DC Ford LTD Fix it Yourself

DC Ford LTD 1991-1995

The July 1991 upgrading of the LTD produced the DC Ford LTD Series car. From the front the simple yet elegant design of a grille with vertical bars differentiates the DC LTD from other models. The bumpers on the DC are completely body coloured (the previous DA Model had grey on the top surfaces). The Ford DC LTD replaced the DA’s amber front turn signal lamps with clear units. Other differences include a pinstripe and a body coloured C-pillar strake (previously they were satin black). The DC Series 2 added rear door map pockets and from February 1993 it came with an alarm as standard equipment.

By now, Ford was starting to make real progress in build quality.

The DC series has the V8 engine as standard while the six-cylinder was available as a lower cost option and oddly offered almost as much power as the V8. The engine Ford offered as standard was the 5-litre V8 fitted with electronic fuel injection. It delivered 165kW at 4500rpm. While much was made of the re-launch of the V8, the DC LTD was available with the 3.9-litre six as a delete option. The 3.9-litre six gave way to the 4.0-litre six with the DC Series II in May 1992. The 4.0-litre six delivered 149kW of power at 4500rpm and a rather useful 348Nm of torque at 3750rpm. The six-cylinder LTDs appealed to the fleet buyers where the superior fuel economy was appreciated.

Ford made much of its SLALS suspension system at the front with a short and long arm, long spindle configuration while at the rear was an automatic self-levelling Watts-link system. This rear suspension utilised air pressure to automatically maintain a level ride, even when heavier loads were being carried.

The LTD featured a leather upholstered interior with classic walnut veneer console. The leather is Australian by Howe, that company is a world leader in its field and makes leather interiors for several upmarket European cars. For audio buffs, the LTD was fitted with a state of the art Alpine radio/ cassette CD player.