This 1967 Ford Custom is a One-Off Rare Car

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Are you a fan of rare cars? Here's a unique story about a rare car: in the mid-1960s, a man in New York City had his savings and dreams focused on a brand new 427 Cobra, but his soon-to-be ex-wife emptied their joint account and left him. Devastated but still eager to experience what a 427 had to offer, he custom-ordered a more affordable 1967 Ford Custom two-door sedan and had the Mahwah, New Jersey factory install a W-code 427-4V engine, which automatically came with a four-speed transmission and 15-inch black wall tires as required options.

That year, the Custom was the only model built with the W-code engine, which used a single Holley 780-cfm four-barrel carburetor to produce 410 gross horsepower. To clarify, a small number of other full-size Fords were also built with 427 engines. These included 10 Customs with the R-code 427-8V engine (dual quads) and 18 higher-trim models with the W-code engine. In total, that's just 29 427 cars out of over 952,000 full-size Fords produced for the year.

The only one of them was a base Custom with the W-code engine.

The W-code 427-4V engine, which has a rating of 410 horsepower, was an optional upgrade that cost $1,081.81. This engine came with the requirement of a four-speed transmission, which added an additional $184.02 to the price, as well as 15-inch tires priced at $46.53. In total, the special powertrain option added more than 50% to the base price of the Custom. The engine is still in its original form, with a new distributor that was installed by the vehicle's original owner. Photo: Barry Kluczyk

On the car, he even replaced a section of the radiator hose with clear Pyrex tubing so he could see the coolant flow. He also replaced the distributor, added large fog lights to the front bumper, and made a few other modifications. However, he drove the car very little - and not at all by the early 1990s. It was left parked outdoors, where it sat idle and rusting for almost 20 years.

Adrian Clements, the founder of a 1967 Ford Full-Size registry and the YouTube channel "Yours in Old FoMoCo Iron," rescued a 1967 Ford Full-Size in early 2011 after the original owner listed it on Craigslist. The car had only 15,000 miles on the odometer at the time. With some help, Clements got the car running and driving by the summer of that year, but left it unrestored. He didn't drive it much, and by late 2023, the odometer had only ticked up to just over 16,000 miles.

The years spent sitting outside in upstate New York were not good for the car's body or its original Dark Moss Green paint job. Water got into the cowl, which caused rust on the floor, and some of the rust has even eaten through at the front of the hood, but otherwise the body is in great shape and surprisingly straight, with its original 16,000 miles, the glass looks almost brand new. Photo: Barry Kluczyk

That's when Dan Jensen - a collector, engine builder and co-founder of the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race - found out about the car. Clements was based in New Brunswick, Canada, but had spent several years living in Michigan, where the car was stored. Jensen lived within a two-hour drive from the location, but Clements's home in Moncton, New Brunswick was nearly a 19-hour drive away. In a remarkable display of trust, Clements mailed Jensen a key to the storage facility for an inspection.

I have a strong affection for classic full-size cars with minimal features and a powerful engine," says Jensen. "It perfectly aligned with my tastes and as soon as I saw the car, I knew I had to purchase it.

Inside, the Parchment cabin was thoroughly cleaned and updated with new carpet and replacement of the deteriorated sections of the seat covers, but the rest of the interior is preserved in its original state, including the door panels, headliner, and split dash pad. The original owner's set of auxiliary gauges has been taken out. Photo: Barry Kluczyk

A deal was reached for the Custom, and it's now in Jensen's garage. Fortunately, he plans to leave the rare 427 Ford mostly intact, focusing on preserving it and ensuring it's roadworthy. Until more than a decade ago, this ultra-rare full-size muscle car was unknown. The discovery of this rare car, documented as such, helps complete Ford's factory 427 car history and shows that there are still rare cars out there waiting to be found.

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