At some point in time, this 1966 Fairlane 500 XL is going to require some restoration work and rust repairs, but the good news is that the vehicle does appear to be structurally sound. That means that the next owner could choose to drive and enjoy the car immediately, and then undertake the restoration work as time and circumstances allow. With warmer weather just around the corner, that could prove to be a winning combination. Just think, you could enjoy the car during Summer, then have a great project to tackle during the Winter months. The Fairlane is located in Woodbury, New Jersey, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $4,600 in what is a No Reserve auction.

The Candyapple Red Fairlane has received a repaint at some point in the past, and the owner indicates that there is some evidence of previous repairs of some type. Unfortunately, he doesn’t specify which areas might be affected by this. Having said that, the panel gaps seem to be nice and consistent, which is always an encouraging sign. Now, there is some rust for the next owner to address, and the current owner is quite candid about what he can see. There are some spots visible in some of the lower body extremities, but none of this looks particularly bad. The news isn’t quite as good with the floors, because there is some rust there that will require attention. The owner states that he believes that the floors could potentially be repaired with patches, but that the buyer should probably be better served if they replace the floor pans in their entirety. It isn’t clear whether there is any rust in the cowl, but the rear window has apparently been leaking for an extended period. That means that there is a fair chance that there will be rust in that area, along with rust in the trunk pan. The majority of the glass is in good condition, but a significant crack in the windshield means that this will require replacement. All of the trim and chrome appears to be present, and most of this looks like it is in reasonable condition. What is interesting is the fact that the owner has tried cleaning the paint in one spot, and it looks like the car might respond really well to a buff and polish.

The Fairlane’s interior is a bit of a pleasant surprise, because by-and-large, it does present quite nicely. Bucket seats and a console are nice inclusions, and while the owner states that the driver’s seat will require some minor repairs, this is hard to spot in the supplied photos. The passenger seat looks good, while the owner says that the rear seat and headliner are both spot-on. The door trims are looking slightly tired, but I think that the vinyl could be stretched back into shape. The dash and pad look really nice, and it would appear that the only items that might require replacement are the water-damaged rear parcel tray, along with the armrests.

The buyer of the Fairlane will find themselves with a car that comes equipped with a 289ci V8, a 3-speed automatic transmission, along with power steering. The Fairlane had been sitting for some time before the current owner purchased it, so he flushed the fuel system, dropped in a battery, and the 289 roared back into life. He says that the donut on the driver’s side exhaust manifold leaks when the car is cold, but this seems to take-up as the metal expands. Once this happens, the car sounds nice through its dual exhaust. He believes that the brakes have had some work done in the past, because some of the lines look new, as does the dual master cylinder. The car now runs and drives, with the power steering and transmission working as they should. He does feel that the brakes might still require some attention, as one of the rears does grab. However, for the person who is keen to hit the road ASAP, it seems like it will be a case of giving the car a decent inspection, check the brakes, replace the leaking donut, and they should be good to go.

This 1966 Fairlane 500 XL has the potential to be a very nice car, but it isn’t a car that has the potential to be worth mega-dollars. A meticulous restoration could potentially see the final value somewhere up around the $25,000 mark, or possibly a little higher. That means that as a restoration project, it would be well suited to an individual who can undertake the vast majority of the work for themselves if it is to remain financially viable. However, a person who doesn’t have the required metalworking skills could still be okay if they were willing to perform the more mundane tasks such as dismantling, cleaning, and assembly for themselves. It certainly makes it something to think about.