You absolutely must ensure this car goes to a good home.

jesus, have him buy the whole thing, that car looks to be in pretty good shape overall..

Blasphemous! That car is far too beautiful for the Crusher.

Good thing this is so far from Michigan. I need another station wagon project like I need another hole in my head. Not that that would stop me from buying it given the opportunity...

what about that SHO next to it?

Hey! That's a 289 under the hood. Somebody do something!!! At least save the motor...

@TRAMS_AM: Normally once a car hits the yard, you can't purchase the whole thing. Damn shame.

I desire it!!!!!!! Did it looked salvageable?

Oh shit, so your buddy parted it?? WAAAAAAHHHHHH

thought the pictures worked differently now...

That's a first gen SHO next to it, right?

@Peabody S. Preston, Esq., Bruce, El Caminion: It looked like it was ready to drive right out of there, but they won't sell you a whole car at that yard. I think my friend got the engine.

@ujointclothing: Screw the SHO, what's the story on the Mark III on the other side of this Fairlane?

No sign of multiple parking infractions or Denver Boot scars? I've seen a number of decent-looking cars in the yards with DO NOT MOVE CAR UNDER PENALTY OF LAW... stickers on the windscreen.
That's a tired-but nice looking Fairlane. I especially like the seat cover, I used to sell them when I worked at OLES.

@Murilee Martin: If somebody has the engine, now someone else has to go get the rest, you know for "parts", technically they are not getting the whole car then...

@LTDScott, Porcubimmer pilot: when i lived in virginia, the place i went to would sell the whole thing. don't know what other states do though.

murilee, why must you traffic in such constant sorrow?

You know, this got me thinking. I've seen a couple interviews or whatever with the guys who run the cranes that drop the cars into the crusher. I think they had one on Dirty Jobs. Then I realized... I simply couldn't do it.

Honestly, if I was offered a full-benefits six figure income, I still couldn't. I wouldn't have it in me, and I'd hate myself.

There was an article I read recently, it was either in Practical Classics or Classic and Sports Car, about the Chrysler Turbine. One man in it recounted when they crushed them all... "The forklift went through the windows whether they were open or not. Then they dowsed gasoline into the interior and lit it, to make sure all the organic material was disposed of. Then they lifting the cars, one by one, into the crusher, where they were reduced to about 6" tall." They had some photos, too. Reading it literally made me cry. My sister found it really upsetting to. My dad has one of the original dealer-promotional models of the Turbine. If I'm not mistaken, they only gave one to each dealer, so they're probably pretty rare. Anyway...

I'd love to have this as a daily driver... tons of space, decent power, not bad on gas, and it'll last forever. Wonder how many miles she had on her?

@harumph: This is a high-turnover wrecking yard, owned by a big chain that is itself a subsidiary of a steel company. Cars hit the yard, stay for a month or two, then what's left goes to The Crusher. Very corporate, all prices standardized, no flexibility or negotiation. Sort of the Wal-Mart of junkyards. They won't sell you a whole car off the yard.

Holy shit dude. My don't you just post the video of someone shooting a dog?

They really don't sell whole cars there?

How long ago was did you take these pictures? Because I'd seriously consider picking this up.

Like, seriously...what yard is this at? I've got friends and family in the bay area...

@Murilee Martin: so you couldn't buy each piece sans disassembly? :D

This is in better condition than most Ohio cars this vintage. Absolutely depressing. If anything this cool went to $150-min-bid auctions locally, I'd be awash in even more vintage iron.

I'm not even a huge fan of 60s iron, but this looks too good to pass up.

Quick! Someone have your wife/S.O. follow you over there - she can buy a spark plug wire, you can get the rest as 'parts'.

@Murilee Martin: Indeed. Not that I could have done anything with them, but I really would have loved to buy the suicide door Lincoln or the early 70s Toyota Crown wagon I found at Pick Your Part. @Peabody S. Preston, Esq., Bruce, El Caminion: Kinda like a Johnny Cash song played backwards?

Dear God!!!! Why oh why does that have to be far away from danged CT -- I could use a handful of the parts on my '67 Ranch and then finish the '66 for dual wag00ning.

I could cry. Oh wait, just did.

Gah, why is the formatting of my posts so weird? <- paragraph break here, does it work?

hickory dickory dock....OOOHHH!!

Travesty. I love that color too.

It's official:

Anyone who bitches about not having a cool hoopty to drive on the weekend is just not looking hard enough.

A straight Fairlane V8 wagon, rat rodded with krylon, red wheels, and blanket upholstery. It's been done, but so has a cheeseburger, for good reason.

That is all.

That's a shame... now that's a Ford I'd drive. The dashboard looks almost modern, in a minimalist, almost Volvo-esque way. Nice exterior colour too. Too bad it won't exist for much longer...

@Peabody S. Preston, Esq., Bruce, El Caminion: Well, you probably could... but it would be $50,000 or so, since every light bulb, trim piece, hose clamp, etc. would be charged separately. The whole engine, air cleaner to oil pan with all accessories, sells for $200 (or $100 on Half Price Day).

Note to self: must hang out at wrecker yards more often.

Seriously, though, now that the engine has been taken, couldn't you just go back and buy the entire car over 3 or 4 trips?

Damn shame this car ended up where it's at.

@Murilee Martin: yeah that is the sad part about these types of yards, no respect for the restorable cars parts only.

Driven to a junkyard under its own power...? Isn't that akin to forcing your victim to dig his own grave, then popping him in the back of the head so he topples forward into it? Too gruesome to contemplate...

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this car has a '67 grill although the tail lamps are '66. All '67 Fords had that goofy steering wheel safety hub. It's missing here. The Chevy hood ornament probably doubles this vehicle's value. Still this old gal is in too good a shape to be in the yard.

@altdude: Stylewise, I always thought Ford hit a home run with this car and the 66/67 Comet. Terrific shape, great detailing, except that the 67 grilles are coarse (this wagon has a 67 grille, but I think all the other trim is 66).

@Isetta: Yeah, I think this is a 66 with a 67 grille.

OK, settle down. Yes, my heart fell when I saw this love-among-the-ruins beauty, but it might actually be evil. We don't know what kind of desperate soul fought a valiant--oops, wrong make--battle to wrestle this thing into the graveyard and put an end to its reign of terror.

@Murilee Martin: Bribe the car out of the junkyard! Anything! '66 Fairlane WAGON!!! Put a 460 in it! Rake it! Restore it or just look at it in the backyard with the kids!

It is your moral obligation to free this car.

@charles_barrett: My father drove an old beater van to a junkyard to sell it, and they offered him a ridiculous sum equal to 10 dollars. He refused and tried to drive away. The engine blew up about 500 feet away, so he walked back and collected the 10 bucks.

@Novaload: No shitter's ever gonna come between me and my Christine!

"A straight Fairlane V8 wagon, rat rodded with krylon, red wheels, and blanket upholstery. It's been done, but so has a cheeseburger, for good reason"

Amen.

There was a fairly complete SAAB 95 at a yard near me when I used to live in MD. I wanted to buy the whole car, and the fellow at the counter said $800. I went home, got my trailer and the cash, came back, peeled off 8 franklins, and went out back with the forklift driver who was going to load it onto my trailer for me. As he's bringing the car up to my trailer, the owner comes out and say's he won't do the deal for that price. He had my cash in his hand and told the forklift driver to take the car back. I was furious. I insisted we had an agreement, and demanded my car. He told me "I'm leaving your money on the counter, and if you don't leave I'll call the police."

I'm sure the driver took the SAAB back there and unceremoniously dumped it. As for the yard, it was CRAZY RAY'S in Jessup MD. There are a few CRAZY RAY'S around MD, and I swore never to go back to any of them. I would like to think people would have more honor than that, even at a junkyard. Especially at a junkyard, and ESPECIALLY when dealing with a rare, antique automobile.

If you buy the body and all its bits and a buddy buys the chassis and all its bits, would that fly? If not, file for some kind of injunction in court or something, cuz letting this thing get crushed would be a much, much bigger travesty than even the 1962/1989 Vette mashup a few posts up.

Given how rust seems to be allergic to heat, I envy you California types.

Clearly, your problem is that you were dealing with the counterman, Well Adjusted and Socially Adept Bob.

Once Crazy Ray inserted himself into the process, you were toast.

And here's a thought for the soul who probably lost this car.

Stolen? Condemned yard art? Parents? Spouse? Peer pressure? A rock finally too heavy to push up the hill? Whichever, it looks like someone cared about this car and tried their best.

I hope this person keeps trying, and finds a little slice of heaven on wheels.

@charles_barrett: Who would you rather be sore in the morning from all that digging; you or the dead guy?

We need to establish a collective junkyard to weed out the savers from the ones deserving the crusher. the number of great cars lost to bureaucratic junkyard notions is a national travesty.

I'm not kidding that one of the few "careers" I'd leave my current profession for would be to operate a combo:
car museum/dealer/junkyard/drag strip/bar/drive-in theatre...

...with vintage travel trailers so people could stay overnight.

Anyone got a square mile or so they want to lend me?