Ford LTD LX: The 4-door Mustang You Never Heard Of...

[@miltonprell8834]

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.

[@buzzwaldron6195]

LTD should have gotten at least a 351"/5.8L engine...

[@jonwaterbury3312]

@@buzzwaldron6195 that's exactly what I was thinking.

[@1983jblack]

​​​@@buzzwaldron6195Would have made it too nose heavy

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@1983jblack [ It was discontinued by then. I believe the Granada had a two venturi 351 option.

[@PapaJeff58]

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. 😁

[@tracydavis8002]

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.

[@MyWillypilly]

Hell, that is faster than most cop cars of the time.

[@Hunksta_Cartoons]

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.

[@Maximus20778]

Ofc it has no problems, it's under 100k miles

[@nycmaverick]

We had a 1978 Ford Granada with a 302 . I remember doing donuts in the high school parking lot cranking AC/DC lol

[@louyork8379]

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.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thanks for sharing that story man. I appreciate you coming back every week😎

[@louyork8379]

@@GreenHawkDrive heck yeah, man. You keep making them and I’ll keep watching them lol

[@ltdscott]

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.

[@louyork8379]

@@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-Flesh]

@@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.

[@georgeclark-uz7ld]

I had a police unit, rebuilt the engine, ran very well. I then got a LX and loved it. Wish I still had it.

[@danielberning1240]

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.

[@ksigurdsen034482]

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.

[@jvcyt298]

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.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

That’s awesome, wow

[@johngalt9737]

I have seen video of a brown wagon like that auto crossing

[@jvcyt298]

@@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.

[@johngalt9737]

@@jvcyt298 my guy was on the west coast. Popular sleeper conversion

[@jswem82]

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! 👏🍻

[@ashotinthedark3182]

Rear wheel drive should make a comeback !

[@JTA1961]

Amen

[@Johnnycdrums]

Well, it sort of never went away, thank God.

[@kellingtonlink956]

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.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thanks for watching man 😊

[@GMbowtie350]

@@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.

[@sailingspark9748]

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.

[@gman3109]

4V is not 4 valve, it's 4 Venturi. Ford speak for a 4.barrel carburetor

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Crap

[@ethics3]

Correct

[@Visionary_Watcher]

This makes my aunt's '83 LTD much cooler than what i previously realized

[@JustRusting]

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.

[@dannyg6592]

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.

[@wkanost]

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.

[@Carguy442]

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.

[@robertstone9988]

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.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Yeah, that’s my mistake man. Thinking back on it, I have no idea what happened😂

[@brianfeeney3936]

he said that they came with the 5.0 EFI. and you spelled ventury wrong it's venturi

[@robertstone9988]

@@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.

[@robertstone9988]

@@GreenHawkDrive no offense just a heads up.

[@tranerekt1731]

The intake isn’t carbonated. It’s carbureted.

[@JmarcusKmart12]

Amazing And you're right, the Taurus was very overlooked with its last gen

[@GreenHawkDrive]

It definitely was. They make great power too!

[@JmarcusKmart12]

@@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

[@DMETS519]

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.

[@TheGravygun]

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.

[@bikingD]

Has an 84 LTD LX in silver. Loved that car.

[@wakelyb81]

I had a black 1986 LTD Brougham 3.8L with red interior. It was so comfortable and drove great. I always said it was an extended mustang. Wish I still had that car.

[@thechuckster6838]

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.

[@mktashkent]

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.

[@dreallday580]

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

[@StreetersGarage]

Awesome video. As a kid from the 80’s. I completely forgot about it. Thanks for posting.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Hey man, thanks for watching!

[@gkstanfield]

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..!)

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

First gen Taurus SHO looked great 👍

[@GoonSquadLifeMember]

Way ahead of its time. 3.0 Yamaha-designed engine, 220 HP.

[@xltoffroadbear]

My buddy had the first gen SHO and I later bought a 93 SHOmatic .

[@jefferypeters3536]

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.

[@ronsloan7662]

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!

[@JTA1961]

Same here

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thanks for your continued support man!

[@warrenny]

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.

[@RollinTwentySix]

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

[@SurnaturalM]

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.

[@yaboykris2118]

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.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Good stuff man with the GT! And thank you

[@theprinceofsnj]

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.

[@Stinger430]

I've never heard of this one before. Never! Thanks Hawk!!!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thanks for watching Stinger😎

[@jwestphal1978]

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.

[@dedeborya9015]

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.

[@GoonSquadLifeMember]

Elwood: "So whaddya say....is this the new Blues Mobile, or what??" Jake: "Fix the cigarette lighter!!"

[@104thDIVTimberwolf]

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.

[@raw-op9ti]

I had one it was a fl state trooper car loved it was fast and fun too drive

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Right on man, there was a 5 second picture of a FHP LTD.

[@Mark_317]

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.

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

I have built the AMT 1/25 scale model kit of the 89 Taurus SHO... A very enjoyable build!!

[@b.s.adventures9421]

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.

[@lsrx101]

Don't forget the Lincoln Mark VII LSC, a Mustang GT in a tuxedo.

[@b.s.adventures9421]

@@lsrx101 it’s in my list. I had one of those. Such a fun sleeper

[@ramonlevine8012]

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.

[@davidgrisez]

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.

[@palco22]

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.

[@joelharris3073]

I like listening to your channel when I’m getting ready for work in the morning, chills me out 😎

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Wow, that means a lot man. Thank you 😊

[@Americancitizen1]

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!

[@tedhenry4446]

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!

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

Early and into summer 1984 Mustang GT 5.0 5 speed carbureted were 175hp. 1984-3/4 Mustang GT 5.0 5 speed carburated were 205hp. Changeover was around July 12th 1984. 1984 Mustang GT 5.0 automatic with EFI were 165hp. 1984 LTD LX 5.0 automatic were all EFI were 165hp. 1985 Mustang GT 5.0 5 speed carbureted were 210hp. 1985 Mustang GT 5.0 automatic with EFI were 185hp. 1985 LTD LX 5.0 automatic were all EFI were 185hp. So the LTD LX 5.0 got the same EFI engine as the same year EFI automatic Mustang GT.

[@ltdscott]

No official Ford records anywhere show 185HP for the LTD. Some ads did state 175HP. But the LTD never got the dual muffler exhaust that the Mustang did in 1985, so in 1985 the LTD made less power than the Mustang.

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

@@ltdscott I was a teenager back then and I with a passion read everything Ford related that I could find and I stand by the numbers I posted.

[@ltdscott]

@@MustangsTrainsMowers I respectfully disagree. I'm probably as close as you can get to a living expert on these cars (my white LTD LX was featured several times in this video, and was also the car Hemmings used to feature in their LTD LX buyers' guide), have owned 5 of these cars, and have been collecting documentation on them for the last 25 years and I haven't seen one single piece of Ford-produced documentation saying the LTD LX ever had 185HP. The famous Bondurant magazine ad did say 175HP, which is the only place I've seen any numbers other than 165HP. I have plenty of evidence to back this up but sadly KZbin won't allow external links. Oh and you're mistaken on the '85 Mustang automatic power figures too - they were 180HP, not 185, and that 15HP bump compared to '84 was due to tubular style headers and dual exit exhaust which the Mustang gained in '85 but the LTD didn't.

[@bulldawg7232]

I had a 84 ltd, installed rear air shocks so it was jacked up a bit in the rear, loved that car

[@CSmith-gb1sl]

I remember that LX. I used to drive the Wagon version of it for a company I worked for.

[@xltoffroadbear]

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.

[@5797029]

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.

[@ltdscott]

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.

[@townhall05446]

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'.

[@ltdscott]

Just LTD, not LTD II.

[@JohnDove]

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.

[@05gtdriver]

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!

[@ltdscott]

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.

[@davidmckinney6577]

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.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Good stuff man and thank you!

[@aleblanc5119]

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.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that man!

[@landonbenford8369]

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!!😢

[@japojo1958]

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.

[@superjvt71]

Awesome car. Would’ve love one in the early 90s.

[@LITTLE1994]

Wasn't the LTD Crown Victoria a four-door Mustang itself? It shared the Windsor V8.

[@deejaycolleta9778]

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.....

[@donkarnes5946]

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.

[@autochatter]

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!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Good point and thank you!

[@KDoyle4]

The Tempo replaced the Fairmont. The Fox platform LTD replaced the Granada.

[@autochatter]

​@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.

[@ericbitzer5247]

Yes! The Fairmont and the Mercury Zephyr.

[@jswem82]

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.

[@EdAb]

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.

[@Kenneth-fu3js]

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!😆👍🏽🥃

[@landonbenford8369]

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!🤧

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you man, that's what I was thinking

[@dansimon1100]

I'd never had the LTD. LX But I've had a few these cars. My grandmother had one when I was a kid.

[@Vincent-396]

I have loved these cars since I was a kid wanting one. Great video.

[@RhinoXpress]

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.

[@Lovemonkey2005]

You did a great job on this one. I love the Fords from the 80s

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I appreciate that brother, I do too

[@mikevan5219]

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.

[@christophersmith1155]

my brother had this LTD. It was very good.

[@RANDOMNATION907]

Any Thing _Fox_ . . . . . Rocks! Outstanding platform.

[@gsdfan8455]

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.

[@peterdarr383]

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.

[@permanentwaves4621]

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.

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

Too bad Ford did not offer the HO 5.0 210hp with a 5 speed manual as an optional order. Now that would have been the coolest 4 door on the market and very collectable today. A missed opportunity but they did build the SHO Taurus, so there is that. Someone has probably dropped a newer Coyote with six speed in an LX.

[@daveallen8824]

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...

[@jasoncarpp7742]

I remember this version of the Ford LTD. I found this way more attractive than the standard LTD, with the vertical grille.

[@frankdeboer1347]

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.

[@90STETURBO]

we old gear heads know what that is. A 5 liter 4 door mustang

[@BlackTownie999]

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...

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Why didn’t you?

[@BlackTownie999]

@@GreenHawkDrive I was trying to, but the project fell through due to unrelated problems I had most of the parts to do it too,

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Darn man, I don’t know what to say. That’s the way life goes sometimes.

[@3ofus135]

I grew up in the 1980's...great music...boxy cars.

[@charlesgraham9954]

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

[@michiganborn8303]

This car was my favorite "Banana in the tail pipe" Beverly Hills Cop moment.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

I should have added that clip in there

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

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.

[@michiganborn8303]

@@paulie-Gualtieri. 🤣😅😂

[@michiganborn8303]

@@paulie-Gualtieri. BHC - 4 is supposed to be out this year.

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

@michiganborn8303 Looking forward to it 👍

[@petestaint8312]

Always loved these cars. Not a bad looking car for the day. 👍

[@104thDIVTimberwolf]

We used them as Police Cars when I was in the Air Force in the mid/late '80s. They really were fantastic.

[@commandertopgun]

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

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you for the kind words man!

[@TheManTheMythTheLegend15]

Fr. I drove this once on a Roblox game called Central Kansas. It somewhat resembles a 4 door fox body mustang.

[@llegacy1870]

Great video. What a super car to have.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you man, I agree

[@warrenny]

VERY nice video. First time to hear about this car. I was young in those days...meaning I should have heard about it.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you!

[@donreinke5863]

Those cars used to be fairly common back in the late 80s/early 90s. They were actually similar to the 1980-82 Thunderbirds, also a Fox body vehicle, but the LTD had fuel injected 302 engines while except for a few top-option cars, the Thunderbirds had the beyond hideous 255 V-8, the intake and exhaust ports on those reminded me a lot of Briggs and Stratton lawn equipment engines. Im currently building a roller cam 302 to put in a 1981 Thunderbird I found a couple years ago.

[@GreenHawkDrive]

255-V8, that’s awful good grief😂

[@donreinke5863]

@@GreenHawkDrive A 255, 2.27 rear axle gears and a 3 speed C-4 automatic transmission gets you 0-60 best timed with a calendar. That--is what the 81 Thunderbird I have was originally equipped with. Only an early 70s 2 speed Powerglide equipped Vega was slower. (I drove a couple of those) Ford only made those god-awful 255s for 3 years.

[@StinkzMehaff]

Dang man, this is your best yet. Crazy details, this is awesome!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thank you man, I appreciate that!

[@tettazwo9865]

Didn't know about these, thx!

[@GreenHawkDrive]

Thanks for watching!

[@7272nighthawk]

I have seen a few people graft GT front end on some of these to make a true 4door 5.0 stang

[@FLguzzirider]

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.

[@r.c.reasor4807]

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!