Fun with Fairlanes

427 4 speed

 

I had a buddy who died some years back who was big into Fairlanes. He had a cherry 64 he did all the work on. It was the car that introduced me to the Cleveor engine (Cleveland heads on a Windsor block). His car ran high 10s N/A, and he had a cheater nitrous bottle hidden in the door and plumbed into the rear of the intake so you couldn't see it upon casual inspection. Really sparked my interest in these cars. I'd maybe even give up my 55 for a clean 64 I could make into a Thunderbolt clone.

 

I’d find it very hard to part with a nice ‘55 like yours. I’d have to add to my herd.

 

I’ve been looking at bellhousings, flywheels, clutches and top loaders with the idea of converting my Ranchero to stick shift. I came to realize that I don’t know enough about mid-60s Fords to buy the correct stuff and not pay premium prices for stuff that won’t work.
So I’ll just stick the shift kit in my C6 and be happy.

 

Me too!! There's a handful of bucket list cars I have, and with the current state of things, the only way I can afford to do them is to sell or trade my 55. Not saying it will ever happen, but you never know.

 

My emotional bucket list is still long but my real-life bucket list is down to just a few. I’m trying to decide whether to sell off my projects, take the hit and get a bucket list car or stay the course and be happy with the projects I have. Tough decision as the years go by and my thrash endurance decreases.

 

There is no right answer there, but the good thing is there’s also no wrong answer.

 

Great looking Fairlane. Likely a recreation, but who cares.

 

I miss my fairlane. Straight axle, 429, and a c6. Super fun car.

 

1973 one of my buddies pulled into the HS parking lot beside me with one of these w/console 4spd.


The best part was this:


He didn't have it very long. Flipped it for a drop-top '65 Malibu, 283/glide.....

 

My high school buddy Keith had a beautiful Fairlane GTA, maroon with a black interior. It left an indelible impression on me. If money was no object I would have my Ranchero done just like his GTA except with a 4 or 5 speed manual and a lumpy solid lifter cam.

 

Sold this one last year. Got it cheap as a roller. Put a 351 Cleveland in it that was pulled from a Pantera years ago. I've always liked these cars. This one needed a full floor pan and quarter panel work.

 

Boy, that’s a lot of work. The one I bought has almost no rust and what it does have is mostly, “sand and treat”. It was garaged for most of its life. I’m most concerned that it has three paint jobs, factory and two more. Makes most painters say, it’s gotta be stripped - lotta labor, lotta $$$$.

 

Here's few from a private collection I had the honor to visit a few years back.

 

I found some of the special Elapsed Times magazines that Car Craft put out years ago and have been reading them. There was a great article about the involvement of Art Carr and Bill Von Vliet building a Ford requested, 406 powered Fairlane in SoCal in 1962. It’s called “The First Thunderbolt” (spring 2013). They cover the builders, drivers and sponsoring dealers. Great article for early Fairlane lovers.