Ford LTD II - Should it have replaced the Torino?

[@mikepibworth7027]

I learned to drive in my dad's '77 LTD II Wagon. Metallic Dark Brown with the faux-wood panelling on the sides; split bench front seat in orangy-beige vinyl, with no AC. On a hot summer day, your legs would sweat, causing you to slide on the seats going around corners. It had the 351 in it, but was pretty gutless. Speedometer only went to 80MPH, and I"m pretty sure it never actually made it to that speed. Had a 'lear' cassette deck as well. Only 2 rows of seating - the boot was most often used for hockey gear, but had a storage compartment under the floor. To this day, my father says that was the best riding car he's owned, probably due to the long wheelbase.

[@kc0lif]

real wood

[@frankhonyotski510]

My first car was a 1977 LTD 2 red with the Starsky and Hutch stipes. I bought it in 1987 for $500 and had to sell it several years later after I went into the US Navy to buy a plane ticket home for Christmas. That car was awesome and I wish I still had it!

[@codyluka8355]

I own one of these and I love it. It's a 1978 LTD ll with the Sports Appearance Package and it has just about every option except A/C. It even has the 40 channel CB, which still works. It is a survivor and I bought it from an estate a number of years ago with only 30k miles on it. I love taking it to car shows where it gets a lot of attention. Not many left now. The 351 M is no powerhouse but it has no trouble keeping up with traffic on the freeway. As long as there is enough gas in the tank, it will do just about any speed you want. Great ride, great boulevard cruiser. Just don't expect great cornering abilities. Fuel mileage is decent if you set the cruise at 65 and take your time. I'm not in any hurry when I take her out for a cruise.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very awesome to hear about your car. I have only seen a few of those CB units in person.

[@teebird94]

The GT/Sport versions were the most beautiful box on boxes ever made..lol..totally loved those back in my youth and love them more now.

[@gcfifthgear]

The new "Starsky and Hutch" look!

[@tomcat630]

@@gcfifthgear I think was meant to go on that show, but was turned down by ABC.

[@lvsqcsl]

The LTD II had quite a bit in common with the non-XR-7 Cougars right down to the vertical taillights. Aside from the minor trim differences, the Cougar Base and XR-7, the Thunderbird, the LTD II, and the Ranchero were all the same car. The wagon was only produced for 1977 as the Fairmont wagon took its place in 1978. Also, the wagon was the old Montego wagon because the Torino had a crease down the side. Cool Fact: On the front fender right behind the front wheel down low there was the word, "Torino." I guess Ford didn't want you to forget what the car was before 1977. GREAT VIDEO!

[@randshelton9588]

My FIRST car.. a brand new 1978 LTD II with the sports appearance package.. Black with the stripes. My parents traded in their 1973 Mercury Montego which was a powerhouse. My LTD II came with the 351 Cleveland engine and C6 trans. This year saw even more emissions gear and the problems that came with it. The car had a tendency to spark knock like crazy when using regular unleaded gas. My Dad was always angry that the only way to prevent it was to use the "white" Amaco premium fuel which at that time was around 79 cents/gallon. After multiple trips back to to the dealership and Dad threatning to drive it through the front showroom windows.. they finally got it tuned pretty good. Friends were amazed when you floored it from a standstill the 80 mph speedo would make a swift sprint passing the 80 mph mark.. It was a budget model.. no power windows or locks, tilt or even radio. Adding a then very nice radio and speakers were plenty and you could roll your own windows up and down, lock your doors and keep your steady speed.. It was a great car!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching and for sharing your story.

[@BlackPill-pu4vi]

I remember the smog era very well. The automakers could easily make a car run well on unleaded and with the emissions hardware hooked up but, the EPA would penalize every one and the price would be astronomical. You could have legal emissions levels or have it run right. I'm sure there was some wink wink nudge nudge that if a customer complained enough, the dealer would rejet the carb and timing to make it run right. I think that workaround was only done in states that didn't check for emissions.

[@allenwayne2033]

Threatening to drive it through the showroom windows! Ha! I imagine that got their attention! Now that's a real man!😀

[@bradyelich2745]

One does not buy a new car in 1978 with a Cleveland. Cleveland engines were stopped production in 1971. The last Fords to get those engines were top line models in 1972. Ford dealers in 1972 were selling 351C's for $2000 to clear the stock. Dad had a chance to buy all 5 in stock one time and we actually discussed it. I told Dad we needed tires on our discers, so he bought new radials and put them on the discers insstead. I was 7.

[@bradyelich2745]

It was a 351M not a C.

[@RichardMichel-m3g]

I drove a 1979 LTD II police car. It was comfortable but gutless. I don't know if it had the 351 or 302 but it was a dog. We got the full size LTDs and a couple of Chevy Citations the next year. The Fords were ok, Citations not so much! Love your channel.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for watching! The Panther Platform LTD is next weeks video and there is a segment on Police cars. ;)

[@tomcat630]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Look forward to it. Sales were slow first 3 years, then took off when gas prices stabilized.

[@BlackPill-pu4vi]

Either your 79 LTD II cop car was worn out or your municipality bought a bunch of lowest-bid fleet specials with the 302 and didn't understand the unique needs of a cop car.

[@RichardMichel-m3g]

I'm sure they were low bid. No air, no pwr windows or door locks. Just the 2nd or 3rd yr they got AM radios.

[@tomayres4237]

The Elite was a nice lookin car!!

[@chevken1831]

@@tomayres4237 I'd love to find an Elite with a 460 engine.

[@alakai66]

The LTD sport was my dad's subsidized patrol vehicle here in Hawaii. Loved the car, hated the memories that came with it.

[@luisalvarez23]

Thank you for the ride back to my childhood, my dad wanted an LTD II sport so bad

[@MS-wb5mf]

My dad had a company car that was a 4 door one of these, it was very roomy and rode as good as our 78 Lincoln; I also loved the styling .

[@bennetfox]

So this is the car that dude drove in Highway to Heaven (it was a TV show from the late '70s to early '80s starting. Michael Landon). I always thought it was a Mercury because it just had that look.

[@kc0lif]

that's true.

[@brianmoore6306]

I loved these cars too! My brother had a 1981 Mercury Capri. It went into the shop and something happened and the Mercury dealer gave him a loaner. It was the Ford LTD II, with the sports appearance package!! I told him to take it back and buy it and tell them to keep the Capri! He didn't. One of only a few mistakes he would make in his life!

[@my67falcon]

Was time to trade in the old '69 Pontiac wagon so my mom drug me and my brother to the local Ford dealership. Whilst my brother and I were checking out the 2tone LTDll coupe, my mom was talking to the salesman about an LTDll Squire. He was more than happy to discuss things when she came back with her husband. Now mom wasn't a cusser but the Fk you look she gave him was very apparent. She said, "Who is the manager?" Bubba went and came back with big daddy Bubba and my mom said, "This nice gentleman just sold me a station wagon." The managers face lit up and he started to talk. She interrupted him and said, "See that one across the street" pointing at the Oldsmobile dealership across the street. "That's the one he got me to buy." We jumped in the Pontiac, drove across the street and she asked the first salesman she saw, "Do I need my husband to buy a car?" I'll never forget the grin that man had as he looked back at the Ford dealer, then my mom, and said, "No ma'am, if your husband is anything like me, you make all the decisions anyway." We drove home in a cream with woodgrain '77 Vista Cruiser that day.

[@carycummings4305]

I had Torino's and LTD II as well as many of the Thunderbirds on that Chassis all were wonderful cars and had awesome ride quality

[@SuperMickey57]

You're a man of your word Tony! You said you were going to do a video on the LTD II and there it is! I had a 1978 LTD II Sport Coupe with the Sports Touring 2 tone paint in maroon and white. It was big and fast, my friends called it The Beast. Room for everyone as I've fit as many as nine people in it on the way home from clubbing.

[@hughjass1044]

Loved these cars back in the day!

[@sblsbl7600]

I was a teenager when the LTD came out. My friends dad bought one. The name LTD didn't make sense. LTD was short for limited and other car manufacturers used ltd to denote a limited production. My friends and I really liked the Grand Torino and we all watched Starksy and Hutch because of the car. When we first saw the LTD we thought the front of the car looked awful. I like it now but in 77 it was a shock. I did drive the 77 LTD once and I had driven a 74 Torino before. The Torino looked better, rode nicer and had a more powerful 351 compared to the LTD's 302. We all prefered the LTD over the T-Bird. The 79 T-Bird was gaudy with leather straps on the trunk and a vinyl top.

[@sff1987]

Back in 1979 when I was in high school a friend of mine had black one with sport option. I thought it was a great car and was a bit jealous. All I had was a 1978 Datsun 510. To me the LTD 2 was better than the new Camaro the school quarter back drove. Thanks for great report.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching!

[@PalmBeachDog]

Beautiful design. Great looking car. They should’ve just continue with the elite name. LTD II was a ridiculous name along with the MustangII.

[@althunder4269]

The wagons were well styled. Ford made good looking wagons.

[@davevan8864]

As a kid the guy across the street bought a new 78 LTD II in the black with red Sport package. I LOVED the car and to this day keep an eye out for one. Good examples go for more than I can justify today.....but I still think they were a great sample of the era. Thanks

[@gcfifthgear]

Of the three cars discussed here (LTD ii, Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar), I preferred the Cougar. The stacked vertical lights just didn't look right on that body design. Incidentally, the LTD ii wagon, which lasted just for 1977, came within 2.6 inches of being as long as the full-size LTD wagon (223.1" for LTD II, 225.7" for the full-size car!) And as the years past, the LTD II looked even more like the Thunderbird...

[@83rsturbo]

I had a buddy that had a LTD2 sport was a nice looking car

[@russellchastain841]

Torino elites were nice, comfortable

[@mrbreeze5556]

Another great review Tony! Coworker purchased a 79 with sport appearance package. It was white with burgundy striping. Buckets, console and floor shift. It was a great cruiser for draggin’ Douglas on Friday and Saturday night! Man I miss those days!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you and thanks for sharing!

[@user-vq3dc2se5d]

Gas was 34.9 a gallon, Who remember going and Five or 6.00 to fill up. These black cars with the red stripes were good looking cars, I only seen one of these but I would have bought one if I had found one,

[@karlbarfoot2846]

My first car was a Blue 78 LTD II Sport, with a 351M, Blue bucket seats with Crushed Velvet inserts, power seats and Windows. Car originally was special ordered by my uncle for my grandmother. I'd love to find another like it, as mine was junked in 1995, after my brother popped the motor, and the car was vandalized outside the high school automotive shop. I was in the Army at the time.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

There are a few sports for sale out on the web.

[@leepowell6754]

My sister had an LTDII, white stripes on black. Great looking car, especially with white wagon wheels & white letters... came across one in a salvage yard a couple years ago. Nearly cried.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025]

Similar redundant to have the fourth Thunderbird and the LTD 2. But at least back then the big three were trying different things. I prefer the Torino. Fancy paint job doesn't make it go faster either. Great video. I forgot about these cars.

[@edensker]

The Sport Appearance Package was quite the eye-catcher.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

sure was 6:20 saw a new one at the ford dealer near my high school but I was more looking at the new 79 mustang

[@PocketChangeInspector]

I remember those in '77 & '78 but wasn't driving yet. Really remember my mother liking the navy blue Merc Cougar at the time with the strange shade of tan vinyl roof or landau roof. I can appreciate them today.

[@xltoffroadbear]

Tony I'm loving your videos, they bring back so many memories. My twin brother had the 75 Elite and I had a 78 T-Bird, both bought used. These were great cars. I'd love to get the 77 Ranchero that shares the LTD II front fenders and that 78 LTD II S with black w/red stripes. Great video again!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you sir! I'm glad you are enjoying the content.

[@xltoffroadbear]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs you're right in my wheelhouse. I owned Pinto, Festiva, Grenada, Versaile , Crown Vic, 91 LX 5.0, Thunderbird, Ranger, Taurus SHO. And I drove Econoline vans, Escorts, Fairlane and Tempo at work. I owned Mariner and Escape too. Keep up the great shows!

[@lvsqcsl]

The 1977 LTD II had the same hood as the 1974-75 Gran Torino Elite and the 1976 Elite.

[@garyslentzii2796]

I absolutely love your videos sir. I wanted a Cougar or LTD back in the day. My buddy had an LTD & it was sweet. We towed his boat to a lake & had a great weekend. It pulled that boat like it wasn't even there, so much pull.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you very much and thanks for sharing.

[@BilllieverMinistry]

My 2 favorite LTD II models were the coupe equipped with any of the myriad of Sports Appearance Package colors (they were all striking) and the 1977 only wagon.

[@Cadillac61]

Great video! I owned a 78 4 door. I never realized how much was shared between the LTD 2 and the Tbird. So I basically owned a 4 door Tbird. Cool!

[@fredwilliams7893]

My first car! Drove it to high school! 1977. Silver exterior red interior. 351 400 midlen engine. 68k original miles was extremely clean. Kept in a barn!! Bought it for 1,600 bucks back in 93. Kinda miss that car!!

[@nealb8893]

The Ford LTD II was one of the most beautiful cars Ford ever produced, especially the sports version and my all time favorites, the ‘77 thru ‘79 Ranchero GT!!!! I would kill to have one of these classics in my garage, today!!!

[@dennyporter2447]

I had a 1978 LTD II.. I liked the styling, comfortable ride, with the 302 engine, I felt it was under powered for how big and heavy the car was.. at that stage in my life I didn't keep cars very long usually a year or two at best..

[@leaburnpatey2596]

Ford knew a downsizing was needed as GM trimmed their full sized and midsized cars. The LTD II was a fill in til Ford brought out the Fairmont and slimmer trimmer full size LTD which eventually became Crown Vics. Even the commercials were emphasing a " smaller" LTD

[@bobpierce115]

I really liked the '75-'76 Ford Elite. Very sharp, handsome coupe that was a needed Monte Carlo fighter in that ultra-hot category of the time. It also paved the way for the downsized T-Bird that was forthcoming. Could Ford have kept the existing Torino a few years longer? Yes. But nearly 50 years ago, style and freshness still mattered. Entering a new section of the decade, the LTD II was a wise move. I happen to LOVE the '77-'79 Cougar far more than the comparable T-Bird, but that's my taste. The LTD II coupe with the padded rear roof section was very close to the Cougar coupe. The LTD II 'S' was a beauty, and the 'Starsky & Hutch' model pictured right after it, was fresher and sexier than the one featured on the show. In 1979 when the regular LTD was downsized, of course the 'smaller' but now larger LTD II didn't sell well. GM was in that position with their mid-size cars being bigger than the new full-size models for 1977, until the downsized '78 models came out. But in closing, Ford got a lot of bang for their buck with the LTD II and its spinoffs, including the final 3 years of the beautiful Ranchero.

[@michaelpfister1283]

My first car was a Ford LTD II, bronze 2-door. Loved that car, but the NEXT car was better. A 1977 Cougar XR-7, silver with silver leather interior and a red pinstripe kit. Also a 2-door. Basically the same car, but the Cougar had a 351-W and it would go like a scalded bear. Loved that car. 🙂

[@19chucki74]

In my old neighborhood in the early 80s,a guy down the street owned a '79 Ford LTD II S hardtop coupe, with the sports stripes and wheels. It looked so cool, I tried drawing it and modernizing it. The four door hardtop is what I'll always remember from the hit series Highway To Heaven.

[@JosephEsler-u3j]

We had a "77 2 door coupe. Blew up the 302 and put a '71 351 Windsor with a 4 barrell in it. Really nice riding and driving car. I also had a '77 Ranchero built on the same LTD Ii platform. With the 400 and dual exhaust, I could catch a hard second gear with the C-^. Love to have eiither one today!

[@ScottieRC]

My parents had one of these when I was a kid. It was the two-tone was a 351. It was a tank and we always got compliments on it. Wish we had kept it

[@Curtis.StMartin]

I bought a 79 LTD ll brand new $6 grand and 2 years of payments less than $200 a month. Owned that car for 21 years and still have parts for it. It was the green own with the white stripe with the yellow and red pinstripes.

[@jongilles4199]

I always liked the looks of this car l owned a 77 t bird and loved it

[@bradwolfgang1037]

When viewed from the front, you can see a “veiled hint” of the “Big” Chevy Monte Carlo, especially the stacked rectangular headlights and the center “radiator grill” ala Monte Carlo. From the windshield back it was essentially a Thunderbird “sister”.

[@Kevv554]

Thanks, Tony. I had forgotten about these!

[@georgehgordy1690]

My Dad purchased a LTD II new in 1978 White with red stripes... I loved the way it looked with the stripes and my Dad really loved it too... For about 3 months,, It was getting time for the first oil change and my father always liked to pull the dipstick around that time to see how the oil looked.. And when he did it looked like oil was covered in silver glitter ( A lot more than breakin shavings ) So he took it to the Ford dealer that he purchased it from and I believe he was informed that some the cams in the 351M were flawed. But now you have an engine with over 3,000 miles that's been operating with tiny razor blades in it for that long ( My dad was a car guy, 66 Fairlane GTA a 68 Mustang GT ) So he knew that engine was screwed.. Ford wanted to replace it with a Black and Red LTD II and my Dad told them if he'd wanted a black and red one he would have bought one that color.. They told him that they could not locate another one with that color combination and the same options ( Most you see if you're lucky enough to see any at all today are the black and red ones ) So they bought it back and he bought my mom a 1979 T-Bird ( A black one.. Lol ) That was her color, not his.. But I thought it was fugly compared to that LTD II

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@mocrg]

I remember driving an LTD in 1980. To say I was unimpressed would be the least. Old fashioned interior. We got a T bird which I liked a lot.

[@mattburgess9312]

We had the 77 Wagon 9 passenger. And a 79 Midnight Blue Coupe with the White Vinyl top. Great cars

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very awesome

[@kaseygirl911]

I had one of these cars when I was younger. It was the hard top with the sport’s appearance package. It was brown with the black striping. Bucket seats, center console, rally gauges.. everything!! I loved that car. Ended up getting into a head on accident with it and totaled it out 😔

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment and sorry to hear about your car.

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

The LTD II, Cougar, Ranchero, and Lincoln Mark were all basically the same car in 1977, '78, and '79. For the most part, the differences were cosmetic. They were built on a 1974 Torino (Starsky and Hutch) chassis and because of that, a 460 would bolt right in. Also, the Mark had four wheel disc brakes, so a swap was easy. They were also the last cars built on Lee Iococca's "long nose/short rear deck" design before he left for Chrysler. I had one and it was a head turner. The ladies thought that it was the right combination of sporty and classy.

[@jimmywhite3922]

I'm a Ford guy thanks to dear ol' Dad. Going back to those days he had a 78 T'bird and my best friend came along somewhere in there with a Gran Torino Elite. And there was the Mercury Cougar. I never could figure out why they went with LTD II?. The base models were not what I call an LTD. Life with Ford cars gets kind of weird at times. And now they really don't make cars. Life is full of changes.

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

Some of those 70’s Fords had terribly steep rear axle ratios to meet emissions requirements. I think I remember one with a 2.26 or so rear axle ratio. My parents had a 1978 Thunderbird Diamond Jubilee Edition in ice cream yellow/white and it had the 351m. The ride was great and I believe it had front and rear sway bars. It cornered and accelerated quite well. I had wondered what potential it would have had with a 4 barrel, different intake and headers.

[@OathTaker3]

I loved mine but at the time I had a few other vehicles one being a 68 T-Bird so I really didn't need another personal luxury car & because it was so nice with low miles I sold it to a cop who wanted a safe reliable car for his daughter, it was a great deal for both of us. I must say it rode & felt more refined than T-Birds of the same generation which I had 3 of & none could match the LTD II in any way that counted to me.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing!

[@donaldwilson2620]

The LTD II did sell in decent numbers, but like you said, it got lost in the shadows, not only to the popularity of Ford's other models but mostly due to the success of GM's downsized models that came out at the same time as the LTD II. Ford realized that customers really do want full-size comfort, but in a smaller, more fuel efficient package that's also easier to maneuver.

[@Slimjim260]

LTD S is was gorgeous!!!!

[@sombra6153]

I remember the police package versions. The county where I lived and participated in the Explorer program had a handful with 400 2Vs. They weren’t very impressive although Edelbrock SP2P intakes, Holly 500 two barrels and some “work” on the cats popped up on two or three and made them perform better. I also recall a small town that bought one with a 302. It was probably adequate for tooling around a little farm town. Over all, the LTD II could have used some form of performance under the hood to match the styling. They weren’t necessary bad cars. Those old Fords were still comfortable to drive. Would be a nice project today.

[@nolarobert]

My best friend in high school had one of these behemoths. It did have a smooth ride but it drank gas at an alarming rate. I remember flooring it and watching the fuel gauge needle slowly move to the left. The 400 V8 did have good low-end torque but it was not 'sporty' like a Mustang II. My friend traded it in on a Ford EXP which was a much more enjoyable car to drive.

[@tomayres4237]

The gas gage moved faster then the Speedometer!!!!

[@lvsqcsl]

I had a cousin with an EXP and it was enjoyable to drive until the timing belt broke.

[@chryslerelectronicleanburn1676]

Bought a 1977 LTDII four-door sedan in 1999. It was dark blue had the full wheel covers white wall tires in the stand up hood ornament. It was a non-air-conditioned model with no rear window defogger or right side mirror. AM radio only. The car only had 22,000 Mi on it when I bought it 1999. It replaced my first car a 1973 AMC hornet that is the time had 60,000 miles on it. Bought the AMC hornet in 1992 with only 17,000 Mi on it

[@Slimjim260]

Wow Tony, emission regulations just killed the auto engine industry

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Not really. Dearborn and Detroit didn't yet know how to engineer a performance engine that ran clean and got decent horsepower. We have stricter regulations today and some the fastest ICE cars ever built.

[@Slimjim260]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs interesting, GM s 305s was a junker

[@billmead5052]

Always great info! Thanks Tony

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you!

[@michaelwhite2823]

Wow I inherited a 78 LTD Landau. I had no idea the LTD was almost as big. I thought it was just a Torino with square headlights. Maybe Ford covering tracks for Chevy's downsizing Love this channel. Informative and entertaining. Running out of Ford models. I'm afraid we need you to start doing GM, Mopar and AMC videos.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment and for the kind words. I have PLENTY of Ford products yet to cover. ;) You will a video once in a while from another make but because I have personal tie to someone that has one. ;)

[@Ken-l2e]

Had a 78 LTD 2S. Bare bones. am radio was the only option on the car. It hub covers not full wheel covers. It belonged to a friend of mine’s dad who was in his 80s. This was in 1990. The car had 34000 miles on it. She sold it to me for $1200.00. I drove it for 6 more years until the frame rotted out and the front end collapsed. Got $600.00 for it as a parts car from my neighbor. It had 90000 miles on it. No computer a simple carburetor and ignition system and very easy to work on.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Sounds like you got a bargain!

[@RichGT350r]

Thanks Tony. I love the Ford History! 🤙🤙😎

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching!

[@RichGT350r]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs Every Saturday like clockwork. I look forward to your posts.

[@johnclements6852]

Interesting car, Tony, classy for a moderate price, I imagine. One thought you may wish to comment on - looking at the various cars at the end of the video, it seems to me as an overseas viewer that lots of these vehicles looked alike- Cougar, Thunderbird, Elite, LTD and LTD II, even the Lincoln Continental Mark V. Or, at least, their basic long hood, short deck, landau roof with opera window , a style I find appealing.

[@brucem8129]

I miss the cushy big car ride. My Dad had one, company car for a while. Solid car.

[@OLDS98]

Thank you for the video. Once again the information is excellent along with the brochure/catalog information. I grew up with this car. The family had a jade green 1978 model. It was stripped. It has am radio. dog dish basic wheel covers no power features or anything. It had air condition. Other than that, nothing. I had no idea that this "midsized" car was that long. It was big as the new large cars of the 1977-1979 era. This was during the downsizing era across the industry. I liked how you mentioned the 1979 beginning of the panther platform cars. That run began in 1979 and ran until 2011. That is indeed a long run. I do recall this car. You are right about all the parts it shared with Mercury Cougar and Ford Thunderbird. I did not know about the fenders coming from Elite. I know a lot of the parts came from Torino. It was basically a redesigned Torino. I was not a fan of the Elite because of its front styling. I know Elite competed again Chevrolet Monte Carlo and other cars that were in that segment. It is interesting the features this car offered. I was shocked not to see or hear Ranchero mentioned. It was based off LTD II. I think Ford was consolidating because the Mercury Cougar before 1978 was similar to the Elite with a different front end styling. Thunderbird was the one that moved from being on the same level with Lincoln Mark in terms of size and luxury to the space held by Elite and Cougar. I think it more than just downsizing Thunderbird. Ford got use out of the Elite and Torino parts. The definition of what is midsized and large has changed over time. That 1977-1979 Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar were huge hits. I guess hey made Torino and Elite redundant and sales would have been the same had they kept them. Then the issue became what about Thunderbird if they had kept those two models. Little did we all realized the Ford Thunderbird, Mercury Cougar and Lincoln Mark would all be on the same platform starting in the 1980's well until the end years later before Lincoln LS. Thank you so much again.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank so much for the kind words and for watching. It is appreciated.

[@reinderkalsbeek4748]

I loved those cars i worked at the Lorain assembly plant in ohio

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your service!

[@petertornabeni602]

Thank you Tony. Please…. Keep it up 👍

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you and as long as people continue to watch I'll keeping making videos. :)

[@leonardgilbreath9004]

To me the drow back was the rear tail lights it looked like the Buick Regal, the LTDII sport was a great looking car/ and the Ranchero was a great redesign I got a GT in 79 and but 379000 miles maintained it and wish I still have it.

[@nealb8893]

I wanted a 1979 Ranchero GT in the worst way possible, but Burbank Ford wouldn’t budge an inch on the over $10,000+ sticker price!!! I would still have that car today if I could have gotten a deal on it??! The only other problem was that the Ranchero couldn’t pass a gas station and had a 26.5 gallon gas tank!!!! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@slimwhitman1301]

My first car in the mid '80s was a '78 T-Bird. I always thought the LTD II was dowdy and frumpy compared to the T-Bird. You could have spent more time comparing the TBird to the LTD II. The TBird was that same car, just trimmed up and with some different body panels and interior bits. Today, I admire the coupe's 'Sports Appearance Package' with the flashy colors. They were very uncommon when new because someone wanting a flashy LTD II would bypass the SAP and get the TBird. The SAP seemed to me like the Starsky & Hutch tribute package for the Torino replacement.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

The Cougar was almost identical to this car however the Thunderbirds were certainly related

[@darwinmichel2087]

Yep like he said the LTD 2 was based off the Torino Mercury cougar Ford Thunderbird the large mustang. But it was styled in a way you wouldn't know.

[@darwinmichel2087]

I had a 76 mustang to 10 and brown Brown interior. It wallowed and floated down the road. AM radio

[@michaeldemarco9950]

My parents had a 1977 four-door LYD II. It was very long looks like most of the extra inches were in front of the front wheels. I always thought the two door was a very nice looking car . Not a Torino, but a very nice update of the Elite.

[@chevken1831]

My dad had a beautiful 1978 LTD II.

[@Mr6384]

My friend had a the two door Brougham coupe and it was a really nice car. But Ford’s options could be weird for stock product. For example, hers had climate control but no tilt or cruise. I owned a 1973 Montego wagon, and to your point, changing the names made sense. That was a most durable car though. The owner ordered it for trailer towing and did tow a 24’ Airstream. But he did not maintain the car at all. Sad

[@billsoltys7611]

I just started driving when this vehicle was introduced. Ford dumped the Torino name in hopes that using the LTD name, they would sell more cars. I don't think that this strategy was necessary or effective. The car was just a re-skinned Torino with bigger bumpers, which accounted for the longer length. The Elite was actually replaced by the smaller Thunderbird. There was also a Ranchero based on this vehicle, and became the last Ranchero model made in the US.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I have a Ranchero video covering that model in the channel. Thank you for your comment and for watching

[@nealb8893]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs, once again, the ‘77 thru ‘79 Ranchero GT was one of the most beautiful vehicles ever produced!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@MS-wb5mf]

There was also a Mercury Cougar version of this .

[@williampalmer8052]

I think this is a very fair assessment of this sorta-oddball car. It's interesting to think about those days, when there were really only the Big Three in America, and each company could make cars that competed directly with others of the same make. Something like the LTD II would never even be considered these days, since it offered nothing that the Tbird and Cougar didn't already have, and was just a more boring version of those cars. Even the name is uninspired and derivative.

[@gojoe2833]

Ford sold this car exactly as shown here in Venezuela, but it was called...the Fairlane!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank for the information!

[@kevinwelsh7490]

I wish you would do videos reviewing all the Ford cars for each year in each video. I like to see the similarity between models. I wish you would comment more about body styling and targeted lifestyles.

[@izntmac]

The LTD II was also part of "the name game" that US automakers were playing during the era. GM was downsizing its full sized cars in 1977. Between 1975 and 1977, the Dodge Coronet became the Monaco as a midsized car. The fullsized Monaco became the Royal Monaco. Plymouth changed the intermediate from the Satellite to Fury. The full sized Plymouth became the Gran Fury. Ford could say it offered a choice with "a smaller LTD" with the LTD II still offered the full sized LTD. This was at least for 1977. GM downsized its intermediates in 1978. The LTD II was also the chassis for the Thunderbird so Ford spread its money out with the tooling. This generation of T-Bird (1977 to 1979) probably sold more cars than all of the LTD IIs put together. This Thunderbird also dropped a lot in price with the 1976 T-Bird priced like a Continental Mark series car. The cheaper Thunderbird (LTD II) based car competed more with the Chevy Monte Carlo and Olds Cutlass Supreme. These were all "lower end" personal luxury models. The Malaise Era at their best! :)!

[@geraldscott4302]

There wasn't much left of the Torino by 1976. The only reason I remember it was because of Starsky and Hutch. My favorite years for the Torino were '70 and '71, and then the completely redesigned '72 model. Those were mid sized muscle cars. Then the Torino morphed into a mid sized personal luxury car. While not a muscle car, I quite liked the Torino Elite, but I'm pretty much a sucker for any 2 door '70s car with a landau roof and opera windows. IMO, the Elite looked considerably better than the LTD II. But the real show stopper for Ford in 1977 was definitely the new Thunderbird. That car was drop dead gorgeous. I turned 18 in 1977, which is somewhat young to be a fan of personal luxury cars, but I wanted one of those Thunderbirds in the worst way.

[@jeromezielinski8773]

I had 3 of them , a 77 ex squad car , was the best of the 3 ,Really no problems with it , thought it was such a great car so I bought a 78 sport model in the dark green and white strips , blew the trans twice , Had wiring problems , that if you drove at night with the lights on , after a while they would start flashing on and off , or just cut out all together went through many sets of rotors and calipers none lasted more than 15k before just start grinding , and of course the 351 M which had bad main bearings after 50k , you would sit in gear at a stop light or what ever and just watch the oil gauge drop down to O psi, wasn't the pump , replaced , still did , wasn't the sender or the gauge both replaced , dropped some of the rod caps and Mains , plastic-gauged them and the bearing were gone on all 8 replaced them all because our Mechanic said the crank was good , did the same thing after a few thousand miles , So , we traded it in on a 79 sport silver and black two tone Had the same problems as the 78 , Dumped it 1980 Caprice which lasted 20 years before the floor rotted out . Do I wish I still had one . now ? Yes , the body styling was great and with today's many type of replacement motors and transmissions , you could really make a sleeper....

[@louislepage5111]

Had a 77 LTD 2 , Green on Green , it wasn't a bad car 😊

[@keithholley2684]

My first nice car was a 77 ltd 2 loved it, have a 78 now along with a 75 cougar xr7

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Very nice collection!

[@bradyelich2745]

If my 1966 Mustang had a 4 times bigger radiator, it would have passed 120mph. The one time Miss Saskatoon had to get back to work, I get her there at WOT, passing cars that were passing cars on the shoulder. Got her changed, and to work right on time. Nobody in that car will forget that ride.

[@sneakerfreak2002]

Sweet. Risking youre life & the lives on the road bc you’re thirsty for ms Saskatoon 👍 some premium simping😂

[@bradyelich2745]

@@sneakerfreak2002 Miss Saskatoon was not enough woman for me to marry. City girls are just for looking at. And yes, We risked life and limb, but guess whom deemed I go faster?

[@sneakerfreak2002]

@@bradyelich2745 huh

[@bradyelich2745]

We rocked and rolled in that 1966 Mustang. Passing cars that were passing cars. I drove WOT no let up.

[@bradyelich2745]

@@sneakerfreak2002 Fuck me if u ever drove any of ur cars WOT for 50 miles.

[@robertd9850]

Love the first ad. Hey, you drive out to the rural rendezvous point and I'll meet you in my helicopter.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Happens all the time. ;)

[@rayrussell6258]

I admit that when I bought my '79 Thunderbird, I gave the LTD II very little consideration. In retrospect that was a mistake in a way, because i didn't realize all the options that were available on the LTD II until now, after watching your video, and could have gotten almost all the things I ordered on my Thunderbird, and would have paid much less out the door. This car has appealing appearance with the addition of optional wheels that were seldom seen in stock on dealer lots. I'm not disappointed I bought a Thunderbird, but I did have to buy a '80 Fairmont Futura soon after, because I really needed to respond to the high cost of gasoline at that time. The savings had I bought the LTD II would have helped me get through the purchase of a second car much easier. If the Elite nameplate had still been available in '79 instead of LTD II, I probably would have given the car more consideration, tbh. However, gas price considerations was the reason the LTD II did not continue to sell, it was not because the Panther LTD was downsized. The Panther got all the ad money as the newest car being offered, and dealers held back on ordering any LTD II's in response. And LTD II customers were moving down to the Fairmont lineup for fuel mileage, like I belatedly did.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I can't argue with any of this however the Thunderbird and Cougar still had decent sales numbers in 79. Thank you for watching.

[@rayrussell6258]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs yes, and those numbers were ad supported sales. TBird/Cougar buyers generally were less concerned by gas cost and the window sticker. LTD II was not supported much in 1979. Dealers put few on their lots, for that reason. In my case, 1979 was my first new car purchase, and I had wanted a TBird for years prior to having a driver's license, since I first saw the 1964 car. So I skipped right past the LTD II.

[@jamesrodriquez2863]

I had one of these when I lived in Los Angeles. It was a nice car, white with red interior. It was a very comfortable car with a decent ride, not quite like the full sized cars but close enough. My biggest complaint was that the 351M got horrible single digit fuel mileage. When the bombing started during the first Iraq war, and the price of fuel shot up, I knew I'd have to get rid of it. I was never able to find another one quite like it again, but I did end up getting a 78 T-Bird a few years later. It had the 351W and got 15 mpg and was also a nice car. I think Ford made a mistake building both the LTDII and the T-Bird on the same platform. There wasn't enough difference between them and the T-Bird outsold the LTDII.....I think because a lot of the Elite owners ended up choosing it over the LTDII.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for your comment.

[@banditta4life66]

Can't stop laughing over the Stage 2 commercial. I remember these when they came out and my dad test drove one. Wasn't a bad car but it wasn't what my dad was looking for.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Those spots were so 70's and we were rolling into the 80's at the time.

[@thebionicbassplayer]

I thought it was a bad move, in my opinion. I had a 75 Torino as my first car, and it was pretty cool. A case of if it's not broke, don't fix it.

[@bigheadfred]

It's interesting that Ford chose to slightly upsize their "mid-size" cars for the 1977 model year in the wake of the 1973 OPEC oil embargo. I'm sure a lot of LTD IIs and Mercury Couugars had to be sold at steep discounts off the MRSP to move them off the dealership lots in 1979 when OPEC did another embargo. It's also interesting to note that station wagon bodies on the LTD II/Cougar were the same as the last generation Torino and Montego.

[@kennethanway7979]

I had a 78 ltd2 with t-tops, red with the white stripe. Was super good in the snow...tops leaked bad though!

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

I'm pretty sure all T-Tops leak. :) There is a reason that they went away as fast as they became popular.

[@bradyelich2745]

I stopped The grand tour to watch this. I owned and abused a 1977 LTD II. It came with a 351W, and I bent all the pushrods in it and it would only go 85mph. Swapped in a 351C 2V, and then that car would wind out. It only had a 85 mph speedo and it would wrap around to 40 mph. My Brother welded a 1 X 12 inch channel iron under my oil pan cause he knows me. That car could jump onto the ice in winter and crack a city sidewalk. On the ice one time, no snow and 4 feet of ice, as it was -40C, so spent no time fishing but ran car wide open for miles then crank the wheel, put into reverse floor it and spin for miles. It was 6 seater. My car was brown flake with vinyl roof, and I had red steel rims on it with ground grip rear tires.

[@bradyelich2745]

This car with the welded underpan protection linked the front two crossmembers. That was the best driving car. My 1997 Conti was marginally better. I took that car more than once 100mph into the ditch. One time, while tipping beer with my Brother, hit a very deep gravel patch on the gridroad going 100mph, straight into ditch, drove straight out, still tipping beer. I remember the surprised look on Brothers face. That was on Hanley Grid.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching! Pausing the Grand Tour is quite the compliment.

[@bradyelich2745]

The "kill the rabbit" incident was in my 1974 Colony Park with 6 people and a 460. I spun the wheel at 60 mph as I saw a dead rabbit. Kept it to floor after touching brakes to transfer weight, kept tires spinning, smoked around, and the look on my peeps faces was amazing. I was sober this time...

[@bradyelich2745]

Yes, this was in the middle of the highway, but no traffic.

[@bradyelich2745]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs I've done too many stupid things and lived. And you showed me my fav car that could cut sidewalks. We should talk. I've done similar things on my Harley.

[@JTKels]

Like you def into cars..I liked the LTD two prefer the cougar as far as looks goes. Love your channel twin.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks 👍

[@owlnswan4016]

These could be optioned up very well, and the two door was nice looking. I see the base price was a bit lower than a Thunderbird...not sure how a loaded on would compare in price to a similarly equipped Thunderbird, but these might have been seen as a lower priced alternative.

[@kennethsouthard6042]

Thank you for this. Obviously, this was peak malaise era stuff. However, I'm not going to into the reduced power, increased smog and bumper regulations that that era is primarily known for. This car to me brings about the utter confusion that also defined the malaise era. Ford went from the Torino to the Elite to this car all in the span of a few years. I was born in 63, so I remember when these cars came out and I couldn't make sense of the product line then. You were the first one to actually make sense of this mess, at least for me. Then when you throw in the Thunderbird, Cougar and Montego (did I forget any), you really had some malaise going on where over a seven-year span, they were essentially selling several versions of the same car. On top of that, essentially all of them had a trim level where you would slap opera windows and coach lights on it along with a half vinyl top and call it a Brougham. I guess they were trying to somehow hide the fact that this was really an aging platform. However, it was a platform where they also derived a lot of sales from and were just trying to keep the party going and the money flowing until the Fox and Panther platforms debuted. Contrast this to the cars that the Europeans and Japanese were coming out with during this same timeframe, and you could see the problem brewing, as I grew up in Northern CA and that's what people there were moving to. It was not too long after this that Ford closed both the Pico Rivera (Los Angeles) and Milpitas (San Jose) plants, the latter where my father worked due to declining sales on the West Coast.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thank you for watching and I agree there was a lot of confusion happening in Detroit in that era. I don't think they saw the Japanese cars as a threat to their market until it was too late. Ford often mentioned European cars in their early advertising but never the Japanese cars. In the 50's made in Japan was a joke as Made in China is today. It makes you wonder how things will look in 20 years.

[@kennethsouthard6042]

@@TonysFordsandMustangs To add to the confusion, I also remember toward the latter days of the Torino Ford also making a version of the car with fender skirts, almost like a budget Lincoln.

[@bobuncle8704]

This was the first car I ever bought(77). Not my favourite, but it treated me very well.

[@TonysFordsandMustangs]

Thanks for sharing your experience.