First Start of my 1963 1/2 Galaxie 500XL that hasn't been started since 2006! 16 Years sitting outside in the elements took a tole to the Texas car, but we'll get it back on the road and running once again! www.theoldcarchannel.ocm
I just got a 63 1/2 Galaxie last fall. I really wanted an XL with 390 4 bbl. but when I saw this one I got I had to have it. 352 2 bbl. carb. At almost 5 bucks a gallon I'm kind of glad I didn't get the 390. No power steering, no power brakes no outside rear view mirror. People don't realize that all that stuff was optional back then. I can have it converted to power steering in the future if I live that long but for now I'll keep it stock. 40,000 original miles. It did a lot of sitting over the years but things are immaculate for being almost 60 yrs. old.
That car is so cool. Reminded me of my 390 I had in my 68 LTD. Of course I put a Holley 780CFM Cual Line, duels, and chrome valve covers. That car would run.
Heart skipped a beat when I saw this on my feed. Was my first car at 16 back in '69...exactly, except mine had a VINYL white roof. That mid-year mod with the fastback roof really made these lookers.
Hey brother,this is Stretch from T-Town Okla. I just stumbled on your show and I did the day watching it. Not bad dudes! Anyway, I just saw your show on the 63&1/2 Do Ford & I have a thing for 63's/64's .i also heard you've had it for a few moons ? I'm going to put this out for you to think on & maybe we can get together on the a dealer? Ya see , i just happen to have a 1965 Mercy Comet 2dr. Post. 6cyl. 3 on the tree & I was just wondering if you wanted a clone of yours to be safe, just in case .I'd be happy to hear from ya & maybe we can both have a merry Christmas for a change? What do ya say brother will you think on it for a while and get back to me? ✌️
I always loved the Galaxie. 😎💙I can actually smell the old car smell when you opened the door (even though the windows were rolled down)😉 That's a beautiful area where you live.
They're beautiful cars! Haha that's funny, gotta love the old car smell! Thank you, we bought the land and built the house ourselves, the developers did a good job with the rest of the subdivision.
My father was first elected as a county sheriff in 1963, but as deputy sheriff had been appointed county sheriff mid-way through the prior term of office. One of the most influential of county commissioners (three in total) was a cousin through family and that cousin had a younger brother who was one of my father's best friends. When it came down to what vehicle my father would use, my father spec'ed out a 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie 500XL with the 390 P-code police interceptor package and the commissioner got the car purchase approved. My father drove the car hard, was out on patrol one afternoon at the recreational reservoir when the car had an electrical fire. Dad was just going to let the fire total the car when a well-meaning camper put out the fire. That toasted the interior lights. I don't know what transpired after 1969, when my father got the county to purchase a 1970 Ford LTD but the Galaxie was put into storage until I got my driver's license in April 1972 and around June 1972 my father handed me the keys to the Galaxie, and I was the new owner. I have no clue as to how he got ownership unless the commissioner swung some kind of deal (my father could sell you the shirt off your back). I drove the 500XL that summer and fall, then winterized it and revived it the following spring of 1973, then drove it spring, summer and fall of 1973, winterized it again until spring and summer of 1974. Seriously, that was way too much car for a 16-year-old to start out with. The 390 P-code engine allegedly had some work done on it by a local mechanic friend of my father such that it was more of a 400+. I don't know how I survived the summer/fall of 1972, spring/summer/fall of 1973 and the spring/summer of 1974. I was not allowed to take the car when I started university in the fall of 1974, so my younger sisters drove it until I took it back the summer of 1975 and again the summer of 1976 when I then drove it back to start my junior year of college in the fall of 1976 and became my daily driver from the fall of 1976 through to the summer of 1979, when I parked it and bought a 1974 AMC Matador to drive off to a summer intern job with Monsanto (St. Louis Missouri) in 1979. I have fond memories of that Galaxie through three years of high school and tree years of university. Two-door with white exterior and black vinyl bucket seats in the front (way cooler than those front seats in this video), and floor mounted automatic transmission shifter between the front bucket seats and similar rear seats as shown in this video with that large speaker grill in the rear center. I could lay rubber for a city block. From when I worked that summer of 1979 in St. Louis, then returned to finish out my B.S. in ChemE in the fall of 1979, then started my M.S. program in Jan. 1980 through Jan. 1981, finished up on my M.S. in ChemE (graduating in May 1981) and moved out to California to start work in Feb. 1981, I had no time to look back and do anything to the Galaxie as it was parked in the back yard of my mother's house and sat slowly sinking into the dirt until my mother found a buyer in 1985 (paid us $500) and I never saw the Galaxie 500XL again.
The 63 1/2 Galaxie is my favorite of the the full size Ford cars. Gotta love the bark of the 390 when you stomp on it! A 4spd swap is a great choice! A manual transmission is so much better then an auto!
They're gorgeous cars! 63 has better design than the 64 galaxie in my opinion. The ol 390 still has some life in her! The 4 spd swap will bring a new feeling to the car that's forsure!
My first car was a 631/2 galaxy 500xl black with a white interior hard for a 16 year old kid to keep tires on a car like that. I'm 63 now and I still miss it.
Pop had a new 63 Galaxie 500 XL Convertible 390 6 pack police interceptor 4 speed Rose Beige black top Black interior bucket seats... He sold it in 67 when I was 3. Got a 60 Cadillac 6 pack & 63 Corvair Manza Spider Turbo.
My parents had a 63 convertible when I was very young. I remember that grill and the interior a bit, but not much else. My dad says it was a 352, though, so not a speed demon.
My dad had a yellow and black interior 63 1/2 Ford Galaxie 500. I begged him to let me have it, at the time I was twelve years old to this day I still wish I had that car. Plus he bought the car two months before I was born.
was just thinking , about time you posted somthing seeing as winter is behind us and we canuks are comming out of hibernation didnt know you changed channel name glad l refound you thanks gord
She started up pretty easy it looks like. My 63 Gal originally had a vinyl top that was taken off and painted when I got it. It had some rust holes but not as bad as yours. She'll be a beauty when you get her all cleaned up. I had a 67 Galaxie 390 that we put grease in between the heads and exhaust manifold. It held for the few years I had it until it was sold. Maybe look into getting some copper gaskets, that's what has been recommended to me.
Little bit of smoke out the back simply adds to the Bettina! So what if the tree huggers get pissed. Good bones in that oud beauty. Kudos to the previous owner for storing it well. Ps. as in heavy equipment, always good to leave a oily rag in the tailpipe.
i had an old engine that smoked like that constantly. it was an easy fix in my case just had to pull valve covers and clean the drain holes from top of head down into oil pan . oil was running in through valve seals
Almost identical to my first car back in 1976 only my interior was blue/green and my gold 390 valve covers read: "Mercury" not "Thunderbird". Otherwise it could have been the same car! It smoked in the morning only, then cleared up. The transmission would slip into low at odd times, but I loved the thing and wish I had it back.
Excellent video :) get grey bottle of STP Total Treatment fuel injection and carb cleaner in fuel tank add one each month to ! Get bottle of bottle Brand NAPA call RISLONE put rad on cold engine whole contents in run in engine for 1 hour low idle to and sealed up gaskets plus whole motor both tune up too! 390 V8 4 barrels great motor also remember my first pickup Ford F350 extended cab 1 ton had motor and did job too! It was high boy truck plus motor was 4 V FE on carb had hand choke cable knob in dash plus MANUAL transmission Coulmn Shifter rare 4 speed foward gears , 409 rear end gears and lots power to! Temperature gauge for reading correct on that car if heads to middle or higher get thermostat changes to that car !
Actually from the factory they had no exhaust gaskets on cars,metal to metal. On trucks,medium and heavy duty they had them but we’re actually called heat shields for protecting the spark plug boots at the head.
In 1974, I had the 64 1/2 Galaxie 500XL with 390, 4 barrel, 4 on the floor, no AC, no power brakes or steering, reversed shackles, slotted mags on the rear and baby moons on the front. It had the exact same paint scheme as the Comet. My oldest brother, 2 years younger than I, had the 63 1/2 just like yours except dark blue. My youngest brother, 6 years younger than I, had the 62 1/2 in black. My middle brother, 4 years younger than I, had a 62 Galaxie with a 289 and my dad had a red 63' Galaxie , also with a 289. Red makes them faster, right?🤔
Fantastic that you got this choice CHOICE Funk-mobile. Suggestion: if you've been at all toying with the idea of this sort of motor thang *drum roll* Shelby America, Aluminum, new and improved, 427... with their heads and possibly think of making the intake a Turbo friendly one [instead of the Stacks they tend to you on the Cobra's all the time]. The bottom end of their 427 is built even sturdier than the LS version of the Windsor they improved on before & are famous for... but arguably, the new Windsor inspired block the Shelby gang has designed and built is overspec in that area... as well as gussetted reinforced top in the Lifter Valley... second to none in the improved oil passeges to make sure the dang thing has well lubed crank, main bearings and cam, lifters.... I think this is the proper rocket ship for that particular crate motor :-)))
Absolutely love the channel you and your papa have. Congratulations to pop on your retirement in a month and a half. Retirement is a great thing I love mine hahaha. Between you and junkyard digs, I'm starting to raise an eyebrow and starting to take a different look at Ford. Absolutely love the channel Mike. But if you could change one thing for a viewer , please stop saying GD. For me it's very disturbing. God bless
No really plans for the engine at the moment. Would just like to seal up the exhaust leaks and then do the 4 spd swap. The lifts don't need to be bolted, in the long run they won't be staying there so didn't bother bolting them to the floor
