Real H-Code? 1958 Ford Fairlane 500
Unless you had a well-trained eye, it might have been difficult back in 1958 to instantly distinguish which Ford was coming from behind in your rear-view mirror, as the Fairlane had gotten a restyled front end. The car now featured quad headlights and received a grille much like the Thunderbird, so from this angle, the two shared a somewhat similar appearance. However, from the other viewpoints, the Fairlane 500 had its own distinct lines, and this one here on Facebook Marketplace seems to have plenty of strong points going for it. The hardtop is in Brook Park, Ohio, and if things check out, the asking price of $15,000 seems quite reasonable.
Barn Finds reader Ted sent us the tip here, and we’d like to thank him for this kind gesture! The 500 was the top trim level for the Fairlane in ’58, and this one scores high in the appearance department outside with its beautiful green-and-white color combo. Unfortunately, we get almost no background information, but the seller mentions that the Ford has no rust underneath. Moving upward a bit, I’m not spotting much on the body either, and the panels appear mostly straight and nicely preserved. There’s also no word on the age of the paint, but for a driver, it’s looking sweet enough that I’d probably resist addressing anything outside for the foreseeable future.
Some potentially favorable news can be found under the hood, even though the only thing the seller mentions about the motor is that it will start up. However, 1958 was the year Ford introduced its 352 Interceptor, a stroked 332 that made over 300 horsepower when equipped with the Holley 4-barrel on top. If the sticker on the visible valve cover is an accurate hint, perhaps this one is a real H-Code, but I’m going to have to turn to our well-educated Ford readers out there to help shed some light on this. In any event, the engine bay looks to be in good order, and I’m digging the side exhaust exits with the option to bypass and use the rear pipes instead.
The inside color theme matches the outside, with most interior components appearing in far better condition than I was expecting. At some point, an aftermarket Stereo was added, and the Interceptor Special emblem I was hoping to spot on the glove box isn’t present. However, for a late-fifties Ford Fairlane 500, this one seems quite solid and would probably make an outstanding weekend cruiser. What do you think?
Auctions Ending Soon
2006 Ford Mustang Saleen S281 SCBid Now1 days$15,000
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now4 days$100
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now4 days$3,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now4 days$500
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now6 days$4,000
Comments
Great looking car in period colors. The interceptor should get this one moving along.
The ’58 Fords have always been considered a doggy design since their debut. The ’59 is on top, and the ’57 places second. What does that tell you about the ’58’s ? The asking price is a reach – shop the much preferred ’59’s.
One of my favorite cars. wish I had 15,000.00 I’d be mine now, Beautiful car. & fast as can be !
I like it. This baby is in Brookpark Oh which is like ten minutes from me so I’m tempted to take a look.
i’d check the facebook rating…i did …not too favorable
i’d check his facebook rating before you go
I’m so glad I don’t rely on Facebook ANYTHING. What a waste.
An absolutely gorgeous car. If it was in a southern or western state I’d be checking this out, but I’ll never go North of the Red river again.
God Bless America
A friend had a new H-code in black.
Beautiful car and very fast for the times. Ended up being more car than driver…totalled.
My dad gave me a ’58 Convertible for HS Graduation. My mom was furious as she thought he bought it for her, silly girl. The long legged 351 w/C-4 transmission made me a few bucks on a Saturday nite. ’57 Chevy’s were fast in the quarter mile, but being in the midwest with long straight roads, I preferred to race to the next stop sign, 13 miles away. These old Fords would bury the 135 mph speedometers. I disagree with the above comment, My 57 2 door and the 58 convertible looked a lot better than the’59. ’59 had too much grill. Of course you could always get a POS ’60.
“long legged 352”?
Race to next stop sign 13 miles away? Really?
I had a ’57 Fairlane 500 2 door hardtop that now 60 years after trading it in, wish I could get one like it back. Didn’t really care for the ’58 changes to headlights and taillights, always like the looks of the round taillights on the rear end. Even the 2 Falcons I had in the 60’s still had round taillights. Just depends on what ya like, I reckon…
If you want to know what was originally under the hood, ask the seller for the VIN. The engine is called a “H” code because cars so equipped have VINs that start with “H”.
It’s true that ’58 Ford styling was intended to bring the cars closer to the Thunderbird in appearance. It’s also true that the results weren’t universally liked. In particular, the hood scoop – reportedly added in part to stiffen the hood panel – and taillights received a good bit of criticism. In addition, owners reported that the protruding taillights were susceptible to damage.
That should be “an ‘H’ code.” I loathe grammatical mistakes like that, and I loathe them even more when I make them.
Cut us some slack, grammar guy. Cut yourself some while you’re at it. We all be human.
@Bub – Thanks for the laugh!
Get some obscure fact about some obscure car wrong, and I’m all over it. Get “their” and “they’re” confused, and I suffer quietly. This site isn’t about grammar.
Beautiful….I love it.
Not an H-code 352 car from what we can see.
1. An H-code would have an “Interceptor Special V8” emblem on the glovebox door, which this car does not have.
2. ’58s didn’t have “Interceptor” valve cover decals or any valve cover decals (and those are aftermarket valve covers anyway). The air cleaner is where you would find the “Interceptor V8” decal.
3. The valve cover decal is a repro for an earlier car with the “Police Interceptor” option. The V8 depicted in it is a Y-block, not the FE “Interceptor” V8 image Ford used in decals.
I had a ’57 with the 312 in the late ’60s but always liked the ’58 as it had better engines and the styling never bothered me. At that time a HS friend had a ’58 Fairlane 500 4-door sedan with the 352, factory Carter AFB (the early cars had the Carter) and solid lifters and that car could really move. He paid $275 for it. It was totaled a few years later after he sold it. He replaced it with a ’57 Chev Bel Air 2-dr HT he paid $450 for. Those were the days!
Tiger66: Distributor on the wrong end for a Y block!
Wes Johnson: ’60s have their fans, too, especially Starliners!
Check head casting on the 352, should be EDC6090E with machined combustion chambers.
No rust on a 58 Ford and in Ohio? My dad bought a 58-wagon new in Portlandia and it was always garaged, and it rusted away.
Look about six inches behind the drivers door down on the bottom maybe 2 inches up, Looks like a pretty big bubble under the paint beginning to me!!! Thats just what i can see in the one pic!!!
Seems way too cheap!
Not seeing an H code data plate but I do have glasses….does look like an FE under the hood…..nice car.
You are correct, My Dad had a 58 H code Interceptor. looking at the vin this is a G code 332 cubic inch. only reason I clicked on link was to see if it was an H code..
Probably one of the better looking of the ’68 offerings of all the car makers. The lakes pipes don’t fit the design of the car but the car itself looks like a good one.
My gut feeling is that is not an H-Code Fairlane but a modification, and Tiger66’s observations confirm this.
The 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 was a work of art, to me, when it came out. The 1958 would have done better to have had a very modest face-lift and kept the ’57 appearance — instead of that heavy-looking front and the ruined tail-lamps! All of that said, while I thought the ’58 Ford hideous when it first came out, and I never wanted one; this one looks pretty nice to me now — at least it looks like a CAR, and not something of a half-melted anonymous blob with a ridiculously hoisted rear and upswept side-lines! I did like the ’57 Ford better, though. And I fell in love with the 1959 Ford! The 1960 Edsel was beautiful — too bad that it was too late. Edsel actually was a very good car in every way. But its somewhat avant-garde approach to styling, sandwiched in between Ford and Mercury, never allowed it enough oxygen to succeed in the marketplace. The ’59 Edsel, trying to graft the ’58 styling-cues onto an all-new body not made for them, made for an unattractive look, just when Edsel desperately needed a boost. The 1960 Edsel was perhaps too obviously a warmed-over 1960 Ford — but much nicer-looking (up front, anyway — that back-side looks like something they’ve spent about 24 hours on modifying from the Ford!).