Borrowed from the name of Henry Ford’s Michigan estate, the Fairlane was part of the Ford automobile ensemble from 1955-to 70, across seven generations of vehicles. It would be the top nameplate in the sales literature until the Galaxie 500 came along. The 1960-61 full-size Fords were the most futuristic-looking of the cars built during that era, much like Chrysler and General Motors had also done. This 1961 Fairlane (maybe a 500) could have been a grocery getter when new, but it’s set up for speed now with twin carburetors and more under the hood. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this Ford is available here on craigslist for $26,500. A tip of the fedora to Gunter Kramer for this lead!
The third generation of the Fairlane (1960-61) would turn out to be it’s last as a full-size car. After that, it became the new mid-size models that Ford rolled out in 1962 to fill the gap between the Falcon and the Galaxie/former Fairlane. The cars were longer, lower, and wider than before, reminiscent of the Forward Look Plymouths of 1957-59. Two versions of the Fairlane were offered (regular and 500), with the degree of trim provided being the difference. The largest engine available in 1961 was the 390 cubic inch V8 which may be what’s in the seller’s car. He/she doesn’t take advantage of the online space to mention the displacement of the motor.
We’re likely looking at a car that has been both restored and modified, although we don’t know to what extent applies to the latter. There are two carburetors perched on top of the motor and the whole setup is paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. The indicated mileage is 93,700, but that likely applies to the car as a whole, not all of its pieces. The Ford was repainted in 1973 and the car must have been sealed up in a zip-lock bag after that for it to look so good now.
The interior is spotless and void of many creature comforts. For example, neither a radio nor a clock was ordered by its original owner. But vintage air conditioning has been added! We’re told it runs and drives great and the Fairlane falls into the “must-see” category. If this is a Fairlane 500, as a 2-door sedan it would be one of 42,468 built in 1961, but many of them have headed to the scrapyard by now.
Very unassuming fast car. I think their should be a law that any V8 with multiple carburation should have fresh air induction pulled from the cabin or at least partially. Full throttle starts never get old IMHO.
– until you gas up,& up,& up……..
angliagt, I have to agree with that. I LOVE the sound that a 4053 Holley on a 302 Chevy Z/28 makes at full throttle. I have two Camaros and a 57 Bel Air with that set up, but when it costs serious money to open it up and stuff $5 worth of gas down it, I’ll probably think twice.
I can afford to do it, but I’m 69 and living on Social Security and a fairly healthy IRA. But that gives you a completely different perspective on money than I had when I was working full time.
Also, I just found that five quarts of 20W50 Lucas oil and a good quality filter is now $50, so the yearly oil change now makes putting a few gallons of gas in the car to go cruzin’ look cheap.
I hear ya … nothing like hearing dual quads floored … my ’61 Vette with 283 was a fast car – wish I still had it …
This is sharp and clean and just a good package. Ive always been partial to the 63 1/2 & 64 Galaxies but my neighbor buys and sells 61 through 64’s and the earlier 61-62 versions have been catching my eye too. I can dig the robins egg blue with steelies. Four speed and a big block….✓ and ✓! He doesnt state in the ad what the actual size or vintage the engine is but the valve covers read 428 cobrajet. Dual carbs have a sound their own and its music! Seems like a reasonable price for a nice car, id drive the life out of it. But as always, never purchase without a personal inspection first.
It’s a 428.. or at least the heads are cobra jet. The exhaust manifold bolts are the give away. FE Ford big blocks where horizontal. The 428 was crisscross to allow for higher flow and bigger valves. I wanna know it they are aftermarket. I’ve never seen heads thats clean on an FE.
Another Robin 🐦 egg blue Ford 👍
My first car in 1969 was a ‘62 Galaxie in Robin Egg Blue.
“If this is a Fairlane 500,”
If? Of course it’s a Fairlane 500. It has Fairlane 500 badges on the front fender, decklid and glovebox door, the 500’s side molding and hood edge trim as well as the brightwork window trim and the fancier interior. Those items were not present on the Fairlane, which was more “economy grade.” Would be nice to see the door data plate to confirm but all indications point to it being a Fairlane 500.
1st, it’s really a sharp car. ’61 was one of my favorites, built many a ’61 Ford models, BUT do you really need that mill in a car like this? I mean, the car proper is so dang rare, do you need a drag racing motor in every classic car that comes down the pike? I don’t know, I’d like to actually DRIVE my classic car, and not from one gas station to the next. Like the “slanty” in big vintage Chryslers, the “Mileage-Maker 223” in-line 6 would do just fine in this car. Maybe a period correct 292 or the all new for ’61, the mighty 390( 2 barrel). Does everything American have to be over the top? I’ll tell you, with the #’s 4 and 5 showing up behind dollar signs now in everything( that used to have 2’s and 3’s), this silliness will come to a screeching halt, you’ll see. Someone clearly pixxed away a lot of money on this car. I do hope they include an air cleaner,,,
Much wise advice in your post, Howard. my 57 ranchero has a rebuilt stock 390 2 bbl, and with that a 4 speed close ratio toploader out of a fairlane. I have a brand new Edelbrock 600 and manifold, but due to the high price of Bidengas, I’m leaving the 2 bbl for now. heck, I can still get rubber in 3 gears with the deuce; I’ll be happy with it for now. Its all good! I couldnt imagine feeding dual quads, but baby excess and that sound makes the juices flow. Makes this ol grey hair smile!
Cheers
GPC
Very nice build.Great choice of body color steel wheels.
Can’t do this. No Radio, or Satelite radio.
I have cars with too many ponies. 800 of them in my Real Nascar Challenger.
This 61 Ford for me would be fine as a 292 or in that area to be a nice driver. Probably was a Six, and radio delete, maybe a heater delete.
For us sissies today, the Classis Auto Air is a welcome site.
In a bit, going to a Cars n Coffee, with a topless 67 Barrauda, 273, 4-speed.
Weather today, 7 a, 69. 9 am, 81. Hi, 99.
We can’t spell snow here.
But, really like this 61, and a not in your face Lite Blue.
Back in the day it was not unusual to forego certain options that were considered to be absolute luxuries. The only new vehicle my father ever purchased was a 1960 Meteor Rideau 500. Straight six, three-on-the-tree, plain as can be. When it came to options he had to make a financial choice between full wheel covers or a radio; who has the money for both?! For nine years we cruised with good looking wheel covers and a transistor radio wedged between the dashboard and the windshield.
Well yuh its exciting. More ponies more excitement. I love listening to the Cammer on YouTube, will have to do till i can afford one. I used 100 octane low lead in my 468 dual quad 6-71, and it used to really like the fuel, my freinds could tell it was me from 2 miles away. The only downside of the blower was i could no longer here my M22. Never had a radio never needed one. While im not rich, every mile on that car im really living, a big grin pretty much all the time. Worth every damn nickel, so i guess its preference. If im rolling down the road in an early ford im not playing, it might be different if i had a warehouse full
Badge on trunk + fancy interior + chrome window framing = Fairlane 500. I had a regular 1961 ‘Fairlane’ and it had none of these. I’m sure there’s other cues, but these 3 I know.
When I was a kid, my parents bought a nearly new ‘61 Fairlane. 4 door town sedan. Not a 500. Corinthian white, blue interior. Radio, heater and a 390 with a 3 speed. I loved that car. It became my car I started driving. I sold it to buy a 68 mustang (also a 390). I’ve had do many cool cars over the years, but I’d give just about anything to have the old Fairlane back. When I sold it in ‘73, it had42,000 miles. The guy who bought it destroyed it in a matter of months.
The Fairlane 500 listed, is too cool. It’s nice to see something like this that’s not a Starliner or Sunliner, not that they aren’t great.
This is certainly a great car and it triggers lots of memories for me. In July of 1961 Ford sent one of these to Colo. to run the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. They tweaked it with some extras ,including a 4 speed and all the necessary safety equipment. They had Curtis Turner driving it. After the race, they pulled the 4 speed ,roll bar etc. and then it went to a Denver Ford dealers used car lot. A buddy of mine from Collage bought it off the lot. I am not sure ,but I don’t think any one really knew its history. A three speed replaced the 4 speed and it was the fastest Ford, I had ever driven, probably at that time the fastest anything. We would dive it to the local drag races, pull the hub caps off and win the class. It looked exactly like this B/F car. On that note, I have a 390 in an F-100 with a single 4 barrel and it won’t pass a gas station, so this B/F car probably, has to pull a gas tanker.
the carbs on this one are edlebrock (aka) carter afb
edlebrock bought the design and tooling? ages ago.
In the mid-sixties I had a ’61 Galaxie. Possibly because the color was a light yellow with yellow and black upholstery, a “friend” suggested I enter it in the demolition derby. I would gladly again plunk out a hundred or so dollars for another one! Great memories…and a great car!
In the big picture, I do not like Fords. But they occasionally got it mostly right. And for that, I gotta give credit where credit is due. IMO, the 1960 was hands-down, the best looking post-war Mopar that Ford ever made. But in classic FOMOCO form, that had to go as soon as they realized it. The 61 returned to a decidedly Ford look, but retains a lot of the 60’s proportions and good looks. The interiors never lost their Ford trademark bare bones feel, inspite of some better exterior styling, and brakes/handling worth a damn were still a few years out. Still, these were good looking Fords, and even this Ford cynic would be pleased as punch to motor about with this sort of sheet metal all around me.
So, maybe Ford should have gone the Mopar route and had lousy market share and a couple of bankruptcies? Seems to me the only reason Mopars attract so much money these days is because they are rare … because nobody wanted them in the 60’s. The most expensive Mopar these days is an unstreetable Hemi Cuda or a Daytona Charger that sat on a dealer’s lot for two years.
Seriously, the older you get the better they were.
Nobody wanted them in the 1960s ? Plymouth was # 3 for many years and Dodge also in the top 10 . Your comment is just biased ; apparently you are a rabid Ford fan
Bone … MOPAR, referring to anything Chrysler, was a solid #3 for all of the 60’s. Not such a great accomplishment when you consider there were only three manufacturers of any significance back then. A quick check of the available sources will confirm that the MOPAR muscle cars of the 60’s were not great sellers, particularly the Daytona Chargers and Plymouth Superbirds. Cool? Absolutely. Lingered on dealer lots for months and month? Definitely.
Mopar is actually the name of Chrysler’s parts division, like Delco for GM, and Motorcraft for Ford.
Gearjammer … you might want to share that piece of common knowledge with all the guys who refer to their Chrysler/Stella it’s vehicles as “Mopars”. I was only trying to speak the language that the typical reader of Barn Finds would understand.
Don’t. Know if they still are,but Edelbrock carbs use to be made by Weber
Wow, I like it. Just the way I like them, plain wheels, dog dish hubcaps. Has AC – which is great IMO for us Florida drivers – but no PS that I can see, altho that’s a minor nit overall.
It sure would need a wheelbarrow full of cash at the pump if you drove it much, but dang it would be worth it!
I like this car. I like it a lot actually. But it does pose a quandary. If the pictures are accurate somebody put a 428 Cobra Jet into it at some point in the past. With the Dual carburetors, like others have said, it will not pass a gas station. It would pass just about all of its contemporaries in the 1960s and early 1970s though. That makes it very cool but I cannot ignore that the 2018 Mustang GT I own would show it no mercy and probably double its gas mileage.
I’ve seen some cool stuff on YouTube about building the Ford 300 straight 6. That might be a cool way to go with one of these cars someday. Reasonable power and at least some range while keeping an old school flair.
All that said, this is a nice car.
I’m surprised the seller isn’t asking more. I would be.
Update on the Fairlane ..
First, thank you to BarnFinds for choosing and publishing this. I strongly encourage each of you to become a lifetime member as I did recently.
I contacted the seller who is in Alabama. He posted several ads on Craigslist in various “Ford” country markets. After some discussion and a (local to the car) friend’s visit last evening, I bought the car for an agreed price of $26,000.
The seller acquired the car back in 2015 from the original couple who bought it new. It was originally powered by a 352 ci V8 and had a manual transmission. The current motor is a well built 428 Cobra Jet short block from a Torino. The heads and intake are Edlebrock aluminum examples with a solid lifter Holman Moody cam. Carbs are Holley 650 vacuum secondaries. Quite a nice sound at idle I must say also.
He replaced the standard steel wheels with 8′ front and 10″ rear, painted to match. Dog dish caps are original. Both bumpers are new chrome, upholstery and carpet are new replacements. He also added Vintage air conditioning and the column mounted tach.
Has a slightly off reading gas gauge and the 4 speed big spline in and out Toploader has a little leak at the tailshaft. A new 3.50 rear gear ratio was also installed.
Never hit or involved with an accident, no rust other than what you would expect from the surface variety. And the car was repainted in 1973! He called it and my friend confirmed, a 10 foot paint job. By no means perfect! A few dings and dents here and there, but over all a nice matching patina to the rest of the car.
Some fun things…
* Original owner had a drag clutch pedal installed since he was too short to engage the factory version! The Ford store did that for him in 1961.
* Original license plates adorn the car still today!
* A custom rough cut wood box with moonshine bottles under a feed sack cover!
We’ll have her here in Mount Dora, Florida for fun rides and some Dryce cleaning underneath. Looking forward to it!
;)
Congratulations on the purchase. It is one of the nicer cars I have seen in awhile and a fair price too.
Nice score , Scott ! Enjoy your new ride !
If it’s okay to post, here is a link to a few seconds of the exhaust note at idle.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gbn92g2xDa44VBis7
That is great! Congratulations on getting a fantastic car! Love it!