1971 Ford LTD Reviews

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12th May 2009, 12:40

Back in high school in the 80s a friend of mine had a '73 LTD with the 351. It would have been roughly the same as yous, perhaps slightly bigger and boxier.. but it was such a fantastic car! Absolutely reliable with something around 120K on the clock, and solid as a rock.

I remember one time he lost control of it and drove directly into the cut-out - the cliff made in the side of the hill where the highway had been cut through. Damage? One of the rubber things on the bumper came off.

1971 Ford LTD 2 dr. Brougham 351 winsor from North America

Model year	1971
Year of manufacture	1971
Most recent year of ownership	1997
Engine and transmission	351 winsor Automatic
Performance marks	6 / 10
Reliability marks	10 / 10
Comfort marks	10 / 10
Dealer Service marks	7 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	5 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	7.6 / 10
Distance when acquired	159000 miles
Most recent distance	185000 miles
Previous car	Ford Mustang

Summary:

"Old Reliable"

Faults:

Purchased new; mostly routine service; a valve job at 65,000 miles, two water pumps over the years, a carburetor rebuild, power brake booster @ 175,000, replaced brake lines @ 175,000. Then rust started to take its toll. After a number of winters, I started patching up holes, and the wiper and light switches were replaced. As the car aged, parts wore out (as to be expected). The car was like a member of the family.

General Comments:

I miss cars of this era; they were comfortable, safe, and easy to work on. However, they do wear out (if you drive them) and unless you have the space, money, and parts, you have to move on.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th March, 2008

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19th Mar 2008, 21:50

There is a '71 LTD Sedan for sale in Moncton, N.B. Canada. The owner is asking $5000, which seems like a fair price because the car is in great shape!

19th Mar 2008, 22:34

Thank you for this great review of a piece of American history. 26 years out of your Ford bests our record of 17 years and 325,000 miles out of a 6-cylinder Ford Granada.

I see so many comments about how awful American cars were in the 60's and 70's. You certainly couldn't prove that by me.

In addition to the Ford Granada, my family still owns and drives a 1955 Pontiac that was bought used in 1956. It has had one engine rebuild and the automatic transmission has never been touched.

My nephew still has my late brother's 1977 Buick LeSabre, which has well over a quarter of a million miles on it. It has never had any engine problems.

I've never had ANY problems with old OR new American cars. They are the best in the world, and just keep getting better.

1971 Ford LTD 429cu in from North America

Year of manufacture	1971
First year of ownership	1988
Most recent year of ownership	2008
Engine and transmission	429cu in Automatic
Performance marks	10 / 10
Reliability marks	10 / 10
Comfort marks	10 / 10
Running Costs (higher is cheaper)	5 / 10
Overall marks (average of all marks)	8.8 / 10
Distance when acquired	67000 miles
Most recent distance	257000 miles
Previous car	Skoda 1000

Summary:

Best car I have ever owned

Faults:

Charging system replaced 3 times.

Engine replaced when overheated due to faulty thermostat. Cold water was put in the over heated engine causing irreparable damage.

Seats have worn badly and need to be reupholstered.

Power windows have had to have their motors replaced.

Vinyl roof finally needed replacing in 2006.

General Comments:

I love this car. It will pull anything! I still use it as my tow car.

I have changed the fuel system to propane so I can afford to drive the car in the summer; it has never been winter driven.

It is the most comfortable car I have ever owned.

Fun to drive, and still turns heads, even with the original paint, although I will have to repaint it soon as it is fading.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 5th January, 2008

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6th Jan 2008, 20:03

That is a very nice Ford LTD you have, is yours a 4 door or a 2 door? It must be really fun to drive with the 429 underneath the hood, also is your 429 a 4 barrel or a 2 barrel?