1984 Ford LTD (Mid-Size) Budget Build -Quest For 7's.

What I know about the car... It sat at a little used car dealership/shop for years. It was the owners car. I tried buying it for the longest time, but he wouldn't sell it. I'm not sure, but I THINK me might of been the original owner. Then once day I noticed it was gone... I guess he sold it to somebody else.

The guy he sold it to, took it home and parked it leaving it untouched for the next year or so.... Then one day the county came by,  brush hogging the ditches or whatever, and threw a rock through the back side winder. The guy decided it wasn't worth fixing.

Some guy named Richard ended up buying it it. Richard took the car home and did some tinker around on it. He had the back winder replaced, tossed some new battery cables on it, and did little things like that.... Just giving her a little love, ya know. At around that time, Richard started having some health issues and ultimately had to take early retirement, so he decided to sell the car. He listed it on market place for 1200... I watched it for about a week, and then he lowered his price to 1000 (theres' not a lot of love for these cars lol.)

Finally yesterday, I couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted it.... So I send him a message last night asking if I could look at it today. He said sure, come buy.... So I ran to the bank and grabbed some money and went and looked at the car. The interior was pretty clean for an 84. The exterior is pretty dang decent as well. The strut towers are mint, so is the underside of car. I asked him if a guy had cash, would the price be negotiable? He told me to throw out a price. I told him to give me his lowest dollar. He said 850. I said 750. He said 800... I said that I was stuck at $750.... He said "you got cash." I told him I didn't make cash offers without it.... so yeah, $750 dollars later and she was mine.

Car runs and drives good. Shocks aren't the best in the world and tire are dry rotted, but she still cruises down the road pretty dang good all things considered.

I had a bunch of parts for my 86 mustang gt, but I ended up selling it, so I'm going to use most of those parts on the LTD. I'm going to get this thing into the high 7's for under $3000 (INCLUDING THE PRICE OF THE CAR. I'm going to keep track of every penny I spend on the car. So far this is what I got.

$750 - LTD

$35 Recover Headliner

$200 - 98 explorer gt40p motor I got it from a friend.

$60 99 v6 t5... Pick n pull half price day.

$125 8.8 with 3:73 gears (will probably go with 4:56 later on.)

$75 fox oil pan, front accessories, and double hump cross member. (got from a bulk trade, but this seems to be the average price.)

$20 I got a muffler shop style h-pipe from my old fox. I tried selling it before for $20 bucks with no bites...

$60 10 hole wheels

That's where I am now. I'm still looking for some parts, if anybody has any of the following that they want to get rid of fairly cheap let me know.

650ish double pumper carb.

Stealth intake (or similar - mid rise dual plane)

Cam - tfs1, b/e/f303, n-41, etc (something that would work decent with gt40p combo)

sn95 5.0 bellhousing

Upper and lower control arms

So that's the plan for the car. I'm going to keep the exterior and interior stock appearing.

Color me interested. Someday I'd like to build a proper quick car so I love to see how they go together without absurd money. 

I don't know why I get excited about the "ugly" Fox bodies but I think they do more for me than the Mustang. 

I know, right?

I've named the car LT'SLEAZE... because she's a little sleazy.

My boy insist the car is a boy, and has named it Benny.

Because Sleeper

With a little bit of Dare To Be Different.

I would really love to build a Box Fox T-Bird.

Stampie said:

I don't know why I get excited about the "alternate" Fox bodies but I think they do more for me than the Mustang. 

FTFY

They aren't all ugly, but they all get me in ways a Mustang never will.

"high 7's" meaning a 7.99 sec or faster quarter mile time?

I'm another foxbody fan, while I love the mustang i have a real soft spot for the wagons. A sedan is close enough I'll follow along!

I've always been a fan of these alternative Fox body cars, the wagons in particular. Welcome to the forum.

I will comment that by sevens, I'm assuming you mean in the eighth. You'll split that stock block in half before you get within 3 seconds of your goal if you're talking about a sub eight (or even ten) second quarter.

A back half and turbo LS might do it if you have some serious skills, time, location, and persistence.

In reply to pres589 (djronnebaum) :

I assume he's talking about 7s in the 1/8th mile...

I would think so as well, but I ask, for clarity.

Floating Doc said:

I've always been a fan of these alternative Fox body cars, the wagons in particular. Welcome to the forum.

I will comment that by sevens, I'm assuming you mean in the eighth. You'll split that stock block in half before you get within 3 seconds of your goal if you're talking about a sub eight (or even ten) second quarter.

A back half and turbo LS might do it if you have some serious skills, time, location, and persistence.

Just because it really bothers me when people say this about the 302. There's guys deep in the 9s reliably on stock ford blocks. Usually turbo cars. The block splitting at 500hp is commonly caused by a bad tune and made it an internet sensation when everyone was running nitrous. With a proper tune 800+ has become pretty common on a short deck Windsor it's just not happening with a junkyard rotating assembly.