1964 Ford Galaxie 500

Fitted with the 6.5-litre V8 engine, ‘EYY 536B’ is gargantuan in engineering scope as well as scale. A ‘matching numbers’ car that benefits from still having its original body, engine, and gearbox casing, it’s been with the seller since 2018.

Not that it’s a neglected museum piece because the 40-amp generator has been replaced with a 130-amp alternator, and the Cruise-O-Matic gearbox was rebuilt less than 1,000 miles ago by Alders Automotive. It’s had new sparkplugs and HT leads only recently too, along with an electronic ignition conversion and an alloy radiator.

It arrived over here in 2005 and is said to drive very well with “seamless shifting” thanks to all that recent work.
 

It takes a while to become accustomed to the sheer scale of the Galaxie, but once you do you’ll have the mental bandwidth to appreciate its design details and overall condition.

And size aside, there is a lot to take in. As a 1964 car, it features the sleeker (well, everything is relative…) fastback designed to make it more aerodynamic for NASCAR.

It’s clearly been repainted in Chantilly Beige at some point and presents well as you walk up to it. Closer inspection does reveal cracks to the finish along both flanks and there are signs of rust breaking out along various edges.

But the metalwork seems to be holding up well with good alignment to the panels, no serious dents or damage, and, most importantly, no corrosion holes, so it appears to be eminently saveable - and saveable on a DIY basis if you’re handy with a spraygun.

The chrome front and rear bumpers are fully two metres wide (in case you’re wondering, the Galaxie is 5.3 metres long and sits on a three-metre wheelbase…) and are, like the rest of the exterior brightwork, in a decent condition with a healthy shine and only light scratches and pitting.

(While we’re on the subject, other flaws include some dents to the chrome finishing strip on the leading edge of the bonnet and another dent to the front bumper.)

The 15-inch steel wheels are painted silver and present well, with only a few light marks along the rims.

As for the tyres, they are matching BF Goodrich Momentum. They show good tread but are 18 years old now, so the cracks on the sidewalls and between the blocks of tread won’t come as too much of a surprise.

The lamp lenses, glazing, and badges are all good; if you treated it to a respray you’d have a very fine example indeed.
 

The Galaxie’s sheer width is never more obvious than it is when you’re sitting inside, with full-width Chantilly Beige front seats providing a vast bench seat that could accommodate half a football team, with the rest, including a substitute, fitting easily in the rear.

We jest, but only a little because the space on offer is more reminiscent of the prairies of the mid-west rather than a council flat in Peckham.

It’s in great shape with excellent seat covers that have vinyl to their outer facings and a warm, grippy cloth to the inner sections all set off by a gold vinyl stripe down the centre of each seat.

Your eyes are drawn to elements such as the chromed and neatly labelled switches, a horizontal speedometer that’s flanked by instruments for fuel level and coolant temperature, and a steering column-mounted indicator panel for the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic gearbox.

There are also very good red carpets and a taut and undamaged headlining.

An aftermarket oil pressure gauge and rev counter have been fitted, along with a modern Blaupunkt Woodstock stereo. Infinity speakers have also been fitted to the rear parcel shelf and the original Ford radio, which is untested, is still in place in the dashboard.

The boot is as vast as everything else and plays home to a full-size spare wheel. It’s trimmed with what looks like original fabric but this is getting a bit scruffy, so the new owner will want to consider how best to balance originality and condition moving forward.

Which brings us neatly to the question of what work needs doing. In no particular order the door cards and rear quarter trim panels have a few small tears in them, the top of the dashboard is pitted and marked, the fabric along the top of the rear seat is sun-damaged, mildew is starting to take hold on the headlining, the boot floor has some surface rust, the vertical seal between the front door and rear trim panel has perished, and there’s some untidy repairs to the wiring in the boot.

The rear armrests are both stained too, with what looks like nicotine. Very of-the-period, we think in this case leaving them might be taking conservation too far.
 

Our assessor notes that it “fired up first time and drives fine” and while you might think he’s damning with faint praise, he knows his stuff and if he says it does what it should when it should then surely that’s about as good as it gets?

As you can hear in the video, the 390 cubic inch V8 also makes a glorious noise when provoked and we’d recommend turning the volume up to 11 to fully appreciate the note from the side-exit exhausts.

An unexpected bonus is that it has been converted to run on unleaded, and runs a 130 amp alternator with an electronic ignition.

The engine bay is serviceable but most folk would agree that it would be better after a small investment in time and money to clean it up and maybe paint the odd component like the valve covers.

There are a couple of mechanical jobs for you to get your teeth into because the exhaust manifold gasket on the offside side bank of cylinders is blowing. Also, while the fuel gauge is said to work, the fuel level sender doesn't.

As for the underside, we note the exhaust has been repaired and the presence of what looks like a recent Facet electronic fuel pump as well as the rebuilt gearbox.

There is also some rust on the floor-pan and suspension. This doesn’t look too serious though, and a day or two of cleaning and undersealing would make a huge difference to both its looks and longevity.
 

The Galaxie doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies…

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear bar the marker for being an imported car and having no tax.

There are also plenty of invoices in the history file for parts and work over the years along with touch-up paint, plenty of technical notes, a period brochure, a reproduction owner’s handbook, and even the original build sheet.
 

A Hollywood staple in hundreds of films and TV shows including Dr. No, Serpico, American Graffiti, and many, many others, we can’t think of many ways to make a bigger impression for so little money; whether you’re looking for a promotional vehicle for your company or a period American car to cruise around in, few cars are going to tick as many boxes as this.

It looks sensational, is in great shape, and starts and drives well. It offers a few small jobs to help you bond with it this winter too, and should offer a reasonably safe place to keep your money in the long-term.

But how much? we hear you cry. Well, a car like this is sure to draw an awful lot of interest, which necessitates a relatively broad guide price of between £17,000 and £22,000.

At the lower end of the range it would be a real bargain, and even if it were to reach the upper end of our estimate (and we wouldn’t be at all surprised if it did…) it would still represent solid value for money.

Even better, it’s being offered with no reserve so will sell from the very first bid, no matter how derisory that might be.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am- 12pm or 2pm-4pm. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.