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Worthwhile Project? 1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Fastback

1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Fastback

Up for sale is a 1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Fastback that is like Goldilocks. It is not in the best shape, but it is also not in the worst shape. If you are interested in taking on this project 500, it has a buy-it-now price of $7,400 or you can make an offer on it. It is located in Denver, North Carolina. That location might have helped the body stay in relatively good condition if it has been there the whole time. A VIN is listed for the car along with a clean title and 21,074 miles. You can view more on eBay.

1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Fastback

Under the hood is a numbers matching 289 cubic-inch V8 but it only runs on a bottle. That is connected to an automatic transmission. The seller mentions that there is no bondo on the car. All the rust that you can see is what you get and no repairs have been made to it. There are a few dents and dings, some rust around the fenders, a hole in the passenger side front floor, and it does need a windshield along with some other glass.

1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Fastback

Inside, the car appears to be complete. It does have some torn seats but overall it would not take much to get things in a comfortable condition. There is no information on if all the gauges and dials work. One of the features of this car is that it came with air conditioning. Again, they do not mention if that is in working order or not.

1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Fastback

A few undercarriage photos provided show that there is surface rust and more than likely a number of parts that will need to be replaced due to rust. It isn’t in the best condition, but it might be worth saving if the price is right, and you have the skill, time, and funds to put into it. The direction you would want to go is also open to interpretation. If restoration is your preference, go with that, but if a resto-mod build is striking you as an option, that is a great route as well.

Comments

  1. Avatar TimM

    Theses were good looking cars!! Kind of looked like it’s doing 80 when parked!! $7400 seems a bit steep for an automatic with the 289!! It could be a good project if it could be bought around 5K

    Like 10
  2. Avatar ken tillyUK Member

    I would say that the AC doesn’t work at the moment as there is no belt fitted to drive it.

    Like 11
  3. Avatar jerry z

    Must have adjusted price, now at BIN for $6995. I’m sure a lower offer will get this car.

    Like 6
  4. Avatar Troy s

    Always thought the 302 was the small V8 in these ’68-and up Fords, good candidate for a show and cruise day two hot rod as most young folks will look and stare not knowing what it is.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Dave

      I concur. I think that the 289 was a 1967 only and the 302 replaced it for 1968. Either way this car is a unicorn! You just don’t see them anywhere anymore.

      Like 4
      • Avatar Morgan Winter

        The 289 was available in Fairlanes from mid-year ’63 through early ’68 model years.

        Like 6
      • Avatar stu

        I had a 68 Torino GT with the 289. The 302 appeared late in 68 production.

        Like 4
      • Avatar Jost

        289 was still around in early 68. I think that production of the 289 stopped in 67, but plenty of motors we’re left over. I owned an early 68 Mustang that had a 289 so I am certain.

        Like 2
    • Avatar gary

      Early ’68 was 289, late was 302

      Like 2
      • Avatar Trey

        I think the 302 was in the beginning of the year, then the 289 was phased in.

        Like 0
  5. Avatar Andrew Franks

    They were very good looking cars, and this one looks like it’s worth saving. A very nice driver.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Brad J.

      Isn’t that the same body as Ford used on the 68 and 69 Torinos, if not it’s very close. I like the way the rear end starts at the top of the windshield and just keeps on going and going and going.

      Like 9
      • Avatar CATHOUSE

        Yes, the 68-69 Torinos and Fairlanes are the same car with just trim differences.

        Like 8
  6. Avatar Ellis

    Some one in my neighborhood has one with a 351 automatic same year for 4500
    I thought that was a bit high. Great looking cars

    Like 1
    • Avatar Tony S

      More info please..

      Like 0
  7. Avatar canadainmarkseh

    I’ve always liked these 500’s except for the front grille, and why not put a headlight in it for the picture. The engine in this car is all you need it will pull this car around. You don’t need it to be a fire breathing monster to enjoy this car. I did notice a fair bit of rust in the under carriage components. I’d be cautious of this car unless your set up to repair rust issues. This would make a good DIY project.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Chris M.

      No you don’t need a fire breathing monster under the hood. But something with a alot more punch than this weak 289 would certainly make for a more enjoyable ride.

      Like 7
  8. Avatar FordGuy1972 Member

    The ’68-’69 Sportsroof Fairlanes were good looking cars. This one looks pretty good though the underside is pretty crusty. I don’t think it only has 21,000 miles on it, though. The two tone interior is attractive and probably wouldn’t take too much to get it to sparkle. I’m OK with the 289 V8, though a 302 would have been better. The 302 came out for the ’68 model year so maybe because this Fairlane has a 289 means it was an early production car. Or maybe that’s not the original motor. This Fairlane will need work and a good bit of money put in to it but lots of potential here, especially if you could get it a little cheaper.

    Like 3
    • Avatar CATHOUSE

      The engine code in the VIN is a C. That means that this car left the factory with a 289 2V engine.

      Like 6
  9. Avatar markp

    A big block 390/428 will fit but due to the shock towers it is really tight and hard to work on. Changing the spark plugs on a big block requires unbolting the engine mounts and jacking up the engine to get to the plugs or hands that are paper thin.

    Like 7
    • Avatar Tony, Australia

      markp
      Sounds like you’ve owned a 390/428 Thunderbird at some time, same problem with the plugs, and don’t get me started on the exhaust manifold gaskets.

      Like 5
      • Avatar Mr.BZ

        Yep my brother cursed his 68 Torino GT-390 at every plug change!

        Like 0
  10. Avatar junkman Member

    68 was the first year for the 302 and original ones carry 289 heads. The guy prolly took off a valve cover and saw 289 embossed into the casting and figured it’s a 289. As stated 5k tops for this condition.

    Like 4
  11. Avatar Troy s

    Just for the heck of it I found the answer on the Web about the 289. It’s legit and an early build ’68 due to a strike. Not that it matters really, one dog substitutes another. It’s a nice car that would benefit from at least 351 cubes…..don’t need an FE to have a good time.

    Like 4
  12. Avatar Mark in WNC

    I had a ’68 Torino GT fastback with a factory installed 289 …same car as the Fairlane…the 302 was also used that year. The 289 wasn’t a screamer but with a C4 automatic and a 2.79 : 1 rear gear it could do 120 MPH plus!

    Like 4
  13. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    It runs on a bottle that is connected to an automatic transmission? Who writes this stuff? Oh, yeah.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Michael Leyshon Member

      It’s a system where you don’t have to mix gasoline and transmission fluid anymore… The fluid is transmitted automatically from the front pump to the windshield washer nozzles…

      Like 12
  14. Avatar Danno

    One of my favourite side profiles. Ford got this one right.

    Like 8
  15. Avatar Rattlehead

    hey folks dont complain about the best Windsor built, shelby got what 307 reliable horsepower out of a 289. i do believe it is a far better piece than a 302. 289 will rev higher and hold it longer in stock form otherwise you can do all the same stuff too both platforms. what this p.o.s. needs is a nice 4v Cleveland or better yet the 4v Cleveland heads on a 400. piss on the f.e. way to heavy, one particular multiple engine masters champ was banned from using that recipe after blowing away the competition 4 or 5 years in a row. thats the ford plant to build.

    Like 3
  16. Avatar upchucked

    My 68 Torino GT had the 390 and it would throw you back in the seat with the best of them. My wife loved the car until one day we came down a ramp onto an expressway and there, right beside me was the same car, but yellow (mine was red)… the other driver and I looked at each other and slammed our foots down, 120 came and went pretty quickly and we came up on traffic which forced us to slow down to 70. Scared the bejesus out of my wife and she started asking me to sell it. Whoever got it had a real barn burner, but before you feel sorry for me, I can tell you my replacement, a Sunbeam Tiger was no slouch!

    Like 8
    • Avatar bog

      upchucked – nice to see someone had one with a 390 and experienced how it “drove”. I bought a brand new ’67 Fairlane GTA and took it to Germany with me in the Army. I know how fast that car was on the Autobahn….. this body style may have even been faster with my engine. Hard to say, the front end still looks like it catches a ton of air.

      Like 0
  17. Avatar Little_Cars

    If you thought the factory wheelcovers on 71-73 Mustangs were too blasé for a muscle car, they look totally out of place on this Fairlane. Flat out boring. My first accent would be a set of Magnum 500 wheels and nice T/A radials with the proper profile.

    Like 2
  18. Avatar JagManBill

    My Sister had one of these back in 73/74. I always thought it was a 67 as it had the 67 “mag” style hubcaps on it and they were original to the car (We knew the original owner). Nice car, I wrecked it at homecoming in 74 pulling into the stadium parking lot someone a bit excited to be there pulled into the parking spot and threw open the door…which I promptly pinned to his front fender with my right front. No real damage was done until the guy thought the best way to fix it was to backup, springing his door into my front fender and the passenger door.

    Like 0
  19. Avatar J

    I like this design, Torinos too, love the body lines.

    Like 2
  20. Avatar Howard Kerr

    I had the Mercury version of this, yellow over black. No, they aren’t quick off the line but once you get up to 55-60 they seem to hold the road quite well.
    120+? Never tried it, but I did have it close to an INDICATED 85-90 once or twice and I believe that it could have done 100. I just didn’t want to try it with bias ply tires and NON powered 4 wheel drum brakes.

    Like 2
  21. Avatar chrlsful

    lub me some ‘stacked head lights’, these R defiantly cool too. Never understood the 390/C6 as I think of them ina truck (dumb me?).

    Buddy hada notch back ’67 Fairlane GTA (non – fastback) w/those round gauge tunnels on the dash (seemed like 10 of’em). Kept his cigarettes there. He’d put a pac in the far right one & dare U to grab it. “If U can get’em their yours”. He’d wait till U reached and punch the gas peddle. I never got a free pac & he wuz my neighbor…

    Slipped on the ice comin home frm the girlfriend’s in his Mach I a yr or 2 later. 1st funeral I ever went to. Took 15, 20 yrs B4 I could ever go to another (he was in late teens).

    Like 1
    • Avatar bog

      chrisful – so sorry about your friend. I lost friends due to car accidents too, some quite young (my girlfriend in Germany among them)…now it’s a matter of all my friends just being old. Sounds like your late buddy had the same car as me. Mine was light yellow with black stripes along the rockers & black interior. I embarrassed a number of my fellow soldiers on the Autobahn with that car. Drove it very, very slowly though on icy cobblestoned village streets & even in D2 it wanted to “side-step”….

      Like 0
  22. Avatar Bryan Henderson

    I just ran across this, I bought this car, (Ebay) $4900.00 — no way they ever started the 289 —– while I did get it to run, and it ran pretty good, it was very tired, and didn’t see too many oil changes in its life, i have a 302/5.0 roller for it, I just completed rebuilding the C4 auto which did move the car but was smoked with bad bands — I bet the reason they parked the car way back in 85-86, I live in the Tx Panhandle so car here are solid, this thing has plenty of rust, lower qtrs, floors in spots, and the hood is bad, NC weather I guess ? and for sure 121,000 miles, and there is body work on the car, bad body work, man that guy was so full of crap ! i could small him from here……. but all and all good car for the money, i love these, i have built a lot of cars, fords for sure, so this one is going to be a blast to drive and have.

    Like 2
  23. Avatar John C Boyer

    is this car available?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Solosolo UK Member

      I doubt it John C. but if it is I would think that the guy that bought it back in 2020 has done a lot of restoration stuff on it by now so it should be a great car now, at a great price also. Good luck though, you never know.

      Like 0
      • Avatar John Boyer

        So you do not own it then?

        Like 0
  24. Avatar Solosolo UK Member

    @John Boyer. No, not me unfortunately. It was most likely sold about 3 1/2 years ago looking at the date it first appeared on Barn Finds.

    Like 0

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