Time Machine Dilemma: It’s 1973 and You Have Enough Cash For a New LTD. What Do You Buy?

The discussion of yesterday's Junkyard Find, a 1973 Ford LTD, got a bit heated at times. Some felt that the '73 LTD was an abomination too horrific to contemplate, while others (including most who had actually driven one back in the day) opined that it was a pretty comfy pseudo-luxo-chariot and no worse than its contemporary rivals. Both sides have valid points, which got me to thinking about what I would do if a time machine were to drop me off at Auto Row in 1973 with the money to buy a new LTD (assuming I was required to spend the money on a new car, instead of giving it to my 7-year-old 1973 self with instructions to buy Microsoft stock a few years hence). Would I get the LTD… or something else? If something else, what? So, the list price of a 1973 Ford LTD four-door hardtop sedan was $3,833, equivalent to about $19,800 in 2012 dollars. Consulting my stack of Standard Catalogs, I've come up with a few choices in the same price range; those of you with your own sources for 1973 car prices should refer to them now. After a lot of agonizing, I've narrowed my choices down to two. One would be a '73 Plymouth Scamp, equipped with the optional 240-horse 340-cubic-inch V8, four-speed transmission, and limited-slip rear axle with the craziest gear ratio available at my friendly Plymouth dealership. The base V8 Scamp was $3,000, and the drivetrain options would have pushed that price up to around $3,400. With the remaining 433 bucks, I would be torn between blowing it all on a loud aftermarket 8-track stereo and a bunch of Black Sabbath tapes and blowing it all on the usual street-racer-style intake/cam/carb/headers engine upgrades. My other choice would involve a trip down the street to the Datsun dealership, where I'd be tempted by the incredible $2,306 price tag on the '73 Datsun 510. With $1,533 left in my pocket, I'd be able to take the 96-horsepower L18 engine and add Webers, a big cam, etc., then throw some fat sway bars and stiffer spring at the suspension … and still have enough left over for the aforementioned 8-track and Sabbath tapes. So, here are some more 1973 cars with list prices below (or not much above) the LTD's $3,833. Sorry, the cheapest BMW 2002 was $4,498 and the Alfa Berlina was $4,437. AMC Javelin AMX: $3,191 Audi 100 Coupe: $3,695 Buick Luxus Hardtop Coupe: $3,718 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28: $3,470 Chevrolet Impala Custom Coupe: $3,836 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Landau: $3,806 Dodge Challenger with 340: $3,192 Dodge Charger Special Edition: $3,375 Dodge Polara Hardtop Coupe: $3,752 Fiat 124 Sport Coupe: $3,674 Ford Maverick Grabber: $2,541 Ford Mustang Mach 1: $3,088 Honda Civic Hatchback: $2,250 Mazda RX-2 Coupe: $3,495 Mercury (Ford) Capri V6: $3,261 Mercury Cougar XR-7: $3,679 Mercury Montego MX Wagon: $3,417 MGB: $3,925 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Coupe: $3,323 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Wagon: $3,788 Opel Manta: $2,850 Plymouth 'Cuda: $3,120 Plymouth Duster 340: $2,822 Plymouth Fury III Hardtop Coupe: $3,883 Plymouth Satellite Sebring: $3,109 Pontiac Catalina Hardtop Coupe: $3,869 Pontiac Firebird Formula: $3,276 Pontiac LeMans GTO: $3,494 Triumph TR6: $3,275 Saab 99L: $3,845 from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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