'66-'67 Fairlane 427: One of the Rarest, Most Powerful Muscle Cars of Its Era

When discussing iconic Ford muscle from the sixties and seventies, most conversations revolve around the numerous high-powered versions of the first-generation Mustang.

Purists who disregard any model that wasn't built on an intermediate platform will talk about the Torino Cobra, but well-versed gearheads will start any conversation about iconic Ford muscle with one word and three digits: Fairlane 427.

Though currently less popular than the 'Stang or even the Torino Cobra, the 1966-1967 Fairlane, with its legendary 427, was one of the fastest, most powerful street-legal muscle cars produced during the golden age.

A worthy rival for HEMI-powered Mopars

By 1965, the horsepower war was heating up on the street and the drag strip.

Apart from racing their intermediate daily drivers on the street under the cover of darkness, many enthusiasts began entering them in drag racing competitions, making stock classes extremely popular.

Buyers wanted ever more powerful street-legal intermediates that they could race on Sunday and drive to work on Monday, so Detroit's Big Three happily obliged. Chrysler gave buyers 426 HEMI-powered rides, and GM was not far behind with models like the GTO or Chevelle Malibu SS.

Ford had offered drag racing enthusiasts the specially prepped Fairlane Thunderbolt in 1964, but although technically street-legal, that wild model was prohibitively expensive and impractical for daily use, so it wasn't quite what buyers wanted.

While the Blue Oval bragged about offering Total Performance, it did that on the track more than the street.

For 1965, the Fairlane lineup was still very successful but lacked a high-performance model that could compete with GM and Chrysler's most capable intermediates.

That changed midway through the 1966 model year when the R-Code option was added to the Fairlane's order form.

The mighty 1966 427 R-Code

Until then, the Fairlane's most powerful V8 was the 390-ci (6.4-liter) Thunderbird, rated at 320 horses when equipped with a four-barrel.

Combined with the relatively lightweight unibody construction, the Thunderbird made two-door coupe versions fairly potent but no more than mediocre when compared with Elephant-powered Mopars.

With the addition of the R-Code, the 390 Thunderbird was replaced with the venerable 427-ci (7.0-liter) "side-oiler."

Equipped with perfromance goodies like forged pistons, high-flow heads, a hot cam, and two four-barrel carbs sitting on top of a bespoke, medium-riser intake, the mighty engine was conservatively rated at 425 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque.

All that power was sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual (the only choice) and Ford's bombproof 9-inch rear end housing a 3.89:1 open differential.

A bonified sleeper

With figures that made it as potent as the fearsome HEMI, the R-Code 427 was available only on the Fairlane 500. That was a surprising move, considering that the Fairlane GT was the sportier member of Ford's intermediate lineup.

Though the redesign that combined sharp lines with Cocke bottle cues made the fifth-gen Fairlane considerably more eye-catching than its predecessor, the R-Code 500 two-door coupe was hard to distinguish from a base model.

The features that gave it away were the fiberglass hood adorned with a functional scoop and a dash-mounted tach. But, apart from that, the high-performance model available only in Wimbledon White with a front bench seat didn't benefit from any premium features.

A low production run caused by manufacturing issues

During the second part of the 1966 model year, Ford built only 57 Fairlaine 500 427 R-Code examples.

The story goes that the initial plan was to build a lot more, but the Atlanta plant where the 427 engines were assembled couldn't deliver enough units in time.

According to multiple sources, this was caused by casting issues with the engine's unique exhaust manifold, which featured a complex design.

The 427 returned in 1967 but with a twist

The low-production 1966 500 427 R-Code was more affordable and streetable than the 1965 Thunderbolt, yet still a drag strip-oriented model with a hefty price tag that made it about 50 percent more expensive than the base model.

In 1967, Ford tried to make its high-performance Fairlane offering more street-focused and available in larger numbers by adding a 410-hp W-Code 427 with a single four-barrel carb.

This version and the R-Code 427 were now available on the fancier 500XL and the standard Fairlane 500 but were still absent from the GT's options list.

Apart from the W-Code and the customary year-to-year cosmetic revisions, other changes included more colors, a steel hood with a redesigned scoop, bucket seats (on the XL), and the addition of power assist to the standard front disc brakes.

Though the price was still high, so was the demand. However, manufacturing issues persisted, and the total production of 427-powered Failanes peaked at 229 units - despite Ford's willingness to produce more.

Not quite an all-around Mopar slayer, but pretty darn close

With its powerful 427 R-Code, the Fairlane was capable of quarter-mile runs in the low- to mid-fourteens. That didn't make it quite the quickest car on the road - mainly due to the unavailability of an automatic - but with a skilled driver behind the wheel, it still terrorized Mopars.

In the stock drag racing classes it competed, the R-Code Fairlane was very successful, breaking records and becoming one of the most fearsome contenders.

The same was true for NASCAR, where, during the 1967 season, the Fairlane was the only car that could keep up with Richard Petty's HEMI-powered Belvedere.

Today, this fantastic muscle car has taken a backseat to the Mustang and even to the Torino, but back in its heyday, it was the most impressive street-legal muscle car that Ford had to offer.

Since many were extensively raced, highly original, low-mileage survivors are extremely hard to find, and when equipped with the R-Code, they usually demand well over the $200,000 mark.

Still, that makes an R-Code Fairlane cheaper than a Boss 429 'Stang or a 1967 Shelby GT500, which were less powerful and produced in larger numbers.

For more on this legendary muscle car, we recommend watching the YouTube video below by V8TV.