'66-'67 Fairlane G-Machine
With all the soul searching that went on with the decision to sell Pearl I have reassessed the role of each of our vehicles and made some decisions on what we really need / want to keep long term. I was just not all that thrilled with building a 6 car garage on our lot so I've narrowed it down to 4 vehicles we need (at least until Duncan can drive).
Wendi needs a car ('04 Explorer) that we'll use for long trips - must seat 5 comfortably with room to separate children.
I need a car which also seats 5 in relative comfort and that I can take on long trips by myself, the red car fits the bill but is big, heavy, and won't win any races.
I think a Pickup is justified and green truck when finished will work fine.
And of course we can keep the cobra.
With that lineup we can build a 34'x34' 3 car garage / shop and park the cobra in the back corner leaving a 14' x 20' shop space. I think that is manageable and doesn't make our house look too out of balance.
So then the dreaming started and I came up with what I want the "next" project to be. The '66-'67 Fairlanes have a flat back seat that can seat 3 kids. They are lighter than the galaxie. They have the same suspension as the Mustang (with a 116" wheelbase instead of 108"). And, most importantly, they could come with a big-block.
Now one criticism I would have with this car is that most guys build them oriented toward drag racing. They almost always sit too high in the back for my taste. So my idea is to build mine with handling in mind. Take the modifications that Shelby made to the mustang to make the GT-350 and apply them to the fairlane chassis. I honestly think it would work out great. By focusing on handling we also focus on safety with disc brakes, sub frame connectors, great tires, maybe even an unobtrusive roll cage. The power train would be a big block (probably 390 or maybe 428) with a 4 speed (or maybe 5 speed but probably not). It's years down the road but that's the plan anyway.
This guy has the stance about right, although still maybe a little high in the back. Wheels and tires are Torq Thrust IIs Front 17x7 with 245/45 tire, Back 17x8 with 255/60.
Not that I'm all that sold on using 17s, but it shows the limits of how much tire you can get under the car. I would probably go with 15s, and a wheel that looks vintage race appropriate. I think nothing says road racing like Minilites?
