1966 Fairlane 500XL, Roller Cam 351Windsor, Power Disc Brakes

1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XL

Built 351W - Estimated 400HP

C4 Automatic Transmission w/ 2500 Stall

8" rear with Traction - Lok

Power Steering

Power Disc Brakes

Highly Sought After 500 XL Model

This '66 Fairlane is a beautiful example of the breed. It looks great in Vintage Burgundy Paint. With the XL trim package this is a really classy Muscle Car. Upgrades under the hood provide the sound that really makes this car stand out.

The paint is older but still presents well. It has a nice deep shine easily nice enough to show off on the weekends. There are the normal imperfections of a 20 year old repaint though such as stone chips. There are small bubbles on the passenger door corners, bottom of trunk lid and a few under the drivers rear window corner. These are small, not readily noticeable but need to be mentioned. The floors still wear their original light undercoating that has flaked off in places to reveal the original red oxide with factory over-spray. With minimal cleaning the floor could look very nice. There is some of the typical pinhole rust localized in the driver's front floor pan. Overall all, the floors do look quite nice and solid. If you are looking for a no-guilt driver, this is a great candidate.

Inside the 500XL Bucket Seat/Console Shift interior looks great. The seating has been recovered in cloth which is considerably more comfortable in the heat than vinyl. This is of course custom but reproduction upholstery is readily available if you wanted to return to stock. The seats are still firm and comfortable.

Under the hood the stock 200 Horsepower 289 has been replaced with a 351 Windsor complete with a Hydraulic Roller Camshaft, Ford Aluminum Cylinder Heads, Performer RPM Intake Manifold, Holley Dual Feed Carburetor, Shorty Tubular Headers, 2 1/2" Exhaust, Electronic Ignition and more. The engine was built according to a magazine build that produced 400 streetable horsepower. The engine runs excellent and sounds great. Not too loud, not too much lope from the cam, just a deep base note and perfect bump from the cam.

The braking system was upgraded to Power Disc Brakes. After all, with over double the factory horsepower the factory drum brakes would have been horribly over-matched. The system work easily and stops the car confidently

The factory Power Steering works well with just the right amount of assist. Steering in parking lots is effortless. On the highway the car tracks nice and straight.

The rear differential has been upgraded with a Traction-Lok limited slip and 3.00 ratio gearing. With the torque-rich 351 take-offs are easy and at highway speeds the engine is running comfortably about 2100 rpm at 60.

Overall this is a great driver. It looks great and performs quite well. It isn't a drag racer or a show car. However it can hold its own at a stoplight and consistently turns heads and draws attention.