R-Code Fair Lane Second Time Around

Jay Cushman “couldn’t tell” if the Fairlane he spotted on the side of the road had 390 or 427 badges. He stopped for a closer look and the badge read 427.

- Jerry Heasley

“I opened the door. It had an R in the serial number. I opened the hood. It had a 289 Hi-Po and a Top Loader.”

No matter, this baby was the real deal, a super-rare, dual-quad 427, which is what an R denotes in the fifth spot of a Ford VIN. At the time nobody knew that for 1967 Ford built a mere 72 in the XL500 series with bucket seats, as found here, and 92 with bench seats. The year was 1982. This Fairlane was just 15 years old.

“A guy came from inside and said, ‘You want to buy the Fairlane?’”

Jay is a Ford fanatic, and the answer was yes. The price was right, $750. The car was rusty, and Jay asked if the seller would take any less.

“He said, ‘No, but there’s a bunch of parts in the trunk.’”

Inside, Jay found the original dual-quad setup, exhaust manifolds, and a Top Loader.

“I gave him $100 deposit and told him I’d come back in the morning and get it.”