1963' Ford Galaxie

For fans of full-sized Ford muscle, there arent many holier grails than a real-deal R-code Galaxie. Well, heres your chance, because this 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL R-Code 427 hardtop sports a side-oiler 427 FE V8 and top-loader 4-speed manual, dual quads, and a delicious red-on-red color combination. This was by far the biggest, baddest car on the streets of 1963, and its been beautifully restored back-to-stock. If you want one of the best Galaxies 500XLs out there, you wont do much better than a real-deal, dialed-in R-Code hardtop like this. Code J Rangoon Red is this cars original color and now that youve seen it, its hard to imagine any more suitable color for a car with so much potential. It was treated to a cost-no-object restoration several years ago (reportedly the in the 1980s, but by all accounts, it looks much more recent than that), and although its been driven and enjoyed since, any imperfections you find are minor and dont take away from the top driver-quality presentation of this early muscle car. Its just flat-out nice, and a cut-and-buff would easily restore some former glory, or drive it like is with great confidence knowing there arent many nicer than this R-Code. The glossy Rangoon Red paint is surely worlds better than it was in 1963 and you can tell at a glance that theres a ton of money and time invested in the final result. Look how beautifully straight the quarters are, the exacting panel gaps, and the deep gloss that only comes from high-quality work laid down by professionals that knew what they were doing. Reflections are distortion-free in our pics and in real life and the doors close with the most wonderfully solid THUNK weve ever heard on a hardtop. Of course, the chrome and stainless trim is all in really nice shape as well, and the upscale 500XL carries quite a bit of the shiny stuff, so you know that wasnt cheap to restore. Most importantly, the factory 427 emblems still live on the front fenders, perhaps the only warning that anyones going to get regarding the beatings that this car regularly doles out. The Code 85 Red vinyl bucket seat interior is as equally nice as the exterior, and we love the attention grabbing red-on-red theme. Buckets and a console in a full-sized Ford is simply awesome, and the drivers compartment is every bit as beautifully detailed as the body. The high-end vinyl upholstery is in excellent shape, the proper cut-and-pile carpets are plush, and the ornate chrome-accented door panels, dash, center console, and even the seatbacks are, of course, in fantastic shape as well. The leather-wrapped dual-ring steering wheel has an opulent look and feels wonderful in the hands of the driver, and theres just nothing cooler than a 4-speed shifter in a full-sized car like this, which is just a short reach away inside the factory center console. The gauges are original-spec and keep an eye on the giant motor under the hood, including the super-rare factory tachometer mounted at the head of the center console. The only other notable options are seatbelts and a heater/defrost unit and stock AM radio, although theyre both due for an upgrade. Matching floormats line the floors, the back seat looks virtually untouched, and out back even the trunk is correctly finished with factory mats and includes a full-sized spare and jack set. But the real reason this car is special is the 427 cubic inch V8 FE medium-block under the hood which was Fords most potent powerplant and one that also landed in the legendary Cobra. Weve done our best to find as many casting numbers and date codes as possible since nothing was VIN-stamped back then, and as far as we can tell it is in fact a proper FE block with 1965 date-code, cross-bolted mains, a side-oiler setup, and correct FoMoCo heads, manifolds, intake, and distributor. Topped with period-perfect dual Holley 4-barrel carburetors, its an incredibly strong runner with huge horsepower and plenty of torque up-and-down the throttle. Correctly detailed with shiny chrome valve covers and that long oval air cleaner adorned with a correct 427 badge, it looks very much like it did in 1963 and is ready to be shown off with great pride. The Toploader 4-speed manual gearbox muscles through the gears with ease and it was fitted with a reported non-locking conventional 9-inch rear end with 3.50 gears out back to make it friendly on the street. Nevertheless, we guarantee youve never driven something this big thats also this fast. The undercarriage is very solid albeit not detailed for show the suspension features an independent front end and coilovers out back, and the throaty Flowmaster dual exhaust system sounds fantastic as a perfect dance partner to the big 427. Paint-matched steel wheels with bright hubcaps are the right choice and carry 225/70/15 Cooper radials that are a big upgrade over the bias-plys this big hardtop was original born with. Awesome colors, awesome pedigree, and an awesome restoration. If your blood flows Ford Blue (or maybe Ford Red would be the more apropos phrase in this cars case), then this is the car youve been waiting for. Call today!