grand Marquis LS with the 351W/7200VV carburetor back in 2001.

[@daviddaigle2419]

In 82 we had one for a driver's ed car i got my license in it,

[@dave1956]

I bought a new 1981 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme that was just awful. I test drove a loaded new 1983 LTD one day and couldn’t believe what a nice car it was. It ran and drove beautifully compared to my V6 equipped Oldsmobile. Unfortunately the trading difference was just a little bit too much for me to swallow.

[@MrDamien1963]

I owned 4 of it's stablemate the Grand Marquis, would do it all over again given the opportunity.

[@paulcheek5711]

huge by todays standard

[@matthewq4b]

Now you need to do the Panther Marquis...

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

That will be coming. Stay tuned

[@matthewq4b]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Great remember the Panther Marquis had some odd ball options in Canada Including offering the 351M with FMX trans from 79-81 in the Canadian cars with the towing package. Also like the LTD>/Crown Vic the 351W was available in all till 86. And the Canadian cars were all carbureted till 85 when the 302/5.0L got port injection. AND the C6 was offered behind the 351W from 79-82.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@matthewq4b This is great info on the Canadian cars. Unfortunately it's not documented in the American brochures or sales literature and that's where i get a lot of my information.

[@matthewq4b]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Ya prior to 1992 Canada and the US had their own emission regulations, with Canada having less stringent regulations. For the 92 model year they were harmonized. Prior to 1992 Canada had some unique options and powertrain combinations. This was not just with Ford but all manufactures. I ordered an 81 Marquis new in early 1981 when I traded in my 78 T-bird Sport (T- Tops 400 and sport gauge package due the oldest one being born...still miss that car) The Marquis came with the tow package and of course the 351M and FMX. In 84 I swapped out the gutless and thirsty 351M with a 400. Then in late 85 we bought a new Grand Marquis full load car with the 351W. In 91 we traded the 81 in on a new 92 Grand Marquis it was an early build (Dec 1990) with the AOD trans.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@matthewq4b It's the same way as the Australian cars. Did your engines still have higher compression post 1972? the mid seventies aussie 351's were still pushing 300 HP.

[@bradyelich2745]

Even in the late 1970's, our parents let us run wild and not be held down. We had cars and guns and booze and we were 14 driving drinking and shooting. If we ever hurt anyone or anything, we knew we get beat. So, no witnesses.

[@tripyramidpictures9224]

You forgot power antennae and cornering light

[@gm12551]

Good enough for Drunk Ed McMahon, good enough for me.

[@bradyelich2745]

My Dad driving us to school in pickup with neighbor Norman. 6 of us in 1981 f150. Norm says "u gonna let up Joe". "Fuck no" Joe replys, don't want those kids with us. That one time I skipped school with Tim. Took my 1969 351w 4v heads to get rebuilt to install on my 1966 mustand 302 bullhit. Tim and I wave as we see Joe with his Buddy driving down 8th street. Tim and I both called into principals office the next day, Dad was unavailable. Mom never found out. Principal punched Tim in front of me. I think Danno was try to protect me from bad influences. Tim did not pass grade 12, but I was the only A++ student in my class.

[@bradyelich2745]

That was a very muddy road day. Dad kept that 302 pinned, mud rooster tails.

[@eth39232]

Because of poor sales and CAFE, Ford considered discontinuing these cars after the 1984 model year. That is one reason the LTD name was placed on the Fox platform car for 1983. However, sales improved once fuel prices dropped. I really consider the first generation to be the 1979 through 1991 models. as I don't think the changes made for 1983 and 1988 were substantial enough to be a new generation. I have owned 3 Panthers and still own a 2010 Grand Marquis. I love them, but consumers really lost interest by the mid 2000's. I agree that this is the only Ford passenger car of the last 40 years worth purchasing.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

This is separate generation because it’s a LTD. It becomes a Crown Victoria and the LTD becomes the smaller sedan. Ford decides the naming of generation. I agree the cars that follow are not much different. Videos on those cars will be coming soon.

[@bradyelich2745]

I can only comment when I'm good and drunk. So, here we go. I grew up with a 1975 plain jane ltd, a 1984 ltd, and a 1986 ltd crown vic. Dad wore the 1984 out driving us kids to hockey. Dad drove 35,000 miles each year in that car, mostly going to hockey in winter, carrying all 8 players and bags thru winter night storms. Yes. we had a 8 player team. I played in two leagues since age 12 and we did 80 games per season. His new 1986 crown vic with 302 and i can't remember what fi it had. Dad could have got it with the 351M in Canada. I drove Mom and Dad and Sister to Havasu, NV from Saskatoon. 85mph the whole way, had snow on way home, and the only time Dad told me I'm going too fast. 25 mpg easily with full load and going too fast. We also wore out a 1975 F150 supercab, a 1981 f150, and a 1984 f250 diesel. That 1984 diesel we towed a 350 bushel trailer, which was way out of its comfort zone. Had to be on hard ground and not on a slope. that is not a Vietnam reference, so stop it.

[@bradyelich2745]

the 1984 f250 was also a supercab. With bucket seats. 95 mph top speed, but thru most anything 2 wheel drive. We got our drinking water from neighbour's well half mile down the road. It was -40C/F and nobody plugged the truck in, so I cold started it off glow plugs. That truck jumped up and down a good 6 inches warming up. It sounded bad and I was scared. After warming it up, plowed thru 2 feet of snow to get water. It was hot when i parked it. i was 17 at the time. when my sister was born, we had the well water tested, and it was unfit for infants, so we had to boil the water for sister. F me.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for showing up in game shape and for sharing your experience with these cars. It is appreciated.

[@bradyelich2745]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Very nice. now gimme a fing heart on me second comment

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@bradyelich2745 How much have you been drinking? Enjoy your day and the heart is incoming.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

@@bradyelich2745 I tossed some thumbs up in there for good measure ;)

[@althunder4269]

These cars were ok but I still prefer the pre-downsized versions and the same with the T-Birds etc. Ford didn't seem to pull off the downsized styling as well as GM did.

[@RalphTempleton-vr6xs]

Its a tragedy that ford no longer even makes a car, its all trucks, SUV's and crossovers. I dont think this is due to being what we want, more like these are the choices we have. If there was a simple, reliable basic sedan and coupe to be bought I'm pretty sure there would be a sustainable market

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Agree. There is a Mustang and that's what I'm driving. :)

[@1982kinger]

built 5 minutes from where I grew up... most of the guys at church worked for fords

[@bluelithium9808]

Sold a ton of them. It was a better time.

[@AlexanderCrump]

The only thing I didn't like about '80s Fords was the goofy turn signal-mounted horn button. Whose brilliant idea was this, and how did that design even pass DOT requirements?

[@bradyelich2745]

My Youngest Brother had got hold a beautiful black 1979 f150 460, but somehow it was rolled, stolen and burned. I was driving the both of us to get the blue wrench to fix combine. RCMP pulled me over for going 100mph. They asked me where I was going, i said combine broke, need welder. Then they focused on my innocent brother, grilled him about the rolled stolen truck. No ticket even tho we had open beer. I peeled out and brother looked at me funny, u cant do that look. im sure i stoned that rcmp car with all i had.

[@philkey8135]

Hello: Enjoy your Ford "products" presentations. I have a 1998 Ford Contour SVT. Bought new in October of 1998. I am the original owner. Car has 87K original miles which can be documented. Recently replaced all fluids, rear brake calipers, pads, lines. Hoses, water pump and belt have been replaced. Alternator and battery just replaced. Upper & lower ball joints replaced. New struts on all 4 wheels along with stabilizer end links. Hood, front & rear bumpers repainted. Having issues with hip and knee. Driving a 5 speed can have some difficulty. Would like to find the car a new home. If you can help, contact me. Thanks.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

PHil, I understand exactly where you are coming from with Contour as my 70 Mach 1 will be featured shortly in a for sale video. If you are looking to maximize your return i would highly suggest contacting BringATrailer.com

[@timmcshan3881]

Ford compare LTD to a Rolls Royce in 1965 when the LTD came out.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I guess if it worked once…

[@john2914]

I didnt ride in it. No ford nonsense for me ever, and didnt ride in fords owned by others. Ford had and has the dullest worst cars on the planet. Just garbage.

[@roger628]

The early Panthers were kind of crappy. Not up to the GM B-Body at all. They did eventually improve. They really didn't come into their own until the 1986 with the MPFI 302. From then the platform went from strength to strength. My big beef with these was the styling. Looking at the door frames makes me think they were were designed for storm windows. I never really became a fan until the '92-up Aero Panther . (90 for Lincolns)

[@tripyramidpictures9224]

Ford needs to change their logo! It’s ugly and too plain!

[@UQRXD]

351 cu and only 140 hp what a dog engine