Fabulous Fords Forever used to be a HUGE deal, with something like 1,100 to 1,300 Fords, Mercurys, Lincolns, and Scorpios carpeting the ginormous parking lot of Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park. It was one of the largest Ford gatherings anywhere. But then time, space, and money caught up with them. A short stint in the seemingly endless expanse of the Anaheim Angels’ parking lot was priced out. Irwindale Speedway worked for a while but then that facility closed forever. Other locations were considered and rejected. FFF was put on by The Ford Car Club Council, a collaboration of nearly 50 Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Edsel clubs in Southern California that are working to promote numerous smaller shows and gatherings throughout the year. The Council has also recently partnered with Mustang Week to bring about the return of a large extravaganza to Southern California in 2027 to continue the tradition of past Fabulous Fords Forever events that used to run well over 1,000 vehicles in attendance.Nonetheless, through hard work and perseverence, this year they managed to gather together 90 cars, trucks, and SUVs as an ancillary add-on preamble to what is known as the Huntington Beach Car Shows, held the day before the Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance. And they brought some cool cars. Here are our favorites. In the meantime, heres hoping the hard-working volunteers, sponsors (Mother’s High Performance Car Care!), and car clubs that put the show on can come up with a new location and bring FFF back to its former glory. If you know of—or own—a Southern California location that can accommodate 1,300 Mustangs, sing out.1966 Ford Fairlane 500This one had a 427 Tunnel Port and a four-speed.1966 Ford Fairlane 500The owner just drove this in the Route 66 Fun Run, from Seligman to Topock, Arizona. The car sports a rebuilt 289, aluminum hood, disc brakes, rack and pinion steering, new bumper, and new cooling system. 1963 Comet S-22It’s powered by a 427 Windsor mated to a 700R4 overdrive transmission with an 8.8 Trac Lock rear end. The car is mini-tubbed, a term referring to modifying a car’s rear wheel wells to accommodate significantly wider tires and wheels without altering the vehicle’s factory outer body lines or frame rails, according to our colleagues at Hot Rod magazine. It provides maximum traction and handling capabilities for high-horsepower engines.Econoline Custom 300 QuadravanThe Ford Econoline Custom 300 Quadravan is a highly capable vintage 4x4 camper van built on the heavy-duty E-300 chassis. It features an aftermarket four-wheel-drive system (the “Quadravan” conversion) originally designed for aggressive off-road terrain.1969 Bronco PickupThe first-gen Bronco, also called the Early Bronco, or EB, was made from 1966-1977. You could get everything from a 170 cu in straight-six to a 302 V8. It was available as a pickup truck from ’66 to ’72.1977 F-250 Ranger XLTThis was a Camper Special model, built at the old Ford plant in San Jose, California, sold new at Smith Ford in Garden Grove, California, and restored between 2012 and 2016 by Mike Klyde.BroncoThis Early Bronco was in fantastic shape.Ford F-150 RangerThis truck had a sticker for Driven Auto Parts in Phoenix, Arizona. There’s a place called Driven 4x4 Parts in Phoenix but we couldn’t find Driven Auto Parts specifically. Driven 4x4 has parts for your Ford pickup truck F100, F150, F250, F350 from 1967-1997, and for your Ford Bronco from 1966-1996. “We have over 60 early Ford Classic Broncos in our inventory for your used Bronco parts needs.Driven 4x4 Parts provides resto, modifications and repairs to your Early Classic Ford Bronco,” they said.1971 Mustang Mach 1“As the Mustang aged into the 1970s, it, like the lapels and bell-bottom trousers of the time, got wider,” wrote Brendan McAleer in Car and Driver. “Also longer and heavier. That’s not exactly what you want in a sporting pony car. Thus, the earlier Mustangs of the 1960s have traditionally received more attention from enthusiasts, but the best examples of the early ‘70s Mustangs have an undeniable swagger and are starting to get their due.”1972 Ford MaverickThis Maverick is equipped with a 347 Stroker Kit, a highly modified, small-block Ford V8 engine that boasts 347 cubic inches (roughly 5.7 liters) of displacement, according to Performance V8. It’s not a factory engine; rather, it’s built by taking a traditional small-block Ford (like the widely used 302 Windsor) and installing a custom “stroker kit.”This kit replaces the standard crankshaft and con rods with ones that have longer “throws.” This forces the pistons to travel deeper into the cylinder, increasing the swept volume. The Result is that the engine’s size is bumped up from 302 cubic inches to 347 cubic inches without having to change the external block size.While a factory Maverick V8 typically maxed out around at 210 hp, a 347 stroker heavily transforms the car’s dynamic. Depending on the specific build (camshaft, cylinder heads, and intake), a 347 stroker typically produces anywhere from 400 to over 500 horsepower. The longer piston travel yields massive low-end torque, meaning the lightweight Maverick can launch incredibly fast.Ford RancheroThe Ranchero came in seven generations, from 1955 to 1979. This looks like a third-gen 1966 model. Ford Model TTThe Ford Model T flatbed truck—officially known as the Model TT—was a heavier-duty version of the iconic Model T designed to haul heavy loads. Featuring a one-ton payload capacity and a longer, reinforced chassis, it became the workhorse of American agriculture and industry throughout the 1920s.1964 1/2 Mustang ConvertibleBill Rader is a high muckety muck with Fabulous Fords Forever, and he represents Mustang Owners Club of California on the Ford Car Club Council.” He drove this car to the show. We did not get the name of the kid in the mini-me Mustang, but he drove it all over the show, the only electric vehicle present. This is the next generation, and it seems to be in good hands.
