Old Ford pics

[rmk57]

If you ordered a 67 or so big block Fairlane or Mustang would a 3-speed manual be standard equipment? I think it would be quite rare. I couldn't see a car for dealer inventory ordered that way and who in their right mind would factory order one like that. A 4-speed optional and an automatic a few bucks more than the stick?

[hiball3985]

If you ordered a 67 or so big block Fairlane or Mustang would a 3-speed manual be standard equipment? I think it would be quite rare. I couldn't see a car for dealer inventory ordered that way and who in their right mind would factory order one like that. A 4-speed optional and an automatic a few bucks more than the stick?

I worked with a woman who bought a 67 Mustang 390 and 3speed so I'm guessing that is what came standard..

[CobraJoe]

[59meteor]

If you ordered a 67 or so big block Fairlane or Mustang would a 3-speed manual be standard equipment? I think it would be quite rare. I couldn't see a car for dealer inventory ordered that way and who in their right mind would factory order one like that. A 4-speed optional and an automatic a few bucks more than the stick?

My understanding was with the increasing insurance costs during the Muscle Car era, that the 3 speed was a way to avoid the higher insurance rates, as "four on the floor" was a trigger for "Hot Rod", where a 3 speed didn`t. I have seen 340 Dusters, 400 GTOs, 390 Mustangs etc with 3 speeds, although I am not aware of the higher performance muscle cars having a 3 speed available. (396/427/454 Chevys, 428 & 429 CJs, 440 and Hemi Mopars and the like). The price difference between a standard equipment 3 speed car, and a 4 speed was typically about $200., chump change these days, but back when those cars were new, that could be 3 car payments. Kinda like how a 69 Mustang Mach 1s base powertrain was a 351 2 barrel and 3 speed manual, seems silly that anybody would order a performance car like that, but quite a few did. At that time, the price increase for a 428 Cobra jet engine was only about $250.00 more, so while I may think who in their right mind wouldn`t go that route, but most didn`t. Don`t forget, in 1957, the price difference between a base Custom sedan, and a Fairlane 500 convertible was only 500 bucks or so, but back then, that was a lot of money. Plus I imagine many of these 3 speed performance cars were ordered for dealer stock, so they could advertise a new car in the newspaper, for a low price, even if that is not how most people would want a car like that. Get the potential buyers into the showroom to look at the bargain model, and then have the salesman try to upsell the more upscale model with more options. Been like that "forever".

[RICH MUISE]

"Bait and switch"

[CobraJoe]

[cokefirst]

"Bait and switch"

This was a common practice.  I worked at a Ford dealership back during the 1971 model year.  They had a 1971 Galaxie two door sedan with a 6 cyl, no radio and just a heater.  They used to advertise it as "Full Factory Equipped" That meant that it had what every base car got when it left the factory with NO options.  It was a bright red with a 3 on the column but it was in the weekly newspaper add almost every week.  They kept it the whole model year then heavily discounted it to get rid of it when the 1972's came out.  I do not recall if they did the same thing with a 1972 model.

[FiveSevenLiter]

Found these on a Saskatchewan website.
Terry

[rmk57]

Bummer about the 66. I wonder if both those Fairlane's would have been w-code 427's? Could you get a 425 hp 427 with a steel hood or could you get a 390 hp version with the glass hood?

[terry_208]

For some reason, the blue one doesn't look new.  It's surprising what a wreck will do.

[CobraJoe]

[lalessi1]

My understanding was with the increasing insurance costs during the Muscle Car era, that the 3 speed was a way to avoid the higher insurance rates, as "four on the floor" was a trigger for "Hot Rod", where a 3 speed didn`t. I have seen 340 Dusters, 400 GTOs, 390 Mustangs etc with 3 speeds, although I am not aware of the higher performance muscle cars having a 3 speed available. (396/427/454 Chevys, 428 & 429 CJs, 440 and Hemi Mopars and the like). The price difference between a standard equipment 3 speed car, and a 4 speed was typically about $200., chump change these days, but back when those cars were new, that could be 3 car payments. Kinda like how a 69 Mustang Mach 1s base powertrain was a 351 2 barrel and 3 speed manual, seems silly that anybody would order a performance car like that, but quite a few did. At that time, the price increase for a 428 Cobra jet engine was only about $250.00 more, so while I may think who in their right mind wouldn`t go that route, but most didn`t. Don`t forget, in 1957, the price difference between a base Custom sedan, and a Fairlane 500 convertible was only 500 bucks or so, but back then, that was a lot of money. Plus I imagine many of these 3 speed performance cars were ordered for dealer stock, so they could advertise a new car in the newspaper, for a low price, even if that is not how most people would want a car like that. Get the potential buyers into the showroom to look at the bargain model, and then have the salesman try to upsell the more upscale model with more options. Been like that "forever".

I do believe that a '66 SS 396 came with a bench seat and a 3 speed. I seem to remember it was floor shifted.

[Fairlane62]

The other GM muscle cars (Buick, Olds, Pontiac) used Ford top loader 3 speeds because the Saginaw couldn't handle the torque.  As mentioned previously, the 3 speed was a way around the added insurance cost for stigma of a 4 speed.

[rmk57]

[Tom S]

A big visitor in the backyard today. Looks well fed but considering how scarce food is for moose in the winter I gotta figure that she's just pregnant. Probably worse for them this year since we got a lot of snow earlier than usual. They get pretty ornery as winter goes on & can be inclined to charge & stop ya real bad with very little provocation. They get even more dangerous once they drop their calves in the spring.