Vehicle Description
Wow, when was the last time you saw one of these? 1965 Ford
Fairlane 500s aren't exactly common these days, especially not in
slick black paint with a matching red-and-black interior. Add a
sweet-running, built 302 V8 and a quick-shifting 5-speed manual,
and you have a great runner that's bound to generate more than its
fair share of double-takes on the street.
We liken the early '60s Fairlanes to the industrial-strength Mopars
of the same period: lots of power without a lot of excess baggage
and unnecessary fluff. The lines are clean but very subdued, the
roofline is formal but stylish, and there's only enough dramatic
trim to make a statement. Painting it slick black attracts a lot of
attention, but you better get it right because black shows
everything. However, the high-end driver-quality finish on this
Ford is great with only very light imperfections to speak of, and
the bodywork is laser straight, so you won't find any surprises
underneath. Put it all together and you see that the look is still
pretty darn intimidating. Seriously, if this car rolled up next to
you at a light, you'd think twice about punching it when the light
turned green; who knows what kind of evil lurks under that long
hood? Fortunately, there's enough chrome to lighten the mood a bit,
and all of it remains in great shape, particularly the angular side
trim that matches the forward-canted angle of the roof and is
further punctuated with the contrasting red accent strip inside.
And we kind of think Chrysler owes Ford an apology, because that
concave rear window looks awfully familiar, don't you think?
Personally, we think red-and-black interiors are a great choice no
matter what you're driving but they look even better when inside a
black car. Flashy but traditional, the vinyl-with-cloth-inserts
bench seat setup in this car has a luxurious yet sporty look that
matches the car's personality. The seat cover, door panels,
headliner, and carpets are all restored pieces that barely show any
wear, which is very impressive and downright surprising at this
price point. The instrument panel in the dash is original but with
the upgraded blasting power under the hood the former owner wanted
a better read on the vitals, so a tachometer was strapped to the
steering column and a couple auxiliary gauge units were installed
underneath the dash. The original AM radio is still in place but
due for an upgrade, and aside from a heater, seatbelts, and that
killer Hurst cue ball shifter, this car is pretty light on options,
so you know it was ordered and built to do just one thing out on
the mean streets. The back seat is big enough for three friends (or
"ballast" as we used to call them) and with a giant trunk outfitted
with a period-correct plaid mat, road trips or excursions to the
track don't mean you have to leave essentials behind.
A snarling 302 cubic inch H.O. V8 lives under the hood, and gives
the Fairlane the moves of a much younger machine. Borrowed from a
Foxbody and then built with a .030 overbore, balanced and
completely reworked inside with a roller cam and roller rockers, it
has impressive power up and down the throttle. Great low-end torque
means it gets out of the hole quickly and the 302's penchant for
high-RPM excursions comes via an Edelbrock air-gap intake and
Holley 670CFM 4-barrel carb. Brightly polished aluminum valve
covers and a chrome air cleaner add some flash, and they're
properly badged with '302' script so everyone knows the name of the
game. The transmission is a familiar T5 5-speed manual and a
8.8-inch Traction-Lock rear end with 3.50 gears inside and Moser
axles means this is a hotrod that can handle all the power. A
recent H-pipe dual exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers sounds
fantastic at, say 5000 RPM, and the Cragar Super Star wheels wear
205/65/15 front and 225/70/15 rear blackwall radials that add the
perfect performance look.
An unusual, fast, fun cruiser that will have a lot of folks
scratching their heads after having their doors blown off. If that
sounds like fun, call us today!