For Sale 1958 Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner Convertible *SOLD*

[Matt Harwood]

*SOLD*

 

My kids call this one the Batmobile, and it's easy to see why: about a mile long and sinister black. And it's almost as rare, too--when was the last time you saw a 1958 Ford convertible that wasn't a retractable? I'd argue that the Sunliner has better lines and proportions without the long trunk required to swallow the folding hardtop. Combined with the sweeping side trim and you get a car that's truly giant, yes, but also balanced and stylish.

 

At any rate, as far as I can tell, the 31,000 or so miles showing on the odometer are authentic. It's got a very nicely preserved original interior, a smooth-running engine that's clean but has never been out of the car, and even the original top. It comes from the estate of a gentleman who longed to replace his first car and he spent big to own this one. Once he got it home, he built a 1-car garage just for this car, a kind of shrine to his absolute favorite car of all time. That garage was heated and air conditioned, and for the years that he owned it, the car only came out under perfect conditions. He chased every leak, tuned the engine so that it starts with a single turn of the key, and drives, well, like you'd expect from a car with just 31,000 miles on it. I believe the Raven Black paint has been re-sprayed at some point, as I can see some overspray on the door tag, but the job was quite well done and the car looks fantastic. There's no sign of previous damage or rust repairs and the stainless side trim with anodized insert is in excellent condition with only one or two very, very minor dings that are all but invisible. The intricate grille insert is as-new, the bombsight fender ornaments have correct gold anodizing in their centers, and there's a Continental kit out back that makes this massive car even more, er, massive. Bumper chrome is unquestionably original and about as good as 1958 production chrome can be and all the lenses are bright and clear.

 

The black and white interior is clearly original, and while it shows a few signs of age, there's nothing here that really requires immediate attention. The most notable issue is the black and white "string" (actually it seems to be some kind of plastic thread, almost like fishing line) is pulling loose from the driver's seat back. We chose not to cut it off to neaten things up, because we are hopeful that there's an upholstery shop out there who can reattach it. The white sections of the vinyl seats are slightly discolored, and it's not dirty, it's just old, so there's not much to be done about it. It's not major, but it's another sign that this is a good original car. All the gauges work and someone has added a mechanical temperature gauge under the dash, and I note that this car runs at 180 degrees all the time. The original AM radio is in the dash, but it's been supplanted by a modern AM/FM/cassette head unit underneath, which powers both the speaker in the dash and a pair of removable speakers perched on the back seat. Only the clock appears to be inoperable. The trunk is still giant, even though this is the "smaller" convertible, and it's wearing a correct plaid mat kit and what might just be the original spare tire (there's also a second spare in the continental kit). I believe the convertible top to be original, but it has no rips or tears, although the rear window is pretty cloudy. It powers up and down with ease and latches without a fight.

 

The engine is the mid-range G-code 332 cubic inch V8, which was good for 265 horsepower and was the most popular engine choice that year. Although it's been detailed, I see no evidence that it has ever been out of the car and the way it runs and drives, I honestly don't think this is a high-mileage car. As I said, it starts almost instantly, settles into an even idle even when it's cold, and moves the big ragtop with ease. It has been recently serviced with new valve cover gaskets, a rebuilt carburetor, a new fuel pump, a fresh battery, and a few other things. The widow of the owner says that he hated leaks, and I think he worked overtime to excise them, because this sucker stays pretty darned dry. The transmission is a Cruise-O-Matic automatic, but the door tag says this was originally a 3-speed manual car, and I spoke to a gentleman last weekend who said that his brother actually did the transmission swap within the past five years. If that's the case, it was very well done because there's no evidence of the manual gearbox: pedals, steering column, shifter quadrant, lever, etc., all look like they were born there. The transmission shifts crisply and the car has that traditional big car ride. It's a bit grungy underneath, but no rust and plenty of evidence of it being a low-mileage car. A recent dual exhaust system with glasspack-style mufflers sounds like the 1950s all over again and it sits on original 14-inch wheels, hubcaps, and tall bias-ply wide whites. It's also worth noting that the car came to us with chrome Cragar mags and wide whitewall radials on it, and those are included with the sale (I don't like the look, so I put it back to stock).

 

You won't see another one, the color combination is awesome, the road manners are superlative, and it's probably the ultimate in FoMoCo '50s cool. We're asking $39,900 and we're always open to reasonable offers. Thanks for looking!

 

 

Edited January 6, 2016 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

*SOLD* Thank you.

[Alain MARIE]

Matt,, I am looking for a 1959 ,, frame with the floor,,  my friend in Europ is desesperate,, he bought one in very good shape for the body,, but in very bad shape for the bottom, the floors,,,same model  as yours, 208,1 in length,, just asking ,if you have any clues or advices,  thks Alain in California,