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The Ford Fairlane is such an underrated car if you ask us, and it is a genuine muscle car in every sense of the word. Alas, it has oft been overshadow by other legends of the time, such as the Pontiac GTO, Dodge Charger, and Ford Mustang. And so many of these cars found their way to the scrap heap once their daily driving days were over, making them a bit harder to come by than the average Mustang. To us, that makes them all the more special.
What the Scarelane looked like when Ted and Liz first bought it.
Ted and Liz Nourse’s ’67 Ford Fairlane 500XL is a rare find indeed, made all the better by a host of engine and suspension enhancements, and an utterly wicked name; “Scarelane.”
Ted and Liz first came across the car in 2001, and a week later they drove from their home in Otsego, Minnesota, to Winnipeg, Canada to pick up the car and drive it back home. “We got thumbs up the whole way,” says Ted.
The car they purchased was all-original, with a 70,000 mile 289 V8 engine under the hood, as well as the original power drum brakes and 2.79 rear end. Even today, it still has the stock 1-speaker (yes, one speaker) AM radio.
And keep in mind that this was a 500XL package, which was the top of the line luxury package back when this car was bought new in 1966.
Ted and Liz kept the car that way for a while, going from car show to car show, winning an award here or there and generally being content with the car. That is, until he ran into Rich Wait, owner of the Hot Rod Factory.
“Rich and I were on the same page for the Fairlane from day one,” says Ted. Their plans; turn this original survivor into a modern Pro-Touring car that would turn heads and good times at the track, without sacrificing all of the old school cool that comes with original chrome and one-speaker radio systems.
The new 347 stroker offers about 450 horsepower and 418 ft-lbs of torque, a big improvement over the original 289 engine.
The work began with a 347 stroker V8 engine equipped with an Edelbrock Air Gap intake, Howards roller camshaft, Patriot Performance aluminum heads, and a Holley 6650 double pumper carburetor. All together this combo made over 450 horsepower and 418 ft-lbs of torque on the engine dyno. Those are some good numbers, but it was only the beginning of the modifications.
The interior remains original, right down to the single-speaker AM stereo.
To bring the suspension into the 21st century, the Hot Rod Factory installed a Heidts Superride II front power rack and pinion steering system with tubular A-arms and adjustable chrome coil over shocks.
For brakes, the Scarelane received massive 13” Wilwood rotors up front, and 12” rotors out back, both with 4-piston calipers. Alas, Ted is still stuck with a (rebuilt) Ford C4 three-speed transmission, but future plans include a 5-speed Tremec transmission somewhere down the line. Dare we suggest a few more stereo speakers as well?
Yet for all the performance enhancing components, not a lot was done to either the interior or exterior of the car. The original bucket seats are still there in all their glory, as is all the original trim pieces.
The exterior paint is a custom mix, though nothing wild, and the only other modification from factory is a Crites Performance 427 R-Code hood. Oh, and there are the 18″ Centerline wheels as well, but beyond that, this is still a largely original Fairlane, albeit completely modern underneath that classic body.
This is no 100 point show car, and it certainly isn’t the fastest, prettiest, or easiest to handle girl in town. But for Ted and his wife Liz, it’s the perfect combination of modern technology and old school muscle. To us, it is one fine Fairlane.
