COMPARISON · THE SHOWDOWN
OPEN LABOR PROJECT
VEHICLE A
▼
Ford
Fairlane
428ci V8
VS
VEHICLE B
▼
Ford
Fairlane
200ci I6
Real labor data. Real maintenance costs. Real recall counts. No subscription, no paywall — free for every wrench-turner.
01
Specifications
Year
1970
1972
Engine
428ci V8
200ci I6
Drivetrain
RWD
RWD
Transmission
automatic
manual
Fuel
gas
gas
04
Cost of Ownership
5-Year Maintenance
$11,736
0.20 $/mi
★ WINNER
5-Year Maintenance
$9,218
0.15 $/mi
🏆
ADVANTAGEFord Fairlane — Saves you $2,518 over 5 years (21% less in routine maintenance labor)
Routine maintenance only. Cost = labor hours × $150/hr × estimated 5-yr frequency. Parts cost not included.
05
Maintenance Breakdown
Hours per common service. Lower is faster (and cheaper) at the shop.
Floor Pan and Torque Box Rust-Through
— hrs$2,438 / 5yr
— hrs
Oil & filter change
0.5 hrs$1,380 / 5yr
0.3 hrs$1,020 / 5yr
Front Torque Box and Shock Tower Rust
— hrs
— hrs$1,313 / 5yr
Tire rotation
0.5 hrs$600 / 5yr
0.5 hrs$600 / 5yr
Front brake pads
1.4 hrs$580 / 5yr
1.2 hrs$520 / 5yr
Rear brake pads
1.4 hrs$560 / 5yr
1.2 hrs$500 / 5yr
Differential fluid
1.2 hrs$440 / 5yr
1.5 hrs$530 / 5yr
Brake fluid flush
1.0 hrs$330 / 5yr
0.8 hrs$270 / 5yr
Timing Chain Stretch and Failure (V8 Engines)
— hrs$585 / 5yr
— hrs
Wiper blades
0.3 hrs$300 / 5yr
0.2 hrs$240 / 5yr
12V battery
0.5 hrs$275 / 5yr
0.3 hrs$245 / 5yr
Upper Control Arm Bushing and Ball Joint Wear
— hrs$488 / 5yr
— hrs
Spark plugs
1.0 hrs$230 / 5yr
0.8 hrs$200 / 5yr
Timing Chain Stretch and Guide Failure (V8 engines)
— hrs
— hrs$423 / 5yr
Coolant flush
1.0 hrs$200 / 5yr
1.0 hrs$200 / 5yr
Fuel filter
0.6 hrs$240 / 5yr
0.3 hrs$150 / 5yr
Rear Leaf Spring Sag and Shackle Bushing Failure
— hrs
— hrs$390 / 5yr
Intake manifold gasket
3.6 hrs$189 / 5yr
3.5 hrs$185 / 5yr
Water pump
3.0 hrs$200 / 5yr
2.5 hrs$173 / 5yr
Carburetor Issues (Autolite/Motorcraft 2100/4100)
— hrs$325 / 5yr
— hrs
Oil pan gasket
4.2 hrs$170 / 5yr
3.5 hrs$144 / 5yr
Engine air filter
0.4 hrs$180 / 5yr
0.2 hrs$120 / 5yr
Carburetor Tuning Issues (All engines)
— hrs
— hrs$293 / 5yr
Rear Leaf Spring Sag and Shackle Failure
— hrs$280 / 5yr
— hrs
Alternator
1.8 hrs$143 / 5yr
1.2 hrs$120 / 5yr
Valve cover gasket
1.8 hrs$132 / 5yr
1.5 hrs$114 / 5yr
Distributor Advance Mechanism Seizure
— hrs
— hrs$228 / 5yr
Steering Box Wear and Column Coupling Failure
— hrs
— hrs$227 / 5yr
Radiator Core Clogging and Tank Separation
— hrs$210 / 5yr
— hrs
Power steering flush
0.6 hrs$110 / 5yr
0.5 hrs$95 / 5yr
Ignition Points and Condenser Failure
— hrs$195 / 5yr
— hrs
Starter motor
1.8 hrs$94 / 5yr
1.2 hrs$76 / 5yr
PCV valve
0.5 hrs$95 / 5yr
0.3 hrs$65 / 5yr
Thermostat
1.0 hrs$67 / 5yr
1.2 hrs$77 / 5yr
06
Active Recalls
Open NHTSA Recalls
0
CLEAR
Open NHTSA Recalls
0
CLEAR
✓ Both vehicles are completely clear of open safety recalls.
07
Fluid Capacities
Ford Fairlane
ac_refrigerant · R-12
brake0.75 qt · FMVSS 116 DOT 3
coolant17.00 qt · Ethylene glycol 50/50 green
engine_oil5.00 qt · API SE
power_steering2.50 qt · Ford M2C33-F
rear_diff3.50 qt · API GL-5
transmission_auto11.00 qt · Ford M2C33-F
washer1.00 qt · Windshield washer fluid
Ford Fairlane
ac_refrigerant · R-12
brake0.75 qt · FMVSS 116 DOT 3
coolant14.00 qt · ASTM D3306
engine_oil5.00 qt · API SE or SF
power_steering2.50 qt · Ford M2C33-F
rear_diff3.50 qt · API GL-5
transmission_manual3.50 qt · Ford ESP-M2C83-C
washer2.50 qt · Windshield washer fluid
08
The Verdict
🏆
THE WINNER
1972 Ford Fairlane
200ci I6
- Ford Fairlane is cheaper to maintain (saves ~$2,518 over 5 years)
Based on objective maintenance and recall data. Driving feel, looks, brand loyalty, and ownership experience are separate (and very valid) considerations.
Open the full dashboard for either truck
Labor times, torque specs, fluid capacities, DTC codes, repair procedures, recalls, common platform problems.