1970 Ford XL

Description

The 1970 Ford XL may as well be called the "Extra Large" because everything it does is big. Seating for six, a shadow as big as a modern F150 pickup, and 429 cubic inches of Ford V8 up front pushing it around. With a set of Magnums, this low-profile highway cruiser actually looks quite sporty, and from behind the wheel, it's easy to imagine a world when cars were cars and men were men.

When you have this much sheetmetal, you really don't need flashy paint to make a statement. Even so, Ford called it "Pastel Yellow" and it's in amazing shape on this car, in fact it looks very close to new! The paint looks to have been done within the past 2-3 years, and it looks very good adorning this gothic XL. The modern urethane that duplicates the hue also manages to improve the shine by a mile. The vinyl roof is a nice addition that highlights the flowing fastback profile, which hints at future Mustangs and days on the banked ovals of NASCAR. Hidden headlights and a blacked-out grille were popular with Ford around this time, and it gives the XL an upscale look that screams luxury, even today. As a final touch, a pair of '429' badges were fitted on the quarters, a little hint at what's in store up front.

It's also Extra Large inside, where there's room for six on two bench seats that are as big as living room sofas. The black vinyl is in good shape with no splits or rips, and they're still firm enough to be all-day comfortable. Door panels with wood inserts work well with the uncluttered dash, which wraps around the driver in an almost claustrophobic way. Everything you need is at your fingertips, but the passenger is waaaay over there and out of reach of everything from the A/C controls to the radio. Carpets are in good shape and the headliner remains taut. The back seat feels like it should have its own zip code and the trunk, even with a full-sized spare up on a shelf, has enough room for six people on a two-week trip to New York City.

So with all this sheetmetal to move around, you definitely need an Extra Large engine to do it. Well, the 429 big block delivers in a big way. Smooth and torquey, it stays out of your way until you mash the throttle, then all two-and-a-half-tons of full-sized Ford are suddenly hurtling down the road at insane speeds. The engine bay is pretty packed, but a lot of that is luxury stuff like power steering and brakes, A/C, and even a little cooler for the power steering fluid. It wears fresh Ford Blue because it was recently rebuilt, and the dual exhaust system sounds brilliant with Flowmaster mufflers. A C6 3-speed automatic and a 9-inch with a Detroit Locker inside insure consistent launches every time, and the underside is so clean that you don't have any surprises waiting for you. And like I said, those Magnums with giant 275/60/15 BFGs look great and help hide this car's size. This is great looking classic, no doubt about it.

Everything about this car is big except the price. If you like the dichotomy of luxury and performance, not many cars do it this well. Call today!