Vehicle Description
This 1971 Ford LTD convertible is close to the end of the line for
Ford's full-sized luxury ragtops, but they certainly didn't hold
back. It's the ideal size for grabbing some friends or your family
and heading out on a road trip, and with a burly 400 cubic inch V8
under the hood, it'll go anywhere with effortless ease.
Sure the Mustangs get all the attention, but looking at the
proportions of this big LTD, you can see that the designers knew a
thing or two about making big cars, too. You don't see many of
these around, so painting it a handsome shade of dark blue to get
it noticed was probably not necessary but sure works well. Code X
Dark Blue Metallic is the car's original color and while the paint
has some years on it, it still shines up brilliantly and looks
great glistening in the sunlight, making this an ideal fair-weather
cruiser. It was obviously very well maintained, as the sheetmetal
is straight, the gaps are good, and there are very few of the usual
nicks and dings that cars seem to collect over the years. Nobody
was using this as a daily driver and parking it at the grocery
store; it was always treated as something special. Detailing is
pure 1970s, with plenty of heavy chrome accents, although the
grille is a work of art with varying textures and shapes that makes
this look like a far more expensive car.
While most dark cars got dark interiors, the code FW white vinyl
interior is how this car was originally ordered. Like the rest of
the car, it's in excellent shape with wide bench seats fore and aft
for six passenger comfort, and when I say six passengers, I mean
six where nobody will complain about the accommodations. The
carpets are surely newer and look awesome, with door panels that
carry controls for the power windows, a nice option. Ford's
two-tier instrument panel puts all the gauges up high and the
secondary controls down low, but the effect is very clean and
driver-oriented, particularly for 1971. Somewhere along the line
the original radio was replaced with a Sony AM/FM/CD unit, but
otherwise the interior appears to be completely stock and
as-delivered, which really is a refreshing change these days. The
car is also equipped with a tilt steering column, power locks, and
a power front seat, so it really is luxurious to drive. The
sparkling white convertible top is power-actuated and features a
glass rear window, and the trunk is downright massive.
Ford's torquey and smooth 400 cubic inch V8 provides plenty of
power for the big ragtop, and we have no reason to believe it's not
the original engine, although there's no proof. Crisply detailed in
Ford Blue with some chrome accents, it's quite stock, which means
effortless torque at any speed and the kind of quiet power that
defined luxury in the '70s. Thanks to an aftermarket 4-barrel
carburetor and intake manifold, it starts easily and idles
smoothly, and with the silky smooth C6 3-speed automatic
transmission behind it, the feel is really luxurious. The
suspension isn't made for handling, of course, but nothing floats
along like a '70s luxury car, and if you like solid original cars,
the chassis will not disappoint. Cool chrome wheels with baby moon
hubcaps give it a sporty look that belies its luxury mission and
those 235/70/15 white-letter radials don't hurt, either.
These are relatively rare cars today, and finding one that's not
only this well preserved, but that is also loaded with options in a
great color combination. Call today!