The classic "coke bottle" lines of the 67 fairlane are not lost on the Ranchero version. The styling is simply put: "classic". This is the only year that shared the Fairlane front end, and set them apart from the Falcon and Torino Ranchero's in asthetics and style.

I had been looking for a solid 67 Ranchero for three years when I found this one through the internet, and drove 400 miles to buy it sight unseen. It was a specially ordered low mileage, big block (390 FE) power steering, air conditioned car, without the typical Fairlane mouldings. I drove it as my daily transportation for another two years while making plans for the restoration/modification. Being a member of the Fairlaine club gave me access to many parts sources and great ideas for modifications.

I wanted to build a car that handled like a late model vehicle, had comforts like A/C and a nice stereo/CD system, but still had the nostalgia and feel of a late 60's musclecar. Since I was a child, the mythical "428 Cobrajet" was something I had always wanted in a car, not only because of the brute power & potential, but also because of it's legendary status and reputation. Since it shares the same dimensions as the stock 390, it was an easy swap, but that's when maintenance plays a part, and a simple operation like changing spark plugs becomes a serious chore. I wanted the ease of access for Headers as well, and the Mustang II conversion solved alot of problems, as well as adding power rack & pinion steering, giving the car exceptional road feel and handling. The motor has the Edelbrock RPM aluminum heads, intake and water pump, with a cam mild enough to use the stock converter, but aggressive enough to "hear" at idle. Hyperutectic pistons, GT rods, High volume oil & fuel pumps, as well as Pertronix electronic ignition add to the 428's performance. Computer dyno stats show 435 HP at the flywheel.

Body by Kevin:

The body was stripped of all mouldings, and taken down to bare metal. Small patches of rust were repaired, floorpans replaced, and over 500 hours spent getting the body straight enough for paint. The antenna was relocated to the rear quatrer panel, and It was primed and blocked a total of 5 times before it was ready to spray.

Paint By Kevin:

The paint scheme is what I call a "composite musclecar stripe" sharing the design of the "Boss" Mustang on the drivers side, the diagnal stripe across the hood of the 67 Cobra, and the Camaro & Mopar fender stripe on the right that follows down the rockers on both sides. There was really no choice when it came to picking colors, they chose me! The stripes are done with basecoats then clearcoated. Then the entire car was sanded flat with 600 grit and re-cleared, then colorsanded & buffed to remove any texture and enhance the gloss and reflection.

Interior By Kevin:

The interior sports several different influences such as the B&M floor shifter, Autometer mini-gauges, shoulder harness seatbelts from an 89 Blazer, Leather buckets from a 95 Saturn, headliner and upper console from a 2000 Tahoe, rear view mirror and visors from a 99 S-10, Grant steering wheel and a custom 200W stereo system with 6 disc CD changer. The dash and door frames were stripped and re-painted with base/clear. Upholstery is done in black tweed with custom made door and cab panels, all work done by Kevin.

The wheels chose the car as well, lending more of a "vintage" look, with the advantages of modern aluminum. One of the great things about the Rod & Custom Mustang II conversion is the amount of rubber you can stuff under the fenders without any tire rub! 265/50/15's would never fit the stock application, but sit nicely under the fenders now. QA-1 adjustable coil-over shocks help with the suspension tuning and give the car an aggressive stance.

I built this car to drive it! It's maiden voyage was a trip to the2002 "All Ford Nationals" in Carlisle, PA. June 1/st. It racked up almost 2000 trouble free miles, got 14 MPG, and turned alot of heads! Since then it's been featured on Spike TV’s TRUCKS!, as well as in a "Jeg's High Performance" TV commercial, and several cameo appearances in tech articles for "Mustang & Fords" magazine.