Fairlane "With trees growing on it."

[ACP230]

My youngest son is doing archaeological survey work again this spring.
He called me from the field the other day. They'd found a Ford
Fairlane, red and black, in the woods. I asked if it was in shape to drag out and restore.

"No. It's got trees growing on it."

My wife and I got an '63 Ford Fairlane from her father soon after we were married. It was green and silver, three on the tree, and sometimes the foot switch shut off the headlights rather than going to bright or dim.
We weren't driving much then so it worked for us fairly well.

Her father gave us another deal on a '68, four door, Galaxie, auto, 302 V8, dark green with black interior. He took the Fairlane back
as part of the deal.

One morning he started it up and it put itself in gear and drove across the highway he lived next to. The neighbor said it was odd, and kind of funny, to see the car drive across the road, "With Ed running along side of it."

It drove into a brushpile and sustained no damage. Ed drove it
for a few more months and then it went the junkyard way of all old Detroit
iron.

My son's call brought back a lot of memories.

 

[GaryS]

My first car was a '66 Fairlane 2dr coupe. I put in a later 302 and a '68 interior. It was fun having a Dad who owned an auto salvage.

 

[Dennis The B]

When our first car was totaled when we were rear-ended, we went to a dealer and found two - one was a '66 Fairlane GT/A, and a '66 Galaxie 500 convertible w/390. The convertible won out, but I still remember that GT/A.

 

[Kinman]

The Ford Fairlane was named after Henry Fords private estate near Dearborne, Mich., the year was 1955.

 

[samuelrp]

I had a 67 Ford Fairlane, metallic moss green, 289 v8, and 3 on the column, thrush mufflers, dual exhaust. You don't see any on the road today. I'd be rich if I had a dollar for every time I washed it.

 

[model70hunter]

I had a 57 Ford Fairlane my Sr year of HS. 312, 3 on the tree, overdrive which made it faster on top end and really come out of the hole with the lower gears. Ate 283 chevy's.

 

[whitestang]

I had a 63 Fairlane in high school. 3 on the tree and a 170 6 cylinder, two door, red brick color.

 

[Arik]

I gotta take a photo for you. When I go camping there is this nice hike up a steep, rocky mountain for about 30 min. About half way up, down the side of the face of the mountain is a.....well.....from what I can tell....it used to be a corvair. There is no roof so I assume someone cut it off. Of course the interior is gone as well. Now, whether it was driven on it own power and had an accident or it was dumped there for other reasons no one knows. How it physically got there is beyond me. The only way to get around up there, besides on foot, is dirt bikes and atv.

This is a pic of the first hill. The pic is very deceiving. First of its very steep and second, underneath all those leaves is nothing but fist sized loose rocks. One could argue that if that car had low enough gears it could crawl it's way up that hill....maybe. But further up the hills are steeper, bigger rocks, almost boulder size and sharp curves

 

[Salty RI]

Around here they rusted out in your driveway, you could tell who owned a Ford, you could see the rust ring where they parked it.

 

[CajunBass]

Along the bank of the James River, near Richmond, there is a bluff. Hung up on the side of that bluff, held in place by the trees, is a Covair. At least it used to be there. No idea how it got there.

Another time, James River, just after a minor flood, running up toward Richmond from the Dutch Gap boat ramp, I saw something in the middle of the river. I thought to myself..."That looks like a Volkswagen?"

It was. A rusty old VW beetle, drifing along the river. I remember they used to say they'd float, well that one did. I got no idea where it came from, or how far it had floated, but the tide carried it up against the bank on the Henrico County side where it sat for a couple of years before someone pulled it out. I would have never believed it if I hadn't seen it.

 

[Fat Frank]

Fairlane's big brother...

 

[Sebago Son]

I once had a '69 Galaxy 500 4 door wagon Grama Car with a 390 and a slush box. A real sleeper. Tan in color, no extras and damn near invisible but it ran like a scalded dog. I broke the rusty frame in two one night when I got some air over an old rail road bed. A week later that 390 was in a friend's '67 fastback which he promptly rolled over on it's roof. That mill went on to power another one of our machines, but I can't remember which one.... I kinda lost track of the "Engine of Death" after that.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

A few years ago over the North Valley I saw an International PU with trees growing up through and around the engine. The hood was up.
This was in a mud house (Adobe) yuppie neighborhood.
Turns out these folks were old hippies who became social workers.

 

[Arik]

A few years ago over the North Valley I saw an International PU with trees growing up through and around the engine. The hood was up.
This was in a mud house (Adobe) yuppie neighborhood.
Turns out these folks were old hippies who became social workers.

I got a story about a similar situation.

A few years ago I was browsing Craigslist for motorcycles. There was an add for one old 70s bike. I think it was either a Brit or Japanese bike. The thing was all rusty and in bad shape. The sales pitch was funny though. "I bought the bike brand new, while high. Drove it home and parked it where it sits today." There was only like 11 miles on it!

 

[CajunBass]

I used to work security at a private campground. A number of sites in the compound were abondoned for one reason or another, most I suspect because the owners had passed away and the family didn't care about a campsite in the middle of Virginia somewhere. I remember one that had a For Courier pickup on the lot, totally surrounded by small gum trees that had grown up so close to the truck you'd have to have a chain saw to pull it out.

 

[David LaPell]

I know where there is a 67 Fairlane that was once a late 60's early 70's drag car. It's original 390 was yanked out many years ago and it has a 351 in it now. It sits in a yard and has the markings on it where you can read "Ford Performance" and a few others here and there. You can tell its older because the markings are painted on in lettering enamel and were very well done. The quarters are shot as are the floors but it is salvageable. I wish I had the money to buy it and bring it home, I would love to see that car as it was back in the day on the strip.

 

[Road Rat]

1963 Ford Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe

They used the 1957 TBird fins. A 260 V8 (underpowered) with a Fordamatic trans.

 

[Fat Frank]

Hey, I had one just like that!

I've always been partial to Fairlanes:

Loaded with factory options. Sports Coupe, bucket seats, console, 260v8, 2-spd auto, factory A/C, PS, PB, padded dash, spinner wheel covers.
Red w/Red interior.
You're right, the 260 was a bit tired and underpowered though, esp. with the 2-spd tranny.

My first was a '64 4-dr. 289/c4. Best engine ever.

2nd car, was a '65 2dr hdtp. 289/c4. Shoulds kept this one. It was one of my all-time favs.

Bought this '66 Fairlane 500XL back in '80 for $600. Had buckets, with auto shifter in the console. 390 big block with c6. Thirsty cruiser!

 

[RonJ]

Fairlane's big brother...

She's a 65 Galaxie or possibly LTD. I had one and loved it. Their ad for the LTD was "Quieter than a Rolls Royce". Mine had a 352 but I longed for the 390. If I had owned the 428 I'd probably have killed my self. Mine also did not come equiped with a tree.