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Parked For 20 Years: 1963 Ford Country Squire Wagon

After spending the past 20-years hidden away in a garage, this 1963 Fairlane Country Squire has emerged into the light of day, and it looks like it would be one pretty good project car. Barn Finder FordGuy1972 referred the Fairlane to us, and it appears that he knows how to spot a great blue-oval project car. It is located in Bangor, Pennsylvania, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. The asking price for this Ford classic is $6,500.

Finished in Corinthian White, the first piece of good news about this Ford is that it does appear to be complete. The owner is very forthright in saying that this is most definitely a project car, but the initial signs are quite encouraging. It doesn’t look like the Fairlane has any major rust issues, although there are some indications that there might be some minor spots in the lower fenders and lower quarter panels. The owner doesn’t mention any issues with the floor or frame, but if the cleanliness of the rear pan is any indication, then this is another aspect of the car that appears to be really promising. The rear bumper appears to have copped some damage at some point in time, and the knock-on effect of this is that the driver’s side quarter panel and the edge trim for the woodgrain sections have been slightly damaged. However, all of these items look to be easily repairable.

I don’t think that I have ever spent so long inspecting any photos of a car’s interior as I have with this old Ford. I have been trying to determine whether there is something odd going on with the dash pad on the driver’s side of the car, or if it is just a trick of the light. If there is something wrong, then it is one of the few faults to be found inside the car. There is some wear on the wheel rim, and some of the trim in the cargo area is also looking marked, but the seats and door trims are in fantastic condition. The carpet is faded in a few spots and has fallen down around the pedals on the driver’s side, but it certainly isn’t in need of immediate replacement. Otherwise, it looks like a simple clean will have the interior looking pretty nice once again.

Due to the fact that the Fairlane has been sitting for more than 20-years, you can be pretty sure that there is going to be some work to do before the car is ready to hit the road again. The good news is that not only does this car feature a 260ci V8 under the hood, but the owner managed to get it to kick into life with some fresh fuel. He does say that the fuel system will require cleaning before it will run properly, but that is all par for the course in cases like this. It appears that the brakes also aren’t working at present, so it would pay to go through the car from end to end to ensure that everything is right before pointing it at the road.

I have to say that I really like this Fairlane Country Squire, but I’m not blinded to the point where I can’t see its faults. It does show a lot of promise, and it is to be hoped that it is as solid as the photos seem to indicate. If it is, then it could be a fairly straightforward restoration project. With nice, original examples now fetching prices in excess of $25,000, that would seem to make this a financially viable restoration prospect.

Comments

  1. Avatar TRPIV

    Pretty sweet foundation for a simple surf wagon cruiser. Put on some baby moon hubcaps. Add a few period stickers to the rear windows.

    That said, I know very little about the marquee. I can’t picture the scale of this one. Is this bigger than a Falcon, but not as big an LTD?

    It’s early 60’s so it can’t be too ridiculous in size.

    Like 3
  2. Avatar TRPIV

    Ohhhh… Yeah.. Did some research. So this is basically the wagon version of the Galaxy. Humm… Surf wagon may be a bit of a long reach. :)

    Like 1
    • Avatar norm bissonnette

      This is built on the new for ’62 mid-size , intermediate line of ‘unit-body’ constructed Fords . It was above the Falcon (unit) and below the Galaxy (body on frame) in terms of size .

      Like 12
    • Avatar Jay

      Wagon version of the Fairlane

      Like 4
    • Avatar CCFisher

      Galaxie. It’s Galaxie.

      Like 5
      • Avatar norm bissonnette

        not….

        Like 3
    • Avatar Will Fox

      NO. This is the wagon version of the Fairlane; not Galaxie. One size smaller.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar socaljoe

    TRPIV ” the wagon version of the Galaxy.” I don’t see what is wrong with that.

    Like 3
  4. Avatar Johnmloghry

    Norm B. has it right. The Fairlane was a intermediate size car. Some referred them to as a compact, above the subcompact Falcon and below the full size Galaxie line. One of my brothers used to buy these new from 63 to 68, then he bought Torino before moving to Honolulu in 1970. But Ford did build Galaxie Country Squire wagons which were very sharp looking wagons in 63 with no fins.
    God bless America

    Like 4
  5. Avatar Bob C.

    This generation Fairlane sent Chevy back to the drawing board to come up with the Chevelle. Ford was two years ahead of Chevy with this, the Falcon and Chevy II, and the Mustang and Camaro.

    Like 3
  6. Avatar Tinindian

    Remember the make,model & year well.I would purchase it but have no money.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    Surely Andy and Barney must have taken the girls for a picnic in one of these at some point. Maybe Goob and Gomer met ’em at the lake for a singalong. Love it.

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    It can be easy to confuse the 1963 Galaxie and Fairlane as the styling employed many of the same cues. But this is definitely the intermediate-sized Fairlane. And a good one at that. It appears to be a fine place to start a restoration.

    Many people consider Ford to have been on top of their game in the mid-60’s. Which is interesting considering the Edsel was just a few years before.

    Like 4
  9. Avatar FordGuy1972 Member

    I think the price is fair for what this wagon offers. It’s an apparently sound candidate for a restoration; a body in pretty good shape, an interior that won’t need much and it runs. Mechanicals will need to be gone through and under hood needs to be cleaned up but unless you want perfection, you could restore this car to excellent driver quality for not a lot of money.

    This model wagon is not often seen and being an intermediate, it’s a reasonable size. The little V8 should provide decent performance and economy, too. I’d love to have it, but I’m maxed out with four vintage Fords and I don’t want a divorce. Again.

    Like 6
    • Avatar John Lissandrello

      FordGuy1972, did you end up selling the Fairlane Squire wagon yet?

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Woody

    This is an awesome wagon and a fair price for the condition,I would keep it as original as possible and polish that woody trim!

    Like 4
  11. Avatar Bruce Fischer

    Why does it look like it had gotten hot and boiled over and it had spray over all the motor parts?Bruce.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Pete in PA

    Great faux woodie wagon in the rarely seen midsize version. In fact I can’t remember ever seeing a woodie wagon version of the 63 or 64 Fairlane. Pretty salty at $2884 MSRP when the full size Country Squire 6 passenger cost only a few hundred more ($3127).
    I like it a lot but FordGuy1972’s ending sentences accurately describe my situation. LOL

    Like 1
  13. Avatar Mountainwoodie

    Looks like some humidity/rust damage in the rear interior by the spare, perhaps from sitting for 20 years?

    Sweet little wagon………….at $2500.00…………wonder what wheel of fortune the seller is spinning.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Leman

    i had 1964 just like this in 1978 to 1983 and it only cost me $300.00, it had the inline 6 ci engine with auto trans. what makes all the old cars worth such ridiculous asking prices is beyond belief.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar David Ulrey

    I would love it as a driver. Of course take care of whatever is necessary. Here is where I would deviate some. I would get an early 351 Windsor and rebuild it and make sure to have hardened valve seats and make sure things were friendly to the Ethanol mix gas we have. Paint the engine the appropriate color/colors and put a fairly quiet-ish dual exhaust on it. Purists can relax though because I’d wrap the 260 up tightly in plastic wrap after doing the necessary storage procedures on it and keep it in the dry garage for future use if needed or wanted.

    Like 1
  16. Avatar stillrunners

    Nice wagon…on the high side as you will soon be upside down on it down the road a few years.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Chuck

    I had a ’62 Fairlane, and am real familiar with them. A 302 with a C-4 will drop right in without much problem. You might need to change the engine mounts to the later version, and the driveshaft transmission yoke, and possibly a larger radiator, but that would be about it. I would update the charging system to an alternator, but that’s not a big deal. It comes with an 8″ rear end, so that’s no problem. The 351 Windsor probably wouldn’t fit in there, because the block is wider, due to the increased stroke of that engine. The Mustang was built with a lot of Fairlane parts, so you can inter change quite a few things. The L/H corner of the dash looks like it has a rag sitting there.

    Like 1
  18. Avatar FOG

    Wow, another “Sweeeeet” wagon posted here. Like everyone else, not sitting on the cash to buy this one. It strikes me as remarkable, that it is in such good shape for being nestled in Pennsylvania. No offense, but back in the day the icy roads were treated with salt, slag, and other forms of traction and melt.

    Like 1

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