68 Fairlane Sportback Project....well hopefully

[vince]

Ok well about a month ago I was suppose to acquire a 72 lemans, but that deal fell through like so many others......so recently I purchased a 68 fairlane sportback after spending every day browsing through classifieds. I've yet to tow it home though so i dont have pics for now. I've never seen an example of this car with the pro touring touch, which makes it a little more interesting to me cause its not exactly a common car. I was wondering if anybody here has any knowledge of these cars, cause i surely dont.

[grand_marquis_gt]

I strongly agree that you made a good choice. Need more fullsize fords with the pro-touring touch!

[bnickel]

68 fairlane would be an intermediate, same as a 68/69 torino. not real familiar with the sportback terminology though, i'm just guessing that it's a fastback.

would love to see some pics. i almost bought a 69 torino GT many years ago and know where i might be able to get a 69 cyclone GT now.

[THX 138]

:postpics:

[Mr.VENGEANCE]

or you could have scooped this..

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/car/158340550.html

:D

[vince]

I'll have pics by this weekend, still deciding how to tow it home! Some of the residential streets in Los Angeles are way too thin.....

Yea about the sportback/fastback terminology, i have no idea whats correct either. I've heard it both ways so who knows. The car does need a bit of work, but its pretty rust free and the body is fairly straight, which is what i was worried most about. Plus I got it at a bargain, so i cant complain. Im undecided on whether i want a turbo'ed small block 351? 5.0? or big block...decisions decisions

I think my biggest problem is going to be finding performance suspension pieces.

[grand_marquis_gt]

Not sure, but I am pretty sure you can get ADDCO swaybars for em, and probably other stuff...

I am curious what fairlane suspension looks like compared to crown vic suspension...

[THX 138]

Do a '70 Torino. I saw one on the freeway. It was so Mad Max i was awestruck.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[bnickel]

a lot of suspension pieces are interchangeable with mustang pieces, for instance upper and lower control arms, strut rods (IIRC) most bushings etc.

[vince]

a lot of suspension pieces are interchangeable with mustang pieces, for instance upper and lower control arms, strut rods (IIRC) most bushings etc.

This is what I was looking for, thanks. I'll have to do some further research on this.

[Madspeed]

FFS I was working on a 66 mustang fastback for a buddy a while back and I had found an w=awsome setup for fords. (BTW i dont like fords that much so for me to even remember this is a mirical)
No offense fords are american muscle. Its just that they are a bitch to find stuf for and a bitch to work on as well.


But anywho I want to tell u to SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH because i remember seeing some awsome strut coil over suspension w LARGE brakes for a ford mustang. You would allmost have thought Wayne Due made it. we did not use it because my buddy was a tightass and had allready wasted a lot of money one his JUNK ass global west stufff (that by the way has so much bumposteer its rediculas and gw shouldnt be allowed to sell it) It is VERY twitchy on the fwy but it does hook a corner nice

However for a ford i do like the fairlane it has decent lines.
Go for the tt smallblock to keep the front light for corners

DO NOT use a factory block for big hp numbers Unless you like having the crank blow out the bottom bout 550 hp is pushin it
(ill probebly get flamed for that)

My buddy has 66 fairlane in decent contition he allso wants to offload for about 3500 its inb decent shape and it runs

He is a ford PHSYCO and thought he could build 4 of them on 80k a yeaar and living alone paying a mtg

GL w your project and congrats on a new toy

SEND US SOME PICS =)


Ken F

[phonedude_mln]

welcome ford fan...

not many PT 68/69 Ford intermediates. the purple one at the bottom of this page has
the right stance:

http://www.homestead.com/torinobrosracing/04MiniMeet2.html

I have a 66 Fairlane:

http://www.cs.odu.edu/~mln/fairlane/

everyone is right -- most of the mustang stuff will bolt right one.
1960 Falcon - 1971 Torino is pretty much the same design (a little scary
if you stop & think about it...)

if you have a 390 in it -- don't junk it. come to www.fordfe.com and learn
to build it. FE fords are much lighter than BB chevys ;-)

let me know if you have specific questions...

[vince]

Thanks for the pics, thats definitely a sweet fairlane you have!

Im buying the car without an engine, so my options are up in the air. I'll have some more questions after I pick up the car, thanks for the help.

[SVTforme]

Figure this is a good time to ring in with my first post.

I just bought a 1968 Torino GT and was considering Pro-Touring the car.. still up in the air on this one. I already have a trailer queen, and want something I can have some fun with. I am going to see how wide a tire it will accept, and see how difficult it will be to modify the rear to accept larger rear tires.

I put together the start of a concept on this one. This car has some great potenetial to be a pro-touring car!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/68_torino_gt_restomod_3-1.jpg

Here's the actual car - body is in excellent shape. I am converting the car to a manual (have most of the parts) and plan on running the original 390.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/DSC06292-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/DSC09293-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/DSC09286-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2006/05/DSC06425-1.jpg

[vince]

Awesome, im not alone! Nice chop by the way, i've done a couple myself to get some ideas. I also wanted to know how wide i can get away with in the rear. I was thinking of going with some 18" fr500's...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[SVTforme]

I actually have the wheels in the picture that I Photoshopped, so I guess I'll be finding out pretty soon. They are Roush 18x9's and 18x10's. I doubt either will fit - we'll see.

[vince]

Yea those are the sizes i wanted to go with also, let me know how they fit after you try it out.

[WS6]

I'm not a Ford fan typically but there is something about the Torinos and Fairlanes that I just really like. I think it's just their classic late 60's/early 70's styling that's so obvious when you look at one.

[Bill Howell]

There was a 68 or 69 for sale here or at lateral-g recently.
I talked to the guy, it was a decent car, I will see if I can find the ad.

[Bill Howell]

http://www.lateral-g.net/forums/showthread.php4?t=2165&highlight=torino

[vince]

Was browsing for torino stuff and came across this, http://www.imaginemotorsports.com/projects/ looks like a cool project

[Grizzly]

Hi Vince,

Congrats on your purchase. I am building a 69 Torino GT convertible. I've done a lot of research on parts and mods so just ask and I'll try to help you out.

cya, Grizzly

[WS6]

That rendering of the Torino looks great.

[Grizzly]

That rendering of the Torino looks great.

I agree, I love the combination of Talledaga like front end, but it's still a Torino. Does it have 2 standard GT hood scoops?

cya, Grizzly

[SVTforme]

I just picked up another 1968 Torino GT FB for a friend, so expect to see two pro-touring Torinos on the scene in the coming year..

[vince]

Finally brought the car home......let the modding begin!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://img460.imageshack.us/my.php?image=small1op.jpg)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://img460.imageshack.us/my.php?image=small18cx.jpg)

[4MuscleMachines]

Thats one clean car, nice find! Here is a link of a coilover kit with arms for a Torino/Fairlane. Dearborn Classics sells the kit along with Addco swaybars, alum radiators, ect. A nice start to pro-touring this chassis. I came close to buying one of the two finished cars pictured below. Never did since I did not find any PT items for the rear suspension. It's better for me to find a project, work on it, then see if there are more parts available by that time. Have you found any brake kits? It be cool if you can somehow fit Cobra discs and calipers on the spindles.

http://www.dearbornclassics.com/cgi-bin/more_info.cgi?part_number=NRC67B1&type=B&year=70&category=SUSPENSION





https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://i46.imagethrust.com/images/1uv5/view-image/808958931.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://i46.imagethrust.com/images/1uv6/view-image/808958934.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://i46.imagethrust.com/images/1uv7/view-image/808958932.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://i45.imagethrust.com/images/1uv9/view-image/821547411.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://i46.imagethrust.com/images/1uva/view-image/821547413.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://i46.imagethrust.com/images/1uvb/view-image/821547412.html)

[vince]

Thanks for the link! I was thinking the same thing about trying to fit cobra brakes on the car, im gonna have to look into it more.