27th Oct 2004, 08:15
In 1967 I was a just a 5 year old boy who loved cars. I had 3 older brothers; all had cool Fords. Brother Joe had a '64 Galaxy 500, Brother Mike had a 65 T-Bird, and Brother Rich took me with him to Vanderstyne Ford (the local dealer) to pick out his car. That day we took home a 67 Fairlane GT Convertible 390 4-speed (blue/white GT stripe). Over the years I would go everywhere in that car, even play in the car when he wasn’t around & thinking someday this would be my car.
Rich drag raced profusely at the track & on the streets of Rochester NY. In 1970 we went to the dealership to pick up “The Ultimate Wedge” a 427 Big Block! That’s when the car became a drag car, wearing an incredible black paint job, only never to see the streets again until 2000. A full restoration was done over the years. After 15 years experience as a tin knocker, I fabricated some inner rocker panels that are better than factory.
In 1982, at the age of 21, I landed a job at Kodak and decided that I could now afford a cherry Fairlane for myself. I found a Springtime Yellow '67 GTA 390 car in Atlanta Georgia. This car was immaculate! But I hated the color, until I realized there was nothing like her on the streets in my hometown. Also, it didn’t hurt that the girls really liked the color too. Well, she still wears the same color and I wouldn’t change it ever. Rich & I went through the motor & transmission in 1983 and she runs very consistent 13.50’s, mufflers & spinning the street tires…
The Springtime yellow Fairlane made the CD cover for the New Rock band Wilkes Booth featuring the song “DRAG RACE”… The car be seen at wilkesbooth.com CD page. The car has been the most reliable car I ever owned, & 22 years after buying it, I still love it!
20th Mar 2007, 16:01
I have a 67 GT that my dad traded for in 76,3 months be-for I was born and was handed over to me for a graduation present. It currently has the 289 hp with a four. But will soon have a 351 w we are going to drop into place. :-)
It's baby blue with matching interior. I love this car more than any others I have owned and always will.
2nd Oct 2007, 18:38
I bought a 67 gt about 6 years ago. It had been sitting on an old fence row for 15 years. Still has the original 390 high performance top loader 4-speed.Car needs redone in and out with very little rust. I put a carburator on her when I got her home, fired her up added tires, break fluid and went down the road. She will burn tires in all 4 gears. Now taken apart I am restoring her. The best part is I got her for 1,600.00 dollars.
25th Apr 2008, 13:35
YES, I got my 67 Fair-lane GTA as soon as I returned from Vietnam. Best car I ever owned, It had a 390High Performance C6 tranny and could run the quarter in the 13s. Loved that car. I was well known around the strip down by Fort Hood TX.
On my way home after being discharged from the ARMY I was in a wreck and hit a concrete wall. It totaled the 67, still looking after all this time with no luck. That was in November of 1970, it was baby blue with same color inside, buckets and automatic in the floor and white straps. MISS THAT BABY!!!
14th Dec 2008, 17:28
My dad bought a 67 Fairlane GTA in 74. He has had it ever since, and he just gave it to me. 429scj he put in there in 78. Its options were a rare bucket seats with column shift, and disc brakes.
16th Dec 2008, 23:13
I also have one of those super rare console shift 390 GTA's. It is 1 of 3 in dark moss green!! Mine is all stock, #'s matching restored!!
16th Apr 2009, 19:59
I was the second owner of my 67 GT back in 1971 at age 19. It was white with the 390/4 barrel and 4 speed manual trans. I could light up the tires in all 4 gears. In hindsight I was lucky not to kill myself in it. Now that I'm nearing retirement age I'm looking around for one again.
15th Aug 2009, 22:29
We just purchased a 67 GTA in excellent original condition with 85000 miles. The car was traded in about 10 years ago in Missouri with 75000 miles on it. The dealer kept it since then and we purchased it from his widow. We have owned a 67 XL for about 27 years and this one is so much more solid. It has a 289, but seems to have a lot more power than the XL. Maybe it is the dual exhaust or maybe partly because of the low mileage. Lots of fun.
22nd Aug 2009, 14:20
I have a 67 GTA that I have owned since 78 & worked on since 76. I also have a 67 Ranchero, my brother has a 66 GT & I have had a 66 500. These are great cars; I wish they still built cars like these. All new cars look a bar of soap.
16th Oct 2009, 22:49
I recently purchased a 67 GTA 390. I am very excited about rebuilding this piece of American history. Does any body have any ideas about beefing up this 390. I purchased this car from the original owner with 60k miles. WOW, what a find!!!
26th Nov 2009, 00:12
I'm in the process of rebuilding a 1967 390 GTA motor. It came out of a wrecked car (1,121 miles) and has been stored for 41+ years. It should have been better taken care of, as in better oiled, turned over occasionally, but oh well. My main question is... why is the #6 rod coated (copper colored)?
29th Dec 2009, 14:40
I bought my 67 GTA 390 in 1976. Sacramento, Ca.
Getting ready to restore after all these years. Actually parked it in 1977. No rust!!!
10th Feb 2010, 22:02
I purchased my first Fairlane in 1980; it was a 1966, it belonged to a local Ford dealer and was drag raced from new. It was a 428 auto with a 9 inch and 472 gear. It ran 12.20 in the quarter at Lebanon Valley Race Way. It was stolen out of my yard in Kingston NY in 1997 and never recovered. It was called the lil hustler..
Last week I purchased a 1967 green GTA 390. It's been sitting for 20 yrs... I'm very exited to have another...
25th Sep 2023, 19:48
I am the original owner, still am, of a 67 Fairlane 500 convertible. Ordered it from Ideker Ford in Mound City, Mo. and took delivery in Nov. 1966. Ordered it as follows 289CID V8 with 3sp stick overdrive. Last year you could order the Borg-Warner overdrive. Had the dealer install Sterwart Warner gauges, solid state ignition system that Ford put on the heavy duty Louisville line trucks. Dealer replaced the 2 bbl carb and manifold with a 450 com holly and manifold, also installed dual exhaust and the under dash Ford A/C.
I needed a long haul traveler that could live on the regular gas to be found in the outback out west. This car, with a 3.93:1 posi turned 360 rpm/ 10mph in O/D, 2160 at 60 mph and 2520rpm at 70mph. This combination was good for a solid 20+mpg on the open road. You didn’t win drag races, but it met my needs for a fast long range traveler for 165,000+ miles. This required about 3 years, and it was retired for different traveler, it’s now a family pet and show car.
10th Sep 2004, 20:03
I agree the 1967 Fairlane GT was a blast to drive. I bought one in 1968. It was solid black with a white racing strip on each side. Bucket seats wood and steel steering wheel. 390 Hi-PO four speed, posi-track.
The day I test drove it was awesome. It had 15-inch tires all around with some pretty skinny tires. I drove up the main street, in a small town in Texas, looking at my reflection in the glass storefronts. The view was really nice. It looked like it was mine already. I cruised up to the end of Main Street to the turnaround at the swimming pool. I turn around and slipped it back into 1st tapped the throttle, that awesome sound from the intake and the exhaust was like music to my ears. Then I punched it, I was hooked I was also going around in circles. When I got it out on the highway going 50 in fourth I punched it again the rear end stated to move sideways. That wonderful car was burning rubber at 50 in fourth gear. I regret to this day trading it for a new car in 1969.