1974 Ford LTD 400

Summary:

A living room on wheels!! A must have!

Faults:

When I bought this car for six hundred dollars, a lot of little things were wrong with it.

I had to replace the thermostat and the housing cause it was stuck.

The interior was in horrible shape, the carpet was ripped and the seats didn't match and were torn up also. But other than that, nothing has gone wrong with it.

The cosmetics are poor - the vinyl top was torn off by the previous owner, and it was abused by him.

General Comments:

The best car you can get! It drives like a dream, it's very smooth and it performs pretty good, even though it's a 6000 lb car.

Once I finish re-doing the interior, this car will be very beautiful! It gets a lot of looks from people cause there's nothing on the road like it. My dad had one when I was growing up, and I fell in love with it until he sold it, and at that time I was young and loved that car, and I wanted it. So I bought this one and decided to fix it up a little.

It's like a living room on wheels - just add a better stereo and some nice wheels.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd August, 2006

2nd Aug 2006, 19:39

The car does not weigh 6000 lbs! Between 4400-4600 lbs is more like it. Have a look in the "Encyclopedia of American Cars" for more stats :)

21st Jan 2007, 17:57

The door tag on my 74 LTD coupe says 5700 pounds. I don't care what some stupid encyclopedia says.

22nd Jan 2007, 09:27

Your door tag refers to the GVWR: that's the weight of the car + it's maximum load capacity in weight, whether passengers or cargo.

That does not mean your car weighs 5700 lbs. The "stupid encyclopedia" is right and you're wrong.

1974 Ford LTD 400 Modified Cleveland

Summary:

An indestructible, classic car

Faults:

The air conditioner compressor blew around 110,000 miles. Until that point, the system worked incredibly well.

The head gaskets gave out at 120,000 miles. With a little work, however, these can be replaced yourself.

General Comments:

This car is a tank. I have never had a vehicle half as reliable as my LTD. Even in sub-zero temperatures, it starts right up.

The front seat of the car is exceptionally roomy and is like sitting on a sofa. The back seat is equally enormous, with decent foot room.

With the exception of very minor repairs, this car is completely original. Even the AM radio still functions perfectly.

Gas consumption is high, and only unleaded fuel should be used. The factory heads are not made to use ethanol.

On the highway, though, gas mileage increases and the car rides like a dream. Handling is poor, but think of it as driving an aircraft carrier.

If well cared for, this car will last for years and years to come.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 17th January, 2005

19th Nov 2007, 18:41

I had to laugh at your description of the venerable old LTD. It drove our whole family (five kids) everywhere comfortably. I remember when dad passed it on to my brother. He worked at Sugarloaf mountain ski slope in Maine, and usually, was one of the few cars that could get through after a good nor'easter dumped lots of snow. Built like a tank, that's for sure.

1974 Ford LTD 2 door coupe 6.6L 400-cid

Summary:

Verdict: a tough, well-built and reliable land yacht classic

Faults:

In 17,000 miles of ownership, nothing mechanical failed.

Most of the parts on the car were the original ones and proved amazingly durable.

Only a few lights burned out on the car (those were the original ones, mind you).

General Comments:

Quite a vehicle! My 74 LTD is twice the car of ANYTHING currently made by Ford.

I would say room and comfort were slightly above average, but the reliability was excellent. I spent only $138 on repairs and maintenance in the 3 years I owned it. How many late-model cars can you say that about? Even when I sold it, all brake hardware, the floormats, spare tire and even freon were original.

Gas mileage, as expected was not very good. Around town it was 11-12 mpg. But on the road, I it typically got 17-18 mpg - not too bad for a rolling fortress of a car.

One complaint I had about it was the soft suspension which produced a slushy ride and ponderous handling. Accordingly, parking in tight spaces just did not happen (nor did parallel parking). The size (223 inch) and weight (4400 pounds empty) really hurt maneuverability.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 29th August, 2001

9th Feb 2006, 10:33

And all these years I thought I was one of very few to respect the 'jokeable' quality of the Ford LTD: The floating ride, the roominess (I could fit 4 friends in front and 5 in back, comfortably), and the security of knowing you're surrounded by a tank-like structure. I pretty much learned to drive in my grandpa's LTD (after he could no longer drive) and (by the way) could also parallel park it very well! It was certainly indestructible - following my first accident I didn't even have a scratch, but the other person's door was demolished. As unsafe as it appears now, I still laugh when I think of driving it with one headlight (on low bean) and nearly no breaks because I couldn't afford and didn't know how to do maintenance - wish I had taken the time to learn then how easily I could have fixed the brakes and headlights, but ya know how teenagers girls are! Now it sits in the weeds and waits for someone to ressurect it - I'm tempted sometimes, but it seems like an awful lot of work.

9th Feb 2006, 11:28

I don't understand either why people make fun of cars just because they are "big" and "old" when they have a smooth, comfortable ride and are dependable, and cheap to keep running. If you just drove it out back and parked it one day, it might not take much to get it going again. Most problems on a car like this are pretty easily addressed.

5th Apr 2006, 20:49

I have a '73 ltd that runs great & is inexpensive to maintain. I would agree w/the previous comments left by other owners. It is in need of some quarter panels however. Would anyone have any idea where one can get nos quarters (2-door ltd brougham)?

3rd Dec 2006, 22:32

I am looking for a 1974 or 73 ford Ltd 2dr

If anyone can help me that would be great.

I use to have one in the family when I was young and wish today we never sold it.

Rudysvar@hotmail.com.