390 4-speed
If you’re into large-scale coupes, we reckon you’d be hard put to find a better-looking series than the mid-sixties Ford Fairlane and equivalent Mercury Comet.
According to our feature on R-code Fairlanes of this era: “Descended from the legendary Thunderbolt drag cars of 1964, which first used a powerful big-block V8 stuffed into the compact Fairlane engine bay for drag racing, the Blue Oval brand continued to offer high performance options on its mainstream model for several years thereafter.
“While base ’66 Fairlanes came with a 390ci V8 as standard, Ford mid-year produced 60 special Fairlane 500 two-door hardtops with an ‘R-code’ 427ci engine and equipped with Ford’s ‘Top-Loader’ four-speed manual transmission to qualify the engine/transmission combination for NHRA and IHRA Super Stock racing.”
This tribute car appears to have a well-recorded history and has been developed from a stock 390 with C6 auto into a GT replica with a 4V 390, four-barrel Holley carburetor, top-loader four-speed manual and 9-inch diff.
Painted in Wimbledon White, it has a host of other upgrades, including disc front brakes.
It’s with Apex American Autos in Bowral NSW at $79,900, tel 02 8315 0023.