CC reader David Lawson sent me the link to this excellent video of one man’s old 1964 Ford Galaxie XL 427, very well used (bought from a moonshiner back in 1975). A genuine CC if there ever was one. Enjoy.
Some Old Ford from Ben Pender-Cudlip on Vimeo.
Awesome video! I’ve always liked these old American cars. 🙂
Outstanding find! Thank you for posting this.
Having fired up the ’63 Saturday for a warm weather drive, seeing this was quite timely. I agree with the owner – keep it the way it is and drive the hell out of it!
There is something so simple yet satisfying about these big Galaxies.
You were the first person I thought of when I saw it.
Yes, and it’s what I’ve been doing with my old F100: drive the hell out of it.
In honor of this post, I took the Galaxie out for another warm weather spin. Despite it being a 352, the sound of the exhaust at idle definitely has a family resemblance to the 427 in the video.
Yep – I remembered that sound too.
Personally I’d fix it up but not to showroom. That rust would have to go. I’d try to leave it with a driven look.
I had a 63 Galaxie 500 XL convertible with a 427 back in the late 60s. It’s the only car I kick myself for selling.
That’s what I’d do. I’d upgrade a car enough to be a safe daily driver, but not enough to be show quality. I’d give it safety belts for all occupants, including the driver. I’d give it disc brakes.
Disagree.
I would neither restore it, nor upgrade it, nor drive the hell out of it. I would preserve it the way it is, and only drive it on special occasions.
Rust never sleeps, preserving isn’t a long term option.
Same here. Patina is one thing, rust-through is different. I’d probably be put off the road here with it like that – but I couldn’t stand it like that anyway. Think I’d go for discs too, with the amount of straight-line go a 427 would have. I’d rebuild the steering and suspension as well – that car would need all the help it could get in the handling department.
But would I want it? Oh yeah!
Very cool car. If it was mine, I’d give it a real good wash, and get some oil sprayed into the rust spots. Then I would just drive it the way it is.
The owner has posted some updates on the car on the H.A.M.B., links below:
“SOME OLD FORD” IS MY OLD FORD.
SOME OLD FORD GETS SOME LONG OVERDUE ATTENTION (PICS)
Unfortunately, that video doesn’t seem to be available. I clicked on the link, and it said “Error”. 🙁
Oops, remove the ” symbol from the web address and it will work.
Corrected links are below
SOME OLD FORD GETS SOME LONG OVERDUE ATTENTION (PICS)
“SOME OLD FORD” IS MY OLD FORD
Thank you, I’ll check them out. 🙂
Too bad he had to leave it out for a decade in the elements to take their toll. Still, you have to credit the guy for keeping it going and at least maintaining the drivetrain.
I agree. While I’m not against patina, as long as superficial, as long as the body doesn’t have any big rust holes, and as long as the frame of the vehicle is still intact, then the rest of the car can be fixed up the way the owner wants or needs. 🙂
that car defines what current cars are sadly lacking…character. it’s like comparing a F-86 to a F-22. modern high tech just doesn’t have the cool factor. I’d fix it up a bit…but lots of times people overrestore/overmodernize til the car just looks like modern with old style sheet metal. never, ever lose the steel wheels with small hubcaps.
+1
Plus nothing currently made will age this cool 50 years from now. Peeled clearcoat, Warped and deteriated plastic/rubber trim, yellowed plastic headlights, smartphone apps that won’t work with future smart phones(if they haven’t been implanted in our brains by then), long dead touch screens, electronic gremlins galore is what every current car has to look forward to, if they even are able to run(new engines and transmissions aren’t exactly serviceable like they used to be).
Meanwhile in the same time, if this Galaxie doesn’t completely rust away by then, everything on it will still work, albeit in a somewhat diminished form, but even then a little elbow grease works wonders on actual mechanical devices, which the Galaxie is 100% made up of. With the limitations constraining modern car design (I doubt a 2065 car will look much different to our 2015 designs, unless they can fly) the Galaxie will no doubt be more interesting to see than the 2015 car to boot.
There’s certainly something to be said for a pre-technology all-mechanical car.
I just sold a 60s era chrysler that sat in my uncle’s rodent infested dirt-floor barn for 20-30 years. It started up with new plugs and wires. It barely ran but it did run…needed carb work. No car made today will be able to do that.
*VERY* nice ! .
It’s good to hear this again , not enough Old Tech V-ates out these days .
I hope he addresses the rust as it never sleeps and I well remember putting my foot on the back bumper of Brian’s 390 ’64 Galaxie in 1969 and having the frame give way , him screaming ‘ ! now I’ll _never_ be able to sell it you idiot ! ” .
This is a seriously historic Automobile , allowing rust to remain is criminal .
-Nate
I’m pretty sure this is the model Jay Leno convinced his dad to buy. All it took was to know which box to check on the order sheet. He does a pretty good riff about dad starting it up at the dealer and it’s got the lumpy idle and free flow exhaust and dad goes “what’s all this about”?
Its twin in white with awesome patina cruises the roads of Hawkes Bay nice cars.
Nice. i have a sort spot in my heart (or is it my head 😀 ?) for mid-Sixties big Fords.
I love it. It reminds me of my ’64 Fairlane, other than mine is a 4 door, 265/Ford-O-Matic 2 speed. And it’s in better shape. No rust. I understand what he meant about anticipating stops. With all that weight, and non power drums, they don’t exactly stop on a dime. I considered doing a cheap cosmetic restore on mine, some new upholstery and a Maaco paint job, but decided to leave it the way it is too.
I am reminded of the phrase “standing on the brake”.
People under 40 likely do not have a complete understanding of that phrase. When you have drum brakes fading fast and you absolutely MUST stop your car, suddenly the only parts of your body touching your car are the bottoms of your feet on the brake pedal, and your hands on your steering wheel…maybe the top of your head on the ceiling.
Huh…I just thought of something. Seat belts might actually be a safety impediment when you are driving a big heavy car with non-boosted drum brakes.
Thanks for posting this. I have to side with the owner — he’s enjoying his car. I see nothing wrong with him just driving the hell out of it once in awhile. I think I’d rather spend time behind the wheel than cutting/welding/sanding/beating the rust out.
Besides, it’s a 427 Galaxie. When the current owner passes away, the future owner can worry about chalk marks on the firewall — I think this car’s future is bright regardless.
I loved the In-car part of the clip where he wound her up — it gave me goosebumps.
I wonder how long moonshining was around? My guess is that by 1975 there was not much of it but I could be wrong. In 1964 a friends uncle was a County Judge in Arkansas and we got a quart of moonshine that had been confiscated in a raid. We mixed it with coke I think as it basically just grain alcohol. Not terrible to drink but talk about a hangover!!
Very cool video Paul!
I agree with leaving it as is, but if it is anything like my Fairlane, it would need a lot of mechanical work just to be driveable. I totally rebuilt the suspension on both ends, the steering, brakes, U-joints, all the wheel bearings, rebuilt the Ford-O-Matic, rewired the entire electrical system, new tires and wheels, had both seats redone, removed all the carpet and did the floor in truck bed liner (all the weatherstripping is rotted out and let water inside the car) I made new door panels out of that corrugated plastic they use for signs. I ripped out the rotted headliner and will leave it that way. I cleaned out the trunk real good, and used truck bed liner on it too. With a few repairs the original engine is running, but burns some oil. Might swap it for a 289. It still looks like an old well worn car, but can be driven without fear of breakdowns. I drive it at least once a week.
As far as moonshining, it is still going on. I personally know of 3 people operating stills in Lincoln County, which is a dry county. You cannot legally buy alcohol there (except what they put in the gas, which messes up nice old cars.
As a bloke once said to me at a used car place “now, this is a real car”
Total Performance lives!
Love these cars. Drove my Dad’s 64 in high school in the late 80’s. Too bad it “only” had a 352, which was more than enough for a 16 year old!