Auto enthusiasts will take advantage of any opportunity to check out a noteworthy classic car. And that's what Sean Dever and his Junkyard and Barn Finds with Sean YouTube channel did recently during a chance encounter at a Florida gas station. The impromptu exchange occurs between Dever and Wayne, the owner of an immaculate 1972 Ford LTD convertible.
The LTD, The Forgotten Ford Classic
When it comes to vintage Fords, classic car lovers gush over Mustangs, Broncos, and even F-Series trucks, but the LTD usually doesn't come up in conversation. Often, it's due to a lack of LTDs on the road these days because of rust issues. A topic that Dever and Wayne talk about in the video.
But Wayne's gleaming soft top appears to have escaped the debilitating corrosion thanks to its California origin. He also shares that the LTD spent time in the hands of a father-son body shop in Louisville, Kentucky, where it sat in partially restored condition for several years.
Wayne acquired the car from the duo and went about returning his find turn factory condition.
Exploring A Top-Of-The- Line Ford
Dever's spur-of-the-moment presentation walks viewers through a vehicle representing the top-dog Ford model 50 years ago. This full-sized behemoth weighs in at a hefty 4,300 pounds and occupies 216 inches from the front to the back (a few inches shy of a current Chevrolet Suburban).
It's a loaded car for the era, with original air conditioning and all the power goodies (windows and locks). Yards of fake woodgrain in the interior and pristine factory-correct Green Gold Metallic paint burnish this LTD's time machine credentials.
But the big-block powerplant under the hood gets Dever's attention. While we don't see the 429-cubic-inch V8, Wayne informs us that the N-code engine left the factory rated for a then-potent 205 horsepower. He remarks that recently added dual exhausts help in the oomph department.
About The LTD And Fords From 1972
First appearing for the 1965 model year, the LTD represented the ultimate model in the Ford lineup. The LTD underwent a redesign for its second generation, which lasted from 1969 to 1978. But, the model got recast as the smaller LTD II later on and would morph into the LTD Crown Victoria by the time the 1980s rolled around.
In 1972, the LTD shared the showroom with other notable and infamous nameplates like the Gran Torino, Maverick, Thunderbird, Mustang, and the ill-fated Pinto.
Sources: YouTube/Junkyard and Barn Finds with Sean, automobile-catalog.com, xr793.com