Tangent hijack:
Can the similar generation Thunderbird's grill and hideaway headlights be fairly easily adapted to these and their cousins? Grandma has had a '79 LTD II Brougham derelict in her yard for a couple decades. I've had random delusions of rescuing and restomodding it, but it's a Ford 
, and boy are those quad headlight front ends ever homely.
bigdaddylee82 wrote: Tangent hijack: Can the similar generation Thunderbird's grill and hideaway headlights be fairly easily adapted to these and their cousins? Grandma has had a '79 LTD II Brougham derelict in her yard for a couple decades. I've had random delusions of rescuing and restomodding it, but it's a Ford
Looks like you can, but not sure how much of an improvement it is:
This guy got a '72 Montego front end to fit with some frame mods:
In reply to mblommel:
That led me down a rabbit hole. I didn't know that a Ford Elite ever existed. Looks much more respectable.
Cougar is an option too.
Whats the lincoln version look like then? 
In reply to RossD:
I believe that's called a Lincoln Flower Car.
Oh man, I have already found the front end swaps that people do on these. Most of them improve the looks but I don't know if it is enough to go through the trouble.
Big daddy, if you are going to scrap that at some point, then I might be interested. Location dependant
I am not sure what to do with the engine. I can definitely make the 400 something worth having for fairly cheap. It might end up in my Galaxie though. The 352 in the Galaxie has seen better days.
The Ranchero might get some bastard drive train that I have enough parts to make from other cars laying around. What I really want is something that gets good mpgs (25 at 70 mph is my pipe dream), has 400 ft lbs of torque, and is fuel injected.
singleslammer wrote: (25 at 70 mph is my pipe dream), has 400 ft lbs of torque, and is fuel injected.
Yeah, I also realize that I can buy a ton of fuel for the $3k extra I would have to spend to get a modern(ish) diesel. Also, those sound like garbage.
Given the appearance of the front end, I'd be tempted to remove all OE emblems and put Monte Carlo emblems in their place.
I know this is an El Camino but no reason you couldn't do the same.
In reply to Stampie:
That thing must weight 3.5 tons! I do like the big tires though.
3.5 tons of badness.
mblommel wrote: Why swap out to another engine? With the parts available these days you can build the 400 to ridiculous power levels if desired. Stock heads Edelbrock Heads
Unless it's had an engine swap, I doubt it has a 400. At least, be very cautious. When Ford made both engines at the same time, they treated 400s and 351Ms indiscriminately, they even had the same underhood emissions sticker. They look identical from the outside, the 351M is a 400 with a 351W crank and either really tall pistons or really long rods (I forget which)
singleslammer wrote: What I really want is something that gets good mpgs (25 at 70 mph is my pipe dream), has 400 ft lbs of torque, and is fuel injected.
I knocked down 24mpg in a 429 Thunderbird. Good driving technique and resist the urge to swap out the 2.77 gear that it probably has.
Well, she is in my possession. It is both better and worse than I expected. It has some wide rims on the back sporting 275/60 15s.
It's almost like she was trying on dresses and just needed to be shown some 315s.
Unless you want to do truck things with it, I would see it as a drivetrain donor for your other car and a send the rest off for scrap.
singleslammer wrote: Well, she is in my possession. It is both better and worse than I expected. It has some wide rims on the back sporting 275/60 15s.
Get some decent pics of that thing asap, and what exactly is under the bonnet?
singleslammer wrote: I am not sure what to do with the engine. I can definitely make the 400 something worth having for fairly cheap. It might end up in my Galaxie though. The 352 in the Galaxie has seen better days. The Ranchero might get some bastard drive train that I have enough parts to make from other cars laying around. What I really want is something that gets good mpgs (25 at 70 mph is my pipe dream), has 400 ft lbs of torque, and is fuel injected.
My 84 caprice is averaging 26mpg and an astonishing high of 33mpg. 305 and 700r4 28th 2.73 gears.
I would say your goals are very easily reached
It is supposed to have a 400m in there but as someone in here mentioned, the 351m and 400m are identical from the outside. It needs a valve job so the heads are coming off so I can measure the bore then.
I am definitely planning on doing truck stuff with it but have grand ideas in my head for some fun mods.
The interior is getting pitched for new carpet and seats that I already have.
It isn't at my house so pictures might be a bit. I do have a few more than I can load tomorrow.
More pictures
I was about to question if it actually had an engine in it until I saw the sliver of jack stand poking out from behind the right front tire. Looks decent, especially for free. If it has the engine you want and it gets used as a donor, 90s EFI 351W might get you close enough to that "25mpg and 400 ft-lb" goal for way less than $$$ than my previously mentioned Cummins idea.
SLAM IT TO THE GROUND.
Or add full hydraulics.
There are no other choices for that thing. You might think there are, but there aren't.
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