This 1964 ford Fairlane 500 Coupe was placed into storage in the late 1970s, but the current owner has dragged it out into the light of day, and it has now been returned to active duty. Its most impressive attribute is just how original and clean it is, and now is the time for it to find its way to a new home. It is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. With bidding on the Fairlane now sitting at $12,900, the reserve has not been met.
The Polar White paint that the Fairlane wears is said to be largely original. It has received some minor touch-ups at some point in the past, but it would seem that these were probably all performed before the car was placed into storage. Rust does not appear an issue with the vehicle, with the panels all looking very straight and clean. The owner provides no information about the state of the floors, but given how clean and original the rest of the vehicle appears, there is cause to be cautiously optimistic on this front. If the panels and paint are impressive, then the condition of the external trim and chrome is even more so. It all has the sort of shine that you would come to expect from a near-new car, so it is incredible to consider that this is a 56-year-old vehicle. Even the hubcaps, which can be so prone to curb strikes, look to be in impressive condition. Moving on to the glass, the story remains the same, with no obvious signs of chips or scratches.
If this Fairlane really is as original as the owner claims, then looking under the hood has to rate as jaw-dropping. The 260ci V8 that resides in there is spotlessly clean, as is the rest of the engine bay. Hooked behind the 260 is a 2-speed automatic transmission. Having been stored for decades, the Fairlane had a few needs before it was ready to hit the road once again. These have now all been attended to, with the vehicle receiving a new fuel tank, new brakes (including wheel cylinders and a master cylinder), new hoses, new tires, and it looks like the exhaust might also be new. The result of all this hard work would seem to have been worth the effort because the owner says that the Fairlane runs and drives very nicely. He does claim that the Fairlane has a genuine 43,020 miles on its odometer. He doesn’t indicate whether he has evidence to back this claim, but the overall condition of the vehicle, allied to its history, would certainly make this claim plausible. With 164hp at its disposal, the Fairlane isn’t exactly a ball of fire in the outright performance stakes. What it does do though is cruise effortlessly on the open road for hours on end.
There are no photos that provide an overall view of the Fairlane’s interior, but when you piece together all of the photos that the owner provides, what you find is a gold interior that is, as is the case with the rest of the car, in remarkable condition. The upholstery is close to perfect, with no obvious signs of major stretching on the seats, and no rips, tears, or splits. The headliner is also in fantastic condition, while the same is true of the dash. The original factory radio is still present, and the wheel doesn’t exhibit any of the wear on the rim that would normally be associated with high mileage.
If this Fairlane 500 is as original as the owner claims, then it has to rate as a very impressive survivor. It is also a car that the next owner could drive and display with complete pride, and it would be sure to attract plenty of attention. The owner does float the idea of transforming the Fairlane into a Thunderbolt clone, and while this is definitely an option, I personally feel that it would be a shame to do that to this car. What do you think?
Thanks Adam. What a sweet Fairlane. An excellent example of an every-man car from a popular model year for the Fairlane. Bidding is strong.
It brings back memories. One of our growing-up cars was a 1964 Fairlane 500, 4-door, soft yellow with a white painted roof and this same gold interior. It made for a fine family car. Which reminds me of this goofy story…..
About this time in my town, there was some sort of fad where guys were painting grilles on cars to have a checkerboard look. Must have been a teenager kind of thing, I don’t really remember. Anyhow, I thought it looked cool and asked my dad if I could mimic the look. He wasn’t much of a car guy so beyond the car providing transportation he didn’t really care, so he allowed me to proceed. So I took black electrical tape and applied it to every other of the small horizontal slats in the grille, creating the desired look. I was quite proud of my effort. I would have been nine or ten at the time.
In hindsight, my dad sure was accepting and accommodating of my wishes. This obviously wasn’t a big deal to him, but it was to me. I do remember being at gatherings of family or friends who asked about the odd looking treatment. He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders and pointed to his car-obsessed son.
Nice story!!
Thanks for the memory Bob, I forgot all about blacking out every other space on the grille with electrical tape. You had a good and understanding dad!
Yes Bob very cool dad. I am envious!
Cheers
GPC
As a vintage Ford owner, this rings my bell. I would take this over a Mustang any day. If it were mine, I would sneak shorty headers with duals and ramble on.
Now Your`e Talking! All V/8s should have duels!
Back in 1966 I use to walk past a black 1964 Fairlane 500 on my way to school. I always thought what a great looking car! I also liked the 260 emblem noted on the fender. Then in 1968 when I was in junior high school I was out riding my bike when I hear tires Screeching and later saw the owners son with 2 of his friends racing the car around the neighborhood banging and driving over curbs. When I saw the car outside their house that evening I noticed 2 flat tires, bent wheels and a huge sideswipe on the passenger side. After that evening I never saw the car or their teenaged son again!
Beauty all original.
Far too nice and original to make into a Thunderbolt clone; I’d leave it as is. This is what I term a ‘driveable collector car’. One you can take to shows and drive on nice weekends without worrying as you would a trailer queen.
The 260 will do just fine. This is a car to cruise in and enjoy, not win races. I believe this was the last year for the 2 speed Fordomatic used since 1959. It was teamed with mostly six cylinders and small v8s, especially Falcons and Fairlanes.
Well Will, that’s where you find a basket
case and build it into a Thunderbolt clone to your heart’s delight. This car is very nice but it reminds me of a real Thunderbolt I owned briefly in the early ’70s. I bought it from a friend of my aunt’s for $350 ( I think) And while it looked great, the original 427 V-8 was long gone when I got it. In fact, it was
running a 271 HP 289 backed by a top
loader 4 speed. Even with that combo,
the car still had plenty of scat and had a
top speed of 95 to 100 MPH. The car was streetafied with the removal of the
ram air tubes for the 427, and the installation of a second set of headlights
.where the bright lights were liocated.
Yes, my car had the lghtweight front clip,
doors, and decklid along with the bubble
style hood. Oddly though, my car had no
roll cage. It had a stock interior instead.
Sold it to a kid I knew at scholl for $1,000
my Sophomore year. Still kick myself for
selling it but you live, learn, and lament
the fact you did it.
Please leave her as is….beautiful
Nice car! Stance is good. Put a wider tire on the rear and run dog dishes all around. Second option would be Magnum 500’s . GLWTS.
A car very similar to this one was almost my first car. It was late 1977 and I was perusing the used cars for sale section my local newspaper. I found a 64 Fairlane 500 nearby for cheap. Probably $500 cheap. I went to see the car and liked it a lot. Black, red interior, V8, and a 4-speed. Went for a test drive and discovered that the transmission popped out of 2nd or 3rd (can’t remember) unless you kept pressure on the shifter. Dad vetoed the purchase and that was that. With what I know now I wouldn’t have hesitated to buy that car. At the time, though, it seemed like an expensive repair was necessary. I’ve always regretted not buying that sweet little Fairlane.
Years ago my dad had some old Junker Fords of late 50s early 60s with a 3 speed. They did have a problem with staying in 2nd,nothing that a trans rebuild didn’t cure.
Great stories all! Pete that was a big problem with some of the toploaders and t-10’s, seems like they all popped out of third.
. Sweet any way you do it up. I’d rather see a c4 auto in this or a 4 speed, leave the rest alone, but this in itself would be a chore if you kept the 260, as it has 5 hole bellhousing that wouldn’t mate to the c4. Who said it would be easy!! Good luck to the new owner. What a sweetie!
Cheers
GPC
Not a Ford guy.
But I could make an exception for this Beauty
Ah yes, one of those cars you OWNED at one time but sold. I had a 64 Fairlane 500 Sport Coupe which was the Hardtop version of this car. Complete with a first year factory 289 in Guardsman Blue with a white vinyl top. This was back in 1996 when the internet was not really going much and finding parts was not as easy as it is today. Mine had a LEAKY filler neck on the gas tank. Fill it up too much and when ever you hit the gas, gasoline would pour out from the middle of the filler neck and splash out from under the car. Also it had a bad trunk gasket so the edges of the trunk pan were rotting. The interior was great with black and white seats and door cards plus a black dash. The front seats were low back buckets. Oh and yes it was from the GOOD OLD DAYS of collector car prices, $1400 for a nice running and driving car.
63 was the first 289 for Fairlane and the big car.
In 1965 I bought one of these great little Fords complete with factory A/C for $1800. It was the 260 with a three on the tree manual. I used the car in my business for 3 years before taking a position that provided a corporate car. My wife then drove the little Ford until 1974 when I sold it for $350. By that time, it had acquired well over 150K miles and had survived one major collision while I was away in service. People often look at me in disbelief when I tell them the little 260 in that drive train was capable of an easy 130-135mph out on the expressway, but it was. Back out of the throttle to 75-80 & she’d give you 23-25 mpg. In our several years of use and abuse, only had to replace valve guide seals, clutch & normal wear items. GREAT, FUN LITTLE CAR! Love to have this one!
Captain K
Really nice all original car!! It’s a car you could daily drive and still get pretty good fuel mileage with the 260 V-8