My dad owned one and he loved it. He was a manager at a Ford dealer and once he saw this announced had to have one. I drove it whenever I was home from college, looking for the curviest roads I could find. It was a lot of fun and really comfortable too.
@buzzwaldron61953 ай бұрын
LTD should have gotten at least a 351"/5.8L engine...
@jonwaterbury33123 ай бұрын
@@buzzwaldron6195 that's exactly what I was thinking.
@1983jblack3 ай бұрын
@@buzzwaldron6195Would have made it too nose heavy
@Johnnycdrums3 ай бұрын
@@1983jblack [ It was discontinued by then. I believe the Granada had a two venturi 351 option.
@PapaJeff583 ай бұрын
I got to drive one as a law enforcement specialist when I was stationed in Az in 86. Loved it. Got it up to 129 mph one night on the runway, when the flight line was shut down. You know, to blow the carbon out. 😁
@tracydavis80023 ай бұрын
I also spent hundreds of hours in one as an AF law enforcement specialist in the United Kingdom (High Wycombe) in 1984. It was an ‘81 Fairmount. Once had to pick up an AF airman being held at Paddington police station in London. Did nightly security checks at an American housing addition near Watford (Carpenders Park) NW London driving that blue and white Fairmount.
@MyWillypilly3 ай бұрын
Hell, that is faster than most cop cars of the time.
@nycmaverick3 ай бұрын
We had a 1978 Ford Granada with a 302 . I remember doing donuts in the high school parking lot cranking AC/DC lol
@Hunksta_Cartoons3 ай бұрын
My dad bought a Ford LTD LX the day it came out, and he STILL owns it today, it has NEVER gave us ANY problems! It has under 100K right now.
@Maximus20778Ай бұрын
Ofc it has no problems, it's under 100k miles
@jvcyt2983 ай бұрын
a mechanic I knew had a late 1080s Ford Fairmont station wagon with a 302, 4 speed manual trans, and dual exhaust. It was fierce.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
That’s awesome, wow
@johngalt97373 ай бұрын
I have seen video of a brown wagon like that auto crossing
@jvcyt2983 ай бұрын
@@johngalt9737 ; This was in NJ in the late 1990s. I moved a few times since then and lost track of him and that car. As I recall, it was black, but he was a body man and could have painted it before he sold it.
@johngalt97373 ай бұрын
@@jvcyt298 my guy was on the west coast. Popular sleeper conversion
@ashotinthedark31823 ай бұрын
Rear wheel drive should make a comeback !
@JTA19613 ай бұрын
Amen
@Johnnycdrums3 ай бұрын
Well, it sort of never went away, thank God.
@georgeclark-uz7ld3 ай бұрын
I had a police unit, rebuilt the engine, ran very well. I then got a LX and loved it. Wish I still had it.
@JustRusting3 ай бұрын
I drove one of those LTD LX 5.0's back in the early 1990s Our Department had one as our unmarked unit. Very Fast, would blow away any Dodge Diplomat marked unit. But stopping, that was another story.. . Our Chief didn't want Officers plowing in to telephone poles, so he opted for the Full size LTD with a 351 and Heavy Duty brakes a few years later.
@ksigurdsen0344823 ай бұрын
I had a 1984 LTD Brougham for over 20 years. It was the 3.8L V6, EFI, and AOD. Great car, like the Energizer Bunny, kept going and going.
@danielberning12403 ай бұрын
One of my brothers was a sheriff deputy back then and worked part time for a small police department. That department had one of these smaller LTD's in police package and my brother loved it. He always said it was one of the best ones he'd ever drivern.
@kellingtonlink9563 ай бұрын
My best friend had one of these. Well, not the fast LX… but rather the Base model. I was less than impressed (power, rear traction, style). At the time, I was driving an 1979 Oldsmobile Tornado (when it worked)… a Bus when it didn’t. My friend’s LTD, on the other hand … NEVER … left him stranded. So well done Ford! Thanks for the video.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching man 😊
@GMbowtie3503 ай бұрын
@@GreenHawkDriveFun Fact: With the rise in popularity in Japanese sport coupes at the time the Probe was originally set to be the new Mustang and the Fox Mustang we know now was to be the new Fairmont coupe.
@louyork83793 ай бұрын
Returning viewer. Very excited about this one! My childhood neighbor had a dark brown LTD LX back in the day and I washed it every Saturday for like 7-8 years before the ole feller past away. I had no idea back then that it was gonna be something that me or anyone else would ever care about. But here we are lol. Oh, and I agree wholeheartedly that the last SHO was overshadowed by all its competitors because the last Taurus was the best Taurus and the SHO was a freaking monster!! I love them.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thanks for sharing that story man. I appreciate you coming back every week😎
@louyork83793 ай бұрын
@@GreenHawkDrive heck yeah, man. You keep making them and I’ll keep watching them lol
@ltdscott3 ай бұрын
Either it wasn't an LX or the car was repainted because the LX was never offered in brown. Only white, black, silver, grey, and light blue.
@louyork83793 ай бұрын
@@ltdscott you know what, you’re right! It was a respray! Had black on the door jambs but as a kid it never occurred to me that was wrong lol.
@Vile-Flesh3 ай бұрын
@@ltdscott I remember you from the forums back in 2002. You had a white LX and I think you had uploaded a sound file of the exhaust. You sold it and bought a 5-speed swapped LX later on. I never posted anything, only lurked. Always wanted an LX but always had too many beaters and not enough room.
@jswem823 ай бұрын
My first car in 1998 was a 1985 LTD Brougham with the 3.8. Even in the wild west days of 90s internet, I found sites dedicated to these cars and learned of the LX. Blew my mind that it existed from the factory! I just thought it was a cool old shitbox and had chosen it over an 81 Cougar with 3.3 lol. I loved my granny spec version, and fantasized about 302 swapping it someday, but alas, it got rear-ended on the fwy and died too soon. I'd still absolutely love to have one of these. It felt rare and forgotten even back in 1998 when a car from 1985 seemed ancient to a 16yo 😂 I love that it's getting it's due here, and what a great tribute! 👏🍻
@sailingspark97483 ай бұрын
I never know of the factory hotrods, but I did get the feeling that the Police versions were special. I learned to drive on my parent's Mercury version. It was plush with velour upholstery, wood trim, and a decent little v6. When my parents had their 84, the police in my town adopted the LTD version. Made for interesting driving as everyone thought our car was a cop.
@Visionary_Watcher3 ай бұрын
This makes my aunt's '83 LTD much cooler than what i previously realized
@thechuckster68383 ай бұрын
I owned one. My goal was to rip the engine out of my 83 Mustang GT with the 4BBL carburetor and drop it into the LTD. Instead, I re-built the 3.8 V6 that came standard in the car and gave it to my brother. I do remember how smooth they were and the doors closed with a sound of excellence. I wish I could get my hands on one now.
@dannyg65923 ай бұрын
I worked for Ford Motor Co. in the mid-80s. Our office had an LTD LX in the fleet of cars we lent out to the press. I drove it a few times and recall it was a fun, lively sports sedan for its time. It was overshadowed by the introduction of the Taurus, which looked 10 years newer. The original Taurus SHO was faster than the LTD LX.
@dedeborya90153 ай бұрын
Standard Blues Brothers Recipe; Cop Motor, A 5.0 Liter Plant, Cop Tires, Cop Suspension, Cop Shocks, screw the catalytic converter, runs good on regular gas - and nobody notices it.
@GoonSquadLifeMember3 ай бұрын
Elwood: "So whaddya say....is this the new Blues Mobile, or what??" Jake: "Fix the cigarette lighter!!"
@104thDIVTimberwolf21 күн бұрын
The problem was the tires. Our Air Force police cars had "lowest bidder" May Pops on then and we lost at least one to a front tire self-destructing at speed.
@theprinceofsnj3 ай бұрын
In 1993 Sold my 1981 Fairmont sedan 3.3 inline 6. It was a base model. Bought a 1984 LTD wagon. 3.8 fuel injected V6. Though it had bad berings it was no slouch. I had planned on putting in or rebuilding the motor. But before I could do that. I was running an errand for work, When a Trans Am ran a red light. (7th and Packer Ave) Needles to say the car was totaled. I bought a 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis. That ended up being the biggest piece of junk I ever owned. A story for another day.
@Carguy4423 ай бұрын
A co-worker bought a new LTD LX in 1985. I had read an article about the LX in Car&Driver so when I saw her pull into the parking lot at work I knew that it was a unique car. It was silver or gray. She said that she loved driving it.
@mktashkent3 ай бұрын
My first car was Ford ltd station wagon 1984, with 86k. I bought it in 91 for 1500 bucks. Great car, served me well. Brings back memories.
@dreallday5803 ай бұрын
As a young officer in DC I was pleasantly surprised by the 85 Ltd. Every single other vehicle we had available to us was a joke. In particular the K car and Chryslers required us to put your foot through the floor to get anywhere. I did that in this Ltd 1 day and peeled rubber down NY Ave. My Sgt called me back the station to tell me to slow down. I later discovered that 5.0 under the hood. That 4 year old Ltd ran great. I even preferred it over the 89 crown Vic . Sleeper all day
@gman31093 ай бұрын
4V is not 4 valve, it's 4 Venturi. Ford speak for a 4.barrel carburetor
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Crap
@ethics33 ай бұрын
Correct
@JmarcusKmart283 ай бұрын
Amazing And you're right, the Taurus was very overlooked with its last gen
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
It definitely was. They make great power too!
@JmarcusKmart283 ай бұрын
@@GreenHawkDriveI miss it so much and the fact that we didn't get the new one that was made for China just makes me mad. But maybe one day if Ford does get the Taurus. I hope I'll be old enough one day to get one of those cars
@DMETS5193 ай бұрын
Ashame that last gen Taurus was no longer competitive in the changing market that was being dominated by SUV's. I sat in one of the last years model Taurus. I never felt so claustrophobic in such a big car.
@wkanost3 ай бұрын
I owned a police version in 1986. I bought it used from a local ford dealership. It had been a St. Augustine FL police car based on the paint inside the trunk. It was very fast compared with other cars of that era.
@robertstone99883 ай бұрын
Heads up at 5:08, thare is no 4 valve ltd 5.0. Common mistake with young guys. V4 is referring to the 4 barrel carb. V for Ventury, as in the Ventury effect that happens in a carbonated intake and draws in the fuel from the bowls.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Yeah, that’s my mistake man. Thinking back on it, I have no idea what happened😂
@brianfeeney39363 ай бұрын
he said that they came with the 5.0 EFI. and you spelled ventury wrong it's venturi
@robertstone99883 ай бұрын
@@brianfeeney3936 that's just how text to talk did it. It capitalized it as well so I assume Google thought I was saying a name. Point remains the same the v4 gets a lot of younger people because they didn't grow up with carbs. I ment no offense only to give the heads up.
@robertstone99883 ай бұрын
@@GreenHawkDrive no offense just a heads up.
@tranerekt17313 ай бұрын
The intake isn’t carbonated. It’s carbureted.
@ronsloan76623 ай бұрын
I grew up in this era and although I feel pretty confident in my knowledge of cars I have to admit that I learned something new today. Thanks for sharing this video. Cheers!
@JTA19613 ай бұрын
Same here
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thanks for your continued support man!
@warrenny3 ай бұрын
I made same comment just now. I was young when this car was around.....young guy - fast cars......apparently very few people talked about the LTD LX.
@paulie-Gualtieri.3 ай бұрын
First gen Taurus SHO looked great 👍
@GoonSquadLifeMember3 ай бұрын
Way ahead of its time. 3.0 Yamaha-designed engine, 220 HP.
@StreetersGarage3 ай бұрын
Awesome video. As a kid from the 80’s. I completely forgot about it. Thanks for posting.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Hey man, thanks for watching!
@Stinger4303 ай бұрын
I've never heard of this one before. Never! Thanks Hawk!!!
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching Stinger😎
@bikingD3 ай бұрын
Has an 84 LTD LX in silver. Loved that car.
@raw-op9ti3 ай бұрын
I had one it was a fl state trooper car loved it was fast and fun too drive
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Right on man, there was a 5 second picture of a FHP LTD.
@xltoffroadbear3 ай бұрын
My buddy had the first gen SHO and I later bought a 93 SHOmatic .
@RollinTwentySix3 ай бұрын
Back in 1993, I inherited an '85 Mercury Marquis that needed lots of work. I quickly found that many Mustang parts worked, but the car was ultimately a pos and I sold it. I kinda miss it, it was comfortable. A friend of mine back in '94 had a an '84 wagon LTD with a Mustang 5-speed and clutch pedal, it was a sleeper for the time hehe
@davidgrisez3 ай бұрын
I am 73 years old. Back in the 1980s I purchased a 1984 Ford LTD midsize car that had a 3.8 liter V6 engine and the Ford 4 speed automatic overdrive transmission. The engine had throttle body fuel injection. The car was a nice comfortable riding car. However it had reliability problems. The rear differential developed a loud howling noise and had to be rebuilt. Also the heater core developed a leak and had to be replaced.
@gkstanfield3 ай бұрын
I visited New Zealand in 1991 when I owned a ‘63 Galaxie 500 and was a huge Ford Guy… I stopped into several Ford dealerships in NZ and grabbed a host of brochures for Aussie/NZ Ford offerings… So many inline 6 and V8 models that looked amazing…all RHD of course, but I bet they were entertaining Fords to heave through the Southern Hemisphere…Good Lord..!! (I still have all the brochures…PLUS you could still have the Euro Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4x4 right off the showroom floor in NZ…Gosh..!)
@ramonlevine80123 ай бұрын
I had an '84. The car came with 14 inch wheels. The 15 inchers from the 1985 Mustang fit nicely and made a difference in the ride and handling. My only complaint about the car was the front seat. After about 2 hours it became very uncomfortable.
@EdAb3 ай бұрын
In 1979 my dad bought the family a Ford Fairmont Country Squire wagon... with a 2bbl carb, 4.9L/302 Windsor V8. I loved it! It only had about 135hp, but the torque was something like 250 lb/ft. I confused a lot of people with that "woody wagon". The big problem with that car was the brakes, they were beyond awful. One time I tried to slow the car down from about 75-80 mph... about 500 feet from a busy 4-way intersection. The brakes faded to nothing after about 300 feet. Once my light went red I had no choice but to hit the gas and try to thread my way through the opposing traffic. Extremely scary for a 17 year old. As you can tell, I survived.
@TheGravygun2 ай бұрын
My dad had one as a company car back in the early '80s in Jersey. What a smooth ride took my driving test in this vehicle.
@townhall054463 ай бұрын
I bought a regular LTD II (looks the same) as a beater for $650, bought it from a lady who worked at a car dealer and who sold off some trade-ins on the side to make a few bucks. Someone had traded this one in and in the glovebox I found receipts for : new exhaust, new battery, new fuel tank, new radiator, new tires, new brakes - all recent. The car had a problem though which turned out to be a throttle position sensor. I think after putting all that money into when the TPS went bad the owner said 'enough' and traded it. I fixed that and it was a fantastic car. Power everything, AC, cruise, stereo, it all worked. And it looks like it was standing still when it was going 60; no cop would give it a second look or even a first. And it had the most comfortable seats of ANY car I have ever owned. My wife named that car 'Myrna'.
@ltdscott3 ай бұрын
Just LTD, not LTD II.
@jefferypeters35363 ай бұрын
Drove one as a deputy back the late eighties. Always thought it would be fun to have one as a personal car as a sleeper.
@yaboykris21183 ай бұрын
These are awesome! 👏 I just recently bought an 89 Mustang GT so it’s cool to now know there was a 4 door version of it.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Good stuff man with the GT! And thank you
@57970293 ай бұрын
I special ordered a 1983. LTD II early in production. Black on black, with red accents. 4 speed manual. The sales manager at the Ford dealer thought my build order looked a little bizarre. It looked good and performed great. It suited us well until the new Taurus was introduced. My 87 was a LX with every conceivable option. After totaling it, I replaced it with the same, but a wagon this time. That car was ahead of its time, back then.
@ltdscott3 ай бұрын
Just LTD, not LTD II. If it had a 4-speed it had to be a 4-cylinder. And yes, I'm going to reply to every single comment incorrectly calling this an LTD II. As a 25+ year owner of these cars, people misidentifying the model name is a major pet peeve.
@SurnaturalM3 ай бұрын
I had a 1980 cougar XR7 and the handling was very good, with the 302 4 bbl it was a very fun car to drive, and the interior was very pleasant. It has the same dashboard as the marquis, with silver dials which illuminated green at night, I really loved that car. It was based on the same body as the ltd.
@Mark_3173 ай бұрын
There's an LTD LX in my hometown it's painted bright red and the fire department has been using it since it was brand new. When I was in high school the car was brought down to the shop so that the kids in the auto shop could soup it up it got a cam headers aluminum heads aluminum intake and a 4-barrel carburetor. It produced 350 horsepower to the rear tires when we ran on the Dyno in our school. Still see it driving around from time to time in Cumberland Rhode Island and the siren is not as loud as the exhaust.
@05gtdriver3 ай бұрын
When the LTD LX debuted in 1984, it had the exact engine as the automatic transmission equipped Mustang GT for 1984(both rated at 165hp). For 1985, the automatic equipped Mustang GT was rated at 180hp due to a less restrictive exhaust system(quasi-dual exhaust behind the single catalytic converter), but the LTD LX maintained it's 165hp rating as it still retained the single exhaust system as in 1984. These are non-roller camshaft 302 H.O.s. Only the 5 speed manual equipped Mustang GTs for 1985 received the roller cam 302 H.O. engines rated at 210hp. The 1984 5 speed manual equipped Mustang GT was rated at 175hp and is a non-roller cam 302 H.O. Ford also made a Police Special package in 1984-85 for the LTD LX, using the 302 H.O. CFI engine. A buddy bought one in the late 80s at an auction. For the time, it hauled butt!
@ltdscott3 ай бұрын
You're spot on. Interestingly, at least one 1985 LTD LX ad stated the engine was good for 175 HP compared to 165 HP in '84 (Google "Bondurant LTD LX ad" since KZbin doesn't like external links), but Ford didn't make any material changes to the engine or exhaust between '84 and '85 (it didn't gain the dual exhaust or tubular headers like Mustang got in '85) so I'm pretty sure the LTD LX was rated at 165 HP all the way through the end of production.
@warrenny3 ай бұрын
VERY nice video. First time to hear about this car. I was young in those days...meaning I should have heard about it.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@Blackinterceptor9993 ай бұрын
I had a 1985 2 door LTD Crown Victoria 5.0l, the performance was nothing to write home about but it had tons of potential using parts from many different other fords...I was going to swap in the drivetrain from the V8 Ford Explorer including the full wiring and installing the extended tailshaft and driveshaft from a police 4r70Rw...Swap in the chassis from a 2003+ Panther... My aunt had the baby LTD wagon but hers had a 3.8l V8 with 2 barrel throttle body injection...it lacked power and had a hard time getting out of its own way...
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Why didn’t you?
@Blackinterceptor9993 ай бұрын
@@GreenHawkDrive I was trying to, but the project fell through due to unrelated problems I had most of the parts to do it too,
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Darn man, I don’t know what to say. That’s the way life goes sometimes.
@tedhenry44463 ай бұрын
I purchased a 1985 LTD with 6,000 miles in December 1986 for $6000. First car out of college and the idea was to have a reliable sedan for my busy career. I want to say it was the LX and it was loaded with options. It broke down on me day +2 of ownership and many times after that. The EFI and computer chip malfunctions were the causes and no repair seemed to be a long-term fix. Pros: nice interior, held 2 couples comfortably, powerful enough but no race car, looked like a police car. Cons: poor reliability, not sporty enough for my age and looked like a police car. After 2.5 years of ownership and 60,000 miles, it drained my bank account for the last repair and I sold it. Funny enough, I replaced it with a 1986 Dodge ES Turbo convertible mentioned in your video. That car turned out to be one of the best running vehicles I've owned and certainly one of the most fun. Thank you for your video!
@deejaycolleta97783 ай бұрын
I'm lucky enough to own two 84 low mileage LX's. One is a 58,000 mile CA. car & the other a 85,000 mile Virginia car, both of them are VERY clean. They are special cars to drive & I love both. Unfortunately most cars guys have no idea what they are & people walk right past them at shows. But the Foxbody guys know & that's fine by me.....
@Kenneth-fu3js3 ай бұрын
Good video! My buddy had the wagon version for his first car! His mom gave it to him and we had TONS of fun in that car!!!!!! We used to deliver the Sunday paper in it and when we finished we would party hard the rest of the day!! This was my underage drinking era!😆👍🏽🥃
@RhinoXpress3 ай бұрын
They did make an 86 model of the LTD in limited numbers. You can spot one by the 3rd brake light. The reason why was, because Ford had no idea how the public was going to take the new Ford Taurus's rounded shape. So, they continued to make the Ford LTD along side the new Ford Taurus for a year.
@b.s.adventures94213 ай бұрын
Always loved these, and all the other weird fox platform cars. Fairmont’s, early boxy tbird’s, 4 eye aero tbird’s, mark vii’s. Easy to build into a sleeper fox body back when boxy 80s cars were still common.
@lsrx1013 ай бұрын
Don't forget the Lincoln Mark VII LSC, a Mustang GT in a tuxedo.
@b.s.adventures94213 ай бұрын
@@lsrx101 it’s in my list. I had one of those. Such a fun sleeper
@michiganborn83033 ай бұрын
This car was my favorite "Banana in the tail pipe" Beverly Hills Cop moment.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
I should have added that clip in there
@paulie-Gualtieri.3 ай бұрын
You're not gonna fall for the banana in the tailpipe? It should be more natural, brother. It should flow out, like this - "Look, man, I ain't fallin' for no banana in my tailpipe!" See, that's more natural for us. You been hanging out with this dude too long.
@michiganborn83033 ай бұрын
@@paulie-Gualtieri. 🤣😅😂
@michiganborn83033 ай бұрын
@@paulie-Gualtieri. BHC - 4 is supposed to be out this year.
@paulie-Gualtieri.3 ай бұрын
@michiganborn8303 Looking forward to it 👍
@joelharris30733 ай бұрын
I like listening to your channel when I’m getting ready for work in the morning, chills me out 😎
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Wow, that means a lot man. Thank you 😊
@aleblanc51193 ай бұрын
Thumbs up, new subsriber. Amazing how much the big three cars looked alike at that time. Being born in the 60s I remember the hunt for performance in the late 70s and 80s.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
I appreciate that man!
@landonbenford83693 ай бұрын
I disagree. 20th century cars were almost painfully easy to differentiate. Especially because they had badges on at least 2 sides. Today's cars all look like they came from the same mold. I can't tell a Buick from a Honda from a BMW!!😢
@Vincent-3963 ай бұрын
I have loved these cars since I was a kid wanting one. Great video.
@palco223 ай бұрын
I owned the fourth-generation 1983 Mercury Marquis (Ford LTD) and it was a great little machine. The 3.8 V6 was more than enough and the ride was quiet and smooth. Sold it after 8 years and 210,000 miles.
@104thDIVTimberwolf21 күн бұрын
We used them as Police Cars when I was in the Air Force in the mid/late '80s. They really were fantastic.
@RoadRunnergarage85703 ай бұрын
I have built the AMT 1/25 scale model kit of the 89 Taurus SHO... A very enjoyable build!!
@japojo19583 ай бұрын
That was a Ford Fairmont. I had one with a 2.3 l 4 cylinder and it was a really practical car. I had get out and push it up the hills but if you didn't mind being passed by loaded semis, it was a really good car.
@davidmckinney65773 ай бұрын
I loved them cars i had a eighty four mercury marquis and a ford ltd also.I wish i would have kept them u don't see them anymore. Awesome video my friend thanks for remembering them.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Good stuff man and thank you!
@jwestphal19783 ай бұрын
The EFI 5.0 was also in the mustang in '85, but only the automatic transmission version! If you ordered the 5 speed it had the carbureted engine, which did indeed make more power.
@xltoffroadbear3 ай бұрын
Very cool car! I've never seen one in person, but always wanted one. All the "Police Spec" upgrades and 5.0 made it a 4 door Mustang.
@r.c.reasor48073 ай бұрын
Has anyone ever seen a 1980 Ford Granada with a 4 speed manual transmission? I owned one back in the late 80's. It had the shift pattern on the shifter knob. It was sold as a 3 speed with the fourth gear designated Over Drive. It was a very reliable car . All power from the steering to the brakes everything. And it was a 2 door so it looked good for it's day and was very quiet with smooth comfortable ride. I ended up going through a divorce and I had to sell it. I still wish I had kept it. I have never seen another!
@StinkzMehaff3 ай бұрын
Dang man, this is your best yet. Crazy details, this is awesome!
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thank you man, I appreciate that!
@Lovemonkey20053 ай бұрын
You did a great job on this one. I love the Fords from the 80s
we old gear heads know what that is. A 5 liter 4 door mustang
@llegacy18703 ай бұрын
Great video. What a super car to have.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thank you man, I agree
@donkarnes59463 ай бұрын
I was working at a Ford dealer when these came out. Pretty cool for the time, on the leading edge of tech with the FI. Pity they didn't make them longer. As for a modern perspective, 5.0 motor has great aftermarket support . One of these would make a great sleeper project.
@autochatter3 ай бұрын
Those short lived LTDs replaced the Fairmont, and they had V8s available too. Similar cars, and I always thought of them as a refreshed Fairmont with no 2 doors available. Great vid Hawk!
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Good point and thank you!
@KDoyle43 ай бұрын
The Tempo replaced the Fairmont. The Fox platform LTD replaced the Granada.
@autochatter3 ай бұрын
@KDoyle4 It technically did yes..But the Fairmont was only a inch shorter than the LTD, and had the same width and wheelbase of a Fairmont if memory serves. They dressed up a Fairmont as a stop gap model untill the Taurus arrived LOL. I was implying that the Fairmont was a pretty close cousin to the LTD that's all.
@ericbitzer52473 ай бұрын
Yes! The Fairmont and the Mercury Zephyr.
@jswem823 ай бұрын
Well the Granada was already a dressed up Fairmont, and even shared interior components with it. The LTD was just kinda gen 3 Fox sedan in design IMHO. It had the dash from the previous gen Fox T-bird and a mixture of other Ford componentry and a new V6. It was sold concurrently with the Fairmont for one model year though, so in terms of model line up, seems like it replaced Granada.
@mikevan52193 ай бұрын
I had one of these in the early 90s it was used and it had sum go under the hood. It was very reliable by early 2000s my son drove it to college. It finally quit in 2012 my family drove every mile out of that car.
@bulldawg72323 ай бұрын
I had a 84 ltd, installed rear air shocks so it was jacked up a bit in the rear, loved that car
@frankdeboer13473 ай бұрын
I had a Zephyr, the Fairmont twin, with a 3. 3 l six. It had 88 horsepower; that's it. 145 hp in basically the same car would have seemed amazing.
@CSmith-gb1sl3 ай бұрын
I remember that LX. I used to drive the Wagon version of it for a company I worked for.
@landonbenford83693 ай бұрын
8:01 Green Hawk, you answered your own question. Those red accents are in the middle of the rubber bodyside moldings. In the 80's and 90's bodyside moldings were available, usually optional, but standard on the top-of-the-line trims, on almost every car and at least some trucks. They're to protect your vehicle's body if someone parks next to you like in a supermarket lot and opens their doors just a little too far. Especially if that other vehicle Doesn't have moldings. Haven't seen those moldings on a new car in what feels like 2 decades at least. Don't know why the industry stopped making them other than to make the body shops richer. Remember all that plastic cladding on the lower thirds of GM cars and trucks from the mid-90's on, i.e. the Aztek, Grand Am, Avalanche?? That was decorative molding!😎😎I think some XJ Cherokees had them, too. Or was it the First- and Second-Generation Grand Cherokees??🧐Well, You get the picture!🤧
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thank you man, that's what I was thinking
@commandertopgun2 ай бұрын
I TOTALLY ENJOYED IT, I AM A FORD FANBOY, SO I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. IT WAS EXTREMELY INFORMATIVE TOO, as I always fell in love with these LTD LXs, but never could find videos on them as I didn't realize they were limited produced for just one year, I hope I can find a good one soon on my bucket list for 2024/25. Great video review overall. Thanks for posting & for an amazing channel
@GreenHawkDrive2 ай бұрын
Thank you for the kind words man!
@JohnDove3 ай бұрын
I had a 85 LTD wagon. It came with a 3.8 V6 and 3 speed auto. I swapped a 351W and 5 speed manual into it. It was a fun car.
@manfredmann27663 ай бұрын
Cars that used to look ugly back in the day are looking nice today. Would have never taken a second look at that type of car in the mid 80s, but now I would equate it with a collectible.
@gsdfan84553 ай бұрын
They came out when I was in my early teens when I was starting to get into cars, the Mustang my perpetual favorite. I don’t remember these.
@Americancitizen13 ай бұрын
I loved the Mustang of the time and I always wanted one of these! This with the fuel injected 5.0 from 1987 would have been awesome! Rebuild the 5.0 with the stroker kit and WOW!
@cantwealljustgetalong23 ай бұрын
i miss these days, gm ford and chrysler had SO MANY different cars these were the glory days the 70s 80s and 90s
@JoeHinesFla3 ай бұрын
My grandfather had the regular Mercury version of this car when I was a kid. When I was in highschool my father who was a mechanic and racer tried to convince me how great that car would be as a sleeper. I didn’t get it back then but it makes sense now. Would have.l been cool to throw some Mustang suspension upgrade on it and go act a fool.
@FLguzzirider3 ай бұрын
The agency I worked for had what we referred to as the little LTD's, as opposed to the full-size Crown Vics we had previously. The LTD was a reskinned Fairmont both on the Fox body, as Ford called it. My regret was not buying the police package Mustang LX. It was light, nimble, and quick for its day. Aah, woulda, coulda, shoulda.
@AledPritchard3 ай бұрын
Obviously another great video, I have a real liking for Ford’s, so this was definitely right up my street. The Taurus SHO looks so good, as do all the other cars in this video. Really interesting video, nice one mate! 👌🏻
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thank you man! I like Fords too especially those first and second gen SHOs.
@AledPritchard3 ай бұрын
@@GreenHawkDrive Yeah totally agree with you
@charlesgraham99543 ай бұрын
long story short, my grandfather bought this car new, he passed away in 1988 and my cousin got the car, first thing he did was strip all the smog and put a carb on it. it was crazy how that lil bit woke the car up. lol
@superjvt713 ай бұрын
Awesome car. Would’ve love one in the early 90s.
@tettazwo98653 ай бұрын
Didn't know about these, thx!
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@cheske77413 ай бұрын
You definitely are more than good. Your knowledge is impressive and I very much enjoy your videos. I have learned something from every video of yours that I have watched. Thank you.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Hey man, thank YOU for continuing to watch and comment😎
@allenkranawetter94823 ай бұрын
The LTD LX was cool
@daveallen88243 ай бұрын
What a difference an engine makes. My company car for a few years was a 1984 Marquis with the most wheezy 6 cylinder possibly ever made. I believe that this was likely the slowest car I have ever driven. Combine the maybe 80 hp six with the bulk of the Marquis, saddle it with a 2. whatever rearend, and you simply drove everywhere with your foot flat on the floor, which I suspect probably negated any fuel savings there might have been. I remember rushing my wife to the hospital for the birth of our second son and pounding on the steering wheel trying to make the turd accelerate just a little faster...
@3ofus1353 ай бұрын
I grew up in the 1980's...great music...boxy cars.
@cheharrison71073 ай бұрын
Don't think I've ever seen one of those before, cool looking car, id take one over the Mustang of the same era it's got better simpler lines. Lowered, nice set of small deep dish wheels and better induction and exhaust! Thanks for the knowledge man 🤘
@hughjaass37873 ай бұрын
My parents bought an LTD when I was 15yrs old. A year later, I took my buddies on a little jumping trip, when we jumped a RXR crossing at 45mph. Destroyed the oil pan, radiator, both headlights, and spent all summer working in orange groves of Florida, paying $1500 to my parents. But I got over 2 feet of air when we jumped. 😂
@peterdarr3833 ай бұрын
Autocrossing in the '90's a guy had a Ford Fairmont with a 351 and a really tight suspension set-up and wide slicks who was always a few seconds faster than me.
@guns23173 ай бұрын
I had a Ford LTD around 1989, even with the V6 it was a good car, only had a few repairs done to it while I had it. I had NO idea that the car could have a V8 under the hood until decades after I had sold it. If I only knew then what I know now.... I would have kept it and had a 5.0 dropped under the hood, and put Mustang suspension components on it. Woulda, coulda, shoulda!
@christophersmith11553 ай бұрын
my brother had this LTD. It was very good.
@permanentwaves46213 ай бұрын
I remember those rubber covered rims- I worked at a tire shop way back and we had a few old Fords and I think a late 70's early 80's Mustang 4cyl come in. Trying to rig those up on the balancer was stupid. So spongy. Damn those were dumb. On a side note, you mentioned the column shifter and no console in the cop car. I had a 71 Mercury Cyclone that was like that. It was one of 23 built for LEO use, (hypo), I think AZ, but they never got delivered and were sold to the workers at the Ford plant at a steep discount. The HYPO went a four door Dodge at the last minute. Coronets?? Satellites?? IDK. I had number 20. Found the paperwork in the glove box and the trunk. I was the 2nd owner in 1987. THAT car is rare, beyond rare.
@ltdscott3 ай бұрын
Great job for a modern article on this car! I have owned 5 of these and am the owner of the white LX you featured several times in the video. Amazingly there isn't much to correct here. The only thing I'd call out is the horsepower rating. The LTD LX came with exactly the same 5.0L HO engine as automatic trans equipped '84 Mustangs (which makes sense since the LTD LX debuted in late '84) which was rated at 165 HP in both the LTD and Mustang. As you mentioned, in '85 the Mustang gained dual exhaust which raised output on the automatic CFI engine to 180 HP. Only the 5-speed manual trans Mustangs got the 210 HP 4-barrel 5.0L HO, so it's not exactly fair to compare the automatic LTD LX to the manual trans Mustang.
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
Let me start off by saying what a great car you have and the photos of it really helped me out! I agree that it’s not fair to compare, I was just using it as a reference for viewers. Cheers man!
@ltdscott3 ай бұрын
@@GreenHawkDrive Thanks for the compliment! I came to this video totally expecting it to be full of inaccuracies and tired tropes as is often the case with modern retrospectives on Malaise Era cars, but was very pleasantly surprised to see that was not the case. I was especially impressed you got the production figures right. Lots of books/articles state that 3360 total LTD LXs were built, but through Marti reports fans of the car have determined it was actually over 5000. Well done!
@GreenHawkDrive3 ай бұрын
I spent many hours doing research and know exactly what you’re talking about when it comes to production numbers. Thank you again