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Posts Tagged: Ford Galaxie

Ford Galaxie 1964 to 1968

by Ross Mills

Rev up your engines, folks! The Ford Galaxie, from 1964 to 1968, was a star on and off the racetrack. In ’64, it flaunted a sleek, aerodynamic look, thanks to NASCAR tinkering. The Galaxie XL hardtop coupe was a collector’s dream with its comfy bucket seats and a V8 engine that could make even the most stoic driver grin. By ’68, this beauty boasted horizontally mounted headlights and a cigarette lighter – because who doesn’t need a smoke when cruising in style? Buckle up for a ride through automotive history!

Classic black vintage car parked on a street with trees in the background.

1964 Ford Galaxie 500 427 4-Speed R-Code

by Kiril

A Raven black 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 might look like just another big Ford sedan, but the R-code stamped on its 427 tells a different story — 425 factory horsepower, dual quads, and a 4-speed manual built for the drag strip rather than the driveway. Pulled from The Brothers Collection and featured on Muscle Car of the Week, this survivor represents a rarer, race-bred side of Ford’s full-size lineup that most collectors overlook. See what’s hiding under that long black hood.

A vintage 1956 Ford Fairlane car with its hood open in a garage.

1966 Ford Galaxie 500 XL Starts after 30 years

by Wes

A 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 XL sat untouched for thirty years in the hands of its only owner, its 428 big block and four-speed manual silent the entire time. When the Hotwoods Pontoon team finally turned the key, nobody was sure the engine would even fire after three decades of dust and dried-out fuel lines. What happened next turned a routine start-up into something closer to a resurrection. Watch to see if three decades of silence gave way to a running engine.

A classic red convertible car parked on a sunny day.

Ford Galaxie 500-1964 images

by Ross Mills

In 1964, Ford squeezed a race-bred 427 V8 into the Galaxie 500, and NASCAR promptly banned the racing version as “too exotic” before it could dominate a single superspeedway. Only 3,140 R-code Galaxies were built that year, and just 76 are known to survive today. Here’s the story behind Ford’s short-lived big-block gamble and the handful of survivors still turning heads.

Man standing next to a classic white convertible car outside a store.

Just Cool Cars: This early Pontiac GTO is an original

by Kiril

Pontiac expected to sell about 5,000 GTOs in 1964. They sold 32,450, forcing GM to drop its displacement cap on mid-size cars the following year and kicking off the muscle car era in earnest. A genuinely original, unrestored example — like the one featured here — is worth chasing precisely because so few survive with their factory paint, interior, and drivetrain untouched.

Bright orange 1970 Dodge Challenger on display at a car show.

Jay Leno’s Favorite American Muscle Cars

by Wes

The Drive heads to Jay Leno’s Garage to hear the comedian and lifelong gearhead pick his favorite American muscle cars, and the choices say a lot about how his mind works. Alongside a 1971 Dodge Challenger and a seven-liter Ford Galaxie 500 sit two wild cards: a 1,000-horsepower rear-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Toronado and a crate-engined Buick Roadmaster. When you can own anything, these are the ones that earn a spot. See what made the cut.

1965 Ford Galaxie 500 muscle car in dark red with classic styling.

Review and Breakdown: 1965 Ford Galaxie 500R Code 427

by Wes

A 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 looks like the quiet cruiser your grandfather drove to church, and that is exactly what makes this one dangerous. The V8TV crew pulls back the curtain on a no-frills R-code hiding a dual-quad 427 and a four-speed. From The Brothers Collection, it is the original factory sleeper, built to win on the superspeedways. See why looks can be very deceiving.

Classic blue vintage car parked on a sunny street.

Video: That Dude’s 1966 Ford Galaxie Retro Review

by Kiril

A modern-car reviewer’s detour into a 1966 Ford Galaxie reveals just how wide Ford’s lineup really was that year — from a comfortable 390-powered cruiser to a stripped-down 427 built almost exclusively for the track. Three trim levels, three horsepower tiers, and one engine option that traded power steering for outright speed. See what made this full-size Ford a genuine split personality.

Ford Galaxie 1962 and 1963

by Ross Mills

Ford’s Galaxie strutted its stuff in 1962 and 1963 with style and muscle. The ’62 model, known as “The Lively One,” boasted sporty options like bucket seats and a console, while the ’63 got a facelift, losing its tail fins and gaining a fastback roof for NASCAR flair. Engine swaps were afoot, with the 406 replaced by a ferocious 427 V8, making it a beast on the road. But alas, even with power galore, the Galaxie had a weighty issue—proving you can’t have your cake and eat it too, even if it’s a car!

1956 Ford Galaxy convertible displayed in a classic car showroom.

Restoration Blog: 1966 Ford Galaxie, Ultimate Edition

by Wes

Jay Leno spent his teenage years dreaming about a 1966 Ford Galaxie, and decades later he finally built the one he always wanted — then rebuilt it, and rebuilt it again. This “ultimate edition” full-size Ford keeps its period looks while hiding modern brakes and drivability upgrades underneath. It’s less a restoration than a memory chased to perfection. Watch to see why he couldn’t leave it alone.

A vintage white muscle car with its hood open at a car show.

Ford Galaxie 1963 Legens

by Kiril

Ford built more than half a million Galaxies in 1963, but few of them looked anything like this one. This custom pairs a modern Coyote 5.0 V8 and Tremec transmission with a full-size body that once raced NASCAR’s fastest ovals. PPG tan paint and a custom brown leather interior finish the transformation from family sedan to genuine hot rod. Here’s what makes this swap such a popular formula among Galaxie builders.

The Ford Galaxie 1959 to 1961

by Ross Mills

The Ford Galaxie was a full-sized marvel from 1959 to 1961, showcasing a blend of chrome and innovation with features like the impressive retractable hardtop and a power-packed 352 cu in V8 engine. By 1960, the Galaxie shed its flashy ornaments for a sleeker look, introducing the Starliner—a pillarless hardtop coupé with a grand rear window. While the Starliner was short-lived, the Galaxie continued to delight with its powerful 390 CDI V8 engine, proving that even heavyweight classics can move with gusto!

Classic red convertible car parked outdoors with autumn trees in the background.

Ford Galaxie 1965 427 R-Code

by Kiril

Order the R-code option on a 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 XL and buyers got far more than a bigger engine – Ford rewired the entire car around a 425-horsepower dual-quad 427, complete with a four-speed-only mandate, reinforced suspension, and station wagon brakes. Marketed as ‘Velvet Brut,’ this combination proved a full-size family car could hide genuine drag-strip menace under its chrome. Few buyers realized just how much engineering went into making that possible.

Classic maroon muscle car parked indoors with black rims.

Ford Galaxie 1965 500R Code 427

by Kiril

Most 1965 Ford Galaxies were built for comfort, not speed. But buried deep in the order sheet was a code few dealers even mentioned — one that swapped in dual four-barrel carburetors, a race-bred cam, and 425 horsepower under a completely ordinary-looking hood. Here’s why this rare R-code package turned a family sedan into one of the era’s best-kept performance secrets.

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