Junkyard Find: 1976 Ford LTD Brougham

Murilee Martin
by Murilee Martin
junkyard find 1976 ford ltd brougham

Just after I wrote that non-Country Squire Ford LTDs were rare Junkyard Finds (we’ve had three so far: this ’69, this ’71, and this ’72), I found this majestic yellow four-door hardtop in a San Francisco Bay Area wrecking yard. As an added bonus, it’s a Brougham!

We laugh at Malaise Era big Detroit cars now, with their overwrought heraldic crests and laughably fake wood and leather, but I spent much of my childhood in cars like this and they actually seemed pretty nice at the time.

The 351M V8 was big on torque, not so great for horsepower or fuel economy.

This one got a lot of use over its 38-year lifespan.

There is no way in hell this generation of LTD managed to get 22 mpg on the highway, even with the not-so-strict tests of the time. It was comfortable, though.









Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 60 comments
  • Makuribu Makuribu on Jul 10, 2014

    The last car my great uncle drove before the cataracts took him out was like this. Not sure of the year, but his last LTD was a dark blue four door with a 400 c.i. engine. Always driven under 30 mph, and usually with the right tires on the shoulder. I shudder to imagine how far that thing would have gone through a building had he suffered an "unintended acceleration" event. He had been a Ford dealer for years, and had bought himself a brand new V-12 Lincoln Zephyr. Tragically for me, he was not a hoarder.

  • Ppxhbqt Ppxhbqt on Jul 11, 2014

    AHHHH the good 'ole days when if the ENGINE light came on, you stopped because it really meant something was wrong with the ENGINE and you didn't know if it was low oil pressure or high temperature and no amount of duct tape could help if ignored long enough. But surely LTD drivers would just call a tow and not try to do any diagnosing themselves.

    • See 1 previous
    • RogerB34 RogerB34 on Jul 11, 2014

      @NoGoYo The engine control module is a major improvement over the prior dumb engine warning systems. Error codes are more precise and repair is usually straight forward. The stupid sensor in the exhaust system is the oxygen sensor and is the main component of mpg and emission control. Major mistake if ignored. The gas cap is a nod to Greens and VOC control. Our Sable has a separate gas cap warning light from the CEL.

  • Lou_BC I don't like the looks of this era of Ramcharger. I prefer the removal top. I would buy 1st or 2nd generation. A 1st generation 1974 with 440 would be amazing. I like the '79's stacked headlights.
  • Art_Vandelay “Fain also invited President Joe Biden to join the striking workers on the picket line”Yes. Please go on strike Joe. One of this Cosmo Kramer Bagel making strikes that lasts for a decade or so
  • SCE to AUX No sitting President should visit a picket line.
  • Scott So a sled manufacturer makes a sled on wheels. Where is the surprise?
  • Add Lightness I had one of these for a company truck. It was also 2WD thankfully as part-by-part the truck got everything replaced over the course of a year. If it was 4WD, that would have just hurt the company more fixing the extra drivetrain.
Next