You can do a couple quick videos pre-2014: Bumper sticker / dealer sticker removal, Clay bar paint cleaning, then glass and chrome polishing. Fortunately, you'll never have to polish these headlights! These drop in bulb/lens systems were so nice (and cheap).
Glad to have you in a happy place. I don't know much about the older cars because I'm 25 but I'm hoping to learn a lot when you do this project so I'll be tuning in every step of the way!
That was a touching video. The intangible feeling that certain cars give you that just feels like home. A place where you couldn't be happier or more proud. Reminds me of my first car. I wish there was a word for this.
I like your choice,I can't wait to see the evolution! Im glad you found this kind of car that make you feel so good! Congrats and thank you for sharing your joy with us Eric!
A sleeper!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!! When I first saw it I thought, "OMG, he's joking!" But then you said that it was a Fox Body (which I didn't know) and I thought, "No way! He's gonna make that into a sleeper!" And I was right! Awesome!! Very much looking forward to the videos you'll make with this car! Super excited! And I know exactly what it's like to ride in a 1979 Ford Fairmont -- my Mom had one of those back in the day. Hers was a four-door and was green, but it was exactly the same drivetrain as yours. :-)
Awesome Eric, you have to love that car you find and you just feel at home when you drive it, and the vision only you have for it and how happy you'll be when it's done.
Great choice. My first "new" car was a '79 Buick Regal and it was the best car I have ever owned. It was very fast and a sharp looker. It turned a lot of heads. Ahhh....the good ole days :)
Great idea and it is the cleanest Fairmount I have seen. Not a speck of rust. I hope you keep the original wheel covers and skinny tires on it. A big Sun tachometer would be funny, though.
Had a Motorcraft oil filter on it, that's a good sign (if the oil isn't pure sludge that is). Whoever had this thing was old and seriously used the factory parts to service this Fairmont.
looking forward to it! And congratulations, you seem really happy. I think new cars don't have what it takes to make a man smile anymore. Again, congratulations and many happy miles.
Dude! Hell yeah! The build we went with was an 80 fairmont. Short long arm suspension (from a super coupe like mine) dropped 3 inches. Need traction bars in the rear. Torque stall. 2 step. Heres the BEST part... 429SOHC with a 7.16 blower. All forged internals. KB pistons and H beam rods. Trick flow 225cc heads. Theres tons more. But, with the eaton blower, we tip 10 seconds with that car! When you mash the gas, any body in or around goes "hoooolllyyy fuuuuuuuuuck". Excellent project. Im excited to see what you do with it
To be honest, I laughed during the reveal... thought it was a prank... but after you explained your plans, I think it sounds really cool! Definitely looking forward to the progress. :-)
Back when I rode on four wheels, I owned a Fairmont. Loved it as much as you do yours. Never any problem and the thing was light. Didn't care that it wasn't fast. I had another car for that. Thanks for bringing it back to me.
Just watched this one again. Personally I like the color. My mom had a 1983 Toyota Tercel 2 door hatchback of a similar color in the mid 80's. I remember she bought it used when I was 4, so it was sometime in 1985. That color really takes me back. Before that she briefly had a yellow VW Beetle, which was a huge pile of junk. Before that she had some massive tank of a red station wagon. Don't remember the model, but as a 4 year old I called it "mom's fire engine car." :)
Tottaly get it! I had a '72 4 door Valiant with slant 6, vinyl bench seat, manual steering and brakes. Swapped out the "K" member and put in an early 70s 318. Most fun I had, what a sleeper!! Look forward to your build.
Eric to try to save some cash why not keep a eye out at the damaged car auctions for a low mile Fox body mustang and get all the basic parts you need for hardly any outlay?
There's something about older cars that are so much more special than the new "applicances" on sale today. Most modern cars don't have that same spirit and personality as the old ones. Great choice Eric! I'm definitely looking forward to the videos.
eric im so shocked at what your doing to this car in a good way. i cant WAIT to see everything that you do to it next year. i would love to do the same thing if i wasnt in an apartment.
Drop a junkyard LS eninge and throw a turbo on it. I bought a 6.0 liter LS engine with trans that had less then 40,000 miles on it for $1,800 to drop in my fox. Great choice love the Fairmonts.
A friend of mine had a 79 sport Fairmont with a 302 /automatic and buckets console and plush interior I loved that car...I know the feeling. BTW Eric, as a retired bodyman, I suggest you paint the rockers just up to the body seam where the rocker joins the quarter. Ford was experimenting with galvanized steel and paint often fell off because you need a special primer for galvanized. Cheers from Canada!
That brought back memories. When I was just starting out as a mechanic in my dad's shop after graduating high school, he had a "regular" whose daughter drove the exact same car. Same color and same engine. I worked on that thing many years and it never required to much repair, mostly service work. The Fairmont was nothing fancy, I am not a big fan of Fords, but it was a damn good basic transportation car. The daughter finally graduated college, and as soon as she started making money the car disappeared. If the new owner took care of it, I have no doubt the thing is still going.
My brother had a Fairmont Futura from around the same era. Watching this video and listening to the noises the car makes bring back fond memories. Way cool, congrats, looking forward to watching the progress.
EricTheCarGuy I was looking on craigslist today and i found a 1986 foxbody mustang for only $1,300 I thought its a good buy for you. here is the guys cl ad tucson.craigslist.org/cto/4207578991.html
That is awesome! Gonna be really cool to see how this turns out. And I know that feeling, I bought a junk 85 G-wagon that I'm working to restore. And I know very well that it's rusty, slow, very noisy etc, yet I absolutely love it. Just a happy car to drive
I had an old Outback for a long time, and one of my favorite things about it was that I never felt like I was in a hurry while driving it. It's freeing, in a way. Congrats on finding your happy place!
hey buddy, not sure if you watch my videos, but i have done a few LS turbo fairmont swaps, if you have any questions, or want to check out any of my videos on what i have done.
I have a buddy who transformed a 87 S10 into a drag truck. he put a 454 in it. I've known him since I was about 9 years old. It was really cool being in his garage taking photos while he was building it. After he had it finish he gave me the privilege of first start!
Because it's a fairmont, a car that was probably beaten to shit in its day..if it was even 186k, it would probably look a lot worse. While I wouldn't really doubt that the odometer rolled over at least once, I imagine he's had it verified.
First car I ever worked on! My brother has a 2 door zephyr which is what you have there but in the mercury badge. My mother had the four door ford version. She came home one day to find I had taken it apart to find out how it worked! LMAO, she just stopped looked, walked off and said loudly its friday have it back together by 7...LOL That lead to my entire automotive repair ability. To see you this happy with this pick makes me happy to stay tuned. JMA@TAO auto repair and more in Dallas,TX!
The perfect engine/trans combo is a junkyard 5.3l chevy truck engine with 4l80e... exhaust/tune/port/polish = 400hp... and 22mpg hwy in that light chassis... turnkey efi.. add 100hp with a turbo if u wanna get exotic... all for less than your longblock crate motor... if puttin a gm plant in a ford is too weird for ya... a 5.4 from an f150 would do.. cept they suck.. committed to old school?? the 460 will fit... no replacement for displacement... put a 460 in a 79 capri one time... it was a beast..
I definitely wasn't expecting a Fairmont. But I remember these cars when they came out and I kind of liked them back then, especially the ice cold a/c. I have a big soft spot for quirky cars.
Dude, that's awesome! I know exactly what you're talking about too -- even that grin on your face! I felt the same way when I brought home my 280z over 8 years ago, and I still get that same dumb grin on my face every time I get in it to this day. Enjoy!
Grats on the car man! I've been working on a 78 Ford Bronco 351 Modified, had to replace the timing chain, and from that I started watching your videos, and haven't stopped. Keep up the good work!
I think it's one of the best videos from ETCG!!! I just LOVE what you did with the cameras man!! That's awesome!!! Oooh and a very neat looking car you have there..
Looks great! Very very excited to see what you do with it. A word to the wise though; fix some of the rust and paint issues ASAP. Im not talking a complete paint job but just make sure the body doesnt fall apart on you after your first winter with it :)
Did not see that coming,One of my friends moms had Fairmont wagon red w/woodgrain stick shift.Lasted a long time.We used to fit 5 in front and middle and 3 or 4 in way back.Seeing this brought back good memories.
At first I was like "..okay, he's messing with us, right?!" Then as soon as you said Foxbody, it clicked for me. Great purchase. Amazing condition and low miles. Very nice find.
Eric you never cease to amaze me my friend. Saw one of these come up on craigslist not too long ago with nearly no miles on it. some old lady driving to church on sundays sort of a deal. Cool idea I look forward to seeing what you do with this one.
Eric! Don't even know if you will even read this but, although have never seen this video, I have followed your "Fairmont Project"... Well, here it is Oct. 17, 2017 and I was watching one of Eric O's (SMA) videos and he took the time to send out great cudos to you on your effort and time with this project mentioning that you have it running/driving?... That is fantastic! I bet that is a great weight off your shoulders (not in a bad way) I checked your channel for an update but didn't see one. I just wanted to congratulate you on your accomplishment and hope to see it soon... I miss you and your videos and wanted to thank you again for sharing your knowledge with everyone and hope to hear from you soon. Thanks!
i was lost when the beginning of your video was all about fbodys and making it a sleeper, but when you started to admit how much you love it and comparing it to "oliver"...I'm right with you. That's the best reason to own a car
Just discovered these videos. Being from the UK I don't know anything about Fairmonts. But I do know EVERYTHING about how you feel with this project. It's exactly how I felt when I planned my Anglia van project and dropped a crate 2.0 Zetec motor into it. Kept it all standard looking except for wider steel wheels and lowered. And it goes like stink! Lover sleeper projects. Even love the colour of this... what we call "hearing aid beige" here in the UK.
Good for you, awesome car. I know the feeling you're having when you get a real keeper. Something to look forward to when you go home. You'll find a lot of excuses and extra errands to run just so you can drive it. Congrats brother.
What an interesting choice. I'm not sure what I was expecting when you unveiled, but it wasn't a Fairmont. Now, I'm firmly a Ford guy, so I loved the reveal and I'm so glad you are so excited about it. There is lots of stuff you can do to this thing to make it kick ass. My grandpa had one in the 80's (After getting rid of his 1970 Maverick), and I found it to be gutless as all get out, but hell, Crate motor, Roll-cage, Mustang go-stuff. I can't wait to see that happen. 2014 is going to be awesome on ETCG! Thanks again for all the videos. One of my favourite channels on the Interwebs...
This is just how ALL money pits start ! starts with excitement then ends in me getting a hell of a deal when your just sick of looking at an unfinished PROJECT...
Hi Erik, you look so happy and this is great feeling. It is like finding a 1959 or 1960s Cadillac DeVille or Eldorado in a Barn in good mint intact low mileage condition, hence all you need to do is minor refreshments to restore this gleaming jewel. Although this Ford is not popular or as beautiful as the 70s and 80s Chevrolet Caprice / Cadillac Fleetwoods / Buick Roadmaster or the old 70s Electra , Olds 98 Regency ... etc, i.e. the real American Icon Collectible cars that should be preserved, but if it makes you happy, it is a joyous feel. enjoy it.
My dad had a '79 Mustang Cobra. It was a great car. Red exterior, black leather interior, Blaupunkt stereo, and it was pretty fast for a kid who was 7-8 years old riding in it.
Awesome and sweet. I think I saw a kid in the toy store somewhere along the way. When you drove that in two things came to mind (1) lower and (2) 8J rims with 225/45 tyres in 16 or 17 inch. When you drove it down the road the wheel carps confirmed point (2). Can't wait to see it moving.
Just found this series. I'm looking forward to this build. My first brand new car was the Mercury Zephyr in '78. Same body. Didn't like the rear windows on the Futura/Z7. It was a 302 auto. Gotta love that horn on the turn signal lever!
I know what you mean! I drive a 2013 Honda Accord currently however I have a 2002 Chevy Malibu that doesn't start yet the unique smell of that car's interior makes me happy!
Glad I went back to watch this one. Growing up my parents had an old Fairmont same color as this on. Lots of memories of trips up north in that car. Defiantly underpowered with the stock 4cyl. For the Fox body cars I miss my 1985 TBird I had in high school.
What a car! Defantly would be what I would be looking for! I had a futura for a while, but never had time money to do anything with it! I can't wait to see more! Great find Eric!
Glad to see you going into the sleeper build journey!! But please don't forget the basic stuff like body work, interior, a little bit of electronics and of course engine stuff!!
Eric...I love you!!!! Okay seriously...congrads on the purchase. I am happy to see you in the American arena and a Ford no less. EXCELLENT choice. Looking forward to the videos. I never had a chance to work on the old school cars too much and it would be nice to gain some perspective on the pre fuel injection era.
Yes I remember it in the showroom, it had the standard 4 cylinder At the time you could order or they had it in stock at the dealer the motor mounts for the 460 CID engine. There was one in the town running around and seen the setup. Wow I had the1978 fairmont futura and it came factory with the V8 and around a 271 rear end. Enjoyed it and put a lot of miles on it. Enjoyed your video!
Excellent pick. Car has character, thats what makes a great car. I love old cars, they are eras of time that can be relived. And its going to haul butt. Im ready.
As a big fan of Ford I am really excited to see what you do with that car. I think you scored with it. it is really amazing to see it in such great shape. congratulations and I hope you have a blast getting it to where you want.
OMG! LOL. This is the car I learned how to drive in! My father had one a long time ago. Our Fairmont was silver (before it was a popular color, lol) with a Burgundy red interior and was a four door. This brought back memories, thanks Eric!
Throw a Coyote 5.0L Motor into it, Drop it a couple inches, throw some nice wider tires on it. Keep the exterior STOCK! Great purchase Eric, treat her well!
Wow, I was shocked when I saw the new car but in a really good way! I'm very surprised and I love it. I can't wait for the many, many videos to come. Well done!
While I think you should do this project because it is a "facet" of the "automotive life," I share your love for this car based on how it is stock, and how it represents an era in automotive technology (as negative as it might have been). I predict that your love for this car will dissipate somewhat with the pains and prices of modifying a car away from its original intent. So, I will gladly watch these videos, but it will be in anticipation of your next project. Good luck, Eric!
The Fairmont is what the driving school that I attended used. Remember wondering why the horn was activated by pressing the turn signal. Awesome sleeper!
I'm a very happy, and excited to see what happens to this amazing car. Very good pick up sir. Makes me want to buy one! LOL! Oh and not to mention how happy you look while driving it :) good for you man, congrats!
I like where you're going with this. I'm not a huge Ford fan, but Mustangs ( and trucks) are what they are known for. The availability of parts and what can be done is great. Gotta love American muscle regardless of what brand you like.
I must say I am pretty stoked about this. I have an 81 mustang. So a lot of you vids will definitely be a plus. I know a crate engine is great, already assembled and warrantied, I would probably just go to the salvage yard and build up an explorer engine since I am broke. One project to get rolling imo would probably be a headlight relay kit, simple and important.
ETCG speaking to you from the future. It is January 2016 here and I have seen some but not all of the Fairmont videos. I'm looking forward to them. I think the Fairmont is an excellent choice for the reasons you have stated. I love the squareness of the Fairmont (I had a 67 Fairlane) and the fact that you are building a sleeper. Good luck from the future.
Cool eric, good move, this car is a great way to entertain and grow your brand, we are all looking forward to this next journey with Eric the car guy. McC
It's funny, after watching this video and hearing you say how you were going to keep it as stock as possible like keeping it an auto transmission and seeing it here and watching the slow transition into what it is now (manual transmission) etc... Pretty darn cool. I am excited all over again...
I cannot wait to see you get inside that baby. The modifications is exacly what I would do on any car. Keep it low profile, but mount up a drag-racing Nitromethane-ready engine (just kidding!). Excellent choice.
Eric is simply a charming and honest guy. It's totally charming watching this drive and future project. I'm interested because, hey, I work on my own cars and I actually like old cars. I have to admit that I chuckled when he revealed it, but... I get it and I like it too.
I'm not a ford guy, but I'm happy for you Eric because a clean Foxbody chassis sounds like a great starting point. Can't wait to see what you do with the old girl. About the exhaust note, I see an automatic exhaust bypass valve in our future!
I had a '78 Fairmont and the only problem I had in three years of ownership was a blown head gasket. Easy fix on the inline six. Good car, but like Eric said not really a "dream car" unless you have plans on building a sleeper for stoplight to stoplight racing! There, it will shine.
We had one of those new in 1978, as the Mercury Zephyr Z7 - which were trimmed up a lot nicer even if it was a no option car. We had the 2.3L 4 cylinder, which lacked torque vs, the 6 cylinder but made up for it in better highway merging. Keep in mind that these could have had a 5.0 from the factory. Fit and finish were definitely 1970's grade, but a Fairmont was basically the replacement to the low cost leader Maverick. It was transportation - a basic new car for the price of a used car. Go to the Mercury badge, load it up and it could be a really nice car.
You can do a couple quick videos pre-2014: Bumper sticker / dealer sticker removal, Clay bar paint cleaning, then glass and chrome polishing. Fortunately, you'll never have to polish these headlights! These drop in bulb/lens systems were so nice (and cheap).
Glad to have you in a happy place. I don't know much about the older cars because I'm 25 but I'm hoping to learn a lot when you do this project so I'll be tuning in every step of the way!
That was a touching video. The intangible feeling that certain cars give you that just feels like home. A place where you couldn't be happier or more proud. Reminds me of my first car. I wish there was a word for this.
I like your choice,I can't wait to see the evolution!
Im glad you found this kind of car that make you feel so good!
Congrats and thank you for sharing your joy with us Eric!
A sleeper!! SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!!
When I first saw it I thought, "OMG, he's joking!" But then you said that it was a Fox Body (which I didn't know) and I thought, "No way! He's gonna make that into a sleeper!" And I was right! Awesome!!
Very much looking forward to the videos you'll make with this car! Super excited!
And I know exactly what it's like to ride in a 1979 Ford Fairmont -- my Mom had one of those back in the day. Hers was a four-door and was green, but it was exactly the same drivetrain as yours. :-)
Awesome Eric, you have to love that car you find and you just feel at home when you drive it, and the vision only you have for it and how happy you'll be when it's done.
Great choice. My first "new" car was a '79 Buick Regal and it was the best car I have ever owned. It was very fast and a sharp looker. It turned a lot of heads. Ahhh....the good ole days :)
I love seeing you so happy Eric. Awesome project, I love the plan.
Great idea and it is the cleanest Fairmount I have seen. Not a speck of rust. I hope you keep the original wheel covers and skinny tires on it. A big Sun tachometer would be funny, though.
Had a Motorcraft oil filter on it, that's a good sign (if the oil isn't pure sludge that is). Whoever had this thing was old and seriously used the factory parts to service this Fairmont.
2:34 When you take your car to the mod shop on GTA.
looking forward to it! And congratulations, you seem really happy. I think new cars don't have what it takes to make a man smile anymore. Again, congratulations and many happy miles.
Oliver the Fearmont, the ultimate sleeper.
+Stoney527 LMAO!
Dude! Hell yeah! The build we went with was an 80 fairmont. Short long arm suspension (from a super coupe like mine) dropped 3 inches. Need traction bars in the rear. Torque stall. 2 step. Heres the BEST part... 429SOHC with a 7.16 blower. All forged internals. KB pistons and H beam rods. Trick flow 225cc heads. Theres tons more. But, with the eaton blower, we tip 10 seconds with that car! When you mash the gas, any body in or around goes "hoooolllyyy fuuuuuuuuuck". Excellent project. Im excited to see what you do with it
To be honest, I laughed during the reveal... thought it was a prank... but after you explained your plans, I think it sounds really cool! Definitely looking forward to the progress. :-)
Back when I rode on four wheels, I owned a Fairmont. Loved it as much as you do yours. Never any problem and the thing was light. Didn't care that it wasn't fast. I had another car for that. Thanks for bringing it back to me.
You should keep the Hubcaps.
Just watched this one again. Personally I like the color. My mom had a 1983 Toyota Tercel 2 door hatchback of a similar color in the mid 80's. I remember she bought it used when I was 4, so it was sometime in 1985. That color really takes me back. Before that she briefly had a yellow VW Beetle, which was a huge pile of junk. Before that she had some massive tank of a red station wagon. Don't remember the model, but as a 4 year old I called it "mom's fire engine car." :)
I hope you get some money that would be awesome sleeper.
Tottaly get it! I had a '72 4 door Valiant with slant 6, vinyl bench seat, manual steering and brakes. Swapped out the "K" member and put in an early 70s 318. Most fun I had, what a sleeper!!
Look forward to your build.
Eric to try to save some cash why not keep a eye out at the damaged car auctions for a low mile Fox body mustang and get all the basic parts you need for hardly any outlay?
There's something about older cars that are so much more special than the new "applicances" on sale today. Most modern cars don't have that same spirit and personality as the old ones. Great choice Eric! I'm definitely looking forward to the videos.
The car is going to go from Driving Miss Daisy to need for speed lol
eric im so shocked at what your doing to this car in a good way. i cant WAIT to see everything that you do to it next year. i would love to do the same thing if i wasnt in an apartment.
Drop a junkyard LS eninge and throw a turbo on it. I bought a 6.0 liter LS engine with trans that had less then 40,000 miles on it for $1,800 to drop in my fox. Great choice love the Fairmonts.
NOS is definitely the way to go with a beefy engine like that. Holds plenty in stock form. And I think it'd be cheaper to run NOS than a turbo.
Freemananana
Running nitrous with stock internals is like masturbating with soap.
Jackie Gleason So, cheap effective and environmentally friendly then? :P
Freemananana Please stop calling it NOS, it isn't NOS. It is Nitrous Oxide. NOS is a company.
A friend of mine had a 79 sport Fairmont with a 302 /automatic and buckets console and plush interior I loved that car...I know the feeling. BTW Eric, as a retired bodyman, I suggest you paint the rockers just up to the body seam where the rocker joins the quarter. Ford was experimenting with galvanized steel and paint often fell off because you need a special primer for galvanized. Cheers from Canada!
im in the uk and soon as you said oliver i thought of hammonds oliver in the africa special lol,.
rodney trotter "Float! OLIVEEEER!"
That brought back memories. When I was just starting out as a mechanic in my dad's shop after graduating high school, he had a "regular" whose daughter drove the exact same car. Same color and same engine. I worked on that thing many years and it never required to much repair, mostly service work. The Fairmont was nothing fancy, I am not a big fan of Fords, but it was a damn good basic transportation car. The daughter finally graduated college, and as soon as she started making money the car disappeared. If the new owner took care of it, I have no doubt the thing is still going.
Eric, I don't mean to correct you but Foxbody Mustangs were 1979-1993
A fairmont is on the Foxbody chassis.
My brother had a Fairmont Futura from around the same era. Watching this video and listening to the noises the car makes bring back fond memories. Way cool, congrats, looking forward to watching the progress.
I have seen this exact car here in Tucson craigslist for $500 bucks. $3,200 wow that is alot for that type of car.
Not in this condition. The average price for a good one is $2500
yes in the same condition, with power everything, I flip cars for a hobby but ford is not my style
EricTheCarGuy I was looking on craigslist today and i found a 1986 foxbody mustang for only $1,300 I thought its a good buy for you. here is the guys cl ad
tucson.craigslist.org/cto/4207578991.html
That is awesome! Gonna be really cool to see how this turns out. And I know that feeling, I bought a junk 85 G-wagon that I'm working to restore. And I know very well that it's rusty, slow, very noisy etc, yet I absolutely love it. Just a happy car to drive
wow 88hp from 3.3 L . a lot of room for mapping :)
I had an old Outback for a long time, and one of my favorite things about it was that I never felt like I was in a hurry while driving it. It's freeing, in a way.
Congrats on finding your happy place!
hey buddy, not sure if you watch my videos, but i have done a few LS turbo fairmont swaps, if you have any questions, or want to check out any of my videos on what i have done.
Fairmont wizard right here.
I have a buddy who transformed a 87 S10 into a drag truck. he put a 454 in it. I've known him since I was about 9 years old. It was really cool being in his garage taking photos while he was building it. After he had it finish he gave me the privilege of first start!
How do you know it only has 86K miles? It's one of those old odometers that are missing a digit, it could be 286K
Because it's a fairmont, a car that was probably beaten to shit in its day..if it was even 186k, it would probably look a lot worse. While I wouldn't really doubt that the odometer rolled over at least once, I imagine he's had it verified.
Jon Warrell
There is no way to find out mileage without odometer except tearing everything apart and roughly guessing from parts condition
EvilJ069
lol, what an idiot, no way to find mileage.
*****
You can't POSSIBLY be this stupid... You gotta be fucking with me, nobody can be as stupid as you >_
EvilJ069
says the guy that can't read an odometer
First car I ever worked on! My brother has a 2 door zephyr which is what you have there but in the mercury badge. My mother had the four door ford version. She came home one day to find I had taken it apart to find out how it worked! LMAO, she just stopped looked, walked off and said loudly its friday have it back together by 7...LOL That lead to my entire automotive repair ability. To see you this happy with this pick makes me happy to stay tuned. JMA@TAO auto repair and more in Dallas,TX!
The perfect engine/trans combo is a junkyard 5.3l chevy truck engine with 4l80e... exhaust/tune/port/polish = 400hp... and 22mpg hwy in that light chassis... turnkey efi.. add 100hp with a turbo if u wanna get exotic... all for less than your longblock crate motor... if puttin a gm plant in a ford is too weird for ya... a 5.4 from an f150 would do.. cept they suck.. committed to old school?? the 460 will fit... no replacement for displacement... put a 460 in a 79 capri one time... it was a beast..
I definitely wasn't expecting a Fairmont. But I remember these cars when they came out and I kind of liked them back then, especially the ice cold a/c. I have a big soft spot for quirky cars.
did you get this because of Fast n Loud? lol
Dude, that's awesome! I know exactly what you're talking about too -- even that grin on your face! I felt the same way when I brought home my 280z over 8 years ago, and I still get that same dumb grin on my face every time I get in it to this day. Enjoy!
Should have got a Trans am.
to slow he nedds a trans am with a biger engine
Grats on the car man! I've been working on a 78 Ford Bronco 351 Modified, had to replace the timing chain, and from that I started watching your videos, and haven't stopped. Keep up the good work!
I think it's one of the best videos from ETCG!!! I just LOVE what you did with the cameras man!! That's awesome!!! Oooh and a very neat looking car you have there..
Looks great! Very very excited to see what you do with it. A word to the wise though; fix some of the rust and paint issues ASAP. Im not talking a complete paint job but just make sure the body doesnt fall apart on you after your first winter with it :)
Haha, I love how happy Eric was driving. I feel the same way when I get in my 1973 VW Beetle. That nostalgic feeling is something I also really enjoy.
Did not see that coming,One of my friends moms had Fairmont wagon red w/woodgrain stick shift.Lasted a long time.We used to fit 5 in front and middle and 3 or 4 in way back.Seeing this brought back good memories.
At first I was like "..okay, he's messing with us, right?!" Then as soon as you said Foxbody, it clicked for me. Great purchase. Amazing condition and low miles. Very nice find.
I love this video. It's that same feeling my square 69 Valiant used to give me.
The smell, the bench seat, the column shifter. All happy place items.
Very exciting! Congratulations on your new car! Looking forward to a stack of videos!
Keep up the good work!
I absolutely love Fairmonts! Great pick Eric! And that Thriftpower I6 will never let you down
Eric you never cease to amaze me my friend. Saw one of these come up on craigslist not too long ago with nearly no miles on it. some old lady driving to church on sundays sort of a deal. Cool idea I look forward to seeing what you do with this one.
I'm pleasantly surprised! I really like the direction you're going, this will make for some AMAZING videos.
She's a beauty, Eric. I'm looking forward to seeing your plans come to fruition.
Started my mechanic career in 1973 and worked on many a Fairmont. Great car and easy to work on
Eric! Don't even know if you will even read this but, although have never seen this video, I have followed your "Fairmont Project"... Well, here it is Oct. 17, 2017 and I was watching one of Eric O's (SMA) videos and he took the time to send out great cudos to you on your effort and time with this project mentioning that you have it running/driving?... That is fantastic! I bet that is a great weight off your shoulders (not in a bad way) I checked your channel for an update but didn't see one. I just wanted to congratulate you on your accomplishment and hope to see it soon... I miss you and your videos and wanted to thank you again for sharing your knowledge with everyone and hope to hear from you soon. Thanks!
i was lost when the beginning of your video was all about fbodys and making it a sleeper, but when you started to admit how much you love it and comparing it to "oliver"...I'm right with you. That's the best reason to own a car
Just discovered these videos. Being from the UK I don't know anything about Fairmonts. But I do know EVERYTHING about how you feel with this project. It's exactly how I felt when I planned my Anglia van project and dropped a crate 2.0 Zetec motor into it. Kept it all standard looking except for wider steel wheels and lowered. And it goes like stink! Lover sleeper projects. Even love the colour of this... what we call "hearing aid beige" here in the UK.
Good for you, awesome car. I know the feeling you're having when you get a real keeper. Something to look forward to when you go home. You'll find a lot of excuses and extra errands to run just so you can drive it. Congrats brother.
What an interesting choice. I'm not sure what I was expecting when you unveiled, but it wasn't a Fairmont. Now, I'm firmly a Ford guy, so I loved the reveal and I'm so glad you are so excited about it. There is lots of stuff you can do to this thing to make it kick ass.
My grandpa had one in the 80's (After getting rid of his 1970 Maverick), and I found it to be gutless as all get out, but hell, Crate motor, Roll-cage, Mustang go-stuff. I can't wait to see that happen.
2014 is going to be awesome on ETCG!
Thanks again for all the videos. One of my favourite channels on the Interwebs...
This is just how ALL money pits start !
starts with excitement then ends in me getting a hell of a deal when your just sick of looking at an unfinished PROJECT...
Hi Erik, you look so happy and this is great feeling. It is like finding a 1959 or 1960s Cadillac DeVille or Eldorado in a Barn in good mint intact low mileage condition, hence all you need to do is minor refreshments to restore this gleaming jewel. Although this Ford is not popular or as beautiful as the 70s and 80s Chevrolet Caprice / Cadillac Fleetwoods / Buick Roadmaster or the old 70s Electra , Olds 98 Regency ... etc, i.e. the real American Icon Collectible cars that should be preserved, but if it makes you happy, it is a joyous feel. enjoy it.
For being that old it looks really good. Can't wait to see your progress with it. Thanks for sharing.
My dad had a '79 Mustang Cobra. It was a great car. Red exterior, black leather interior, Blaupunkt stereo, and it was pretty fast for a kid who was 7-8 years old riding in it.
Awesome and sweet. I think I saw a kid in the toy store somewhere along the way. When you drove that in two things came to mind (1) lower and (2) 8J rims with 225/45 tyres in 16 or 17 inch. When you drove it down the road the wheel carps confirmed point (2). Can't wait to see it moving.
Just found this series. I'm looking forward to this build. My first brand new car was the Mercury Zephyr in '78. Same body. Didn't like the rear windows on the Futura/Z7. It was a 302 auto. Gotta love that horn on the turn signal lever!
I know what you mean! I drive a 2013 Honda Accord currently however I have a 2002 Chevy Malibu that doesn't start yet the unique smell of that car's interior makes me happy!
Glad I went back to watch this one. Growing up my parents had an old Fairmont same color as this on. Lots of memories of trips up north in that car. Defiantly underpowered with the stock 4cyl. For the Fox body cars I miss my 1985 TBird I had in high school.
I'm so stoked to watch this build happen. Congrats!
What a car! Defantly would be what I would be looking for! I had a futura for a while, but never had time money to do anything with it! I can't wait to see more! Great find Eric!
Glad to see you going into the sleeper build journey!!
But please don't forget the basic stuff like body work, interior, a little bit of electronics and of course engine stuff!!
You are a smart guy. I think you made a good choice, and I'll be looking forward to see the changes. Good luck!
Eric...I love you!!!!
Okay seriously...congrads on the purchase. I am happy to see you in the American arena and a Ford no less. EXCELLENT choice.
Looking forward to the videos. I never had a chance to work on the old school cars too much and it would be nice to gain some perspective on the pre fuel injection era.
Yes I remember it in the showroom, it had the standard 4 cylinder At the time you could order or they had it in stock at the dealer the motor mounts for the 460 CID engine. There was one in the town running around and seen the setup. Wow I had the1978 fairmont futura and it came factory with the V8 and around a 271 rear end. Enjoyed it and put a lot of miles on it. Enjoyed your video!
Excellent pick. Car has character, thats what makes a great car. I love old cars, they are eras of time that can be relived. And its going to haul butt. Im ready.
As a big fan of Ford I am really excited to see what you do with that car. I think you scored with it. it is really amazing to see it in such great shape. congratulations and I hope you have a blast getting it to where you want.
Eric very nice car!!! Can't wait to see the upcoming videos! It's so clean for it's age !
Sweet box-top; that thing is clean! You even got the smooth rear bumper. I've always loved Fairmonts/Zephyrs and will look forward to the build.
OMG! LOL. This is the car I learned how to drive in! My father had one a long time ago. Our Fairmont was silver (before it was a popular color, lol) with a Burgundy red interior and was a four door. This brought back memories, thanks Eric!
Throw a Coyote 5.0L Motor into it, Drop it a couple inches, throw some nice wider tires on it. Keep the exterior STOCK! Great purchase Eric, treat her well!
Wow, I was shocked when I saw the new car but in a really good way! I'm very surprised and I love it. I can't wait for the many, many videos to come. Well done!
While I think you should do this project because it is a "facet" of the "automotive life," I share your love for this car based on how it is stock, and how it represents an era in automotive technology (as negative as it might have been). I predict that your love for this car will dissipate somewhat with the pains and prices of modifying a car away from its original intent. So, I will gladly watch these videos, but it will be in anticipation of your next project. Good luck, Eric!
The Fairmont is what the driving school that I attended used. Remember wondering why the horn was activated by pressing the turn signal. Awesome sleeper!
I'm a very happy, and excited to see what happens to this amazing car. Very good pick up sir. Makes me want to buy one! LOL! Oh and not to mention how happy you look while driving it :) good for you man, congrats!
I like where you're going with this. I'm not a huge Ford fan, but Mustangs ( and trucks) are what they are known for. The availability of parts and what can be done is great. Gotta love American muscle regardless of what brand you like.
I have to admit it wasn't what I expected. But then you named it after me. Thank you Eric!
I must say I am pretty stoked about this. I have an 81 mustang. So a lot of you vids will definitely be a plus. I know a crate engine is great, already assembled and warrantied, I would probably just go to the salvage yard and build up an explorer engine since I am broke.
One project to get rolling imo would probably be a headlight relay kit, simple and important.
As a die hard fan of the windsor engines, I'm stoked to see how you build this thing. Good luck hope it's fun!
ETCG speaking to you from the future. It is January 2016 here and I have seen some but not all of the Fairmont videos. I'm looking forward to them. I think the Fairmont is an excellent choice for the reasons you have stated. I love the squareness of the Fairmont (I had a 67 Fairlane) and the fact that you are building a sleeper. Good luck from the future.
Cool eric, good move, this car is a great way to entertain and grow your brand, we are all looking forward to this next journey with Eric the car guy.
McC
It's funny, after watching this video and hearing you say how you were going to keep it as stock as possible like keeping it an auto transmission and seeing it here and watching the slow transition into what it is now (manual transmission) etc... Pretty darn cool. I am excited all over again...
I cannot wait to see you get inside that baby. The modifications is exacly what I would do on any car. Keep it low profile, but mount up a drag-racing Nitromethane-ready engine (just kidding!). Excellent choice.
That looks awesome Eric. I cant wait to see what you do with her! Love those older cars, with those cream colors!
Eric is simply a charming and honest guy. It's totally charming watching this drive and future project. I'm interested because, hey, I work on my own cars and I actually like old cars. I have to admit that I chuckled when he revealed it, but... I get it and I like it too.
Sleepers are where it's at! Especially in California. Love the concept for the Fairmont, can't wait to see the end result!
I'm not a ford guy, but I'm happy for you Eric because a clean Foxbody chassis sounds like a great starting point. Can't wait to see what you do with the old girl. About the exhaust note, I see an automatic exhaust bypass valve in our future!
I had a '78 Fairmont and the only problem I had in three years of ownership was a blown head gasket. Easy fix on the inline six. Good car, but like Eric said not really a "dream car" unless you have plans on building a sleeper for stoplight to stoplight racing!
There, it will shine.
We had one of those new in 1978, as the Mercury Zephyr Z7 - which were trimmed up a lot nicer even if it was a no option car. We had the 2.3L 4 cylinder, which lacked torque vs, the 6 cylinder but made up for it in better highway merging. Keep in mind that these could have had a 5.0 from the factory. Fit and finish were definitely 1970's grade, but a Fairmont was basically the replacement to the low cost leader Maverick. It was transportation - a basic new car for the price of a used car. Go to the Mercury badge, load it up and it could be a really nice car.
My dad had one, your car is in a phenomenal look ! Great choice Eric.