| Vehicle | 1985 Ford LTD LX 4-door sedan |
| LX History | The LX was a high-performance version of Ford's popular LTD midsize sedan. It has a 5.0 HO engine, 4-speed AOD transmission, and beefed up suspension components, including a huge anti-sway bar. They also came equipped with a factory tach, hand pump lumbar support, aluminum cast wheels, and bucket seats with console shift. Only 3260 of these cars were made in late 84/85, so they're fairly rare. |
| Layout | 4-door, 5-passenger RWD sedan |
| Engine | 5.0L 302ci high output V8 (non-roller) with throttle body fuel injection. 165/175HP at 3800 rpm and 245 ft-lbs at 2000 rpm stock. I have an ad and magazine article stating 175 and others stating 165. Not sure which is true, but I'd like to think it's 175! |
| Transmission | AOD (non-electronic) 4-speed automatic |
| Differential | 3:27 "Traction-Loc" limited slip. Police models only had 3.08s. |
| Exterior | My car is oxford white with red pinstripes, and like all LXs, has most chrome blacked out and a body color grille. Charcoal paint around the windows needs to be redone. Body is straight and rust free. |
| Interior | Grey with light blue inserts in the seats and white piping. Unlike normal LTDs, the LX has bucket seats with hand-pump lumbar support, a center console with storage bin and front and rear courtesy lights, floor mounted shifter, and factory tachometer. My car is all power except it doesn't have power locks, gas release, or trunk release. |
| Modifications | CURRENT MODS: 1991 Mustang 5.0 HO roller-cam motor with E7 heads installed. The motor is from Dave Schultz's 91 Mustang show car (link on main page). It was completely rebuilt and runs a lot faster than the old motor. 3" single exhaust and headers. I used stock 2.5" headers and y-pipe off an 85 Mustang (thanks James) connected to a single 3" mandrel bent exhaust, cat, and Race Magnum muffler. Sounds great (as you should have heard on the LTD page). Also seems to make the car a bit more responsive. Mark VII/SVO spec front brakes including 11" rotors (on TBird spindles), 73mm Lincoln calipers, and Lincoln master cylinder. KYB shocks/struts all around greatly improve handling. I have also added 15X7 "turbine" wheels from a Mustang GT running on 225/60s. Added custom white face gauge overlays on tach and 140MPH cop-car speedo. Installed gauge trio (oil, temp, charge) where the ashtray used to be....that should discourage the parents from smoking in my baby, and gives me a lot more info than the "idiot light." Also have added aluminum valve covers with "Powered by Ford" on them, on which I had to rig a custom set up for the PCV/breather system to pass smog. I now know that those valve covers are standard on 84 LXs, but not 85s. Installed K&N 1570 air filter and polished the lid. Performance gain is negligible, but they're good filters. SVO 9mm wires.
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| Comments | This is a really great car, and quite a sleeper. With the looks of an LTD, and the handling and performance of a Mustang GT (of the same year), quite a few riceboys might get shocked by this car. Many guys at the dealership were shocked to see a 302 under the hood. It weighs about 3300lbs, heavier than a Mustang hatchback, but lighter than a Mustang convertible. A real hot-rod grocery getter. The car now has over 180K miles, but with a new motor it feels like new. The improvements I've made make the car feel much better than stock. Whenever something goes bad on the car, I strive to improve it. Looking to get an 8.8" rear soon.
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LX Specs