Looking back on this design, it just seems like the Ford Fairmont Futura, with the sloping B-pillar, was made for this purpose. The design team deserves a round of applause, in my opinion. This 1979 Ford Durango is as much or more “truck” than a lot of us need, and it’s posted here on craigslist in Hardwick, Vermont, in the far northeast corner of the Green Mountain State. The seller is asking $9,000, here is the original listing, and thanks to Anthony D. for the tip!
The seller’s photos were pretty small, so some of them are a bit pixelated to get them up to this format; my apologies. That being said, they did a nice job of showing this cool concept-come-to-life from every angle, inside and out. There are no underside photos, but they say there is no rust on this car. They do show some photos with a few paint issues, but I’ll take that over a rusty car any day.
This car looks like it was absolutely designed to be a Ranchero-like pickup, doesn’t it? It’s almost like they came up with this design first and then thought, hmmm… I wonder what a two-door would look like? Hey, I should do one in Photoshop! Oh wait, never mind. Ford made the unusual Durango from 1979 through 1982, and National Coach Works Corporation was part of the team as well. Here’s what the rear cargo area looks like. Nice job, seller!
With only 212 Durangos reported to have been made, we’ve seen seven of them here on Barn Finds over the years, and this is #8. A red interior is hard to beat for me, and that’s the same seat pad I use for my 40,000 miles on the road every year. It’s life-changing. The interior is a bit busier than what I expected, with the dark gray dash pad and black and red theme, but overall, it looks nice inside.
The only engine available in the Durango was a 200-six, but this wire-heavy engine compartment is filled with a “semi-built” Ford 302-cu.in. OHV V8, with a four-barrel Edelbrock carb sitting on a new Edelbrock intake manifold, and it also has headers. We don’t know the horsepower rating, but the seller says it runs and drives “very good” and it’s a fun car show car. How much pickup do you really need on a daily or weekly basis unless you’re a contractor? I think this Durango would do it for most of us, what do you think?
Blast about an hour or so up the road and carve up some fresh snow ❄️ at Jay Peak. ⛷️
Neat find Scotty. I’ve never seen one of these Durangos in person, unfortunately. I think they had a great idea here. And that sloping B pillar lends itself well to making a little “Ranchero ” if you will. Speaking of that roof line. I may be in the minority here, but the roof design, with that B pillar and the shape of the rear side windows always reminded me of the ’55-’56 Crown Vics.
And Scotty if you think that seat cushion is something, you should see the one I have in my work truck. It sure does help when covering some miles. Nice write up Scotty, thank you I enjoyed it.
Thanks Scotty. I’ve seen two or three over the years. Like you note, they have a reasonably good-looking design. The two-tone paint on this one adds to the attractiveness. Not expensive for something different and unique, but easily serviceable and fix-able.
Hmm, maybe “down under”, but never in the Beer City, or anywhere in my stateside travels, for that matter. I think it’s really neat, but like all these car/pickups dating back to the 30s, they had a slim market. Not enough sales to keep it going, unlike Australia, known for “Utes”, just not here. 212 units tells the story. Now, if it only had come with the V8, may have been a different story. Still suffering from all the things that made car/pickups unpopular, I bet it has plenty of steam. Cool find.
Now, some dirty work. Dear staff, it seems I’m getting pop-up ads that members are supposed to be exempt from. What gives?
Not to complain. But I have the same problem as Howard. I’m getting pop up ads this morning. I tried logging out and back in again. Not a big issue.
But if anyones interested….. We can save 30% store wide on TV stands!!!! What a deal!!!
Imagine a world without advertising and commercials 😌
It looks like ads were showing to members this morning but we believe we have the issue fixed. Please email us next time something like this happens Howard.
Stan, a world without ads is more like a dream lol. Jesse, thank you for helping us out. You guys all do a great job. Thank you.
I never heard of these before, but in my opinion Ford should have offered only the V8 in these, to add to its uniqueness and fun factor. This car looks like a good-looking tire shredder! I might re-do the interior down the road, otherwise keep it as it is!
Ford really dropped the ball by not mass producing these. They already produced a station wagon, so they could of used that platform and had a functional tailgate without the tail light being incorporated in said tailgate. Yes, the ute had a limited audience here, but In my opinion, a mid sized Ranchero would of been a hit. I’ve Owen a few Fairmonts, and I would of considered one.
This is why I read Barn Finds. I have never seen or heard of these until now, and I know a lot about cars. Gee, thanks Barn Finds!
Same here. I was like “What?”
Awesome find.
And, it looks not bad for a Ford product. Even if it is a conversion.
Likewise, I had not seen these here before, though memory may be faulty. Five years ago, I sold my 53 F-100 panel truck for the more comfortable 66 F-100. Before I could find an original seat for the panel delivery, I used the exact same seats, color too, out of a junked Fairmount, I later sold them a few years back at a flea market. I too like the 302 conversion, but the 200 six would have been okay at my age. The previous owner had replaced the 240 six with a Mustang 302 on the 66 F-100 and it sounds great with the headers. It’s just that I don’t drive fast anymore.
Never ever knew these existed either. My first thought when I saw it was a “down under” vehicle brought to the states as someone mentioned in a post above this.
My father-in-law was a Ford dealer. He had new cars unloaded at his dealership one night, and when he got to work he had a car that was a Fairmont on one side and a Zephyr on the other! I told him he should keep it since it might be worth some money someday, but he sold it in a week.
First time I’ve have seen or know, cool find! I had a 72 El Camino from then Bulls Chevrolet. Nicky Merric the GM referred to them as a gentleman ranchers car. For the Lady of the ranch to run to town for some needed supplies yet travel in comfort as accustomed.
not quite a conversion but straight from the factory (to coach-built, ie company approved/supported). Asa ThriftPower (i6) fan I’d like to see the 3.3 still in it. Top off w/: https://www.vintageinlines.com/product-page/deposit-only-aluminum-head-package
the only fox bodied ‘chero’. Add all the goodies from the late model stang (up to the SN95 ie ’98 & possibly upto the ’04) if ya gota ‘hanker’. Breaks, suspension, etc. Hold off on the 351/400 in my dream. ‘80s style, 21st century SCCA sleeper? I got the fox wagon so 2nd the idea of a build by ford on that ‘pan’.
I never heard of these! With the proper marketing I bet it would have sold better.
These were never produced by ford, they were sent to a specialty conversion shop from the factory. If they were made in house, sales (and production) would of been much higher.
Must be a gas to drive in the rain or snow!
With nothing in the bed, that light back end would break traction in a heartbeat! Just do your best to keep from spinning it out, LOL!
A great idea, but it looks like the love child of a Fairmont and a Ranchero (not that there’s anything wrong with that), LOL! The V8 swap is a great idea and easy to do, especially since Fairmonts, like their Maverick ancestors, were available from the factory with the 302 V8, albeit with two-barrel carburetor! Another better idea from Ford that should have gotten more notice than it did. I never even heard of one of these until I read this article today! Good Job, Folks!
If Ford decided to make something like this today, I’d consider it! Oh, wait, they already did, they call it a Maverick, LOL!
Is this similar to a flower car? Maybe for a special funeral.
Does anyone know if it has an opening tailgate?
No. It has no functional tailgate. The lines are still molded together from the factory. On the National Coach Works models, you can see a well defined line that is between the tailgate and the rear fender. Someone did their own conversion on this Fairmont. Also, the B-pillar is a tad off compared to the Fairmonts that National Coach Works did, and possibly the rear window is a different size. I owned an 81 Ford Durango for a very short time. I got it from a person who got it from an estate sale. It had the 3.3L. The engine bogged down sometimes at higher speeds. It probably just needed some basic work from setting awhile. But I didn’t really have the desire at the time to get more involved with it. So I sold it. I did like that no rust fiberglass bed liner though.
I saw one of these for sale in the car corral, at Carslile a couple years ago. It had the I6 in it, and he wasn’t asking the world for it. Definitely not as sharp as this one, though.
I don’t normally comment on these listings, but in this case, I will make an exception. I am the second owner of a 53,000-mile original 1981 Ford Durango and I question the legitimacy of this conversion being one of the true 212 Durangos.
The reason for this statement is that Ford only offered the Durango conversion in 1981 and 1982. I would like to see if the tailgate on this conversion is functional as it should be. There should also be a National Coach Products Data decal in the driver’s door sill showing the NCP serial number and a warning sticker stating “Do not drive with the tailgate down”, as your taillights are not visible.Below is an excerpt from the February 1995 issue of Collectible Automobile Magazine, which is the most complete description of the Durango program.
From: February 1995 issue of Collectible Automobile Magazine.
The Ford Durango was a short-lived endeavor by the Ford Motor Company and the National Coach Products (NCP) based in Gardena, CA. from 1981 to 1982. The Durango was Ford’s attempt to compete with Chevrolet’s El Camino, as the Ford Ranchero was out of production. The original concept for the conversion was the creation of a Mr. Jim Stephenson, who designed and built the original prototype which was eventually presented to Ford’s Senior Management. Ford used the Fairmont Futura for the conversion, cutting the roof just behind the B-pillar and adding the fiberglass cargo box.
Unfortunately, the effort eventually failed primarily due to Durango’s high cost ($4,371.97 for just the conversion on top of the cost of the Fairmont), a recession and to Mr. Stephenson’s failing health, which hindered his ability to oversee the project. The original goal was to produce as many as 200 Durangos a month, but ultimately it is estimated that only 212 examples were ever built.
Thanks for the information, MJW. I found many articles and sites listing the 1979 through 1982 production range for the Durango, but also a couple of them listed the 1981 and 1982 range. Also, on a Falcon website and forum, they said around 800 a year were made, not 212 total. There is an overwhelming amount of information to choose from online, and sometimes we have to make a choice and hope that real experts can chime in and correct us. Thanks for your information.
Fairmont Futuras came off the assembly line in Kansas City and were shipped to National Coach in Southern California for conversion to a Durango. Total number of units produced has never been definitively confirmed. Production ended due to health issues with the owner of National Coach after about a year.
Ford had the perfect car to adapt to a Ranchero. The ‘77-‘79 Rancheros were hideous boats. There’s a reason that the El Camino and GMC Sprint continued on for several years. They were a nice, handy mid size rig.
I bought a Fairmont Futura brand new with a 200 six and a 4 speed manual with overdrive high gear. I loved that car. One of the dumbest moves Ford ever made was not to produce this vehicle.
In effect, this car returned the Ranchero to its compact car roots, as the original second generation Ranchero was built on the Falcon platform, before getting bigger with a move to the mid-size Torino platform. The result was much like the Mustang II, a smaller, lighter car that reversed years of unnecessary growth that turned the car into a bloated parody of its original version.
The Falcon-based Ranchero is probably best remembered for the famous scene in “Goldfinger” (1964) where the crushed Lincoln Continental is dropped into a Ranchero! Either that, or the one restored on “Wheeler Dealers”!
That vehicle has been for sale for a long time. I’d of thought someone would have bought it by now.