Alright Veeky Forums I'm counting on you with this one. I'm heading out tomorrow to look at a 1984 LTD LX (the 5.0 H.O. v8 sleeper). Car sounds great in theory, but I've never seen it. Old dude says he's owned it over 25 years and it's go 97k original miles. Giving away for a steal because he has too many cars (wtf...). What do I look out for? What are signs that I'm getting in over my head or it's just going to be a money-pit? If I think it's even half decent I'll probably buy it anyways just because he's asking rock-bottom price for it, but gimme some tips.
Pic is stock photo from google, don't even know what color the one I'm going to see is...
If it's a piece of shit it will look like one and feel like one.
Nicholas Rodriguez
You'd be better off buying a regular babby LTD and swapping in a Exploder 5.0 with supporting mods. Throw a t5 behind it for extra fun.
Those cars had the godawful CFI """"""HO""""""' that made like 170hp.
Zachary Miller
Well, this is literally the only LTD I've heard of in this area. I wasn't initially looking for an LTD, but I saw the ad for this one and asked the guy about it.
If I'm buyin this thing (and not tryin to build a drag-car out of it), what kinda bs am I lookin at? The part about the CFI was good, I didn't know that. Any more?
Hudson Foster
Ford's CFI isn't as friendly as GM or Chrysler TBI. If it's running good, it will be happy, but when it acts up it gets bitchy. It will also always be a gutless wonder.
What's the guy asking? Without seeing pics its impossible to even get an idea of what shape the car is in and how it's been treated.
What are you looking for, a reliable daily driver? A project car? Something else? Either way I hope you like wrenching because a 32 year old vehicle will need it's fair share of attention regardless of how well kept it is.
And nobody gives a car away for a steal, especially not a clean LTD LX. It might be shitbox, but they do have a small cult following.
Nathan Williams
He wants $1500 for it. No idea the condition it's in. Ad said "Clean, Mechanically excellent"
Wyatt Long
If it's as advertised you could buy the thing and flip it for a minor profit if you hate it.
Basically it's going to drive and ride like an American mid sizer with a moderate amount of power. If you ditch the CFI it'll be fairly responsive to modification much like a Mustang so there's that.
Nicholas Nguyen
I'm down for doing weekend garage work on it. No budget for bigger "needs to be in a shop" kinda work though.
Henry Flores
Why do you want one? What are these good for though??
That 5.0 probably can't even break 235hp
Blake Hughes
Not much choice up here honestly, and it's different. You get your choice of rusty Grand-Prix, rusty Grand-Am, or a million different busted ass pickup trucks that have seen too many winters pushing a plow through 4 feet of snow...
Kayden Reed
With the exception of the CFI you can use the Fox Mustang playbook for mods so you can choose how deep you want to go. Oh, and it has a flat tappet block, not roller btw.
Xavier Parker
I think it also has the awful self destructing nylon coated timing gears. Easy enough to change out when he hopefully puts a decent cam in it.
Caleb Price
If it's things that I can do on my own in my garage, then I'll probably get around to it. I don't wanna make a fire-breathing monster out of it, but I'd like it to drive properly (aka not be crap).
Jaxson Carter
Again, these sorts of things are exactly what I'm looking for. Never would have known it had crap timing gears.
David Harris
I used to call these the Maytag car bc it had the same design as Maytag washers from the 80s
Noah Butler
I lol'd
On a side note, how much of these things parts are basically the same as the fox Mustangs? Like, if I were looking for a rear window would something like that be exactly the same?
Caleb Sanders
Naw, things like body panels, glass, trim, lights, interior, etc are going to be LTD and Marquis specific. IIRC, most interior bits and some exterior trim like the rub strip are LTD LX specific too. It's mostly the running gear, suspension, and brakes that can be shared/swapped
Nolan Parker
>running gear, suspension, and brakes >same as Mustang What a relief.
Mason Cruz
OP here.
Well, I just bought it. Not in bad shape for a 30 year old car honestly. Needs a little work, but pretty much ready to drive. Exhaust needs to be replaced, needs a new battery, brakes lines need to be bled, and the driver door has a rusty spot. That's about all the negatives I could find on it.
Jace Gomez
How good are the 80s Ford LTD 2 doors?
This local used car lot has one thats been sitting for Sale for almost 3 years and its in good condition except for the layer of dust.
Daniel Jones
Those would be Crown Vic models (the full size version).
Asher Robinson
Crown Vics have always been known for reliability. Inspect it (bring a mechanic friend if you got one) and check it out. Just don't let the lot owner "sell" it to you if you know what I mean.
Eli Sanders
Post photos pls
Jack Morales
I also own an 84 LTD LX. Think of it as a four door Foxbody mustang. The only issue with the LX is the fact it's a rare car, so the trim and interior pieces are hard to find (my interior is trashed).
Ayyyyyyy! I have an LTD brother! There's a facebook group dedicated to these cars too. VERY helpful bunch. Hit them up.
Also, I'll show you mine. Now you have to show me yours
Michael Barnes
I see this car and can't stop thinking of GTA Vice City
Colton Price
Ah, sorry man. I made the deal and left it with the guy. He's gonna finish bleeding out the brake lines and has a new batter already lined up for it so I'll let him take care of it. No pics, but it's silver and the paint is a little chipped, but it's not original paint. They painted over the black LX trim... :/
Carter Reyes
Lucky for me, he's giving me a gallon of the silver paint! :D
Oliver Price
How much money did you leave with him?
Tyler Adams
only 1/3 his price (just to keep him selling it to someone else)
Brayden Barnes
And you grabbed the title, right?
Brayden Thomas
Why do you want to drive a cab or patrol car from 1986 Vice City?
William Allen
wew, you ninja'd me bro
Justin Bennett
Not only that, but he did better (guys a little odd though). He actually typed up (on a fucking typewritter no less) a full agreement for payment which we both signed and dated. I guess he was more worried about ME not coming back for it.
Levi Young
That's a panther, completely different, although the same drive train.
Being a panther anything besides the tudor specific stuff is easy enough to find.
Honestly if you really want one look for a 86 or 87 the fact their SEFI over CFI alone makes it worth it, and significantly more mod friendly. Not that you can't convert a CFI car overto SEFI, (or go carb if you wanna go that route), it's just more work.
Make sure the interior is in good condition, because finding mint door panels for a tudor is significantly harder than it's 4 door counter part.
I bought this 85 for $500 from some guy who was gonna demo it, threw the stock boat anchor engine in the scrap pile, put a low mileage roller block in, complete HO swap and SEFI conversion, a decent AOD, 3.55's and PI springs/shocks/swaybars, and it was a pretty fun car. Only sold it because I have too many other cars.
Most people do that when selling a car. Here in Jew York you need a bill of sale (which can literally be scribbles on a napkin)
Take some pics when you get the car.
Ryder Price
Honestly I wasn't too worried about this guy. He's a VERY old man. Don't think I'm gonna find out he skipped town on me lol
Zachary Thomas
Trust me... I've owned Foxes and Panthers... That car is a fox. It was intended as a half-assed update to the Fairmont to hold Ford over until the launch of the Taurus.
I know, that guy was talking about 2 door LTD's, not a LTD LX
As far as I'm aware they never made ababy LTD 2 door
Jaxson Ortiz
Correct. A lot of people mix these cars together with the older full-sized LTDs, and also with the LTD Crown Victorias of the time.
>They never made a two door LTD LX! It was called the mustang
Levi Martinez
Your paint can't be as bad as mine haha. Mine has original paint, AND it was a California car. My clearcoat is bubbling and peeling all over the place.
Best advice is to update the heads and fuel injection system. The 84s had a new setup that was cancelled for 85 because it was THAT bad. Heads don't flow so well because everything was "shit" in the 80s. Personally, my route will be to just throw a carb on it instead of a more modern EFI setup. But first things first I need to swap a T5 into mine as the trans locked up on her. She's been sitting for a few months :-\
Jack Robinson
>just throw a carb on it instead of a more modern EFI setup
Why not just use an explorer 5.0 top end, induction, harness and ecu? you can plumb a fuel return into the fill neck of the tank if it doesn't have one. swap the cam and gasket match it while you're in there and bobs your uncle power and economy. you're going to have to buy a carb, fpr, intake manifold,linkage/adaptor and air cleaner anyways.
Brayden Sullivan
Not that I'm a numbers matching snob, but a 5 speed carbed car would be more true to the original Bondurant car from that Hemmings article.
Plus, actually I'd prefer the simplicity of a carb over wiring in a new EFI system. Personal preferance I guess?
Bentley Clark
Immediately convert to a quality 4 barrel then add nitrous
Isaiah Hall
Op have pics yet? Any updates?
A good forum to use for these cars: www.foureyedpride.com
Granted most of the site is dedicated to the Mustang/Capri, there is an entire forum deducated to non-mustang Foxes. There's a lot of LTD LX owners there.
That facebook page too, just search 1984 1985 LTD LX
Cameron Rodriguez
wow. I know cars. like quite well. But I live in Toronto and have never, ever seen one of these on the road. Ever. Maybe they didn't sell them here.
Jace Robinson
In Canada it was sold as the Mercury Marquis LTS (pictured right, '85 LTD LX left)
I think I may know too much about this car...
help me
Anthony Moore
lol
YUP! I know the Marquis of that year. Neighbor had one when I was growing up. That makes sense. thanks. I like cars from the 80's as when I was growing up, most of the cars on the roads were from that era. Up here, those cars didn't last too long. We love our road salt
Caleb Richardson
>We love road salt Yup, I know that feeling. There are only two LTDs in my area that I know of (rust got most of them I'd assume, the junkyards got the others as this wasn't a car meant to be saved). Talked to the other LTD owner, and the two of us had to get them from outside our region. I bought mine from a guy in Boise, Idaho. Flew out and drive it across the country to Michigan.
Nathaniel Harris
this is the police car and the cab from vice city
Lincoln Cooper
Britfag here, I like the look of these but seriously 165bhp from a 5.0 v8? The ford Sierra xr4i from the same era was pushing out similar bhp from a 2.8 v6.
Luis Carter
This car was made in the dark times of EPA emissions requirements. The only way automakers knew how to reduce emissions was to reduce airflow and detune the motors. 170ish HP were actually decent to good numbers stateside those days. So sad...
Austin Rodriguez
It had heads that flowed like complete shit, a cam with pimples for lobes, and an intake and fuel injection system that was garbage at best.
Thankfully there's and endless amount of cheap aftermarket parts for sbf's
Christian Reyes
The Sierra made 150hp in top trim(before the cossie) and was marketed as a sports coupe. The Mustang which is the sports coupe of this chassis made 205hp. Not to mention torque figures.
Jonathan Roberts
>Shameless bump in hope OP delivers in pics of LTD
Benjamin Garcia
OP here. Sorry, no pics yet. I should have it by this weekend though so I'll be sure to post some when I get it.
Blake Richardson
Op promise if thread 404s you post pics! I can only do so much and the weekend is far away haha
Sebastian Clark
bump
Hunter Long
bump
Brandon White
Bump
Tyler Martin
Horray! I'm not the only one bumping haha
Aaron Gomez
C'mon. I want to see it.
Angel Hill
bump
Justin White
LTD LX br/o/ checking in. OP see the car again? ETA on pics? A reminder, post up on that facegroup group too. They can help out and give any needed advice!
Brody Cruz
bumperino
Gabriel Perez
el bumpo
Zachary Taylor
lel even the garage and the car besides it look straight outta vice city
Ryder Allen
>[new wave intensifies]
Asher Lopez
Whoever owns this car MUST make a GTA Vice City Police car replica.
