FARMINGTON, Mich. -- Richard Radcliffe bought his 1960 Ford Fairlane new in 1960, buts it’s probably drawing more attention today than it did 60 years ago when it was just another new car. The unrestored Meadowvale Green Fairlane two-door sedan is regularly spotted making appearances at weekly car shows outside Detroit in Farmington, Michigan. There, it even caught the eyes of die-hard General Motors fans, two of whom raved to me of the Ford’s factory original newness. If this car was so amazing, I had to see it for myself.

I was making my way through a local car show when I spotted an aqua green ’60 Ford Fairlane entering the event. In the driver’s seat was an older man wearing a stylish-looking top hat on his head and a big smile on his face. His Fairlane turned the heads of others as he drove it into the car show and navigated it into a parking spot. Once he and the car were settled in, I made my way over to introduce myself. As I approached the Fairlane, it was as if I had stepped back to 1960 when this Ford was new: This was truly a time capsule. The still-running engine purred like a Singer sewing machine without any signs of blue or gray smoke coming from the exhaust as it idled.

After an introduction, Radcliffe told me how he purchased his Meadowvale Green 1960 Ford Fairlane two-door sedan from Al Long Ford in Detroit, Michigan.

“It’s my first and only new automobile I have ever owned,” he said, adding how he has managed to preserve the car to keep it rust-free and looking factory new.

Not long after taking delivery of the ’60 Fairlane, Radcliffe pulled the car into his garage and started a unique process that would preserve the car for decades. With the help of a friend, he carefully removed each interior trim panel, then applied red oxide primer to the inner side of the body panels. Starting with the door panels, they literally loaded up the inner panel until the red oxide primer oozed out of the slotted drain holes in the bottom of the doors. Radcliffe had containers positioned at each drain hole to catch the overflow. Each trim panel was meticulously removed, and the priming application process was performed on the entire car. He allowed the red oxide primer to thoroughly dry before moving onto the next step.

The red oxide primer application was followed by a trip to the local collision shop that specialized in the application of black rubberized rust proofing. Radcliffe had done business with the owner in the past. The owner sprayed the rust-proofing material into the inner body panels, engine bay and underside of the hood and allowed it to run out of the drain holes and settled overnight. After receiving a second rust proofing application the following day, Radcliffe drove the car back to his garage and used a tool he designed to keep the rust proofing from clogging, filling, or closing the drain holes. The rust-proofed engine bay and hood underside did not look great to the eyes, but it served its purpose to protect and preserve the original factory e-coat and paint finish. Once the rust proofing stopped draining and weeping from the drain holes, the interior trim panels were reinstalled. The rust proofing process was done yearly.

Radcliffe also mentioned another benefit of his rust-proofing efforts.

“The rustproofing really made the car quiet, he added. Radcliffe chose not to drive the ’60 Fairlane during the winter months. The Michigan winters are very harsh and road salt would have destroyed the car. Prior to taking the car out of winter storage each spring, he would drive the car to the collision shop where it was inspected. That’s when additional rust proofing material was applied where needed.

The paint finish has also received a monthly paste wax application, while the engine oil was changed every 3,000 miles.

Radcliffe has spent decades honing his mechanical skills. He retired as a master clock maker specializing in clock repair, and those skills have extended to his Ford. He regularly removes and services the electric clock in the instrument panel of his ’60 Fairlane. He encouraged me to look at the clock in the center of the dash to see if it was working. The clock functioned as smoothly as a Swiss watch.

The 1960 full-size Ford abandoned the ostentatious ornamentation seen in the late 1950’s for a sleek, futuristic look. Ford’s trademark round taillamps were replaced by half-moon shaped taillamps for 1960 only. There were still tailfins, but they were smaller and horizontal. Like the rest of the automotive industry, Ford designers were abandoning aviation influences in favor or space-age themes, which was the latest obsession among Americans.

Ford Motor Company had bumped the Fairlane line to just beneath the new Galaxie series in 1959, with both of these full-size models sharing a design that was new from the ground up for 1960. The Ford Fairlane and Ford Galaxie both grew 6 inches longer, almost 5 inches wider and almost 200 pounds heavier from 1959. Smooth styling with a sloped hood, a simple grill, straight A-pillars, clean chrome-edged fender lines and modest horizontal tail fins offered a simpler look for 1960. The Fairlane series was the base trim level for ’60, as the Sunliner returned in the top series, but the big news was the Starliner, a pillarless semi-fastback two-door hardtop. A four-door hardtop, two-and four-door sedans and station wagons were also part of Ford’s full-size lineup in 1960.

The Starliner found its way onto NASCAR tracks due in part to its fastback design. Detroit’s Big Three automakers were starting to recognize the edge provided by aerodynamic styling, and how increased air flow around the car added speed and improved fuel economy on the racetrack. Ford was a proponent in the implementation of the sloped-roof fastback design, and Ford design studios integrated the fastback in several of its products during the 60’s.

Radcliffe’s 1960 Ford Fairlane remains pretty much the way it was built by Ford. Today it wears a set of whitewall radial tires, but Richard stowed the originals. Full-size Fords could be built with the 145-horsepower, 223-cid six-cylinder; the 185-horse, 292-cid V-8, or a 352-cid V-8 with 253, 300 or 360 horsepower. Richard’s Fairlane is powered by the 292-cid V-8 Y-block engine paired to a manual three-speed transmission.

While many of today’s vehicles offer navigational systems, Radcliffe relies on a period-correct windshield-mounted compass that he installed just above the dash panel. He was taught to use it as a young boy, and still relies on it during road trips.

In the future, Radcliffe will hand over the keys and title to the Fairlane to his daughter, Susan. He’s been preparing her on how to care for and maintain this classic Ford for more decades, ensuring it will remain a fine original for years to come.

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS COURTESY AL ROGERS / FREEZE FRAME IMAGE