It’s almost a punchline, how obsessed I can be over non-traditional models that are built to high degrees. I’ll accept every level of hell I’m going to catch for that trait, but take note: for every beautiful standard choice like a Camaro or a Mustang, how many people swarm something that’s a bit more off-the-wall? If it’s properly done, you’d be amazed at just how potent the freak factor can be. And in many cases, making a lateral move from a popular choice to one that isn’t normally considered doesn’t take much work. The trims and looks are different, but the underpinnings are the same and as such, you get to enjoy all of the benefits as a result.

Ford’s Fox-platform LTD is a strange one to me. In short terms, it was Ford tarting up the Fairmont and keeping things fresh just long enough that sales wouldn’t take a dive before the Ford Taurus, and the huge gamble that Ford took on that car, would appear. Other than the four-eye nose clip that added some slant to the front end and the boxy dash that was raided from the “Box Bird” Thunderbird, it was the same car that had sold well as the Fairmont, and it was one of the better selling cars of the early 1980s. But unless you are seriously in the know about the LTD LX/Marquis LTS or the Bondurant cars, most LTDs of this generation were filed under “appliance” and left alone.

In the 1980s, Ford started to attempt a “European” look, and judging from John Campbell’s 1985 wagon, had they actually given some thought into the program they could’ve had more than just gray tones and foglights. You might just see pretty paint and Mustang wheels, but look a bit closer. That hood is a Cervini’s skin meant for a Fox Mustang that is laid on the frame of the LTD’s hood. The center caps on the wheels are weighted and stay level, like a Rolls-Royce. The stance is nice and low, and that’s all before you hear it start up.

Happiness is a parts Fox Mustang with a lot of goodies to offer. The mill is a 347 stroker being breathed on by a Paxton Novi 1000, drinking from 42 lb. injectors, breathing through a C&L mass air flow meter and taking orders from an A9L computer. The trans is a five-speed manual and the whole effect is exactly what you’d want in a Fox body, just a more comfortable and useable one that can still click off a run somewhere in the mid-11 second range when properly provoked. And take note of the license plate location versus where you’d normally see it.

The story on the car is even better. Originally a fellow named Dan Parson started the build in the late 1990s after getting the car for a few hundred bucks. Work progressed here and there, and Campbell learned of the car and often asked if it was up for sale. One year Parsons told Campbell to bring a trailer with him when he went to the Carlisle Nationals and gave him the car, telling him to keep and finish it up. Over the years, the LTD has seen many mills under the hood, including a big-block at one point, but the small-block, five-speed layout it currently possesses just feels right. This is why I champion cars most would walk away from without a second thought. Cheap to get into, easy to build, and when done right, you have something that’s too awesome to ignore.

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