Ed and Kathy Johnson of Sisters, Oregon, are the proud owners of this '67 Fairlane 500 XL convertible. They spent just $2,500 on this car back in 1993. The careful restoration you see here is the result of ongoing work carried out over the past 12 years. The streamlined "Coke bottle" body style was produced for just two years, and this Candy Apple Red convertible is a beautiful example. This is one of the most desirable Ford musclecars ever built during the Total Performance years. In addition to being a convertible, this Fairlane is also an original big-block car, factory equipped with a 390 engine. Ed is the third owner, and while he's decided to keep the outward appearance largely stock, he has done a lot to the Fairlane to enhance its appearance and performance.
It's plain to see that Ed is no novice when you look at the other Ford cars in the Johnson stable, including a '66 Fairlane that's run a 9.48 quarter at 141 mph. Obviously, that car is for racing only. An early Cobra replica is also up and running on a genuine FE tunnel-port 427. The Cobra has limitations though--only two seats and no top.
All of this meant the red Fairlane was going to have to fill three different roles. First, it needed to be a stock-looking family cruiser that could idle in heavy traffic, make the drive-thru at McDonalds, and roll down the freeway at 70 mph without a fuss. It does all of those things with aplomb.
Second, because Ed also wanted a car that was all business when the throttle pedal went down, he added a centrifugal supercharger into the mix. As you might expect, the car's personality changes when the engine winds up over 2,000 rpm. When the Paxton Novi 2000 blower kicks in, the red Fairlane becomes a red rocket as the supercharger spools up the boost, force-feeding the big FE. In fact, the boost at 2,500 rpm is just 5 psi, but when the revs get up around 6,000 rpm, the blower is pumping out almost one atmosphere at 13 psi.
The third aspect of the car's triple duty occurs at car shows. Ed truly has the best of all worlds with his Fairlane, and first place trophies at the local beauty contest happen frequently. One example is a First Place in Class at the 2003 Fairlane Nationals held in Flagstaff, Arizona. Another big win was a Best of Show award at a recent Fairlane Club of America regional event in Paso Robles, California.
With just the 390 alone, this Fairlane would be fast and able to smoke the rear tires into oblivion if desired. However, with the supercharger added, Ed has got a car that can surprise the Corvette and Mustang guys big time, while working on his suntan as well. Take a closer look at this fantastic Fairlane and see just what it is that makes the magic.