Despite its identify, as we speak’s Nice Price or No Dice LTD II isn’t a sequel to Ford’s largest automobile, however a mannequin that slotted in beneath. That odd naming alternative apart, there’s loads to love about this still-big coupe. Let’s see if that features its value.
It’s fairly straightforward to find out the “use-by” date in terms of short-lived merchandise reminiscent of milk. Typically, the carton will inform you through the date on the aspect. And, if you happen to’re too bleary-eyed to learn that, a fast sniff or style will affirm the chuggability. It’s a a lot tougher willpower, nevertheless, in terms of automobiles. Take yesterday’s 2011 BMW 750i Sport for example. It’s virtually twelve years previous and is a super-complex piece of equipment. Even nicely maintained as averred within the advert, its age might spell hassle down the street. Now, at $13,995, its value places it nicely throughout the attain of those that can’t afford hassle. Enough of you felt {that a} threat price taking, giving the massive Bimmer a 72 p.c Nice Price win and pushing out its “use-by” date for a minimum of a pair extra years.
Plenty of years have passed by since as we speak’s 1978 Ford LTD II coupe left the manufacturing facility, though that’s not obvious by it. Before we get into the weeds on this massive Ford’s situation, tthough, let’s briefly evaluate the place it as soon as match throughout the firm’s lineup again in the course of the Carter administration. Positioned as an intermediate physique dimension, the LTD II represented a consolidation of Ford’s expansive Torino, Grand Torino, and Elite mannequin strains.
At the identical time that Ford was shuffling the deck on these fashions, the corporate moved the Thunderbird down a notch to the LTD II’s platform from the one previously shared with the brontosaurus-size Lincoln Mark V. That meant that the LTD II coupe shared a lot of its profile with the fancier Thunderbird.
The II would show to be a stop-gap mannequin awaiting the introduction of newer extra environment friendly fashions each above and beneath it in Ford’s lineup. With the introduction of the Fairmont in 1977 and the Panther-based LTD Crown Victoria following in 1980, the LTD II’s ungainly dimension and the comparably small inside abruptly grew to become considered as uncompetitive. As a consequence, the mannequin was dropped in 1979 after simply three years within the sellers.
This 98,000-mile coupe was constructed useless middle of that run and appears to have been pampered ever since. The vendor claims the distinctive graphic remedy to be all authentic and to be certainly one of simply three automobiles suspected to nonetheless exist sporting such a combo. Below which can be some amazingly deep-dish Rallye wheels sporting, appropriately sufficient, raised white letter BFG Radial T/A tires. The automobile’s nostril is notable for sporting stacked rectangular sealed beam headlamps. Those are paired with substantial fender fins on both aspect of its forward-canted egg crate grille. Out again, the large sail panels create large blind spots for the motive force, however give the automobile correct proportions for its huge dimension.
The inside is all plastic and vinyl, proper right down to the thin, hard-rimmed steering wheel with its unpleasantly sharp-edged cruise management buttons on the spokes. There’s some apparent put on on the middle console, however in any other case, every little thing seems to be stellar. This being a fairly large automobile, there’s additionally loads of room.
The advert notes that the automobile has a V8, however fails to disclose simply which V8 that is likely to be. That could be complicated since this mannequin 12 months, the coupe could possibly be had with any certainly one of 4! A 302 cubic inch displacement engine served as the bottom motor, however alternatively, patrons might choice as much as a 351M, 351W, or, a minimum of till this mannequin 12 months, a 400 CID 355-series V8. The advantage of the larger mills was in torque as none of them produced a lot in the way in which of horsepower with even the highest 400 solely making a mere 166 ponies. A 3-speed C4 computerized was the transmission of alternative on the LTD II.
Per the advert, the title is clear and the vendor states that they contemplate the worth set for the sale to be honest contemplating the automobile’s rarity.
That value is $15,000 and it’s now time for us to contemplate simply how honest which may moderately be. What’s your tackle this survivor LTD II and that $15K value? Does that really feel like a deal to get your malaise malarky on? Or, is that an excessive amount of for a automobile that already was previous earlier than its time?
You resolve!
New Orleans, Louisiana, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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Source: jalopnik.com
