The Velvet Rope Nightlife Cruiser

1980 Ford Fairmont

R111

Media library

7 photos

Original Build Studies

4 images

View all 4 images

Ladies of WBS Gallery

1 image

Ladies of WBS ↗

Wave Photography

1 image

Wave Photography ↗

Blueprint Studies

1 image

Blueprint Studies ↗

Story

The Fairmont was never supposed to be a velvet-rope car, which is exactly why it works. This build keeps the Fox-platform proportions intact, then tightens every line: a discreet 45mm-per-side flare with a soft rolled lip, a long concave skirt shelf with a thin chrome highlight, and a satin charcoal finish that absorbs light until the polished HRE faces catch it at the curb.

It sits on air, but not as a gimmick—just enough travel to glide into hotel driveways and then drop the rockers to the asphalt with the spoiler deployed. The result is a VIP executive cruiser with real stance discipline: wide tires properly centered, clean arch radius, and aero details that read like factory “special order” rather than aftermarket noise.

Blueprint

The Whitepaper Room

Inspect drawing ↗Open blueprint study →

Collectible Poster

Collector's Edition

Inspect poster ↗

Technical dossier

Fictional engineering concept

Platform

1980 Ford Fairmont

Powertrain concept

Front-engine naturally aspirated V8 concept with modern EFI and conservative street cam for smooth torque
Upgraded radiator and ducted airflow management using the bumper corner inlets
Quiet-performance exhaust with large resonators to keep the VIP character intact

Aero package

Flush-integrated retractable decklid spoiler (90mm extension when deployed)
Rear bumper shallow twin-blade diffuser (120mm depth) in brushed aluminum
Front bumper corner intake ducts (140mm x 120mm) feeding cooling and underbody airflow

Chassis & stance

1980 Ford Fairmont

Wheels & tires

HRE S101: 19x9 front, 19x10 rear in polished/brushed aluminum
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S: 275/35R19 front, 295/30R19 rear
Targeted offset/spacing to center tread under the 45mm flare with full steering lock clearance

Fabrication notes

Metal or composite flare sections bonded and skim-finished to maintain a factory-like surface break
Arch lips rolled to a consistent 12mm radius for repeatable clearance at aired-out height
Skirt shelf mounted with hidden fasteners; chrome strip mechanically retained to avoid edge lift
Decklid spoiler cassette reinforced internally to prevent panel warp and maintain flush shutlines