1966 Ford Fairlane Station Wagon on 2040-cars

VIN: 6A38C162529 Year: 1966
Number of Cylinders: 8
Model: Fairlane
Trim: Upgraded to GTA trim
Drive Type: RWD
Options: Chrome Wheels, GTA Trim, Magic Tailgate, 3rd Row Seating, Dual Exhaust, Seat Belts
Mileage: 31,646
Power Options: Power Steering, Air Conditioning
Sub Model: GTA clone
Exterior Color: Bronze
Interior Color: Parchment
Warranty: Vehicle does NOT have an existing warranty

Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

Please read the entire description before bidding and contact me if you wish specific information. Contact:  Tim Howard by phone at 310-874-0648 or email me at howardent@aol.com. I will break down this description in two parts beginning with the high points of this car and then a list of the items that are still in need of attention. I strive to give the buyer an exact and accurate description so that there are no surprises. Please check my 100% feedback left by those who have purchased one of my previous restorations.  I am a retired public school teacher who loves to bring old cars back to life.  I usually restore a car to show or driver quality and then drive it for a year or more before selling it to pay for my next restoration.  While I have won Best of Show awards for my show quality cars, my real passion is for the everyday driver, that I bring to a very high mechanical and cosmetic level. This is such a car, that you can drive and enjoy everyday of the year, in any climate.

This is an exceptionally clean, driver quality 1966 Fairlane 8 Passenger Station Wagon. Ford did not make a GTA Wagon, but I think they should have, so, I made one.  It is mechanically superb!  It will run all day long at 80mph without any kind of vibration, noise or problems.  At idle the engine is smooth and quiet. During acceleration the deep throaty sound of the dual exhaust is impressive but not overpowering.  The Original Ford dealer installed air conditioning has been converted to environmentally safe R134a and blows Ice Cold. The C-4 automatic transmission shifts smoothly and positively.  This car is extremely comfortable and fun to drive.  

The entire drive train works correctly and has no known issues. All gauges and warning lights are working.  Headlights (high and low beam), parking lights, taillights, back-up lights, interior lights, dash lights, and turn lights are all working properly.  Window felts and rubber seals are either good used or new condition. All glass is good and the front windshield is new.  The windshield wipers and washers both work properly.  All of the heater/defroster controls, vents, and motors work properly. Window regulators work properly. Door seals are soft and there are no wind whistling sounds at high speed.  All carpeting is new. The entire floor has been lined with sound deadening Dynamat making an extremely quiet  interior.  The headliner, tires, Magnum 500 Wheels, and paint are all new within the last year.  The polished stainless trim is like new with very few imperfections.  The chrome is acceptable for a "Driver" with scratches and some pitting. I rate the chrome a 7 out of 10 and will need replating to bring it up to the quality of he rest of the car. The anodized aluminum trim around he headlights and grill would rate an 8 out of 10 due to some scratches. The interior panels are all very nice having been restored. The seat upholstery would rate about a 6 out of 10.  The front seat bottom has a one inch tear in the middle and some sewing needle marks in he vinyl. The cloth inserts on the seat backrests do not match the bottom insert material.  While the color is very close the material is different.  I was planning on getting all of the seats recovered but time and money for this project have run out, so it will be left to the next owner.  The springs and padding for the seats are in good shape and the seats should last many years should the new owner not be concerned about the difference in the materials.  The brakes are all new within the last 500 miles.  Rebuilt master cylinder, new front cast iron drums, new linings, new springs, new wheel cylinders, new bearings & races. While this car does not have power brakes, it almost seems as if it does.This car stops great!  The front suspension has been gone through and received new coil springs, shocks, ball joints and alignment. The rear shocks are also new. The radiator has been cleaned out, pressure tested and flow tested.  A coolant return system has also been added. The distributor points have been eliminated  in favor of the ignitor II electronic ignition system. The carburetor is new and I have dressed the engine in HiPo air cleaner and valve covers.

The following items will need attention:  The cigarette lighter, radio and clock do not work.  The power steering works great but the control valve is beginning to leak and I will have it fixed before he car is shipped, or I will rebate the repair amount to the buyer. The air conditioning compressor has always made a clattering sound when the compressor clutch is engaged.  I have fully expected it to stop working but it just keeps on going and it works extremely well. It is without a doubt the coldest A/C unit I have ever had. It is so cold that on long drives on high humidity days, with the temp switch set to high, the chrome face plate gets so cold that it begins to condense water vapor on its surface, requiring me to put a towel on the carpet under it.   A new compressor will cost $280 plus installation.  You should keep this in mind and adjust your bid accordingly. Then again, it may continue to clatter along for a long time. For those of you who are old enough to remember: "It takes a licking and keeps on ticking" certainly fits this situation. The body of the car  shows no outward signs of collision repair,  however, from working on this car, I can tell that it has had been in two "fender benders: one on each rear fender.  The body work was not the best so I have had it reworked and there is now, no sign of either repair.   Keep in mind that this is a "driver" and as such you shouldn't expect absolute perfection in the flatness of every body panel.  As anyone who does bodywork knows, the most difficult cars to get right are those with long fat surfaces like the 66-67 Fairlanes.  In addition to being a Fairlane, is it also a wagon which has even longer flat surfaces.  While I think the body preparation is extremely good, you should expect to find a few waves here and there, none of which are serious enough to stand out without very close inspection, and getting the light at just the right angle.

The following items are excentricities  that are of no real danger but may require your attention if they are annoying to you.  The driver side door lock requires three quick turns to the right before it unlocks the door.  It never opens on the first turn.  If I were to keep the car I would get remote door actuators installed like the ones that come with an alarm system. On very rare occasions while going too fast over speed bumps or pot holes the rear leaf spring will give a loud "clank" sound, and it is quite startling. Normal driving and suspension travel will not produce the sound, nor will it occur while carrying rear passengers. It took me a very long time to discover the cause of the sound.  The rear leaf springs on a sedan or coupe are attached to a spring shackle which is in-turn attached to the rear frame member on each side. In the Wagon the shackles are attached to a bracket that is then attached to the frame.  It appears that this wagon has had its rear leaf springs replaced with heavy duty springs which cause the shackle to swing up and come into contact with the frame, causing the sound whenever the rear of the car completely unweights the spring.  The best solution would be to put back the original leaf springs ( which are a few inches longer than the heavy duty springs), however, they are not available for the wagon. So, I have significantly reduced the sound by making a bumper to reduce the frequency and severity of he sound.  I have bonded a rubber spacer and an aluminum plate to the frame to deaden the impact ( and sound) of the shackle contacting the frame.  I have included a picture of this "bumper"in the photo section. Rest assured, this condition is in no way damaging the car in anyway or a safety issue. I am sure that there are Fairlane Wagons sitting in salvage yards just waiting to donate their rear leaf springs, but I do not have the time or desire to find it, I will leave that to the new owner. Finally, the spare tire cover panel was brittle and falling apart so I reinforced it with fiberglass cloth and "flexible" resin.  Well, it wasn't flexible enough and when I reinstalled the cover, the top outer surface's edge cracked and popped off. This can be seen in the pictures.  I will attempt to repair this before the car is picked up but I can't promise it will not happen again.   

Finally RUST:  There are very few cars that are completely without rust and this car was no exception.  1966-67 Fairlane Wagons are notorious for rust in the following places - left rear lower rocker panel, bottom of tailgate, front floor pans, front vent cowl, lower doors, and rocker panels.  This car had no rust in the doors or rocker panels below the doors or behind the front wheels. It did, however, have significant rust in the front floors, lower  left rear fender panel and lower tailgate. The left rear fender is a double walled unit that utilizes a rubber damn between the two walls to seal the opening where the fuel fill is located.  The rubber damn, deteriorates and rain then enters between the inner and outer fender walls, and collects in the lower fender panel area. I have cut away all of the rusted metal and welded in new sheet metal. I then back fill the panel with a slurry of polyester resin and cloth shavings to make the inside impervious to water.  Finally, the rubber damn has been removed and replaced with a polyester cloth and resin barrier that prevents water from ever entering again. 

The tailgates rust out because dirt gets down past the window and then when it rains the water and dirt clog the drain holes at the bottom.  In this car, all of he rusted metal has been removed and replaced with welded in sheet metal.  On the inside of the tailgate a layer of polyester resin and cloth was bonded over the repair, effectively sealing I from any water that may enter.  I recommend that Wagon owners regularly check the drain holes at the bottom of their tailgate to make sure they have not become clogged by dirt or leaves. 

 This wagon has all new metal front floor pans on the left and right side of the transmission hump.  The front windshield, cowl cover and fenders were removed to ascertain the source of the water leakage that got under the carpet and rusted the front floor pans.  Water had entered at the union of the cowl and the A pillar directly under the lower corners of the windshield.  These two areas were surprisingly free of rust but the panel seam sealer had hardened and broken away allowing water to slowly seep into the car.  During the repair, these seams were welded together and then the entire cowl was stripped of the old sealer and resealed before painting.  The old floor pans were cut away and new pans were welded in place. The entire perimeter of the new floors were then seam sealed on the inside and the outside. When dry, they were primed, painted and then rubberized undercoat  was applied.   While no rust repair will last forever, I have found this method of welded sheet metal, followed by a cloth and resin inside layer to last a very long time. I have a 1931 Ford that I repaired in this manner that has been siting out in the elements for the last 20 years that has not had rust return to the lower panels. Other areas have rusted but the repaired areas have not.  Please note, that while I am quite sure this car will remain rust free for a long time to come, it does not come with any type of warrantee expressed or implied.

This car was originally sold by Arrow Ford in Abalene, Texas.  It remained in Texas until I bought it and brought it to Los Angeles a few years ago.  Since that time I have been working on it, on and off, and driving it at least once a week.  Since the restoration was completed I drive it almost everyday.  I regularly take it on 50 to 100 mile trips because it is extremely comfortable and fun to drive.  I have the car listed  for sale locally so I reserve the right to end the auction early, if I get an acceptable offer.  The reserve price is set at the level of my  dollar investment.  Someone is going to get a very good and solid car.  If you don't want to take a chance on the auction, and the $9500 BIN price is too steep, give me a call and make me an offer.  Also, don't hesitate to ask questions as I'm sure there is something I have overlooked or not made clear in the description.  Please don't ask for he reserve price as it isn't fair to the other bidders. Just bid what it is worth to you and hope for the best.

Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer, but I will do everything in my power to assist you. 

Good Luck, Tim Howard   310-874-0648 howardent@aol.com

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On May-18-13 at 11:38:08 PDT, seller added the following information:

This car's first owner was from Abilene, TX . The second owner was near Dallas, TX. I am the third owner and the car is now in Torrance, CA, just south of Los Angeles.

Engine Information: It is a 289 cid with the factory style 2 barrel carburetor with automatic choke that requires the driver to depress the gas pedal one time to the floor and back slowly to set the choke before starting.  If this is not done the engine will not keep running.  If you forget to do this, it is not a problem. Simply depress the gas pedal before the second attempt and it will start right up.  This engine does NOT burn any oil or require the addition of any fluids between oil changes. This car gets 17 mpg on the highway and 15 mpg in the city,  There are no engine, transmission, or differential leaks. 

The title states that the mileage is the original mileage and it doesn't indicate the mileage to be in excess of mechanical limits, however It doesn't seem possible that a car of this age only has 31,000 miles on it.  I do notice that the original engine tag is still in place on the intake manifold which is almost never there after any type of major engine work.  What I can tell you is that it has plenty of power and there is no indication of any engine, transmission or differential problems.