1966 Ford Fairlane Sleeper Hits the Drag Strip with 1,300 HP, Wins Every Race

These cars are tough to find right now, mostly because they were built in very limited numbers. And sourcing one in good condition is pretty expensive too. But as you'll see in the video below, there's a way around Thunderbolts and R-codes if you want a beefed-up Fairlane with sleeper looks and the ability to smoke modern cars at the drag strip.

This 1966 Fairlane may look like a plain midsize coupe from the era, but it's more than just an alternative to the Chevrolet Chevelle and Pontiac GTO. The unassuming hood hides a fully built, 7.0-liter V8 that incorporates some of the hottest muscle car upgrades out there.

Not only that, but it also features a pair of Garrett turbochargers, so it's far more powerful than the average Fairlane. How powerful you ask? Well, this brick on wheels spins the rear tires to the tune of 1,300 horsepower. Just for kicks, the meanest 1966 Fairlane came with only 425 horsepower from the factory.

But wait, there's more. All that massive amount of oomph travels to the rear axle through a manual transmission. It's all about row-your-own fun in the cabin thanks to a T56 Magnum, a heavy-duty six-speed gearbox.

And before you say that it would have been better off with a quick-shifting automatic, the Fairlane also features a digital clutch controller. It's actually a prototype device built by the owner, but apparently, it already does a great job at keeping those upshifts quick and precise.

This classic is so quick down the quarter-mile that it smoked a pack of modern Corvettes. It completes its first run in 9.26 seconds, more than two seconds quicker than a Fox-body Mustang. The second run shows the coupe smoke a Corvette C6 in 9.68 clicks. The third sprints sees the Fairlane stop the clock at an amazing 8.78 seconds at almost 165 mph (266 kph), also against a Corvette.

The fourth sprint, ran against a modded Mitsubishi Lancer, results in an 8.84-second ET at 163 mph (262 kph). The owner says the Fairlane's best ET so far was at 8.7 seconds, so this old coupe can definitely do better. But its current configuration was apparently enough to smoke anything it encountered at this event.

But what I like most about this Fairlane is that once the rear parachute and the drag-spec wheels are removed, it becomes a plain-looking road car. The owner actually uses a set of steelies to drive this thing on public roads, so you're looking at an authentic sleeper.

Be sure not to challenge a Bordeaux-painted 1966 Fairlane in traffic because you might encounter this 1,300-horsepower beast. And you won't stand a chance.

Hit the play button below to check it out and make sure you don't miss the in-car footage at the three-minute mark for awesome row-your-own action.