1964 Ford Fairlane 500
Specifications
Built by: Ringbrothers
Configuration: Longitudinal front engine
Engine: V8
Displacement: 7L/427 cu. in.
Horsepower: 540HP
Torque: 540 ft/lbs
Max RPM: 8,000RPM
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
A Little History
The Afterburner was originally commissioned by customer Ken Smith. In 2006, Ken was having a 1964 Ford Fairlane Sport Coupe restored to its original glory in the year he graduated from high school. He had the Sport Coupe shipped to a restorer in Georgia to be worked on, who happened to be driving a black 1964 Ford Fairlane 500. The Fairlane was in such good condition that he bought it off the restorer. Soon after, it became clear that the builder in Georgia would not finish the restoration in a timely manner, so Ken had both cars shipped back to his home in Wisconsin. In the fall of 2007, while searching for the closest Roush distributor, Ken met the Ring brothers right as they were preparing to debut their Mustang “Reactor” for the first time. After some discussions, Ken agreed to have Mike and Jim Ring move forward as the builders on the Fairlane 500.
Who are the Ringbrothers?: Brothers Mike and Jim Ring of Spring Green, WI started the company in 1989. Today, they are recognized as some of the top car builders in the country. The brothers focus on creating cars that look like the concept cars seen at auto shows instead of factory production cars.
The Customizations: This car is full of Ringbrothers custom billet aluminum and carbon fiber parts, all created in-house on their CNC machine. The most challenging customizations came with changing the shape of the body of the 1964 Ford Fairlane 500. The first major change they made was to lower the roof of the Afterburner by 1 inch. The second major change was lifting the rear of the car to give it a more straight and balanced appearance from the side. The final and most difficult change was completely rebuilding the front of the car. Everything from the firewall forward is custom-made.
In fact, one of the most impressive parts of this car is its engine bay. Intricate webs of billet aluminum and carbon fiber appear throughout the entirety of the Rausch 427 small-block and compartment; they even custom-made the hinges for the hood.
The interior of the Afterburner resembles that of a rocketship, lending itself further to its given nickname. The brothers had the interior done by Upholstery Unlimited, but heavily modified the console in-house. They added an LCD Display screen, custom-made guages, and billet aluminum to the steering wheel, air vents, killswitches, gauge cluster, and steering wheel.
Did you know? The Afterburner took around 20 months to build!
The car was coined “The Afterburner” when Ken Smith said the taillights resembled the afterburners on spaceships and fighter jets.
Originally, the Ringbrothers were going to call the car “Speed Lane,” as seen on the photo behind the car.
