Original ZF Fairlane 500 - a sad story

SPArKy_Dave · 09-01-2013, 06:35 PM

Anyone know if the owner is a member on here?
Such a shame........ I wonder how the the fire took hold?

Looked like such a nice vehicle. :(

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ford-Fair...item2a27ec8d55

**cs123** · 09-01-2013, 06:51 PM

That is a shame. According to the ad it backfired and caught alight.

pottery beige · 09-01-2013, 06:55 PM

poor old thing, never good to see.. George will cry

gcg2503 · 09-01-2013, 07:15 PM

Know Arthur and we keep in touch via email

His father ordered that car brand new from Melford in Melbourne with an XA bonnet and XA GS/GT grill

At the same time is uncle bought a copper bronze xa gt

Damn shame - that was one very loved and very well maintained motor vehicle

I feel ill thinking of how bad he would feel

It is rebuildable but needs a lot of time and money.

**cs123** · 09-01-2013, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcg2503

His father ordered that car brand new from Melford in Melbourne with an XA bonnet and XA GS/GT grill

wow, just noticed that. Interesting what you could option in the good-ol-days

stevz · 09-01-2013, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcg2503

Know Arthur and we keep in touch via email

His father ordered that car brand new from Melford in Melbourne with an XA bonnet and XA GS/GT grill

I was wondering what the story was with the front end when I saw the pics...

Just out of curiosity, the ebay ad states that they were the second owners and there is a Costanzo Ford dealer sticker on the back window???

Either way its a damn shame to see that car end up like that.

gcg2503 · 09-01-2013, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevz

I was wondering what the story was with the front end when I saw the pics...

Just out of curiosity, the ebay ad states that they were the second owners and there is a Costanzo Ford dealer sticker on the back window???

Either way its a damn shame to see that car end up like that.

Merely repeating what I was told two years ago mate

A lot of good parts on that car for someone with a ZF

metalmania · 09-01-2013, 09:58 PM

That is why i keep a fire extinguisher in all of my cars.

Kryton · 09-01-2013, 10:17 PM

We had one in Ballarat years ago with a factory 351.
Was on gas but had a bad petrol leak from the carby if it was ever ran on petrol.
It too caught fire, from running it on petrol but we managed to put it out before much damage was done.
Sold it for $900 in '97 with fire damage.

Landau Stable · 09-01-2013, 10:25 PM

Anyone who thinks that car is repairable is dreaming. Looks like there was enough heat to melt the front right spring, based on how low it sits. The front end and motor would have sustained way too much heat damage to make it worth anything more than parts now. Pity.

Streets · 09-01-2013, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metalmania

That is why i keep a fire extinguisher in all of my cars.

Me too but unfortunately the party size extinguishers (or pretty much anything smaller than a fire truck) probably wouldn't help us in a gasoline fire, especially if it's under the bonnet. You'd have to get to it in seconds; once it gets going it's very hard to stop from what I'm told. :(

Trek · 09-01-2013, 10:35 PM

So very unfortunate and again a reminder to carry a fire extinguisher handy with these old girls :(

rag top · 09-01-2013, 10:37 PM

Postage is cheap @ $6.50
Dunno why they put that in?

2011G6E · 09-01-2013, 10:50 PM

Sad. Yes...I thought it looks like it's burned for a long time in the front...no idea why it didn't spread further into the car given the huge amount of damage to the front.

Optioning: they used to let you do almost anything...all of the makers. My late uncle had a VJ Valiant Regal...265 hemi, auto, floor shifter, 770 dash...and it was purple, with a brownish vinyl roof and brown interior...good lord...

jakkes · 10-01-2013, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landau Stable

Anyone who thinks that car is repairable is dreaming. Looks like there was enough heat to melt the front right spring, based on how low it sits. The front end and motor would have sustained way too much heat damage to make it worth anything more than parts now. Pity.

I'd say it's more to do with it having no tyre on the front

max_torq · 10-01-2013, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metalmania

That is why i keep a fire extinguisher in all of my cars.

and always put the airfilter back on when cranking a motor.

GTP-RPD · 10-01-2013, 12:59 PM

Remember a family vacation very early 80's in Dads ZG Fairlane hot summers day A/C on stopped at lights suddenly all hell breaks loose out of the front end, engine is on fire. Old man pops the boot grabs the extinguisher pops the bonnet and saves the car. Turns out the high pressure line going into the steering box had split and sprayed oil over the exhaust and wammo instant fire. Us kids at the time thought it was friggin awesome....

Moral of the story keep an extinguisher handy.

Landau Stable · 10-01-2013, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakkes

I'd say it's more to do with it having no tyre on the front

You can see the left side is flat/missing too, and the rim sits heaps lower than the guard, much like it used to sit. The right hand side is so much worse. Proper inspection would reveal it all of course, but sadly these lovely cars are not deemed worth the effort. Even if it was a coupe or GT, the burnt metal would still likely make it unsalvageable.