Ford Fairlane 500 Lightweight specs

Back in the sixties I tried to follow the Trans-Am Series. SCCA started the series in 1966 with two classes: under 2 liter, and over 2 liter. The over two liter was limited to 5 liters. So all kinds of cars were on the track at the same time. Pretty groovy.

@Shaggy actually I don't have nearly as much money as I used to, but I get discounts for being in the "wine industry". Last night I drank the whole bottle of 2009 Laird Family Estate "Red Hen Vineyard" Chardonnay that I had on hand. Very tasty at $30 per bottle, but I got mine completely free for working at Laird last fall during the harvest (I don't work there anymore, but they still give me big discounts).

@ Super8: Because before there were muscle cars, and when street racing was legal, young people would take old cars like Ford Model A and Chevrolet Bel-Air and modify them for street racing, most of these races were usually from stop light to stop light, all that really mattered was acceleration. The first factory built muscle cars as we know them, IMO: Pontiac GTO, Dodge Charger, Chevrolet Chevelle, Ford Torino, etc were built as an answer to barn-built hot rods/street rods built/modified by teenagers. Hot rodding/street racing helped give rise to the American muscle car. During the muscle car era, acceleration was king, American car companies didn't feel the need to give their cars nimble handling, just raw power.

@ Viking: I, too agree.
"I have been drinking too much fine wine.", LOL, must be nice to have the money, I don't even drink.

@Super8
The TransAms Series started in the late 60's I believe. Although mostly just used for drag racing there were a few muscle cars out there running around race tracks with Alfa's and Lotus Cortina's... :)

@Viking
Haha nice rant, but I agree!
Got any of that fine wine left? :)

Lol. Great discussion, I agree light weight helps a lot more than just straight line acceleration. Race cars of the fifties and sixties were very light weight and small. So were many sports cars back then. Modern safety regulations, and a ridiculous trend for taller vehicles have made most recent cars much heavier than older cars. When I travel I notice that whatever rental car I get seems to be taller, and heavier than the last. Why are modern vehicles so tall? And heavy? It seems counter to acceleration, cornering, and fuel economy. Excuse my rant, I have been drinking too much fine wine.

EPA enjoys life, not only short part of it from the start to the grave.

At the 60's, why all of American people built light cars only for drag race? Most of that light car had potential to smoke European super cars on tracks in that time. Camaro ZL1, Dodge 426 Hemi Lightweight, Ford Thunderbolt, Galaxie 427 Lightweight and this Fairlane.... They're all had weight around 1500 kg and had potential to be the best on track. But why they're not use it?

@ Flabernat: I agree, I despise the EPA, it's like it's their mission to make driving less enjoyable, they don't know anything about cars, and the organization is made up mostly of rich white, up tight, liberal, commie, tofu farting fairies. LOL

I highly doubt we'll see curb weights that low ever again. The EPA makes it harder and harder each year for the car manufacturers. I personally hate them...(the EPA)
They obviously don't enjoy cars or driving.

@ Flabernat: Then it would be an even better time to be a car enthusiast! LOL, imagine the acceleration of the Dodge Challenger SRT/8, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 if they were that light, Porsche would be in trouble!

Shaggy, Wow that is light,... Could you imagine if today's muscle cars: Challenger, Camaro, Mustang only weighed 3300lbs? :)

@ Super8: 3,368 LBS is light for a '66 Ford Fairlane, this is one quick car.

Only 57 cars that fitted with lightweight package part. some of them also fitted with Ford C6 Auto. This proven makes the car faster on straight line with 0-60 mph reduced to 4.9 sec with 4.11 final. It also makes the car faster on 1/4 mile. 11.46 @ 110 mph reported can be reached with this lightweight package.