Despite the calico paint job, this running, driving classic comes to market more road-ready than most. Offered for $5000 right here on barnfinds.com, this 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 wagon in Keauhou, Hawaii comes with a wagon load of new parts and a healthy 390 that runs with no “smoke or noises.” Though the seller holds $10,000 in receipts, the asking price is a reasonable $5000. Add $1200 for shipping to the West Coast, and double that should get it anywhere in the U.S.
This color reminds me of my Dad’s first car. Pictures exist only in my head, but he described a ’50 Mercury bought for $50, that he immediately painted some kind of super-discounted military surplus baby blue primer. It appears this wagon left the factory wearing silver paint with a blue interior. Note how the tail lights echo the similar design of non-wagon Fairlanes and Galaxies, only vertically squashed to frame the tail gate.
The ubiquitous ’60s dashboard includes the giant speedometer that begs you to “bury the needle” on the high end. Based on visual evidence alone, this Ford endured a rough life during the claimed 46,656 miles. Credit the seller for confessing that this once-proud people-mover needs both front floor pans. One picture showing the whole car would be nice, but we can’t get too greedy for $5000.
An original-looking 390 cid (6.4L) V8 should get you to the beach in time to grab some gnarly waves. The C6 automatic and 9 inch rear end are sturdy and typically long-lived. New parts include fuel sender, carb kit, fuel pump, and almost everything relating to brakes. Though it’s hard to see here, ’66 marked the first year of “Ford Corporate Blue” that anointed Ford engines from 1966 to 1973. Just a suggestion, but what spouse would refuse a trip to Hawaii even if you burn half a day checking out an old Ford? There might be nothing too special about this Fairlane, but it runs, drives, and stops. It might be just the ticket for someone, most likely a resident of the Aloha state. Would you book a vacation to check this one out?
No. I would not use my vacation time to stare through the rusted out floors
Looks like the dual range (or green dot ) transmission. How are you supposed to honk the horn?
Too bad its not on the mainland. Love the 390. I’d swap it over to a 4 speed and run the nuts off it. Good luck to the new owner. Hope the salt air hasn’t gotten the best of it. good inspection always a good idea. I don’t like the rust on the top of the fenders under the hood. Gotta be the salt.
Cheers
GPC
Hawaii 500, ha, fantastic! Nice work, Todd.
I owned a ’66 Fairlane wagon for a while. Mine was yellow and had the 289 V8, three-on-the-tree, bench seat, manual steering and brakes. That car was a real workhorse. Used it to haul goods for a co-op grocery store, deliver stacks of newspapers, and drove it all over creation for years. The poor thing was routinely overloaded with the tail dragging and I got real good at replacing the rear wheel bearings. Other than that it never missed a beat.
Surfin’ safari!
Nah, the bird is the word! I like Fords and all that but not enough to go halfway accross the Pacific Ocean to look at, even if it was a genuine 427 Fairlane. Well, uh…..
Keep her in the islands.
From the Seller:
Now has horn ring and new working horn. Found car in Idaho where it spent it’s whole life,shipped it to Hawaii last year. That’s surface rust on fenders from sitting outdoors since 1991. Pair of floor pans cost $200. FYI Shipping cost me $1500 Idaho to Hawaii.
Love the fairlane. I’m on Oahu. Contact me please.
Is this vehicle still in the islands? Serious inquiry from Oahu. All my aloha .
These were nice cars, looks terrible. I can’t wait until this patina BS burns itself out, and we can get back to nice looking cars again. All this appearance does is perpetuate the classic “rusty beater”, and this car deserves better than that. Nobody kept one, they were unloved, unmaintained and used heavily. Every kid in the family tried to kill it. Almost none survived. Be a great car for a family, and I’d have to think you’ll get a lot more attention if it looked nice, and it’s not that tough people, you’d think painting a car is harder than designing a new space shuttle, really. I wouldn’t bother with a shipping nightmare, but has to be someone on the islands that can paint and enjoy this car.
Too bad the hood took that hit in the front. That wouldn’t be easy to straighten out.
Can’t believe nobody commented on mileage. No way it has under 50000. Look at ever thing on car suggest 150000. And where on gods earth does he have 10000 dollars in receipts. Brakes couldn’t cost that much. No paint no interior done motor looks as if it was road hard by mom booming the hills in Idaho. So where was 10000 grand dumped into it?
I like it. Equipped nicely, except for no A/C. Makes me wonder if it has ever been in any background scenes from the original Hawaii Five-O series. Would be a nice car to own, restore and enjoy.
The seller said he shipped it to Hawaii last year so I doubt it was even in the new series.
I owned a 66 almost identical to this except mine had the fake wire hub caps on 15” rims. My floor had apparently rotted out to the point that one day I backed up and hit the brakes and the whole bench seat rolled backwards and I couldn’t get back up. The car continued backward until it encountered a steam roller a block away. But it was a fast wagon in its day.
Seems like in both directions !
About 30 years ago I ran across a somewhat similar car here in North Florida. It was a 1 owner (for 20 years) car that had spent nearly all its life in Colorado.
That one was a Ranch Wagon (would the “cheap” Fairlane be a Ranch Wagon?) but was equipped just like this: 390, power steering but 4 wheel (MANUAL) brakes, and had a “3 on the tree” if I remember correctly.
30 years ago, the Lincoln-Mercury dealer where I found it wanted about $800. I was put in touch with the original owner by the dealership salesman, and when the elderly gentleman who sold the car found out what they were selling his old car for….well, he just didn’t sound very happy.
I like the size, this year of Fairlane is my favorite, and even the colors (assuming it is supposed to be blue over blue) are quite appealing. But to get it here to Florida would cost about as much as I feel like paying for it at the moment.
Ranch Wagon of that era was based on the Galaxie. I had both a ’67 Ranch Wagon and a Galaxie, paid around $200 for each. Did a lot of parts swapping to keep one or the other on the road…good times!