With a car alarm triggering exhaust note and looks to kill, this 1967 Ford Fairlane is not your grandma’s Ford! When Stephen Strope from Pure Vision drops in at Jay Leno’s Garage with this Fairlane, he shows off a car that started life as a suitable Sunday driver. The car is now a totally different machine, dripping with power and eye-catching features throughout.
Stephen Strope has a really unique way of starting projects. A few months ago, we got a peak inside his design process while profiling the Martini Mustang. To put it in simple terms, he’s the kind of visionary who will sit down and try to imagine the ‘what-ifs’ when it comes to an automobile. What if Ford had decided to do things differently, and so on. You can get caught up on how Strope comes up with his project ideas here.
So back to the Fairlane in question. Smaller than the Galaxie and bigger than the Falcon, the Fairlane was Ford’s popular midsize car. This car started life as nothing notable, just another light green six-cylinder car to put around in. It’s makeover is a result of a visionary that we’re already very familiar with. Strope drew his inspiration for the build by trying to imagine what a 1967 test car prototype for racing would have looked like.
The engine powering this Fairlane without rules is a 427 cubic inch SOHC Ford engine that’s primarily used in powerboat racing. Fun fact: this engine uses an 8-foot long timing chain! The prototype air cleaners are ‘made pieces’ that sit on four 2bbl-carbs. With a mild tune, the engine makes mid-600 horsepower. Strope wanted to make absolute certain that the engine was the focus of the engine bay, so everything is tucked in, including the alternator. This monster powertrain is backed by a 4-speed transmission that feeds into a Speedway Quick Change rearend.
Looks-wise, the front fenders have a slight flare, and the rear wheel well lip was cut and brought up a few inches, the back of the quarter-panel was cut to close the wheel well a little, and there’s an active aero wing to finish off the looks. The car has fiberglass bumpers, and round turnsignals lights that were borrowed from the Cougar. There is some body work you can’t see in the engine bay; quite a bit of metal work went into the car to make the massive engine fit. The build rolls on custom made EVOD Lamborghini style/knock-off wheels.
Its color scheme is inspired by a combination of Mario Andretti’s NASCAR car, with a mix of GT styling to make it pop. The interior has a more straightforward look, with a few nods to the Ford GT throughout. Underneath the car is very clean, the team did some extreme modifying to make everything look tucked.
While there are some customizations done, like the exhaust headers and insulation, the car is mostly a Ford car. There’s a lot of interchanged parts from other models, like Mustangs and Cougars, but it’s completely reasonable to think that Ford would have built something very similar if they were to build a Fairlane NASCAR prototype in 1967.
Jay’s one of the first people to drive the car, he takes it out before the owner even gets a chance. The ride doesn’t go off without a little drama, a (very) slight mechanical issue — the two-piece throttle cable came over center and slipped, but Strope determines that it needs an extra spring to remedy the issue before the owner receives it. Otherwise, Jay notes that it handles, drives, and rides very nicely — noting that it feels a lot healthier than a car with 650 horsepower. This build is absolutely impressive at every corner!
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
