[ Login ]

Advertising

Last completed movie pages

See a Job: Flight Attendant; Desnuda en la Arena; 世界の母; Çocuğumu İstiyorum; Annem; Clown Motel: Spirits Arise; Mr. Jingles; About Time, Too: Ivy's Story; Stitches; Hope Springs; 劇場版 美少女戦士セーラームーン Eternal; 美少女戦士セーラームーンCrystal; โคลนนิ่ง คนก๊อปปี้คน; We Visit an Airport; Three Into Two Won't Go; (more...)

1980 Ford LTD-S [54D]

1980 Ford LTD-S [54D] in Knight Rider, TV Series, 1982-1986 IMDB Ep. 2.12

Class: Cars, Sedan — Model origin: US

1980 Ford LTD-S [54D]

[*][*][*] Vehicle used by a character or in a car chase

Comments about this vehicle

AuthorMessage

Ddey65 US

2006-08-08 21:58

1979-1982 Ford LTD "S"

wickey SK

2006-11-26 22:54

3.08 **

[Image: 795bb6.9824.jpg]

jettalover US

2009-10-07 06:05

The LTD-S in the tumbnails was made to appear to be a New Orleans Police car.

Commander 57 US

2009-10-07 15:22

That unique "LTD S" grille appearance has always interested me.

I am working from memory now as my resource references have relatively little about this model but I seem to recall that this particular grille was used for only 2 or 3 model years, although the "S" designation was used longer.

Two of my sources (NADA and the SCAC)agree that there was no "LTD S" in 1979, and states that Ford began using that designation in 1980. My Burness album says there was a "Standard" LTD for 1979 with this grille. An accompanying photo shows it with a hood ornament. The 1980 Burness section shows it as an "LTD S" without a hood ornament.
Will try to do some brochure research to pin this down!

DT83 US

2009-10-07 17:03

I've always wondered about this style LTD myself. I actually like it better then the regular LTD's. I have a book called 'Cars of the Sensational 70's' and it shows a LTD-S model for 1979. But they must of not made to many of them after 1980, as Crown Victorias and Base LTD's took over and the few LTD-S's made were bought by the Police. That grill and head light arrangement was used from 1979 to 1982, except the 1982 models had the blue oval on the grill. For evidence on this, you can look up the movie "Commando", as they have a 1982 model LTD-S on that page.

Commander 57 US

2009-10-07 17:38

That is VERY interesting, DT. I have never seen a base Ford with that grille AND the blue oval and had assumed the grille was no longer used by 1982. (Could someone have just put the oval on an earlier base LTD?)

Incidentally, I did some brochure comparisons between 1979 and 1980. The grille in the photo WAS used in 1979, but the car was called "LTD" and the brochure shows a hood ornament. In 1979, Ford built the "LTD" and the "LTD Landau". The LTD had the above pictured grille while the Landau had the fancier, dual-headlighted grille.
In 1980, there were THREE LTD's: The "LTD S" had the grille in the photo with the single headlamps while the "LTD" and "LTD Crown Victoria" had the dual-lighted grille. Both the 1980 "S" and "LTD" are pictured with no hood ornaments, while the "LTD Crown Victoria" had the typical crown ornament that was used through 1987.

I will have to do some checking in reference to 1981 and 1982 models.

-- Last edit: 2009-10-07 17:39:08

Ford_Guy US

2009-10-07 18:00

:lol: You guys are so inquisitive!

Well let me tell you guys what I know:

1979-1980 models had a slotted front bumper and the older-style side mirrors as seen here.
1981 models had solid front bumpers along with the new side mirrors.
1982 models had solid front bumpers along with the addition of the Ford oval badge to the grille and trunk area.

That would make this car in particular a 1979-1980 model.

Commander 57 US

2009-10-07 18:00

OK! Did some more image checking.
Found multiple photos of single-lighted LTD's per photo above with blue ovals so I now accept that this front display was around through the 1982 model year.
So, three groups: 1) 1979 LTD = hood ornament. 2) 1980-1981 LTD S = no hood ornament. 3) 1982 LTD S = blue oval in grille.

Since the pictured car above has no oval and no hood ornament, it should be listed as a 1980 or a 1981.

As proof the '79's had hood ornaments, I submit the photo below I found on the internet:
Link to "upload.wikimedia.org"
Although the article it is part of labels the photo "1979-1980 Ford LTD", I am near certain that two-tone green combination was used only in 1979, making it a 1979 model particularly. (Also, the 1980 Ford brochure shows the LTD S with no hood ornament)

-- Last edit: 2009-10-07 18:05:55

Commander 57 US

2009-10-07 18:14

That's great, Ford Guy!
Now we can be completely specific about these interesting models:
1979 = hood ornament, slotted bumper
1980 = no hood ornament, slotted bumper
1981 = solid bumper
1982 = solid bumper and blue Ford oval.

That would make the pictured vehicle a 1980, since slotted bumper but no hood ornament, and the labeling should be changed to read "1980".

Case closed(??)

-- Last edit: 2009-10-07 18:15:07

DT83 US

2009-10-07 18:30

Is there any way we can find out production numbers for these LTD-S models?

Commander 57 US

2009-10-07 19:05

Perhaps through a Ford club site?

Commander 57 US

2009-11-13 23:44

Year still needs to be changed to 1980.

neopolaris US

2009-12-19 02:04

Hello. I'm looking for pics of my old LTD and found this thread and I registered so I could add my $.02 My LTD was a 1979 2 door. My bumper was slotted (without the small vertical push bars)and it had no hood ornament. It was not a Landau. It was just an LTD. It had the 2 headlight grill. If my memory serves me, the color was called antique cream. The half-top was burgundy and so was the interior. It was difficult, because of all the variations, to find parts even back in the 80's. Every trip to the parts store was like playing stump the mechanic.

-- Last edit: 2009-12-19 02:09:01

Commander 57 US

2009-12-19 17:08

Interesting, Neo.
Do you still have the VIN somewhere? If so, we can do some decoding to be precise.
(Perhaps the hood ornament was optional in 1979. Per the photo I posted earlier, I know they were available with hood ornaments and the brochures show them with one.)

-- Last edit: 2009-12-19 17:11:39

somename US

2011-06-13 18:44

I don’t think the side mirrors are a good indicator of year; Ford’s own brochure (Link to "www.oldcarbrochures.com") showed the top of the line Crown Victoria, and the stripper LTD-S with the free standing type, but everything in-between used the 79 style mirrors. To be honest I thought the free standing models were reintroduced so the front (working) vent windows could be offered again.

Ford_Guy US

2011-06-13 18:48

The free-standing side mirrors shown on the LTD-S brochure were of a simpler, different design that that seen on the top of the line Crown Victoria and later all 1981+ models. I've rarely seen that type equipped on the 1979-1980 LTD-S.

somename US

2011-06-13 22:44

^I might be reading your statement wrong, and if so I apologize; but I’ve got a 86 Crown Vic sitting in my garage right now, and it uses the simpler design. If fact, thanks for pointing that out; in the brochure it appears to be an extra piece of trim around the perimeter of the same design(this picture from the following year Link to "www.oldcarbrochures.com" gives a good view). It must have either been a one year only mirror, or the brochure model used a preproduction design as by the next year the simpler design had become the norm and would stay so through 91. (I know the later models had a piece of rubber around the outer edge but under that it was the same metal)

Commander 57 US

2011-06-13 22:49

I think the so-called "simple design" was a non-remote controlled type.

My '85 Crown Vic has the visual design in your link and it is remotely controlled on both sides.

Ford_Guy US

2011-06-13 22:51

I think I get an idea of what you're saying but I'm not 100% sure. From what I can tell the mirrors seen on the LTD-S in the main image were only used on the 1979-1980 models. After that the free-standing side mirrors seen on the brochure above as well as on your car was used across the board from 1981-1991. The variation of the free-floating mirrors seen on the 1980 LTD-S brochure may have been an option or simply a pre-production design that was never used. I've rarely seen them on any LTD period. Is that something we are agreeing on or did you have other theories?

Commander 57 US

2011-06-13 22:59

I just seem to recall seeing period brochures or illustrations showing 2 types of free-standing designs.
The heavy/thick style of my car (the type most seen) and a smaller, thinner "simpler" looking type which I assumed was non-remotely controlled.
Don't recall what years they appeared.
I also seem to recall remote mirrors were on the "options" list rather than the "standard" list for Crown Vic's but again don't know for which years.

somename US

2011-06-14 01:14

Well, let’s try and clear this up.

The LTD pictured above uses what I am going to call, for lack of a better term; flush mounted mirrors. Now these flush mounted units were used on all 1979, and some (possibly most) 1980 models.

The problem arises as Ford’s own brochure for 1980 apparently uses three different types of outside mirrors. The flush mounted, the free standing used on the LTD-S, and a third type shown on the Crown Victoria, that I’ve never seen before.

Ford_Guy wrote The variation of the free-floating mirrors seen on the 1980 LTD-S brochure may have been an option or simply a pre-production design that was never used.


My comment was that it was the simpler variation as exhibited by the LTD-S in the 1980 brochure that was used over the next decade. And it was the variation seen in the Crown Victoria that might never have been used. As my car uses the simpler free standing model; as well as every other one with free standing mirror supports I’ve ever seen.

This all just reinforces my belief that those mirrors are not good indicators of model year.

Also I don’t think there was a non-remote controlled passenger’s side mirror. There was a power operated model, and a mechanical version that was operated via a toggle under and to the right of the steering column.

Commander 57 US

2011-06-14 02:25

Mine has the toggle devise you mention.

Ford_Guy US

2011-06-14 02:43

To be quite honest, I'm not following 100%. My apologies.

somename US

2011-06-14 04:41

Well, it's not that important; to be honest I don't there is much logic or consistency behind this whole mirror transition.

Commander 57 US

2011-06-14 15:13

I pulled out my 1985 Crown Vic brochure.
All the photos show the thick style mirror.
In the features section, a left-hand remotely controled side mirror is shown as standard while the right hand one is listed as optional.

neopolaris US

2012-05-03 07:24

Sorry to dig up an oldie, but I was looking for my old cars again :) From my post above, did I have an LTD-S? Is that correct? I can't remember what mirrors I had. I think just a drivers side pedestal w/no vent, but I can't remember. I'm looking thru old photos for that car and my '79 Mustang 5.0 coupe, Non-GT/LX

mp775 US

2014-03-17 17:02

Two years later, I'll dig it up again and try to provide an answer :). No, you did not have an LTD S. There were two models for 1979 - The LTD, with single headlamps, and the LTD Landau, with quads. The 1980 lineup was the stripper LTD S with single headlamps; the LTD, which was slightly better equipped than the 1979 LTD and received the quads; and the flagship LTD Crown Victoria.

no-a RU

2022-09-15 03:50

Ep. 4.06 [*]
[Image: knightriders04e06mkv_snapshot_3944415.jpg] [Image: knightriders04e06mkv_snapshot_3946635.jpg] [Image: knightriders04e06mkv_snapshot_3947011.jpg] [Image: knightriders04e06mkv_snapshot_3948407.jpg]

Add a comment

You must login to post comments...

Advertising

Watch or buy this title - Powered by JustWatch

Advertising