Cool to see an old musclecar on the show! I've been anxiously waiting for the episode since the previews showed a glimpse of the Fairlane. I thought the prices were way off..... $7k for a car needing significant resto work.....rusty quarters, bad paint (yeah the hood was replaced), interior needs to be redone, chrome looks a bit rusted, etc, etc. $5-6k maybe. tops. And the $4000 repair bill from their mechanic!!! Still trying to figure that one out. What's needed for a car that's been sitting 20+ years.... Oil and filter change. Carb rebuild. Rad flush, thermostat, refill. maybe water pump. Belts, hoses. Flush gas tank and lines. Replace filter, rubber fuel lines, maybe the steel line too. Mech said the brake system was redone. '67's have front disks with 4 piston calipers, so that's not cheap. -wheel cylinders, hoses, caliper rebuild/replace, cut or replace drums and rotors, master cylinder, maybe power booster, and he did say the lines were replaced.... Clutch replaced. Should've done u-joints while he was under there. I bet parts bill was under $1500. But that's a lot of labor $$ for a $4000 total! Looking forward to the next episode. I need some motivation to get back on the '67 GT project in the back of my garage.:bglasses:
It is a neat car,but i agree it was pretty rough for $7K:shock: The 66-67 Fairlane is about the only Ford bodystyle that i like:laugh: Did you notice when he took off in it there was only one tire track?:Brow:
I think being a 4 spd added a lot to the value....don't know if the hi-po 390 was anything special.......I also thought $4000 was a high repair bill.....but the Fairlane expert said the car is worth about $14-15,000 as it sits now.....interesting to see one that they don't lose money on.....they lost money on the old Dodge...from the 30s and I think they lost on the Studebaker or broke even.
I bought a 66 Fairlane GT 4 speed convertible brand new in 66! I'm always on the lookout for another one. The American Pickers episodes are great! I think the guys really are out of their league when they look at or buy cars. The Fairlane on the episode had Illinois 1973 plates on it and the owner said he bought it in 73 so I wonder why it sat for that long and if the owner was a "retired Ford mechanic", why did he let it sit in that dirty condition in his 2 car garage by his home for that long. The hood had hood pin holes in it and it was once Springtime Yellow based on the color under the hood but the guys said it was a car with original paint. The were so excited that it's numbers matching even though they never really checked any numbers on the engine or trans. My 66 GT came standard with a 335 HiPo 390 but I think in 67 the GT came standard with a 289 and 2 barrel (275hp) and 4 barrel (320 hp) 390's options so who knows what the deal was on the American Pickers car. I loved how they got so excited because he put 428 heads on the car. I think the HiPo 390 heads are better heads than 428 heads of the day anyway. I doubt if they could get their 7k back on that car based on it's condition. The guy who came by the shop to look at the car drove a bad ass 427 Fairlane and that was cool to see!!!
I thought the owner said it was all original, including paint... yet the underside of the hood looked yellow...
Think of it this way. A 390 GT 4-speed is pretty rare indeed and this is a complete car to boot. Now how many of you have seen a GS455 auto in the same condition if not worse selling for a kings ransom. Seven grand for a rare big block, 4 speed muscle car is not a bad price but I would say its about the highest to be paid for in that condition. Consider a frame off resto can run between 45K upward to 60K and then add the initial $7 grand and misc $4 grand for a total investment of $56K to $71K. Now can the car in restored condition get that much especially in this economy? That car would be a deal for a guy who restores and has his own shop, to restore it and then sell it.
Yea that was an interesting show. I watched it 2.5 times already. Gotta remember one thing, they do not air the whole story on items they buy and I am certain that was the case on the car. That often results in viewers making incorrect judgements based only on what they see on the show. There was most certainly more work done that what they mentioned for the $4000. Their intent was not to give viewers every detail about what was done because the average viewer wouldn't have a clue what they were talking about anyway. We take it for granted because we are car people. They had a a Fairlane expert appraise the car so it wasn't their own estimate. A matching numbers GT with 390 HI-Po I'm sure is probably worth the money. There just isn't anyway we can accurately appraise the car without knowing a ton more details on its condition. A close member of my family had a personal experience with the Pickers Mike, Frankie and Danielle when they were in Delmont PA last summer. When the show aired 3-4 weeks ago we realized there was a ton of cool stuff they bought that never made it on the show so thats why I say theres a lot that goes on during a pick but never makes the cut for the show. An interesting note for you Picker fans, I can tell you these guys are true to form and are people of genuine character. After picking for 5-6 hours in the summer heat they were tired and dirty. They packed up their van and a U-haul the 3 man camera crew was in, waved bye and headed down the driveway. Then they stopped, came back, ordered pizza and sat and talked, signed autrograghs, etc with the owner plus 5 other locals for another hour and a half. They got no promotional value out of doing this. They did it because they really do like meeting and talking to people. They are people you'd want as your neighbors. :TU:
They are into that Fairlane for waaay too much. It still needs a restoration. I learned one thing, Fords do not bring money like a Chevy/GM. They made a bad call on that one.
Depends what kind of Ford. A 390 GT is a stone. The only people who want them are Ford people and others who aren't worried about value or going slow.
Value wise, that Fairlane is definitely not in the same league as, say, a '69-'70 R code Mach 1. They paid about 3K too much IMHO. But I do like that year. The '68 '69 Fairlane/Torino is one of my favorites and a beautifuly styled car( Sportsroof models).
Bottom line is, a Fairlane is not now, nor was it ever a Mudstain, and that is the ONLY Ford that Ford people care about or spend money on. My Wifes uncle died a year ago, and he owned a 67 Fairlane 500XL that is to be sold to settle his estate. I thought about buying it just to complete it(project car), but after doing some research, and looking at 66-67 Fairlane prices, I could see that it would be a loser in the end. Just like this American Picker GT. I think in this economy, you would be hard pressed to get $7000 for it running and driving with the $4000 worth of parts/labor. No way they are going to MAKE money on this stone.:Smarty:
In the end the Fairlane guy said he and his buddies discussed this car and think its worth 14-15K. They had 11 into it and felt they did good.It was hard to get a good look but it sure appeared to be pretty rotted out in the rear qtrs.So how bad is the rest of the car? I cant see that being worth 14 grand in the condition its in.But I know pretty much nothing about Ford values other than some Mustangs.I guess its all TV so who knows.
I came home from the hospital in a 66 gta, my parents had it until they bought the 72 skylark. I will own one, I love the cars!
I agree the 4000 bill is way over the top, but that's what happens when you take your car somewhere and just say fix it. Also, they WERE excited about it being numbers matching even though they KNOW the heads are from a 428...doesn't that mean it's no longer numbers matching?
i had a freind here in nashville that had a 67 fairlane that was originaly a 390 4 speed car he had a 427 sideoiler built with 3 dueces very sharp car couldn't get 13k out of it and it was a show car just my 2 cents worth maybe the GT's are worth more scott
I couldn't believe how much they put into that thing. The fairlane guy said it was worth $15k, but that car was pretty rusty. They should stay away from cars, they get too emotional about them.
I had a '67 Fairlane with a 289 and 4 speed when I was 17. I got a lot of abuse from my chevy buddies for having a Ford.....some things never change! It wasn't fast, but it sure was a fun car. Good times!:TU: Here's a spy pic of the GT I found online.:bglasses:
The curiosity was getting the best of me so I contacted the Ford Fairlane Club of America. Their forums are closed to non (paid) members but figured it had to be a topic there. Below is the response I received. As Mtdman suggested the Pickers get too emotional when it comes to cars and they should probably stay away from them. I can understand them mis-judging the value because they can't be experts on everything but it leaves me scratching my head why a Fairlane expert would go on record saying something that most Ford enthusiasts would know is not true. I guess in the grand scheme of viewers, only a teeny tiny fraction would have any idea the appraisel was inaccurate. Jason, The American Pickers show with the Fairlane has been a busy topic in our forums. The consensus seems to be that the car might more realistically have<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com<o></o> been appraised at somewhere between $2,500-$6,000 in its current condition, from what could be seen on the show (sorry, I forgot it was coming on and<o></o> missed it myself--will have to watch for reruns). The range above is taken from what members have discussed, and varied with their location in the<o></o> country. Members who watched the show commented on the extensive rust and missing<o></o> items, like the console, and our folks were 'shocked' (was the word used)<o></o> that the appraisal came in at $14,000 as is. That was considered extremely<o></o> unrealistic.<o></o> Perhaps other items on the show are also appraised higher than hobbyists of<o></o> other collectibles think realistic? Makes you wonder (but we still like the<o></o> show).<o></o> <o></o> Happy New Year to you,<o></o> Jane<o></o> FCA Office Manager<o></o>
