1973 Ford Fairlane 500

Bought this car in 1988 and it has been a daily ride since with full rego. Recently did two years of fixing the rust problem in the body. With a vinyl roof, pockets of rust everywhere as well as in the doors, guards, boot lid, boot channel, window corners, roof gutter and taillight section.
Had to replace almost everything at least once including the brake booster which went for 44 years!
This has been an ongoing labour of love...worthy of an honorary PhD with the title of 'Fairlane restoration, design re-engineering and strategies to overcome massive frustration to complete the project'.
It was only possible because of love - that's my conclusion.... and my defence in spending all my spare time there.

Sport mufflers - a must for all V8s with headers
Factory air
Power steering
LPG conversion

I bought this vehicle in 1987 as a daily drive after selling my XB Hardtop when the kids came along. At one stage, we had 3 baby seats harnessed in the back seat. Then another one (the 4th) arrived and we then put the oldest in the 'Dickie seat' between the driver and passenger with a lap seat belt. This was all good until our 5th child arrived in 1998 when we had to buy a van. There were definitely no more seats available in the Fairlane!
In 2005, we moved to Micronesia for 4 years doing volunteer work and the Fairlane waited for our return. It had suffered severe rusting in many areas, including ant and spider infestation - much to the horror of my daughter while driving down the M1. After 3 months, we were able to get rid of the ant nest which must have existed in a wall cavity somewhere and in 2014, I started a 2 year restoration project which was more frightening than anticipated as I removed panels and discovered the true extent of the damage, which had been occurring for a very long time. I felt disheartened many times as I felt that the car was beyond redemption. However, with a new arc welder and a stack of sheet-metal off-cuts, I ventured into the unknown territory below the panels and trim and had to muster new determination every day to see the project through.
Now, the car has a new look and a younger feel with a lot of the rust-promoting trim removed.
Our oldest child is now 31 and has a life-long association with the Fairlane. All the children feel the same - that this car is a major part of our family history and if we had a pool room big enough, that's where it would go.