Cars from our youth are funny things, conjuring up as many different emotions as memories. While nearly all of us can recall the hot machines of the era in which we grew up, precious few were lucky enough to own them. Case in point, yours truly racked up thousands of miles in my high school and college years behind the wheel of a Plymouth Valiant sedan . . . a car you couldn't pay me to own today. Conversely, there are guys like John Hicks who owned cars we tend to be more passionate about. While Hicks didn't own the hottest thing on wheels during his college years in the late '50s, say, a factory supercharged T-bird, he did drive something worthy of mighty fond memories-a red and white '57 Fairlane hardtop.
Hicks bought his first Fairlane as a used car in 1958 while attending Iowa State University, and enjoyed the attractive 292ci Y-block machine through 1962. Ensuing years saw military service, family, and a busy career. while Hicks always maintained an interest in automobiles, it was retirement that hooked him back up with an early Fairlane memory. In 1998, Hicks bought a near twin to his old set of wheels, a Phoenix area car that was advertised as a frame-off restoration. Hicks chuckled when he said, "yes, it had been off the frame," but you quickly glean that "frame-off" means different things to different people.
Regardless of the modest quality standards, Hicks enjoyed the '57 for a few years before launching on a major rehash. when a cracked sector case relieved itself of 90-weight gear oil all over a new driveway, Hicks turned to Dennis Bryden, who had a passion for building vintage American hot rods. Bryden's business, Red Horse Hot Rods, was born just as he and Hicks developed a plan to address the Fairlane's mechanical maladies.
First up would be replacing the ancient 292-inch, Y-block V-8 and Ford-O-Matic with a Ford Racing 5.0L crate engine and AOD transmission. Next came the underpinnings, consisting of new springs, Bilstein shocks, Fat Man 3-inch drop spindles, power four-wheel disc brakes, and, of all things, a GM 605 power-steering gear intended for the shoebox Chevy crowd. A narrowed 9-inch housing was filled with a Limited-Slip dif' and 4.11:1 gears, tamed by a custom set of Traction Masters traction bars.
All of these initial modifications were made in the name of performance and reliability, but Hicks also added a strong visual statement in the form of billet aluminum rims from Colorado Custom. Measuring in at 17x8 inches, the custom hoops mount 245/45-17 Goodyears in front, and 255/55/17s out back.
As the project came to completion, including a now sparkling engine compartment, the rest of the car looked sadly out of synch. Within a year, the decision was made to completely finish the Fairlane, and when you consider the impeccable standards of Hicks and Bryden, you could predict the stellar outcome.
After a complete strip to bare metal, a brilliant red and white finish was applied by Peter Emhoff using top-notch Glasurit products. Careful not to detract from the beautiful topcoat, Hicks stuck with the factory brightwork, save for the hood ornament and Fairlane emblem immediately beneath.
On the inside, one can't help be wide-eyed by the subtle, yet sensational, interior work, a co-effort between Bryden and Jeff's Custom Upholstery in Longview, Washington. The heavily revised dashboard now plays host to an array of Auto Meter gauges, a Panasonic CD player, and Vintage Air heating and air conditioning controls. The seats are covered in supple white vinyl and '57 Ford red cloth. The forward bench is a Glide Engineering unit with the back cut down 211/42 inches, while the rear is a much-modified stocker couch.
In the summer of 2002, Hicks took the '57 back home to Iowa for a high school reunion. As you can imagine, the car was a big hit, and, no doubt, the freshest looking face from the class of '57.