Words: Tommy Parry
The desire to see a comfortable cruiser carve corners at the local autocross motivated Keith to take this heavyset Fairlane, draw up a list of interesting parts and hire the talent necessary to try and defy the laws of physics. GTS Customs heeded his call, and started making the Fairlane rotate with the urgency of a smaller car with some interesting additions to the footwork.
Though the Detroit Speed Aluma-Frame front and Quadralink 4-Link rear suspension were designed for a Mustang, the capable crew at GTS Customs were able to modify it to fit the larger Fairlane – though the task brought on a level of cursing and busted knuckles which would make a Tarantino film seem PG-rated. Along with those pieces, he added a set of Baer big brakes, which he housed inside a set of Schott Accelerator wheels.
“I knew the Detroit Speed components were great, but you simply cannot know how well an older car can ride, handle, steer and stop until you’ve experienced driving a car with this type of suspension. It is an amazing transformation,” declares Keith.
GTS then put together a stunning motor made for the demands of the real world and the tight corners of the autocross. The 427ci SBF uses a Dart block, Brodix heads, a hydraulic roller from Comp Cams and a FiTech fuel injection unit. Added to that were custom headers and exhaust hewn from stainless steel to produce 550 horsepower at the wheels, which it sends through a GearStar OD transmission back the the Detroit Speed rear with 3.73 gears. The engine is meant to make torque over top-end power, so the punch and response of the powertrain makes this car a real contender in hairpins and on backroads.
Yet the only thing which really draws attention to the powertrain is the snarl of the twin Borla tips. The understated presentation — which Keith refers to as an “industrial look” — doesn’t command the wrong sort of attention. He’s not terribly interested in wowing the chrome lovers at car shows anyways, as this car is meant to be driven.
GTS Customs worked their magic again with the tasteful but sumptuous interior. With blood red leather covering the enveloping Pro Car buckets and most of the touch points, the cabin is a comfortable place to be. There’s just enough chrome to accent the interior and draw the eye, but not nearly enough to be gaudy.
The challenge of finding certain parts for this rare bird was enough to turn some of Keith’s hair gray — though he’s pushing seventy and that’s certainly expected. In particular, the headlight bezels for this car were almost impossible to source. Only after hours of scouring online listings was he able to procure a set of NOS bezels for the princely sum of $650.
An owner of a ’65 Mustang, an early Bronco, two Mustang road race cars and a hot rodded ’40 Ford convertible, Keith has always bled Ford blue. “Having raced stock cars on dirt and asphalt, road raced motorcycles and raced sports cars, I’ve pretty much scratched that itch,” he says. “However, I would like to try this car at one of the Goodguys autocross events. Other than that, I just love the feeling this car gives you when you’re on a twisty country road.”
With a classic color combination, the right balance of glitz and subtlety and the modern suspension neatly packaged in a classic body, there’s plenty to love about this tasteful build. It’s Keith’s dream car, and one that should help him revisit his youth while cruising through his seventies.
