Growing up, I read all of the musclecar restoration rags. They all had this one theme that they tried to cover: “FOUND after XX years hiding in a barn, perfectly preserved!” Buick Gran Sports, Plymouth Belvederes, and Mustangs galore came out of the woodwork after being squirreled away, or worse, with the story of the son that went to Vietnam and never came home, so Dad shoved the car into the barn and didn’t look at it again. The cars would be found, brought out into the light, and with some spit, some polish, and …well, more than a couple of thousand dollars, the Day One fresh beast would terrorize car shows for years to come.
Those days are behind us, far as I’m concerned. You might find an old restoration project that never got finished, or might find a very rough body shell to clean up, but from where I sit, 1972 and earlier muscle cars are found, fixed, and up for stupid prices. It’s why I’ve paid attention to the later models most of my life…they were attainable, they were cars that I rode in as I grew up when they were second-owner vehicles, they are (mostly) rehashed versions of muscle-era platforms, and up until very recently, could be had for pennies on the dollar compared to their more popular older siblings.
Nowadays, 1970s cars are starting to gain popularity, and people are starting to get over the whole Malaise deal. You might not be able to fix everything wrong with one of these machines in the eyes of the most standoff-ready purist, but here’s a secret: screw ’em. You’ll have more fun with one of these anyways.
That’s where this 1978 Ford LTD II comes in for this theoretical build. The LTD II was the final form of what had started out as the 1972 Ford Torino. It left behind the rounded bloat that the Gran Torino best known for the Starsky and Hutch car was, and adapted Lincoln-like angles and creases. It also boasted the biggest front bumper filler ever bolted to a car. But you’ll never lose this emerald green monster in a parking lot and you’ll have plenty to talk about at car shows. This is a 302-powered version with the Sport Stripe option, has one tear in the seat to show it’s 86,000 miles with, and looks knockout-perfect in the pictures. Our thoughts: protect the paint at all costs, have the seat repaired, either ditch that third brake light or at least find something that sits lower in the glass, find wider 15″ Magnum 500s that will accept the stock caps, and get to work on a small-block Ford that looks stock but is shoving at least 450 horsepower through to the axle. 134 horsepower in a car this big? Unacceptable!
That’s our thoughts. How would you build this big green monster?
eBay Link: 1978 Ford LTD II Sport
A couple H60 bias-plys on your 15″ Magnums in the back, then maybe a conservative coil-chop up front to bring the nose down a bit.
And yeah. More horsepower.
Hated ’em then….no change today.
This thing needs serious torque to move it. So I’d go with the big block and Rootes blower approach.
So many options…where do I begin
Get to work on a bored and stroked big block that looks stock. Nobody has seen one of these cars for so long you could probably make them believe that it came stock with it.
FE engine, maybe ditch the front bumper for a ’63 galaxie one & done.
had a racing bud build a t-bird for a guy of that body style with a 429 and ran mid 11`s
The 78 LTD II Sport is one of my favorites for..reasons. I would tuck the bumpers, Widen the rear rims and add more meat, toss a little gear at it and then add a nice big block ford ala the 2013 Engine Masters Challenge…572cid…this car and the thought of a nasty big block under that expansive hood makes me all hot and bothered….
My First Company Business sales car in Pittsberg(Worked in steel mills-@NARCO),PA>2door-all black,red interior. Appliance chrome mag wheels> Not Bad! It was a looker in Black.Attracted women! >Stro
Those were the days of 351M’s and 400M’s and 460’s. That car will never be an autocrosser so a little extra big block beef in front couldn’t hurt. A fuel injected mid-90’s truck motor can be found cheaply. Using a carb could make it easier yet. Replace those 2.75 gears with some steeper ones and you have tire smoking glory!!
Walk away – this thing has been savaged by the ugly stick and an electric bicycle has more power….
Never has a car begged for a turbo diesel as hard as this car does.
Had a ’77 LTD II Red with White almost Starsky stripe. 351 Windsor with a high performance 289 cam, had to change the firing order. Best all around handling car I ever had. Had it re-painted Candy Apple Red and duplicated the factory white stripe. This was many years back, sadly it started rusting out and I quit driving it. Still ran fine but needed rust repair here and there. I sold it a few weeks ago to a guy who had one as his first car. He’s going to fix it back up. I’ll have to post a picture or my old Christene (that’s what we named her, always brought us home).
Source a 6.2 out of a wrecked Raptor, slap a Roots style blower on it, bag it, and throw some Wheel Vintiques wider Magnums on it.
I own one now and have been through the whole underside. New springs cut 1 coil to drop the front. 400 has a bad valve so this winter it get a 351 Cleveland swap. Changed the rear out from 2:75 to 3:00. I love the car. I wanted a new one in 1979 and Ford said they were not available any more. Everything was going to Fox Chassis. I will continue on this car until I\’m finished.
The real issue is finding a New-Old-Stock seat material. Then finding a shop that will replicate the factory look. My preferences are Black seats (leave everything else green) also to do a Bucket & console conversion. Say something like a 1995-2001 Explorer column shift console.
I would likely see if I could get a good painter to clear coat over the original paint.
I also think that car is a motor swap candidate. with out measuring I would conside the ford V10 gas engine, or maybe that new Coyote 5.0L. Even the 5.4L mod motor from the 99-up f-250-350 E250-350
that Aussie V-12 LS would fit in there nicely, with two big turbos
3.55 gear, AOD swap, coyote power, sway bars, springs and shocks for handling, and enjoy the car. I love these cars.