Barn Find: 1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Convertible
Most of us sit for too long, I know that I do. I’m either driving to some area of the country to take photos or I’m working on photos when I get back, or I’m sitting here at One Barn Finds Tower Cyber Central. This 1968 Ford Fairlane 500 Convertible has me beat, it’s been sitting since 1980! The seller has it posted here on craigslist north of Vancouver, Washington and they’re asking $9,000.
Sitting is the new smoking, as they say, and it’s not good for humans and equally bad for vehicles. Although, if a person knows in advance that they’ll be storing a vehicle for four+ decades they can take several steps to ensure a somewhat smooth transition from storage to reuse. It’s a rare owner who does that though and we don’t know what steps were taken when this Fairlane 500 ragtop (literally) was put into storage in 1980.
That ripped convertible top is a little worrisome if this car has spent four decades in a barn but I don’t see any rodent damage so maybe it was covered up or in a tight storage spot. The sixth-generation Ford Fairlane was only made for the 1968 and 1969 model years and they’re fairly rare cars today, especially the convertibles. The seller says that this is 1 of 3,750 that were made. The body on this car looks perfect to me and it sounds like they have the missing trim which is a bonus.
The seat looks dirty but in perfect condition both front and rear other than a big tear in the bottom of the driver’s seat. Hopefully a good upholstry shop can match that vinyl. Otherwise, I don’t see any dash cracks or anything too alarming other than possibly the steering wheel horn area. They even show a photo of the trunk which is nice. They say that the floors are solid.
The engine is a Ford 302 cubic-inch V8 which would have had 210 horsepower with a two-barrel carburetor. The seller says that it turns over but isn’t currently running. I don’t know how much this car is worth in its present condition after having been sitting for over four decades, what do you think?
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Comments
It ain’t worth 9k, I’ll tell you that. And cars that sit don’t get flabby. People who sit don’t rust.
I disagree. Going just from the pictures and sellers statement, I think this car could be worth asking price or close to it. Of course on a in person inspection that opinion could change.
A lot of what if’s….$9,000 seems a little steep for a none running Fairlane, but being nearly rust free is a huge plus!
Although I have been a Mustang guy all my life, the 68-69 Ford Fairlanes and Torinos have always been a favorite of mine. I still kick myself for not buying an 428 SCJ Fairlane Coupe 20 years ago that was aggressively low in price at the time! I would buy this Fairlane in a heartbeat if I had the time to work on it.
I highly doubt its rust free, its Vancouver Washington near the Columbia river it rains a lot there and even if its in a garage the moisture is still in the air. I think the asking price is a bit high for what it is but if you can get it right would make a fun car to get on the road
Well, they do say that when the top goes down, the price goes up. I think the price is reasonable especially since it’s apparently rust free. Not the most exciting motor/trans combination but good enough for a top down cruiser. I owned a ’69 Torino GT convertible in the ’90s (1 of only 1,552 made that year) and very similar to this car. Same drive train, a 302 with three on the tree, black over a red interior with a white top but a little fancier trim and the GT wheels. It was a very nice car that I enjoyed very much. If I had the skills, the money and the space I’d love to have this ’68 Fairlane. However, I lack all three so that takes care of that idea. It’s a scarce model that would stand out at any car show.
like the down sized models better but nuttin wrong here. Stacked hdlghts also get my vote so combine them to score. Having said that – the 5th gen is killer for me (chero, waggy all 5 or 6 models). Y not a vert like this? Sure I have unlimited space, car $, etc (yeah, right). So given reality I come here to dream.
Today’s BF? nother excellent listing of 17 items. Good sampling acc makes, countries, models (no truck tho) odd balls (camper wagon) sports and simple daily appliance.
Yeah, to me the price seems a bit high. A basic convertible, although factory resale red, bench seat, low performance engine, automatic & poverty caps. It needs pretty much one of everything done to it too. It is priced at twice what it should be priced at. Could still be a decent winter project if bought right.