Original Owner Gary Kirkpatrick Still Loving His 1966 Ford Fairlane GTA
We've all said it: "I really should have kept that car." Whether it was our first one, our last one, or just a fast one, every enthusiast can name at least one prize from their past that they should have hung on to (this statement is usually uttered in concert with a list of the cars they “should have bought,” but that's a whole 'nuther story). Sometimes we knew we'd miss it the instant it was gone; in other cases this regret was only realized years later.
West Covina, California's Gary Kirkpatrick was smart, however. He bought his Sauterne Gold 1966 Ford Fairlane GTA 2-door hardtop brand new, and more than 50 years later, his name is still on the title.
"It was my first new car," comments Kirkpatrick, "and it was just what I wanted, so I kept it."
Gary is also no stranger to Fords; after a long career of employment at Keystone Ford in Norwalk, California. Keystone is only a drone ride away from Frank Dore & Sons, the Whittier dealership where Kirkpatrick bought this big-block bit of history those five decades ago.
If you wanted mid-sized, big-block performance back in 1966, a Fairlane GT was a best bet, as the 390 V-8 did not find its way into the Mustang until the following year. The Fairlane was also the bread-and-butter in Ford's lineup, being available in 13 separate versions, including 2-door sedan (called the Club Coupe), 2-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, convertible, and a station wagon. It’s also the one that followed the original muscle car recipe of big motor in a mid-sized car, ala the GTO, 442, GranSport, Road Runner and such.
Gary's 2-door hardtop GTA sports the "Thunderbird Special" 335-horsepower 390 4V, backed by a C-6 3-speed automatic transmission. The four-barrel 390 runs 10.5:1 compression. Bucket seats, console and floor shift were all standard equipment; options on this one include the aforementioned automatic trans, courtesy light group, power steering, power drum brakes, tinted windshield, whitewall tires (long gone) and a "Closed Emission System," an early appearance of emission control devices. The CES added $5.19 to the sticker, the total of which was a rousing $3,407.56! (The AM radio was a dealer-installed factory extra.)
