Ford’s Fox platform: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Well, there’s the Mustang, everyone knows that; there’s the Granada, ok that’s forgettable; the Mercury Cougar, a sentimental favorite because I learned to drive in a convertible version of its predecessor, the XR-7; the Thunderbird, righteous if it’s a Turbo; the Capri, I’d kinda like to have one; and among a few others, there’s the Fairmont – actually the first car Ford placed on the Fox platform. Here on eBay is a 1979 Fairmont Squire with bidding at $1950 and no reserve in play. Formerly a daily driver, this wagon will now struggle to get you home from Kansas City, Kansas, so a trailer might be wise.
Fairmonts were a bit of a miracle. Ford was downsizing, valuable personnel had been fired, regulations were proliferating, mistakes were made. Yet the Fox platform was produced, and Fairmont bodies were plopped atop it, and they sold vigorously. The wide variety of body styles, engine options, and trim levels attracted some 460,000 buyers in 1978, the Fairmont’s first year. Sales did decline as Ford introduced new models, but the wagon was one of the most popular styles until its demise in 1982. This example has a 200 cu. in. inline six called the Thriftpower – an oxymoron if there ever was one because output came to just 85 hp. Its saving grace was decent torque. The engine leaks, runs rough when it runs, and won’t start if it’s wet out. On the positive side of the ledger, the automatic transmission was re-sealed in 2023, the carb float was replaced, it has mostly new suspension and a new distributor. These expenditures have stretched the current owner to the breaking point, and he wants to move on.
The interior is plagued by torn carpet, a broken driver’s side window crank, non-working AC, a fuel gauge that won’t register, burned-out dash lights, and a heater that only heats when the setting is on “defrost”. The headliner is missing. The cargo area plastic panels are beat up. Oh, and the dash is cracked. But we’ve all seen worse!
When you see “Squire” in the name, it means wood sides, faux or otherwise. This Squire’s plastic wood is a bit the worse for wear, and rust has attacked the car from all sides. That license plate is great – the owner was a fan, he’s just at the end of his rope after nine years. The price is right, and an engine swap might work wonders – let’s hope someone shows this wagon a little love in its next life.
Great 👍 write up Michelle. Of course this 79′ Fox is begging for the motor and T5 from an 87-93 Mustang V8. 😎 🏁
Only if you put in the plastichrome faux-heraldic emblem PRNDL blanking plate and the plaid seat inserts of the buckets used on factory manual ones.
I’d have advised the first owner not to even bother with the six, just get the 2.3 four and 4-speed stick.
Excellent write-up Michelle. Yes, the Fox platform; it carried Ford from the late 70’s all the way into the early 90’s via its many iterations. Mostly bread-and-butter cars, but with some desirable models (Turbo Coupe, various Mustangs) along the way.
This Fairmont needs lots of attention; kudos to the seller for the shopping list of needed repairs. I’m not sure what its future might be, though several bidders must see something. Would be fun to see it parked at a show beside a big brother Crown Vic Country Squire.
Personally I’m more interested in the smart car parked behind this thing. From the seller description sounds like they got a lot of good use out of it. Restoration I don’t know I think you jus fix some of the problems and drive it until the engine or transmission go out at least you don’t have to worry about door dings and when you park next to a really nice car you can watch the owners checking to make sure you didn’t ding them
Nice looking car. If only more pictures were posted of the car. While faux wood made the car look more attractive than standard Ford Fairmont, it also made it look tacky, not very attractive, particularly after the wood finish faded.
A beater on its last legs! Now that’s what I call an automobile!
Not for the faint of heart. It takes skill and courage to make it to the grocery store and back!
OMG! One of the worst vehicles hubby #2 and I owned. This was slightly before we started our classic car collecting and we were desperate for a vehicle so in 1990 we bought a 1978 Fairmont station wagon for $300. Plain and simple, basic transportaion. It was a particularly bad time for us, me especially as I had all kinds of extensive oral surgeries that this thing transported me to and from. I hated that car (if you could call it a car). One thing I really hated about it was the horn. It wasn’t in the center of the steering wheel, or a couple of buttons on the steering wheel, rim blown was too fancy and horn rings were outdated. To operate the horn you pushed the directional signal stalk in. How f’n awkward is that? Especially in a panic?
Hated that car. Sold it 8 months later for $100.
The last few years of the MGB and Triumph Spitfire used that kind of hinky arrangment on the turn signal stalk for the horn as well. As an aficionado of Little British Cars I always hated that arrangement as well.
I kind of liked the turn signal stalk horn on my MGB, but then I didn’t use the horn much back in those days. Too busy trying to keep out of other peoples’ way. But now 50 years later it’s common practice to run red lights and merge on demand. Still don’t like to use the horn much so as not to incite road rage from those cretins packing a Glock in the glovebox.
Bought a 80 Fairmont wagon in 84 for my wife to drive to work.Was Red with black interior, was a 5 speed manual and had bucket seats and a console straight out of a Mustang. Under hood was 2.3 ohc 4 cylinder with a turbocharger. I know no records of car being built so I figure somebody bought and put the seats,console and motor out of wrecked SVO. The thing was a blast to drive, as they also did some suspension work on it too.If you just looked at it, you wouldn’t know it was
so different than the ton of other Fairmonts on the road.I drove it to work one day, and got sent to L.A.to requalify all the mechanics there in taxiing 747 and DC8 aircraft. Was gone overnight, wasn’t nothing new, kept suitcase with uniforms and passport in locker, just for these situations.Once got sent to the Netherlands, wound up being there for 3 months, told them if they didn’t get somebody there to take over I was going to Amsterdam, and buy ticket home with company credit card, they had someone there in 2 days, ah!! the good old days.Okay back to Fairmont, someone. stole it while I was gone, right out of our secure?? parting lot, never did find it. Figured someone took it out of state or stripped and crushed it. Was real fun to drive and it got good gas mileage to.
This is a perfect candidate for an LS-and-manual-transmission swap.
I’m with you on the swap, but how about we keep it in the Ford family, with either a 302/5.0L V8 or a Coyote instead? The idea of any Ford with a Chevy engine in it just makes my skin crawl.
Mine was a ’78 wagon ,same color with a 3speed floor shift. It just didn’t have enough power in most situations, but I did manage to get 150K miles. The only additional expense was a new clutch at 100K.
Ford played fast & loose with the Fox body by chaning the front and rear facia of the Fairmong and renaming it the LTD-II. Didn’t fool many people (including me). The only standout for me was the Fox body helped Mustang regain its status as a true muscle car especially with the 5.0 engine.
The price is right and the rust doesn’t look too bad yet, but it should be addressed before it gets worse. Both bumpers look like they’ve been bent, so this car has not been handled gently in its forty-six (46) year lifetime. This is not unusual, as most wagons led a hard life. The good news is that the 302/5.0L V8 is nearly a bolt-in and used examples are plentiful, courtesy of countless teenage gear heads who wreck their beater Mustangs at a rate far above the National average. I’d lose the phony wood vinyl stickers as part of the body work and repaint, but keep the phony wood trim pieces for any future owner who feels differently and wants to put the vinyl woodgrain stickers back on. Some bucket seats from a Mustang and a floor shifter wouldn’t hurt either!
@ccrvtt
Mine is in the center console. Top portion.
I use my horn alot now, as you say, cretins merging on-demand. Haven’t pulled it out…… yet.
Michelle, respectfully, my understanding is that the Granada was built on a modestly updated version of the long-running Falcon platform, rather than the newer Fox platform.
I’m talking about the later Granada …. started ’81 I believe.
https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/classic-cars/a1689476/1981-ford-granada-becomes-mustang-sibling/
Poor Granada, first a Falcon then a Fox…. must have had an identity crisis.
Ain’t gonna lie, $1950 is wishful thinking.
SOLD for $2,300.
Anyone buy me notice what the blue bumper sticker says? LOL!