Big Red: 17K Mile 1977 Ford LTD
The second generation full size LTD was a huge success for Ford. Over 7 million LTD’s were built between ’69 and ’78, all equipped with a V8. Engine sizes ranged from the standard 302 up to the 460, starting in ’79 the LTD was downsized signifying the end of an era for domestic cars. This 1978 2 door LTD appears to be in nice shape with a claimed low mileage of 17K and working A/C! The seller wants $4200 for this car and has some other interesting projects for sale as well. Find them here on Craigslist in Falfurrias, TX south of San Antonio for $4200.
According to the ad, this car was in storage since 1989 when the owner passed away. The engine is listed as a 351 modified 400, which is confusing because both engines were offered in this car. The car runs well with a new fuel system, the fuel lines have been replaced and the carburetor has been rebuilt. The A/C works good and the brakes have been rebuilt as well, basically the car sounds like a good driver. 
The engine compartment looks rough for 17k miles but the car is over 40 years old, it clearly has not been in a museum. I cannot tell if this is a 351M or a 400, maybe some Ford experts can help us out. The seller has done some work to the exterior as well, including some body work and paint, the nature of the body work is not specified but the seller admits “the painter didn’t do a great job”. I like the color on this car, but I’m partial to red and the 2 door is a better look than the 4 door version.
The interior is original and it looks good, judging by the interior the mileage claim may be accurate. The seat is showing very little wear and the dash looks to be crack free. This car has a more spartan interior than some of the luxury versions, this must be more of a base model car with hand crank windows and vinyl seats. Overall the car looks good but I wonder what the market is like for a car like this, I have heard these cars are getting popular overseas so maybe it will be exported?
If your in the neighborhood of Falfurrias, TX and want to check this car out, the seller also has some other cool projects for sale. Among some of the other projects mentioned in the ad are a ’57? GMC tow truck, several ’57 Chevy projects, several custom Model A projects and a VW trike among others. The seller sounds motivated to clear out a collection so maybe a package deal is in order.
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Comments
I don’t think you can tell whether it’s a 351m or 400 by the picture. They are the same block, but the 400 has different pistons and crankshaft.
The LTD is nice, but I’m drawn to the wrecker myself.
351M/400 is the engine family. It is more than likely a 351.
I’ll take the tow truck but I am a GMC guy. Could use it to tow the Ford around, as usual… bring on the hate. all kidding aside I’ve always liked the Ford LTD ‘s
This is just a very good looking, handsome car. Sits nicely and pleasant to look at. Nice find.
I think this car is a Custom 500, not an LTD in the classic sense.
http://www.automobile-catalog.com/make/ford_usa/ltd_usa_3gen/ltd_usa_3gen_custom_500_2-door_pillared/1977.html
The Customs 500 didn’t exist in 1978. The Galaxie didn’t even exist in 1978.
Miguel, the car is a ’77.
And click on the link.
All cars in 1977 were LTD’s.
It says this in the link.
The following versions and sub-models of Ford LTD Custom 500 2-Door Pillared were available in 1977:
Sub-models of the LTD.
From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie is a full-sized car that was built in the United States of America by Ford for model years 1959 through to 1974.
The Customs, as it’s own car, was dropped before that.
“Another Car I Forgot Existed: 1977 Ford Custom 500 2-Door Pillared Hardtop – The Custom’s Swan Song (Updated: Turns Out This Is A Canada-Only Model)”
It’s an LTD. The Custom 500s didn’t have LTD hood ornaments (didn’t actually have any hood ornaments) and didn’t have “LTD” on the passenger dash area. Also, most of them didn’t even have radios or clocks or any other options. They were extremely stripped down most sold to government and municipal customers.
Giant ’70s coupe in ho’ house red through and through. I’m sure there’s a butt for this seat. Definitely not mine tho.
These are great road trip cars…..the trunks are ginormous!!!
@Geebee-wholeheartedly agree and so are the fuel bills.
I pumped gas in ’72 & had some full size small bumper fords come in with a strait 6. I wonder what model they were.
The 1971 model year and in years prior of this full size ford were offered with a straight 6 cycliner engine and a manual 3 speed column shift.
Given the condition of the engine bay, I’d think the miles are really 117K. I’d like to hear the details on the ’56 Crown Victoria.
This is another car that we are led to believe the original owner only drove it a little over 1000 miles a year.
The stories are getting hard to swallow.
By the time or ’68 Galaxie was 12 year old it had around 100,000 miles on it.
Most people buy a car to drive. It is amazing how many people try to make you think they bought their cars to keep as new.
I’m getting tired of these stories too. Wish US cars had adopted the 6 digit odometer a bit earlier. Back in the 90’s, I haunted the local car auctions and once bought a ’73 LTD wagon for $200. It had over 100K miles but was near mint- grandpa kept it in excellent shape and that story was repeated a thousand times over. 99% of the cars presented as “low mileage” have over 100K.
Fred, I sold one not long ago. The biggest problem I had was that as a Mexican car, not only did it not have air, it didn’t have a heater. Even in the mildest climate a heater is needed at least to defrost the windshield on a rainy night.
Here is a picture of mine. I bought it for around $1250.00 in 2008.
It was a 1973 Country Sedan.
These stories can be debunct very easily. Like you, I don’t buy these stories very easily, but there are areas on the interior that you can look for, for sign of normal wear. And you don’t need a 6 digit speedo to prove it.
I can’t go on here forever, look at the break pedal. That will show signs of wear. It has to. You’ll know up front if that pedal has 1000 or 100,000 miles. If the pedal is brand new, it’s been replaced, but who in their right mind is going to pull off the break pedal rubber?
There are many life situations and generational lifestyles that had the outcome of people not driving their LTDs very much. I’ve been collecting 75-78 LTDs since the early 80s. There were plenty of retired folks buying these and didn’t drive them much. This car was driven prbly 1,500 miles/yr for the 12 years the original owner had it, and then it sat… for the next 28 yrs. It’s very believable, I’ve seen a lot of that with cars owned by the elderly. I’m getting tired of younger ppl who assume everyone uses cars the same way, and puts 10,000-15,000 miles/yr on them and anyone who claims anything different must be lying. Get over yourselves, lots of older people just don’t drive much at all. You’ll see what I mean one day.
The interior was just as nice.
You can see where it is missing the controls for any temperature control.
351 modified was a 400, but for some reason called it a 351 modified with 400 heads.
My Dad owned one of these monstrosities in silver.
Good
Dirty e-brake and gas pedals, brake pedal as new?
Car is nice..wrecker is way cool!!
Hey, it’s in my neck of the woods!.. About 40 miles from me and about 300 miles south of
San Antonio ..love the cruising comfort of these behemoths
Hey Miguel, sweet looking wagon. Thanks for sharing as that is my 1st ever time of seeing a car with no heat at all. I think it is awesome to see but not functional where I live. The defrost is needed here in Kentucky with HIGH humidity.
It is actually needed everywhere.
A month after I bought this wagon I took a bunch of people to the local fair.
We got out at like 11PM.
The windshield fogged up so bad I had to keep wiping it just to keep moving forward.
I don’t know why manufacturers in Mexico did not have a standard heater like they did in the US. They knew better by the ’70s.
My 1963 Plymouth Savoy Mexican spec doesn’t have a heater either. That is easier to remedy with a couple of ducts and a fan to keep the windshield clear.
These days if the car doesn’t have a factory heater, I pass it by.
My parents has a 76 LTD, it went through HE double hockey sticks, they never heard of doing anything to a car to keep it running good, they smashed it up and the hood blocked the driver’s side a little and they did not fix it until, “They had to” as they would say. BUT it ran and ran and ran! They hardly ever washed it, (I washed it from time to time, as I was 16 years old then), but it never rotted and we lived in salt city, Binghamton, NY! That car just was a good car. FF to my parents and their 300TD, they did the same thing to that car and with that car they paid the price….I guess the bottom lime is American cars really were not as bad and the media would say. We had FN even back then!