The upgrades to this 2 door sedan are subtle at first. The wide chrome bumpers shine like mirrors; the headlights are crystal-clear; the full-length trim looks like an unbroken line on the super-straight sheetmetal; the jet-inspired taillights are bright like afterburners; and there’s a terrific application of legendary Wimbledon White that takes advantage of modern clearcoat depth.

All of this makes for an impressive presentation on one the best family-sized coupe designs ever to come from Detroit. But more than just a fine presentation, those genuine Halibrand wheels (extra-wide in the rear) and the lowered stance hint at all the upgrades beneath the surface.

More of this incognito attitude awaits when you open the door. This Fairlane was a labor of love, and so the owner spent plenty of time and effort sourcing the right NOS parts to restore the Ivy Gold interior.

The result feels like a 1960s time capsule as you look at the detail of the seats, door panels, headliner, carpeting, and even the trunk. And this all still feels so fresh because there is less than 3,000 miles on the car since this trek for the correct components was completed.

But this was a classic that he wanted to spend real time in, and so there are also great upgrades like an Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo and ice-cold R134a air conditioning. While the steering wheel and the gauges have that perfect old-school feel, upgrades like the auxiliary readout trio, TCI Thunder Stick shifter, and shift light on the dash are all more hints at the beast within…