1965 Ford Fairlane 500

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!