The carburetor needed new seals and a new float shortly after I bought it.
The old cork valve cover gaskets went out on it recently.
The original u-joints didn't have grease fittings on them, so they went out.
The steering wheel somehow got crooked on it before I bought it.
The Cruise-O-Matic transmission dripped fluid for a while, but the transmission fluid pan just needed tightening.
The choke sticks once in a while, but its no big deal.
That's about it.
The bench seats are very roomy and comfortable.
It feels and rides like a Cadillac. It just floats over bumps.
It sounds and drives like a muscle car, but wait... it is a muscle car!
The little 289 has got more torque than any jap car, and it sounds a lot better too!
A Galaxie 500 in the same shape as mine also makes a great show car! It seems to turn heads everywhere I go.
The car doesn't have a radio, but the sound of the V-8 sounds better to me than any music.
My Galaxie now has 33,000 on it and its still doing good.
Great cars have one my self. a 1966.
Had my 390cu Convertible for 20 years and I love it. always started and never has failed a mot test. model is a 1966 car and I am only the 2nd owner. would never part with it as in excellent condition, however may consider if a 1966 XL with the larger engine became available, but would also have to be in a1 condition.
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.
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.
A 1966 Galaxie with a 289 is a nice old car, but a muscle car it most definitely is NOT.
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.
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
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