WOW, 30 years of Fairmont ownership!

[mcfairmont]

Hard to believe that I have owned my 78 Fairmont 2 door sedan for 30 years! In 1986, this ultra bare bones boxtop came into the car dealership I worked at, as a trade in. It had just under 100,000 KM, (about 60,000 miles), I always wanted to build a Fairmont drag car, being such a plain janer, this Mont was a prefect candidate.
1986 and 87 saw the Fairmont getting backhalved at my buddys garage, and the mounts, headers, and other items needed to install a 390 FE and C6 fabricated and installed. By 1988, it was ready for the track.
I was never really a fan of the reddish brown factory color, in winter of 1988, I decided to paint it blue. My buddy did the body work and prep, and a local body shop agreed to spray the car for free, after my buddy sprayed all the engine compartment, door jams, inside the trunk etc.
Unfortunately, the body shop painted the car the wrong shade, different from all the paint that my buddy applied to all the inside panels and jambs.I ran it that way for 1989, the next winter the same body shop agreed to respray the car again. It has worn this same paint job ever since.
In 1990, I replaced the 390 with a modified 428 Cobra Jet, still with the C6, (best of 10.55ET @ 126MPH, by 1999, I decided to replace the C6 with a Jerico 4 speed, with no other major changes, the car improved to low 10s at over 130 MPH. After breaking a couple of 428s, about 5 years ago, I replaced the 428 with a 427 Side Oiler and 428 crank (454 cubes.) Best to date of 9.97 @132 MPH, with cast iron CJ heads, a flat tappet cam, and 780 vacuum secondary carb on a Ford intake manifold. For the Fairmonts 30th anniversary, I may buy a pair of aluminum heads for the 427, and install a 2x4 barrel Tunnel Wedge intake manifold, but for this year, I`m going to freshen up the 331 SB Ford from my 85 Mustang, and stick it in the Fairmont. Should be fun!

[4-barrel Mike]

Fairmont FTW! Congratulations on 30 years. Good story/history! Post more pics, more details please!

Mike

[grabbergreen84]

Wow, that thing is sick! (in a good way ) And FE powered too.

Agreed, need more pics and more info and more pics.

[PaceFever79]

Cool Mont on so many levels!

Including the old school 454 FE stroker

[ZephyrEFI]

Nice! Very cool history too!

[roadkill]

An FE in a 'Mont. Too cool!

[83gtstang]

What a car! Did you spank that Mopar in the background?

[5.0 bird]

Congrats on 30 years with your Fairmont! And props for sticking with the FE motors. My Dad was building a 427 for his '67 Mustang around the same time you built your Mont, and everyone he talked to kept telling him to switch to a 385 Series engine.

[richard3rd]

Very cool story, but I'm more impressed with the fact that you've kept the same car all those years, I wish that I would have had the forethought to keep my 1st 4-Eyed back in 1997!

[mcfairmont]

richard3rd, Although I have kept the Fairmont for 30 years, I sure wish that I had kept a bunch of my older Fords too, including 66 Fairlane GTA 390, 3 R code 428 Cobra Jet Mach 1s, 2 M code 351C 4V 70 Mustangs, 2 R code 69 Fairlane Cobra fastbacks, as well as several other Fairmonts and Zephyrs, and 3 1957 Fords. 20/20 hinsight I guess. I have photos of most of those cars, but I don`t know if posting them is acceptable on this forum, although I suppose the other FOXs may be OK.
As for my 78 Boxtop drag car, when I said plain jane, I meant it. 4 cylinderl 4 speed, manual steering and brakes, no rear window defogger, no bumper guards or rubber strips, no stainless trim around the door window frames or side trim, no hood ornament, only 1 "Pinto" style door mirror, black plastic inside door handles and window cranks, "shorty" door panels with exposed painted steel above and below, no woodgrain on the dash etc. I don`t even think it came with a radio, it had an after market AM radio and antenna. So it made a perfect candidate for a race car. Plus being only 8 years old, it was rustfree and had no collision damage. Shortly after buying the car, I bought an Art Morrison ladder bar/coil spring/wheel tub package ($479.00 dollars in 1986!), and my buddy made up 2x3" rear frame rails that fit into the factory front subframe. and ran to the back bumper. He also built and installed the 8 point roll bar, made steel motor mounts, modified a FE rear sump 4x4 PU oil pan, and built the first pair of headers. Started with a narrowed Ford 9", when I switched from the C6 to a Jerico 4 speed 15 years ago, I sold the 9" and went with a narrowed Dana 60 rear end. The snorkle scoop and Centerline wheels may look kinda retro today, but when I bought them in 86-87, they were the current trend. They still work and look OK, so I see no reason to change them, it almost gives the car an old "Modified Production" look. I`ve had the car for over 1/2 my life (I`m 58 years old), so I guess its a keeper. Let me know if you want to see any of the other cars.

[PaceFever79]

Man this pic takes me back to the 70s/80s.

The cars, the colors, it's great.

[grabbergreen84]

I have photos of most of those cars, but I don`t know if posting them is acceptable on this forum,

Sure it is - especially if they're Fords.

[mcfairmont]

I guess its safe to show some of my other Fairmonts, and my 85 Mustang. This was my "free" 78 Fairmont 2 door sedan that I was given for hauling it away. in 1993. Factory 302 automatic car, I rebuilt the tired 302, used it as a daily driver and weekend bracket racer. Started out running low 17s all stock, over a couple of years, and several modifications, it eventually ran high 13s, in 1997, I swapped out the C4 for a T5 5speed, ran a best of 12.80ET @105 MPH, and won 2 track championships at Mission Raceway. By 2002, the sedanwas getting pretty rusty, so I picked up a 6 cylinder 80 Futura, and swapped out the 302 , T5, and 8.8 rearend into the Futura. The Futura was about 125 lbs heavier, ran a best of 12.92 @104 MPH. In the early 2000s, I decided that I wanted to build a NHRA Stock Eliminator racer, I found a pretty straight 86 Mustang LX hatchback that was being parted out. It was a 4 cyl auto car, but by the time I found the car, 1 fender, the rear hatch, tail lights, gas tank etc were already removed and sold, I scoured the local wrecking yards and found a few white parts cars, by 2003, my Mustang , now converted to a 5.0 5 speed 85 LX, was ready for the track. I raced the Mustang in M & N/Stock, set a couple of NHRA National records in 2005. A couple of years ago a buddy made me a great deal on his old 331 SBF, so into the Mustang it went. The best the Mustang ran in M/Stock was 12.31 @107 MPH, with the 331 its gone a best of 10.29 @128MPH

[mcfairmont]

And just in case anybody wanted to see some of my older Mustangs, heres a few shots. (sorry for the crappy quality photo)In 1977, I bought this Grabber Orange 70 Mustang Sportsroof, 351 Cleveland 4 barrel with Shaker scoop, and FMX automatic. Bone stock it ran 14.7 @ 94 MPH, with just a set of headers, hooked to the factory exh. system, it ran 14.2 @ 99MPH.
In 1979, I bought this Grabber Green 70 Mach 1, also a 351 C 4 barrel, auto. Since our local drag strip closed at the end of 1978, I never did race this car while I owned it.
In late 1980, I bought this Pastel Blue 70 Mach 1. Original "R" code 428 Cobra Jet 4 speed. During the restoration, I took a quick blast down the street while the car was far from finished. By 1982, it was painted, and street/strip ready. Ran a best of 12.46@114 MPH with slicks.
I sold the 70 in early 1986, a few months later I wanted another R code Mustang, so I picked up this black 69 Mach 1, 428 Cobra Jet automatic.. . I rebuilt the 428 almost bone stock, original carb, exhaust manifolds, stock torque convertor etc. Ran a best of 13.34 @ 102 MPH, a little later I installed a 125 HP Nitrous kit, improved to a best of 12.32 ET on the 235/60R14s, and 11.92 @115 MPH on slicks. I sold the car when my 78 Fairmont 2 dr sedan showed up , when the Fairmont was not ready when a new dragstrip opened up in Ashcroft BC, I bought the 69 Mustang back, and raced it until the Fairmont was finished.

[mcfairmont]

A few more cars I owned and raced.

[mcfairmont]

A few more of my old Fords. In 1976, I traded a 57 Ford for this 66 Fairlane GTA. With a warmed over 390 and C6, it ran a best of 12.62@110 MPH in 1977. .
For 1978, I swapped the running gear from the Fairlane into a 64 Falcon ex M/P car. Ran a best of 11.99 @111 MPH in 78, by 1980, with a better 390, ran a best of 11.65 @114 MPH. Also saw some street duty. .
In 79, my daily driver was this 57 Ford Sedan Delivery. With a mild truck 360 FE and C6, it wasnot terribly fast, (16.2 @ 84 MPH), but was a cool cruiser.

[PaceFever79]

Man that is impressive and fun!

I wish I had pictures of HALF the cars and trucks I built for myself over the years. I have pics of maybe 6, of 20! And not the best cars either! We just didn't take many pics back in the 70s and 80s the way you do today. We were too busy living in the moment! Wrenching, cruising, racing, off roading. The only pics I have today in my photo album are pics that other people took of me or my rides! Glad to have them though!

[ZephyrEFI]

Wow, cool stuff! Although, I can't say as I would have made the decision to replace the '69 Mach 1 with the Fairmont.

[83gtstang]

You were living the dream!

[9D83]

You were living the dream!

And you have a great record of it! Tx for posting the photos.

[gr79]

Time Machines.

Driving the same car years later on the same roads with same music.
Then ff to a new road and new music and still blend in with the times.
Cruising again with old friends/family that rode in it back when.
Owning the same old cars for a long time is special.

Taking pics at the time seems no big deal.
They are later on.

[mcfairmont]

Sad thing is, there were several more cars, that for one reason or another, I didn`t keep all that long, or just didn`t take photos of.
The Gulfstream Auga 69 Mach 1, 428CJ 4 speed,
Blue 69 Fairlane Cobra fastback, 428 CJ 4 speed,
gold 69 Fairlane Cobra fastback, 428 CJ automatic,
green 5 Ford Sedan Delivery, 272 Y Block, 3 spd ,
67 Mercury M100 short box fleet side, 352 auto,
not to mention 2 other Fairmont 2 door sedans and a 79 Zephyr Z7, and several other 85-6 Mustangs.
And although many of the cars I used to own are considered valuable collector cars today, back in the 70s and 80s, they were just old gas guzzlers. The Grabber Orange 70 FB, the Grabber Green 70 Mach 1, the Pastel blue 70 Mach 1 were cars that I never paid over $2100. dollars for, It sure was a great time to be a gearhead.

[grabbergreen84]

67 Mercury M100 short box fleet side, 352 auto,

Not a big deal to you Canucks, but down here in the States, we never got these. Although Plymouth sold full size pick-ups and vans here for a while in the '70s...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_M-Series





Just your ordinary average bumpside with Mercury nomenclature!

And one I didn't even know about:



How cool is that?

[PaceFever79]

You might need a Mercury tow truck too?

[mcfairmont]

Yes, up here we had Mercury trucks, ranging from M100s, all the way up to M800 heavy duty tandem axle units. Also Mercury Econoline vans and PUs, as in the photo, and P series parcel vans, and Cab Over (COE). We also had the "Frontenac" which was sold in 1960 only, which was esentially a Falcon with a unique front grill, smaller tail lights, and all the trim wore Maple Leafs, including the hub caps &horn button. From 1949 thru 1961, Canadian Meteors were available, esentially full sized Fords with unique grilles, emblems, side trim, and hub caps/wheel covers. I am currently in the process of rebuilding a 1959 Meteor Niagara 300 2 door sedan. (base model, similar to a Custom 300).The Canadian Meteor name was dropped in 63 & 64, and was used on the new Fairlane based mid size unibody Meteors that were sold in Canada and the US. After the mid sized Meteor was dropped, the Canadian Meteor was reborn, but now instead of being based on the full size Ford, the 64 and newer Meteor were based on the full sized Mercurys, but with some major changes. Instead of using the Mercury dash and roof, Ford dashes and roofs were used. So instead of the reverse angled "Breezeaway" Merc rear window, the 66 &67 Meteors used a Galaxie roof, with the 2 dr HTs having a fastback roof. The Merc based Meteors were sold into the early 80s, but after about 1973, they were basically a Mercury with a different badge.
A larger Monarch line was also sold, from 1949 thru 61.
GM did a similar thing, with Canadian Pontiacs, on a narrower Chevrolet chassis (No "Wide Track" up here!), with Chevy engines, ranging from 230 6 cylinders up thru 409s, 396s and 427s. From cheapest to fanciest models, the models went like this:, Strato Chief(Biscayne), Laurentian (Bel Air), Parisienne (Impala), and Grand Parisienne Sport (Caprice). A couple of guys I went to high school with had cool Pontiacs, a 65 Parisienne 2 door HT 327 4 barrel 4 speed, and a 66 Grand Parisienne Sport 2 dr HT with a 427 4 speed.
When Chevy introduced the Chevy 11 in 1962, we also had Pontiac sold Acadians, when Chevelles debuted in 64, we got Beaumonts, kind of part Tempest/LeMans, part Chevelle, again with Chev power, including SD 396 models.