Sports Touring Package: 1979 Ford LTD II
The LTD II was available in three body styles: a four-door sedan, a four-door wagon, and a two-door coupe as shown here. They were based on the earlier Torino and Elite and the seller has this 1979 Ford LTD II listed here on eBay in Broadview Heights, Ohio. The current bid price is $6,001 but the reserve isn’t met yet and there is no buy-it-now price listed.
Ford’s Torino was made for three generations, up until the end of the 1976 model year and the LTD II was introduced for the 1977 model year. This model was only made for three years, until the end of 1979, and they shared a platform with both the Mercury Cougar and Ford Thunderbird. Ford also offered a Ranchero version of the LTD II design.
This beautiful example appears to have the Sports Touring package with two-tone paint in Light Medium Blue and Midnight Blue Metallic, along with special Magrum 500 road wheels. There were four other color combinations available for this package and Ford also offered an LTD II with the Sports Appearance Package with a different paint and graphics treatment. The Ford Elite, or Gran Torino Elite for the first model year of 1974, was a predecessor to the LTD II with less-angular lines.
This example appears to be in outstanding condition. Unfortunately, the seller opted to provide all vertical photos in a very small size so they look pixelated here, and they also cropped the majority of the exterior photos so the leading image is the only one showing the entire car in the frame. There are only eight total photos and all three interior photos are basically from the same angle, but they show what appears to be a tidy interior. There appears to be some fraying on the driver’s side shoulder belt in the photo above but we don’t see any other parts of the interior.
The engine and engine bay both look clean and they appear to be unmodified. The seller lists this car as having a 302 cubic-inch V8 and sources differ on what engines were available for 1979. There would have been a 302 cubic-inch V8, a 351 cubic-inch V8, and also a 400 cubic-inch V8 available up until the 1979 model year when, according to Hemmings, the 351 V8 was the only engine available. Oddly, the VIN decodes to this car having a 302 so that’s what we’re going with here. The seller says that it runs and drives well and the car is in “pristine condition” and it does appear to be a nice one. Have any of you owned an LTD II?
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Comments
I remember when these LTD IIs were plentiful on the streets and a lot of them were this color. I forgot they offered these with bucket seats, automatic in the floor and full instrumentation. Hard to beat the factory Magnum 500 wheels on these too.
As RoughDiamond notes, this trim package with the two-tone paint, Magnum 500’s, console, and instrumentation package did dress up the big LTD II and gave it a bit of a sporty look. Don’t see these often. I do think the bookend of this model, the 1972 Gran Torino Sport, pulled off the sporty look the best. Good job Scotty.
A buddy of mine got the Air Force to transport his car like this to England where we were stationed. Big mistake. Even in those days, petrol there was absurdly priced, plus it was almost too big to fit on some of the roads, at least the most interesting roads. So the car sat almost all the time with a car cover on it and we took “borrowed” Jeeps around. Better MPG and usually Uncle Same paid for gas too. Life was good when we were not in the air. ( And don’t believe a word you have heard about English girls being cold, the warmed up nicely.)
David Soul lives in the UK & he would be able to afford the gas, but are there any Starsky Torinos over there for him to drive? Off camera, Paul Glaser would never drive one of those even in the states – he hates these cars. Tho John Schneider still embraces & drives his Gen Lee Charger.
His Gen Lee was a later build when they became popular after the show was off the air. I think it has a Hemi in it where the show cars were all 383s and 440s. In England does David Soul use retreads on his car?
I owned a 79 4door that came with a 302, as well as a 79 Thunderbird with a 302 so I believe Hemmings is wrong on the engines available in the 79 model year
only 302 and 351 were available in 1979 for the LTD 2 and the Thunderbird.
I have an original 79 with a 302 so Hemings is wrong.
Sports? Really…?
When someone asks for a description of an American car, this tends to be the kind of thing described. Overly large, poor handling, automatic, underpowered (full smog gear, presumably).
Mk 2 Capri 3.0S (or Ghia, for trim) would be the equivalent thing here. As mentioned above, the roads are much smaller and twistier.
“Sports” only in the sense of a sport coat, as in something casual and permissibly flashy, as distinct from dressy or formal.
Ah, ok; something to staun oot doon the bowling club, then…!
One of my buddies had one of these, in two tone Green. It was a pretty good cruiser…..pretty good for double dates and other indoor car sports since the back seat was like a sofa.
Alas one night after dropping me off…..he drove it off the road thru someone’s stand alone garage. Nobody got hurt, but the car was history. As in totaled.
Haven’t seen one since. Thanks for the memories !!
Had a ’78 4 door. Plain jane, cop car lookalike silver. Had a 351W and would at least hit 0 on the 85mph speedo, when the needle wrapped around.
His Gen Lee was a later build when they became popular after the show was off the air. I think it has a Hemi in it where the show cars were all 383s and 440s. In England does David Soul use retreads on his car?
Beautiful Ford
These were good looking cars from most angles ,but those stacked square headlight set ups ruined the look IMHO. It wasn’t just the Fords, Chrysler and GM did the same thing and really ruined the looks on some nice cars (Cordoba, Monte Carlo for example) Thankfully the car companies only had that design for about a three year period
My uncle bought one. Bought it brand new in the summer of ’79 when I was 12. It was a two door in red with red interior. I remember how long the front doors were. My uncle was a lifelong bachelor and spoiled his nieces and nephews to no end. Generous to a fault.
I drove that LTD many, many miles. No, it didn’t handle like a true sports car and, though it had a V8, wasn’t very powerful, but it was a good riding car. And it had a somewhat sporty look to it compared to many cars on the road in those days.
Pretty car! Not sure why anyone back then would have bought a T-bird when they could have this for a lot less green!
I currently have a 1977 LTD II Sport with the same 2 tone scheme only mine is red and white. Mine has the bench seat option and a 351 Windsor engine which gets up and moves when you want it to, and 20mpg when you don’t. it has 78,000 original miles and I am the 2nd owner
Drove these a squad cars for a coupe years, not enough power, big ponzulas. After running(idling) is hot weather would die,tow them to the motor pool, let sit for a while then wouldd be OK. They figured the underhood compter was getting too hot,moved them to the grill no problems anymo’
Had a 1979 LTD II jade green, jade green interior, auto on floor, 500 wheels, I took off and put on cragar wheels repainted car 351 modified not 351 windsor
was great car until the trans took a dump
No sale @ $7,350, Reserve Not Met.
Now I have the jingle stuck in my head, or what I remember it to be: “What would you do in an LTD 2, you’ll never know til you try”.
Thanks, PRA4SNW!
I had a 78 version, 351ci, deep dark blue with beige interior and beige top, 500’s with trim rings which were swapped out for real 500’s (mustang version) console etc… Drove it from 1981 until 1986, put over 100k trouble free miles on it. Traded it towards a new Mustang GT… I would love to re-live those glory years!
I remember the 4 doors, but never saw many of these 2 doors.
I am quite surprised this – a hardtop was made in 1979!! – no roof support between the 2 side windows! How is this possible with newer government regulations, compared to hardtops in the ’60s?
Do the rear side windows roll or power down & up? – seems to be room in qtr panels to accomodate the small rear qtr windows.
does anybody know if this car sold?