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Minty Fresh: 1959 Ford Fairlane

front right

This clean Fairlane survivor is listed here on craigslist in Auburn, California for $8,495. It’s complete and original throughout. You might say it’s Minty Fresh!

left rear

This appears to be an incredible survivor. It’s my least favorite Ford body style and the color is almost embarrassing, but it’s just such a nice survivor I can’t help but like it. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t touch a thing, but I can imagine others might explore the possibilities.

Comments

  1. Avatar RayT

    You seldom see a ’59 this basic: six-cylinder with three-on-tree. I’m surprised it has a radio!

    I can’t imagine this would be the most exciting car to drive, but I too would keep it as-is and just enjoy that ’50s vibe. It must have covered the easiest 96K miles of any car, anywhere.

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  2. Avatar Ed P

    Keep it the way it is. How many ’59 anythings look this nice.

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  3. Avatar Mark S

    V8 Eco boost, just kidding, wouldn’t touch a thing very nice car, and I even don’t mind the colour.

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  4. Avatar Terry J

    In the early 60’s (when I was barely a teen) my older sister Janet had a white ’59 two door post just like this one. It was an ex sheriffs car though and had a 430 ci engine with a 3 on the tree. She scared the **** out of me the few times I rode with her. That big Ford was FAST. TLJ

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  5. Avatar Dean

    I love everything about it, and wouldn’t change or update a thing. As I recall those Ford sixes didn’t have a lot of HP, and didn’t rev all that high, but they had lots of torque.

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  6. Avatar RollerD

    I too find this strangely appealing. Price is very fair.

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  7. Avatar Jason Houston

    Beautiful old Ford, agreed… But I guarantee you, those hideous fender skirts and ’41 Buick whitewalls did not come on this car from the factory, and only detract from the utility of a 223 cu. in. with Synchro-Smooth Drive!

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  8. Avatar 64 bonneville

    It is hard to come across a 1959 Ford in any decent shape with this kind of price. This is a buy and keep it the way it is. Personally I would loose the skirts and go with black wall tyres to keep the “basic, no-frills” 50s’ look going. I have seen just 2 door post bodies that needed everything, including floors and trunk pans, with $3500 asking prices, not to mention the prices wanted for shells of the convertible and retractable hardtops.

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  9. Avatar Brad

    Crank up ‘Soul Bossa Nova’, cruise to your nearest Big Boy’s restaurant, and enjoy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ALPzS0QfQ

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  10. Avatar Jason Houston

    When I buy cars with those hideous skirts I give the seller one chance to remove them for himself. If he declines, I take them off, place one behind each rear tire and then back up. No sense in leaving them for some fool to stick on a fully restored Skyliner.

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  11. Avatar jim s

    i too would dump the whitewalls and skirts. then i would drive this. seems like a nice way into the hobby with a car that you do not see at every car show. 2nd write up today where the seller has listed the exact address where car is located. great find.

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  12. Avatar piper62j

    I had a red 4dr when stationed at Ft Bragg.. Drove it back and forth to New England often and had no problems.. It drank gas, but a fill up was only about $20 for a huge tank back then..
    Great riding cars and very roomy..

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  13. Avatar kenzo

    A question… Are the four chrome decorations on the rear quarter panels stock? Seems like a lot of do-dads for a basic 2 door basic level entry model…..
    But i do love the 2 door basic…..

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  14. Avatar Jason Houston

    Those chrome emblems designate the car as a Custom 300. They were used in ’59 and ’60 on low end Custom 300 sedans and Ranch Wagons.

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  15. Avatar David Member

    Here’s how it will look without those skirts. You folks are right, of course. Here’s the link for this restored Ford. https://myclassicgarage.com/marketplace/cars/all/Ford-Custom-300/34640/media/167117 It’s cool they restored it stock.

    It’s great to see you would keep it as is. I hope the new owner does as well.

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  16. Avatar Ralph Terhune

    I never really cared much for the ’59 Fords, but I would definitely make an exception in this car’s case. Too bad a dealer has it. They’ll price it to the moon where nobody can afford it!

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    • Avatar Jason Houston

      Dealers usually do. All car dealers live in Fantasyland.

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  17. Avatar DWF

    I’m not a ford fan but always liked this body style. Much more squared off and cleaner than other 59 models from different makes. They want way too much money for it even in that shape. I purchased this 59 galaxie with 55k on the clock for $1000 from the original owner and another 2 door 59 fairlaine for $300. They are not exceedingly rare or valuable and parts are not as common or cheap as anything built in the 60’s.

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  18. Avatar Wayne

    Love the fender skirts. Although we call them spats here in OZ.

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  19. Avatar Charles

    Unique car!

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  20. Avatar mike young

    Whitewalls were even period sorta OK… But the skirts a no-go on the base model (just agreeing with what I knew one or two of you guys would have said)

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  21. Avatar Heath

    The tires could be correct…They offered a small whitewall and the larger one for that year. I also own a one family 59 Fairlane 500 Galaxie (yeap, thats what it is called, in 1960 there became a Fairlane and also a Galaxie). The top model that year (excluding the Starliner convert) was the Fairlane 500 Galaxie. My father bought his new and stored it inside all its life until giving it to me in 1998. It has 38k original miles, but also has its original paint, interior, glass (including windshield), and wheels AND tires. Tires were removed after 10k miles and stored, but they are too old now to be safely driven on. To sit in the garage I have an old set of Mustang Magnums on it.

    My car has the 352 police interceptor. There wasnt a MEL engine available in the 59 Galaxie…so the 430 mentioned above had to have been a transplant. There was a single straight 6 – the 223, 3 Y block offerings – the 272,292, and 312, the FE 332 and the top dog, a 300hp FE 352pi.

    They are quite beautiful cars when new…there is so much chrome and stainless that really pops, unfortunately once they sit outside and deteriorate they really look quite bad.

    Here are the two styles of tires available:

    https://www.cokertire.com/850-14-bf-goodrich-1-whitewall-tire.html

    https://www.cokertire.com/850-14-bf-goodrich-2-1-4-whitewall-tire.html

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  22. Avatar Jason Houston

    FOR HEATH: Ford only offered one whitewall in 1959, the 1 1/4 model. That other tire you linked is considered a narrow whitewall, and was not offed on Ford prior to 1961. Please consult a 1959 Ford dealer sales catalog for tires styles and sizes. The last 312 used in Ford was 1957 and the last 272 was in 1958 Custom and Custom 300s. The Starliner did not come out until 1960. It was a 2-door hardtop, not a convertible. Hope this helps!

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    • Avatar Heath

      Thanks for the info….I have several other original docs from that period that show those options as available, including two different sized whitewalls. But I also am primarily a Mustang owner/restorer and have original sales and owners manuals that show options that never made it to production (such as the 427 FE Mustang for example), and even Ford assembly books that show employees how to assemble options that, according to Kevin Marti’s Ford documents were never built. Since those manuals are written well before production most cases, there will be discrepancies.

      And yes…you are correct on the Starliner. I meant to type Skyliner (as well as the Sunliner) but didnt notice the mistake until after the edit option was closed. :)

      Thanks for the correction.

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  23. Avatar Mike

    I have always like the style of this car. When I was a whole lot younger, and working with my Dad in the Auto Body shop, a customer of his brought his in and had it restored to factory specs, I remember trying to find a fender skirt for one side and located it still on a car in the middle of no where, with 2 more sitting beside it without skirts. My Dad bought all of them and during down time we restored one out of the 2, the car is still on the road today, it has the original drive train, although they have been redone a couple of times, today it is still a great looking car, about all Dad does with it is take classic road trips with a group of friends of my folks, and takes it to local car shows. This year he had the front seat redone, because it was getting a tear in it, but he took it to a shop that does the classic material. I attached a picture of the car. Still a beauty after all these years. Not bad for a car that is 4 years older than me.

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    • Avatar Heath

      I really like that color combo, great looking car.

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  24. Avatar piper62j

    Mike.. That’s a sweet car.. Mine was red and not as good looking.

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  25. Avatar Jason Houston

    You have a beautifully restored 1959 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Town Sedan – congratulations! The color is Colonial White over Indian Turquoise, and the hub caps are from a 1956 Ford. I especially like the painted wheels with wide whites – talk about a touch of CLASS! Keep up the good work.

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