1st Feb 2006, 18:58
Any serious restoration, even if the car is allegedly collectible (something that varies year to year), should be approached as a labor of love instead of making any type of financial sense.
One need only watch a Barrett-Jackson auction on the Speed Channel to see cars that, say, cost $50K to restore yet sold for $35K.
2nd Feb 2006, 07:41
A 1966 Galaxie with a 289 is a nice old car, but a muscle car it most definitely is NOT.
23rd Sep 2006, 16:31
I tend to agree, a 66 with the little 289...not a muscle car.HOWEVER, the 66 with a big block... on that you might get a disagreement.
8th Oct 2007, 16:07
Hello - I have had a number of 1966 Galaxies. First car was a 1966 Galaxie 500 bench seat convertible (serial 6G65Y174892). Still running around somewhere in the Youngstown, OH area. Turquois Blue with same interior. Had the 390 2bbl (Y code) V-8. Sold it in 1991 as the frame was weakening (braked grabbed when went over a bump). These cars were known to rot out in the back frame where the trailing arms for rear axle attaches.
Galaxie 500 was the most common name of the full-sized fords that year. The basic ford was the Custom, then Custom 500, Galaxie 500, Galaxie 500 XL (bucket seat model meant to compete with chevy impala super sports), luxury LTD, and muscle car version Galaxie 500 7-Litre. In 1965, the LTD (Luxury Trim Decor) was part of the Galaxie 500 series, but became its own line in 1966. THe 7-Litre came with the 428 V-8 and disc brakes as standard equipment. THere are car clubs devoted exlusively to the 7-Litre. THere's also a GAlaxie Club of America. and a 1966 Ford Registry I would encourage folks to register their cars on.
In college, I bought a red Galaxie 500 7-Litre Hardtop (6GxxQxxxxx). This was a muscle car, but not the high performance 427 V-8, which is fairly rare. They didn't make too many 7-Litres, and produced them only in 1966 and 1967. Had the wood-spoked wheel that the mustangs had, and was the first disc-brake fords you could buy (I think). Sold it to a friend in the 1980s.
I now have a 1966 Galaxie 500 XL convertible, (6E69Z139610)turquois blue with parchment (tan/creme) interior. Has factory AM/FM and 8-track. Ford actually pioneered the 8-track in 1966, forming an alliance with Lear Jet to make the motor-victrola corporation (aka Motorola), with the 8-track debuting in the 1966 Ford car lineup.
The change of the suspension system in 1965-66 cars did give a superior ride, with ads of that time boasting that they drove more smoothly than a Rolls-Royce. They are a big car, even as a muscle car, and don't have the nimble handling as the other "sports cars", but you can't beat them for trip to the dairy isle on a summer afternoon
7th Jun 2008, 19:16
I think it looks even better low, with gangster whitewalls and limo tint and (h.i.d) windows rolled up, listening to the great oldies from the 50's; I know because I own one.
19th Jun 2009, 22:55
The claim about more "smoothly" than a Rolls-Royce is inaccurate. The advertising was that a Galaxie was "quieter" than a R-R, not that it rode more smoothly.
Time goes by. I'd like to find a '66 light-colored LTD with a 289: cheaper than a same vintage Caprice and probably better than a VIP.
21st Oct 2015, 12:06
Agreed. I think the correct term would be "pre muscle" car and would apply to the 352 and 390s as well. The 427, however, is a beast and IMO is a "muscle car". The trend was building smaller frames attached to these big engines starting 67, 68, etc. which became true American muscle. My timeline is not hard and fast as there are exceptions.
1st Feb 2006, 15:24
I once had the option to buy a 1967 Galaxie 4 door to restore and drive, and I suppose the option is still there for me. It has a 289 V8 and a 3 on the tree, and only 61,000 miles. Very little rust despite that it has lived in Minnesota all its life. Only problem is that it hasn't bee on the road since 1990 and would need a lot of work, but it would probably be worth it to have such a nice car.