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A Bit Rusty: Ford Fairlane 500

fairlane-500

We have seen just about every technique of selling a car on the internet. Some sellers try to make their car sound better than it really is, others just state the facts and leave it at that, while others use humor. Reader Steve B. tipped us off to this find, which he simply described as a rare find in unique condition. His statement about the condition was spot on, as it is in, um… unique condition. We assume the seller was being humorous in their description, as they state it is only a “bit rusty” and needs some “tweaks here and there to be roadworthy”. Take a look at the listing here on craigslist in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are sure you have some good captions for this photo, so please feel free to share! Thanks Steve for the laugh!

Comments

  1. Avatar Jim

    Considering the mental acuity of many CL sellers, it wouldnt surprise me that this nut is serious about his assessment of the condition and what he wants for it.

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  2. Avatar paul

    Sold at the Lambrecht Chevy auction for $25,000.

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    • Avatar Jim

      Now that’s funny !!!

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    • Avatar geomechs Member

      That’s good! One of the best quips ever read.

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      • Avatar paul

        All in fun, here on BF.

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  3. Avatar Wayne

    LOL! Good one Paul! Since I want to retire next year and sell off my inventory, I am changing my name to Lambrecht! Should be able to retire nicely to the Bahamas!

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  4. Avatar Tom Lindmark

    That there is a “leverite”

    Leave her right there

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  5. Avatar Brian

    Does the price include the lake lot its sitting in??

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  6. Avatar DanaPointJohn

    If it was a 911 in that condition it would easily sell for $7,500.

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    • Avatar paul

      Yeah & if it was a 356 P car, it would be $100,000.

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  7. Avatar Heath

    …low miles, one owner, original paint.

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  8. Avatar David

    Its only original once, so slap some tires on it, duct tape the doors on, and hit the local cruise night. I like that it comes with air conditioning

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    • Avatar 1ST-RAT

      This comment is spot-on. I’m still laughing.

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  9. Avatar George

    False advertising. This is a 1959 Ford

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  10. Avatar rancho bella

    ’59 Fords were not attractive in ’59………..nothing has changed. How on earth did Ford go from this design to a ’60 Starliner………….it darn near seems impossible.

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    • Avatar Don Andreina

      That is a very good question. I wouldn’t look twice at a 59, but a 60 is so good looking. Yet the 60 is considered the orphan year. Mmmmmmm…… Starliner.

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    • Avatar Brian

      I totally disagree, the 59 were great, the 60s were just a bread box!

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    • Avatar Heath

      I completely disagree. I have my fathers 59 Fairlane Galaxie (thats what they were called the first yr) which he bought new that has its original paint, perfect interior, all original down to the factory wheels AND tires (now stored due to age). Its 352FE has never been opened. It has 49300 original miles and is a time capsule. Parked from 1974 until last year. Its in a completely different category of cars, and was a turn in Ford history. I have 3 69 428cj/scj mach 1’s, a numbers matching 67 SS camaro, and 8 other musclecars and the 59 will always be one of my favorites. http://ccco.s3.amazonaws.com/vehicles/images/6/6/6/9/2/66692/505820_23b96b8ed1_low_res.jpg

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      • Avatar Brian

        Sounds good Heath! Just hold onto it, store it in a cool, dry garage, and enjoy it! In my humble opinion, the 352 and 223 six were the most trouble free of the engines available in the ’59 Fords. They could eat up the miles and give good service with just routine maintenance.

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  11. Avatar Iron Mistress

    That will buff out.

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  12. Avatar Sunbeamdon

    In the imortal words of the Black Knight – “it’s only a flesh wound”

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  13. Avatar jean lecointe

    Take it to the movie “Christine” and let it rebuild itself….

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  14. Avatar MikeH

    In keeping with the rest of the ad–that’s a ’59, not a ’61 or whatever he said it was. In addition–he never said whether it runs, or turns over, or whether the a/c works. I’m sure the interior is original.

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    • Avatar Don Andreina

      ‘Was running when drowned’

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    • Avatar Brian

      Looks like it has no problem turning over, I’d say its been “flipped and rolled” on at least one occasion!

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  15. Avatar Charles

    I like old Fords, but this is junk!!! Don’t see many usable parts on it either. A nice 59 Ford can be had for less then 10K, so where is the value in this mess?

    How much does it weigh?

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    • Avatar Brian

      Lawn art?

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      • Avatar Horse Radish

        …that is what I was thinking.
        move it THE WAY IT SITS, including an inch of the 100 square feet it sits on (a tree mover could do that) and put the whole display in the next international Auto show.
        Your display would knock the socks off EVERY NEW CAR there…..

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  16. Avatar Trickie Dickie Member

    What you guys need is a little romance and vision in your souls. I am buying that and taking it to my car club meet in the Spring. I know it will win in the “Most Potential” category. It will top last year’s winner that still had a tree growing out of the center of the car!

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    • Avatar David G

      …Sounds like it should be called the “LEAST Potential” award…

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  17. Avatar George Member

    I went to see a Chrysler 300 once “with a little rust” that was in about this shape………From Nevada, a “dry, desert state,” the car looked as if it spent it’s life chasing salt spreading equipment, and then used to raise dobermans in a puppy mill.

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  18. Avatar Charlie V.

    This guy is a whack job. $50 for the hulk. Cut the back 3 ft off for a pattern, and make a couch/davenport from that. Otherwise, this guy has been smoking too much ragweed and drinking to much distilled antifreeze.

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  19. Avatar Connor

    Check out the patina on that just run through the mechanicals and stick some tires on it it’ll look great.

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  20. Avatar jim s

    hard to tell from just 1 picture and i wonder about the parts in the background! this one should have been posted on 4/1 i think.

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  21. Avatar rustylink

    Does a leprechaun with a pot of gold live in it?

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    • Avatar Brian

      No but there is a family of rats living under the front seat!

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  22. Avatar FRED

    chop,channel and drop it.

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    • Avatar Brian

      Appears to have already been dropped, I’d say at least 200 feet!

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  23. Avatar yooperpackrat

    Low milage,garage kept,little old lady driver,used only on weekends.

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  24. Avatar KE100

    The turtle wax it comes with should fix it all. :)

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  25. Avatar Photo-wizzard

    When the chaps at Top Gear were tired of destroying caravans in ever more inventive ways, they decided to see how a ’59 Ford would fare when dropped from a Boeing Superfortress. Not as well as expected, they shouldn’t have been sitting in it, made it just too heavy.

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  26. Avatar ted

    good smash up derby car?

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    • Avatar geomechs Member

      I’m afraid you’re a little late for that; it’s already been to the derby and back.

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  27. Avatar Richard Member

    Hey Trickie, Please post a picture of your wife’s face when you bring this car home and tell her that you talked the guy down to $7000.

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    • Avatar trickie Dickie Member

      Thanks Richard, such a sensitive and understanding suggestion.I can’t tell her yet about this purchase. She is still in therapy about my purchase a few weeks back of that Porsche Speedster with that wonderful oxidation patina. Oh, the humanity!

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      • Avatar Bill (Melbourne, Australia)

        HA – yes but there as this very talented individual that claimed he could restore that 356 with his ‘magical and magnificent’ English wheel.

        HA – maybe the end purchaser of the Ford should get it touch with the master of the English wheel as the ‘master of metal’ could do the same to the Ford.

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      • Avatar Brian

        Even Harry Potter couldn’t help this poor thing!

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  28. Avatar MH in MN

    I talked to the guy who posted the ad on CL. Just a dumb guy with nothing better to do.

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    • Avatar Horse Radish

      Seriously……what did you expect !
      Did he mention that this is a bill of sale transaction ?
      and his name was John Doe 26 ?

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      • Avatar Brian

        I think his name is Mr. Haney!

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  29. Avatar Alan

    Aw, the seller just made a little mistake… He left out the decimal point in front of the zeroes. An easy error to make….

    There “might” be a part or two on this tinworm-infested hulk that could be salvaged for a project which needed it, but not much more than that. Yep, 4/1 listing, a few of months early!

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    • Avatar Brian

      Buy it today for the full asking price and the seller will include a free shovel so you can collect your new treasure!!

      Like 0
  30. Avatar bowtiecarguy

    F (ound) O (n) R (oad) D (rowned)

    No, No, 1000 times, OK, 500 times No!

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    • Avatar geomechs Member

      FLIP OVER; READ DIRECTIONS. Or F$$$#d ON a REAL DEAL

      Like 0
  31. Avatar AMCFAN

    I am thinking this guy has quite a sense of humor with his tongue in cheek description. He got someone to look and notice his ad.

    Have to give credit. To his defense. Several ways to look at it. What a clever way to have a scrapper come and pay you and haul this hulk off.

    The other is a slim chance but maybe he is hoping someone may need that door that came untaped or find something not visable in the picture.I would bet he may have something else in the pond.

    If more people would take a moment to advertise cars in any condition before taking them to the scrap yard quite possible others would live and in a rare event excape the junkyard and be put back on the road.

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    • Avatar Brian

      All true but you have to give us all credit, there are some really funny lines on here!?!?

      Like 0
  32. Avatar fred

    “Some rust in the usual places….” PATINA!

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  33. Avatar Bill (Melbourne, Australia)

    To think it was once somebody’s pride and joy the day a family went down to the showroom and picked up that as a brand new car.

    I often look at cars in such a state and think of the history of it.

    From its beginnings with the people that worked spot welding bits together on the lines to the paint shop etc and then its history through its life.

    How many babies did it bring home from the hospital, how many good times were had during its life and now it sits turning into iron oxide. (Ha – I try to ignore the bad things it may have been involved with).

    Have a nice day to you all.

    Like 0
    • Avatar mikeH

      I often do the same thing. I’ve always thought I was the only one who did that. I guess that’s why I enjoy restoring them.

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    • Avatar geomechs Member

      You’re not alone here. I think about the history of every car I come across. I’m lucky enough to know the entire history on four of my outfits (one is a John Deere D tractor) and I’m in the process of finding out the other three. In regards to this car, I’ve seen people who are determined enough to actually tackle a restoration on something this far gone. There is a guy I know who has tackled a 1913 (it might be as late as 1918) REDCLIFF (How many of you have heard of that?) truck and he began the project with a frame, cowl and front axle. He’ll have it (complete) on the road come spring and I’ll be there with the camera to capture the event.

      Like 0
  34. Avatar Bill (Melbourne, Australia)

    Hello mikeH & geomechs.

    HA – if only cars could talk.

    I believe the ‘hobby’ restorer should focus more on enjoying the restoration and not the ‘how much is it worth’ type thought as I’m sure that the majority of hobby restorers spend far more in time and money than their car/motorcycle/tractor etc may be worth on the open market (but then again – “too each his own” as they say).

    Re the REDCLIFF, yes I’ve seen some obscure things rebuilt from not much more than a few parts. It seems a lot easier with very early 1900’s type cars as they were mostly hand built and simple construction – HA – but it gets a bit more complicated to rebuild a 50’s era car if all that is left is a firewall. I’d be interested to see some photos of the before & after of the REDCLIFF when available. Thanks

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    • Avatar MikeH

      This car reminds me of a time I was at Kip Motors [specializing in restoring Metropolitans and off beat brit cars] in Dallas, and there was a Met that had the whole front end almost rusted off. Turns out it had been in a swamp in Louisiana for years, slowly rusting away. I said: is this guy crazy? He could buy a nice Met for less than what it will take to fix the rust alone. It seems that this had been this guy’s first car, and he wanted THIS car restored–no matter what the cost. You have to admire that.

      Like 0
  35. Avatar Alan

    Ad’s been pulled. Anyone take a screen grab while it was still up?

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  36. Avatar Vanderwaal

    Numbers matching!

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  37. Avatar Carl

    Ummm. It has potential?

    Like 0
  38. Avatar tedd

    HMMM Be a good present for the mother in law to put in her flower garden

    Like 0

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