1964 Ford Fairlane

The story

All Original Survivor 1964 Ford Fairlane 500 Town Sedan

I purchased this all original survivor from the 90 year old son of the original owner. This 1964 Fairlane 500 is a 4 door Town Sedan that sports original Chantilly Beige paint, chrome and trim with a completely original beige interior. The original paint is in excellent condition as is the exterior chrome and trim. The bench seat interior is also in very good original condition with spotless upholstery, headliner and most of it's trim is bright with minimal pitting. The original carpet does show some discoloration from age and the dash pad is somewhat warped from exposure to the sun. The steering wheel has some loss of finish from use but is not cracked or split. The front armrests show some wear from use but the door panels are quite good.

The base model Fairlane came equipped with a 170ci straight six rated at 101hp. This car was optioned with a C-Code (2-barrel carb) 289ci V8 that produces 195np and is hooked to a C-4 Cruise-O-Matic three speed automatic transmission. Other options include power steering and an AM radio. The only upgrades this car has received are radial tires and original-style side mirrors.

The car has traveled less than 2,000 since 1992 and sat mostly idle for the last several years. I bought it not running as the fuel pump had failed but it would run a little from an external fuel source. I trailered it home and while the car had been well cared for over the years, it took a bit of work to get it up and running. I've had to replace the water pump and fuel pump as well as the heater core. The carb was re-built and the radiator flushed and some minor leak repaired. New spark plugs and wires along with fresh points were installed and it received an oil change with a fresh oil filter. The car also recently had new shocks installed along with new bushings in the rear leaf springs.

The car runs very well now and is quite the peppy performer with the 195 hp V8. It rides very well on radial tires and while the standard drum brakes took a little getting used to, they are more than adequate to safely slow the car down and stop. I spent a good bit of time and effort polishing the paint and chrome which really made the exterior sparkle, it presents very well now. The interior also cleaned up nicely though I will soon replace the discolored original carpet with new OEM-style carpeting. The other issues I need to address at some point are to repair the original radio which will turn on and light up but doesn't play and to figure out why the horns don't work.

Ford produced almost 89,000 Fairlane 500 4-door sedans in 1964 but 55 years later, they are fairly scarce and not often seen. I've always liked the odd-ball cars, this Fairlane really stands out in a sea of Mustangs, Camaros and GTOs. Future plans include a trip to the Ford Nationals in Carlisle, PA. next year as well to attend local cruise nights and car shows in the Greater Hartford area. — FordGuy1972