1965 Ford Fairlane 500 Famous Drag Racer Les Ritchie 1 0f 2 Built

Location: Lewisville, Texas, United States
Make: Ford
Model: Fairlane
Type: Coupe
Year: 1965
Mileage: 200
VIN: 5K43K170445
Color: Blue
Engine size: 289
Number of cylinders: 8
Fuel: Gasoline
Transmission: Automatic
Drive type: RWD
Interior color: Blue
Vehicle Title: Clear

1965 Ford Fairlane Description

1965 Ford Fairlane 500 Drag RacerLes Ritchey's Performance Associates

The man himself

Presented by;GARRETT CLASSICSclassic and collector car sales and consignments1865 McGee Lane, Ste FLewisville, TX 75077please call Dave at 214-213-7072 or Maris at 214-616-2317
We are very proud to have been chosen to showcase and sell this incredibly restored 65 Fairlane.We would appreciate it very much if you would not contact therestoration shop mentioned in the ad. They have consigned the car to us to sell and we will be happy to answer any questions for you.If you are a serious buyer, we can later get you in contact with them.

In 2008 the owners of A & R Restorations found a gentleman in Lewisville, Texas, selling off some old Fords. They bought some of the cars and in the batch was this car that the older gentleman said he had drag raced in the 1970s. The owner also sold them some engines. He thought he had blown the engine in the 65 Fairlane back in the day, but come to find out the original engine was one of the engines they bought.

A & R Restorations of Emor, Texas brought this piece of history back to it's original glory.
The body was still in good condition. All original body parts were used with the exception of the hood and deck lid.

This is the original engine. It along with the original transmission and rear axle and radiator were all used in the car.

A & R contacted Ford to have the VIN decoded and this was the response.

They also contacted Dennis Kolodzeig, who is the expert on Ford Thunderbolts and other Ford history.The following letter authenticates the car. All documentsare notarizedand we have the originals.
In 1965, Ford built two Fairlane 500s with 289 High Performance engines for D/Stock Automatic drag racing, ordered through Ford Transportation Services with seam sealer delete. This is the car that was sold to Les Ritchey's Performance Associates for $1.00. It is believed to be the only one left.

Below is the actual Intra-Company Communication of the car being sold to Les Ritchey for $1.00. Note only the 2 Fairlanes at the bottom.

We have an entire notebook of documents proving the authenticity of this car.

The pictures speak for themselves. Years of hard work and research, not to mention money, went into this project. It became a labor of love in my opinion. The way these men talk about the car, it was more than just a restoration. It was bringing back an important piece of American drag racing history from the 1960s.

Mel Burns Ford was well known in southern California as the go to place for Ford Cobra and Shelby parts. The Fairlane was actually used in many magazine ads for Shelby parts.

Features of the Fairlane include;
289/271 HP EngineCorrect HIPO HeadsCobra Aluminum Intake735 CFM Holley CarburetorCustom Air IntakeRebuilt Carter HIPO Fuel PumpCoated Hooker HeadersC4 Auto TransmissionFactory Sealer Delete CarDoor Tag DSO of 89 - Transportation Services(same as Thunderbolts)Driveshaft Loop installed by Les Ritchey's Shop in 1965Traction Master Traction BarsOriginal Glass Except WindshieldSilver Blue Metalic with Satin Black Engine CompartmentCrager SS WheelsPie Crust Slicks in rearClass Champion at Pomona in 1965Best Ford Restoration at 2015 MCACN ShowRotisserie Restoration to Bare Metal

Enjoy this short video of the Fairlane here. just click on the above sentence

ThenNow
Then
Now
Then
Now
Example of factory voided VIN#

This is our actual stamped inner fender with the matching numbers VIN. The factory originally stamped it with a 2 at the end and it was supposed to be a 5.

Note the DSO is 89 on the door tag. This is the same DSO as the 64 Thunderbolts.

Under the hood, you will find the original block that has been brought back to as close to original as you can get. A & R Restorations took all the photos they could find and followed them to restore this engine to it's hay days on the drag strip.

You will notice in the then picture in the beginning of the ad, they went as far as to braise this rod just as it was in 1965.

Some of the decals were almost non existent, so A & R found artwork for the hard to find ones and had them recreated.

The interior is a correct reproduction kit from Distinctive Industries.

The back seat is actually fiberglass, for less weight.

A& R got in contact with Les Ritchey's brother Dwight, and he actually drove the car up to the stage at the Mecum auction in 2015 and signed the trunk lid.

You can see the attention to detail in the undercarriage.

Les Ritchey and his friend Ron Root raced the Fairlane in 65 and then Les bought one of Ford's 1966 Mustang drag development cars, and Ron Root was to buy the Fairlane for $500. In 66 Les Ritchie lost his life racing that Mustang.
This car was campaigned out of the Mel Burns Ford Drag team and included not only Les Ritchey, but famous drag racers such as Connie Kalitta and Gas Ronda.

This was a complete rotisserie restoration begun around 2008 not long after the car was purchsed.

Even Shelby Enterprises was contacted during the research and responded with these pictures.

This book contains so much documentation for this car. In it, is the proof of what this car is. It is the main part of thecars provenance.
Enjoy some of the remaining photos. Also, if you click on any one of these photos you will be redirected to the entire Phtobucket album to view even more.

In 2018 The Fairlane went to Mecum in Kissimmee, Florida. They estimated the car to do from $135,000. to $160,000. It got close, but was not sold. It's time for this car to go to a collector who can display it for the world to see.

Thank you for viewing our ad, and again, please feel free to call Dave at 214-213-7072 or Maris at 214-616-2317 with any questions.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS

AttentionIf you have zero feedback please call or email us before bidding.
WINNING BIDDER : You must contact us within 24 hours close of auction by either email or phone OR we reserve the right to sell this car elsewhere.
TRANSPORTATION : Transportation arrangements are the responsibility of the buyer. we can refer you to established national and international automobile shippers.
PAYMENT : Payment will be due within 5 business days close of auction unless other arrangements are made with us prior to your winning bid. A deposit of $1000 is required within 48 hours close of auction unless other arrangements are made with us beforehand. Payment is due in full within 5 business days close of auction.
TAXES & TITLE : All winning bidders are responsible for tax, title, and license fees in their state of residenceGarrett Classics is a licensed Texas dealer. Texas residents are responsible for TT&L fees. Out of state residents are required to pay sales tax in their state of residence. We also charge a $50. document fee and a vehicle inventory tax required by Texas of .001734% of the sale price. (example a $20,000. car would be $34.68)
INSPECTIONS : Inspections are welcome and highly encouraged. Call or email for an appointment - Dave at 214-213-7072 or Maris at 214-616-2317
WARRANTY : This vehicle is being sold as is, where is, with no warranty expressed, written or implied. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuine, or defects herein and makes no warranty in connection therewith. Although every effort is made on our part to accurately describe the vehicle to you, it is the buyers responsibility to see that his/her classic and collector car purchase meets their individual criteria. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. The seller will make every effort to disclose any known defects associated with the vehicle at the buyers request prior to the close of the sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any oral or written statements about the vehicle. A personal or 3rd party inspection prior to your purchase is highly recommended.
As a licensed dealer, we reserve the right to remove this eBay ad if the vehicle were to sell from our showroom.

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