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This R-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 With Side-Oiler V8 Engine Is Very Collectible

A mid-size sedan since 1962, the Fairlane is remembered as one of the Blue Oval’s greatest hits. Positioned between the Falcon and Galaxie, the car takes its name from the Fair Lane estate where Henry Ford and his wife, Clara, used to live.
R-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XL 19 photos
Photo: Streetside Classics
R-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XLR-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 XL
For a brief period, the fifth generation could be had with the R-Code 427 big-block V8. R is short for racing motor, and the 7.0-liter Cobra in this application was rated at 425 horsepower (431 PS) and 480 pound-feet (651 Nm) of torque when new.

R-Code number 52 of 57 built for the 1966 model year is currently looking for a new owner with only 671 miles (1,080 kilometers) on the odo, albeit unverified. The window sticker is still available, and Streetside Classics is much obliged to provide plenty of other papers for the princely sum of… wait for it… $229,995.

A racecar for the street, the R-Code 1966 Ford Fairlane 500 with the side-oiler V8 used to cost almost double the price of the base two-door V8. The sticker reads $4,501.12 in then’s money, which translates to $35,618.45 adjusted for inflation.

Equipped with the Top-Loader manual transmission and designed to qualify for NHRA and IHRA Super Stock racing, the Fairlane in this specification came in white and with a fiberglass hood. The hood scoop is indeed functional, feeding fresh air to the mid-rise intake and dual Holley 710 CFM four-barrel carbs. As if that wasn’t special enough, the exhaust manifolds are cast for greater durability.

Equipped with black vinyl bench seats and a 9.0-inch rear end featuring 3.89 gears, the car also boasts the period-correct steelies (14 by 5.5 inches), a Sun tachometer, and disc brakes up front. Speaking of the steel wheels, you’ll note they also wear the Wimbledon White of the body shell and what appears to be original wheels.

They’re not, though. You’re looking at reproduction Silvertowns at the front and Firestones at the rear. Considering that the speedo tops at 120 mph (193 km/h) and the 427 R-Code runs the quarter-mile in less than 13 seconds at 114 mph (183 km/h), this mix of strip-slaying performance and 1960s style is hard to resist.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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