Though Ford hasn’t used the name in this country for over five decades, the Fairlane spent several years as a mainstay for the brand, starting as the flagship model for the full-size lineup in 1955. Later, it served as an intermediate before the moniker was retired in the United States at the end of the 1970 run, but not until seven generations of production had passed. This 1967 Ford Fairlane 500 could benefit from some TLC, but it seems like a fun and fairly capable driver, so the next owner will have to decide whether to make a few minor repairs or take it to a whole new level.
The seller mentions that the Fairlane has been sitting in his garage for years, but before his acquisition, somebody replaced the original 289 engine with a 351 Windsor. He believes the motor is a 1993 date code, based on the block numbers. Some recent work was performed on the automatic transmission, with an unfortunate mishap occurring, as the reverse gear was no longer working when the Ford was returned. The shop claims this was not their fault, even though the car was going backward before they tore into the C4. In any event, it’s said to go forward fine and was driven 20 miles recently with no problems.
It’s not specified if the paint is original, but the area between the door and fender on the driver’s side was already in primer before the current owner became the caretaker. There are numerous chips present on the lower extremities, however, most of the body rust appears like it’s just on the surface, and overall the panels seem to remain in reasonably good condition. I’d probably repair all of the broken wheel studs immediately and just enjoy driving this one for a while, maybe even for a few seasons while deciding what level I wanted to eventually take the exterior.
The original front seat was of the bench variety, although at some point this was switched to buckets, which are going to need some new upholstery should the next owner decide to retain them. Some rust can be found in the floorboards, with the most severe rot said to be in the rear passenger area, so some patchwork will be needed here, or maybe a completely new unit. This 1967 Ford Fairlane 500 is located in Ralph, Alabama, and can be seen here on eBay, where bidding is currently resting at $3,250 and still shy of the reserve. Is this one better to just keep as a weekend cruiser, or is it worthwhile to perform an extensive restoration here?
This will make a good foundation for a project. The work done has been well executed and the car shows minimal rust.
The wheel studs aren’t broken, they are too short for these wheels. In picture #14 you can barely see the ends in the lug holes. When I would work tech at the local track the track manager made us check stud length on all cars using Weld Wheels. Stock length studs were too short to pass tech based on NHRA’s rules and could easily snap under load. The rule states the stud must protrude beyond the face of the rim by the thickness of the stud. It was our discretion to fail cars or let them run but tell them they had to fix the problem before they came back. The next owner of this car could buy some lug nuts with extended length shanks and probably be fine since it’s a street car, or just swap out the wheels if he wants a different look.
Steve R
Love the car. Hate the wheels. They’d be the first thing to go if I had the opportunity. Problem solved.
What work ,other than putting in the wrong engine?
Well, they also left out reverse…
Buyer should just run it as is. Fix it as time and pocket allow while driving a classic.
To restore properly you’d have to get into the torque boxes of the unibody to arrest the rust.
Reminds me of the 66 fairlane I had for years. I’d dropped a 351 in it as well. Great runner but always a bit of a rust bucket, if you looked close. Took me wherever I wanted to go and never let me down.
Wish I still had it, rust and all.
My favorite Fairlane body style, especially the ’67 taillights. If it doesn’t get bid to the moon? This would be a good project.
I always liked that car, simple yet has style.
Nice start – looks like 1966 seats but if it stays around 5g that a buy.