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
presented in sinister, 'murdered-out' fashion like this particular
4-door. With a custom bucket-seat interior, a sweet-running 200 I6
mated to an automatic, and a full air-bag suspension, this is a
very special classic. At this price point, try and find something
more interesting out in the collector car market today...
I liken the early '60s Fairlanes to the industrial-strength Mopars
of the same period: lots of power without a lot of excess baggage.
The lines are clean but very subdued, the roofline is formal but
stylish, and there's enough trim to make a bold statement. Painting
it black attracts a lot of attention out on the street (a vast
upgrade over the car's original Arcadian Blue), with this one
finished not long ago and still looking fresh. If you pick black,
you better make darn sure the body is straight, and this 4-door
certainly passes the test in that department. And even though the
paint that was applied over that straight sheetmetal isn't the most
high-end, with orange peel and minor imperfections found
throughout, the curb appeal is still nothing to trifle with. It's
obvious the paint doesn't hide anything so you won't find major
surprises underneath, and the look is pretty intimidating in
person. 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 good shape, particularly the 'spear' side trim
that matches the forward-canted angle of the roof. All the
brightwork around the windows shines up nicely as well, same story
for the front grille and bumpers at each end, providing plenty of
contrast against that wicked black finish. Goth meets Rockabilly,
and I really love it!
Personally, I think black-on-black is the way to go no matter what
you're driving, and the cabin of this Fairlane doesn't disappoint.
Flashy without straying too far away from the traditional, the
low-back buckets up front are split by an expansive, custom center
console that houses most of the car's switches and controls. The
upholstery on the front buckets and rear bench looks very fresh,
matched by the flanking black door panels, while the plush black
carpets below and taut headliner above seal the cabin up perfectly
from the outside world. The wide instrument panel is original and
cover the basics, whereas the auxiliary gauges in the center
console monitor the air-ride system underneath, and the stock, dual
ring steering at the head of the cockpit is likely original to the
car - and we're pumped that they kept it. The original AM radio is
still in the dash and remarkably is operational, as is the
heat/defrost unit, evidence that this was a well-cared for car
before it was restored. Out back, the trunk was neatly finished
too, and it houses the air compressor and components for the
air-ride system.
A smooth-running 200 cubic inch I6 lives under the hood, and thanks
to signs of maintenance throughout gives the Fairlane the moves of
a much younger machine. Great low-end torque means it gets out of
the hole quickly and the 200's penchant for higher RPM excursions
comes via a stock 2-barrel carburetor. Silver paint on the valve
cover and air cleaner help the engine bay pop, with just enough
bright stuff to make it look important. The transmission is a
familiar C4 3-speed automatic and a 9-inch rear with highway
friendly gears inside means this is an easy cruiser. A recent
exhaust system with glasspack-style muffler sounds fantastic at,
say 5000 RPM, and the black steelies adorned with original Ford
hubcaps look killer wrapped in 195/75/14 whitewalls, especially
when the air bags are slammed to the ground.
An unusual, cool-looking, fun cruiser that will have a lot of folks
scratching their heads after it rolls by. If that sounds like fun
to you, call us today!
