Named after Henry Ford’s Dearborn property, immediately’s Good Worth or No Cube Fairlane wagon is a mannequin of automobile that after dominated suburbia. Now, a lot rarer, we’ll should see how domineering its value seems.
Within the Seventies, British Leyland was the automotive equal of public housing, with disparate marques and fashions thrown collectively and advised to get alongside. The 1980 Triumph TR8 we checked out yesterday was one of many outcomes of such an upbringing, and whereas age and what seems to be some cautious curation ensured our candidate TR8 was not with out its charms, these charms didn’t prolong to its $13,500 asking value. That failed to search out favor amongst most of you, managing to muster nothing higher than a 57 % No Cube loss.
Talking of public housing, right here within the U.S., many had been the results of the Housing Act of 1949. That was a chunk of laws signed into regulation by then president Harry S. Truman, the intent of which was to handle the housing disaster afflicting the nation following the dual whammies of the Nice Despair and WWII.
The increase in development engendered by the Housing Act prolonged outdoors of cities as nicely, creating what we all know immediately because the huge suburban sprawl that encircles most main metropolitan enclaves. These suburbs, in flip, gave rise in recognition for a selected model of car: the station wagon.
This 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 is the suburban station wagon in practically its peak type. I say practically as a result of it’s lacking one essential ingredient: a fold-in-the-floor third-row set of seats.
In addition to that besmirchment, it’s received the products. In keeping with the advert, it options manufacturing facility energy steering and brakes, non-obligatory A/C, and a two-barrel 289 Challenger V8 beneath the hood. That Windsor mill made a factory-claimed 200 (gross) horsepower and is paired with a normal Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automated transmission.
Different plusses embrace the intelligent “Magic Doorgate” within the again, which permits for load space entry by both folding or swinging, together with a set of good-looking Styled Metal wheels wrapped in new Cooper tires.
Per the advert, the whole lot works because it ought to, save for the A/C, which, being old-school, would seemingly must be changed and up to date anyway. The automobile has an older respray in metallic gold, and that appears to be, at greatest, a 10-foot job. The vendor helpfully factors out within the advert the areas the place the paint is popping, or prep work for the shoot wasn’t correctly finished. These aesthetic points ought to in all probability be tackled finally, however general, the automobile seems stable and never in want of something fast.
Issues are higher within the capacious cabin. The upholstery will not be authentic, however the velour and vinyl seat covers are clear and tidy and do the job of matching the colour of the door playing cards. Carpet and period-correct rubber ground mats adorn the footwells.
It seems that the automobile’s authentic exterior colour was cream-white, as evidenced by the dashboard and nicely within the again. The present gold colour is a little more interesting, however ought to a brand new proprietor want to repair the paint, there’s all the time the choice to return to that manufacturing facility hue. Properly, the automobile nonetheless wears its black and gold California license plates, which solely add to its throw-back enchantment.
The advert notes that the odometer has rolled over and now reads 100,819 miles. That’s not too dangerous, and neither is the clear title, which implies this Fairlane needs to be pretty simple to re-register in a brand new proprietor’s title. To take action, nonetheless, there’s the small matter of the automobile’s $17,950 asking value.
What do you concentrate on this former suburban stalwart asking that a lot money? Does that appear honest, given the automobile’s situation and enchantment? Or is that an excessive amount of to show again the clock?
You determine!
Seattle, Washington, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
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