The second-generation Ford Galaxie spanned ten years, from 1969 to 1978, and it had more than one redesign within that generation. This 1973 Ford Galaxie is mind-numbingly nice. I know, the design of this car may leave some of you with a numb mind, but this car is amazing. It’s on Craigslist in Becker, Minnesota but it’s from California, as you can see from the license plates. The seller is asking $2,550 and that’s a heck of a lot of car, figuratively and literally, for that money! If the ad goes away, the info can be found here.
This is one big car, about 18.5-feet worth. As the seller says, this car is from California and it has “zero rust!” That’s like winning the lottery for a car collector, or just for anyone who wants a nice, rust-free car to actually drive on public streets, not just store away somewhere (SG, take note)… I don’t think a car like this would be very enticing to collectors, it’s a fairly basic model without many options, but I could be wrong. The 1973 LTD was freshly-redesigned and it was quite a change from the previous design. I’m a sucker for a vinyl top, too.
I’m not sure why this photo of the rear of the car was blurry, but it’s the only other exterior photo. I’m not sure what’s going on with the trunk lock, anyone? The trunk seems to need a little adjustment on the left side, but then it would stick out on the top where it meets the fender line. Hmm.. Some people think that with this car, Ford almost single-handedly ushered in the infamous malaise era for Detroit. It was so huge and it came at such a bad time with the gas crises in the 1970s and some labor disputes and some vehicles maybe not being built as well as they could have, or should have, been. Like this ill-fitting trunk lid. Not to mention the 800-pound gorilla in the room: the small, well-built, reliable Japanese vehicles that started flooding the US market. But, I still love this car!
The interior looks about as close to being in perfect condition as any that I have seen. As is often the case, a simple cleaning would have done wonders for the presentation, but I don’t see any rips or warping or missing handles or broken… well, you get my drift. The odometer shows 45,883 miles but the seller says that it has 48,000 miles on it. In either case, it looks fantastic and judging by the wear on the pedals and other areas, I would tend to think that it’s still on its first trip around the horn. As expected, the backseat is also perfect.
An hour spent cleaning and lightly-detailing the engine bay would have paid off in the presentation of this car, big time. Sellers: please remember that, you can usually get more money if you spend some time detailing engine bays and, at the very least, vacuuming the interior! It shows that you care about the vehicle, even if you’re a flipper.. I mean, a buyer and seller. This hose-and-wire-filled engine bay houses Ford’s 351 Windsor V8 and 2-barrel Motorcraft carburetor. By 1973, this engine would have had a mere 156 hp and 250 ft-lb of torque. Did I mention that this car weighs 4,400 pounds? Yeah, 256 hp would have been much better for scootin’ this barge down the highway, but then again, the 13 mpg may have been 11 mpg or less. This looks like a really, really nice car to me. Have any of you bought and daily-driven an inexpensive, big, American car of this vintage recently?
The thing around the trunk lock was an aftermarket metal plate that was supposed to prevent thieves from using a slide hammer to pull off the trunk lock. They were big in the east
Outside of a Lincoln or Mercury of the same vintage, man has not yet designed a more comfortable way to travel across the US than this!
Yeah, you could even cut a diamond in the Merc!
Nice car. Well worth the money if there are no major problems lurking.
Steve R
RIP Barnaby Jones !!! For those too young to remember, he was a TV detective in the 1970’s who always had Ford as a sponsor…These Fords were plentiful on every episode…..
I think Streets Of San Francisco when I see these cars. Speeding up and down those hills was fun to watch.
Heck yeah! he had that brown 2 door. I was born in ’79 but somewhere in the 2000s found “Barnaby Jones” episodes online, loved watching that show and kinda fell in love with that LTD. Was also a really cool tv show, would have been cutting edge in ’73 watching Jed Clampett and Catwoman use forensics to solve crimes.
I’ll tell them that Uncle Jed sent me – Ok? 🕵🏼
If it were black, it would be mine already.
Seems like a bargain to me. What a fun daily driver. I would have thought the seller could get more listing it on eBay
My Dad loved his powder blue LTD.
Every two years, my grandparents bought a new “big Ford” – for cash – almost until they aged out of driving (they both long out-lived The Big Fords). I don’t think people buy cars in this manner any longer… Ford certainly doesn’t make them this way any longer…
A Quinn Martin Production……
I had two LTD’s…a 77 351 and a 78 302 transplant, both at the same time. My neighbor had a 73 in pea green. All four door cars. We were always at the back fence chewing the fat about our Fords or, in each other’s driveway doting over them. I bought a set of fender skirts from the boneyard for my 78 and when I brought them home, my neighbor had to have a set. He was an older WWII Navy Vet on a fixed income and I knew he couldn’t spring the expense so I painted them pea green and gave them to him. He was like a kid at Christmas…Great memories !
This was my wagon. Pretty similar.
Mine was a green squire with green interior in 1989. By boys still talk about it.
My parents bought a brand new 74 in the same colors.
Same interior color.
Different color air cleaner.
If it was brown it could have been owned and driven by Barnaby Jones.
The trunk lock has a period piece “anti-theft” cover, installed with non-removable bolts. It was designed to prevent the lock from being punched out. Usually chrome, this one appears to have been painted/or maybe the entire decklid has been repainted. :-)
It looks like the spring loaded emblem/cover has broke off. Back in the day, even up to about 2000 for the big cars most key locks for the trunk were hidden under the brand emblem in the middle of the trunk lid.
I had a retired 1976 cop car out of Texas. Dark blue inside and out, unmarked 4 door LTD. This would have been around 1985-6. In my memory (which is getting worse!) it had a 460 motor throbbing through duel exhausts. Handled like a yacht out of water and was as fast a car as I’ve had. -10 miles to the gallon. It became a rust bucket and I had to mercifully put it down. Just couldn’t afford to keep it on the road. Loved it like an old dog!!!
My sis had one of these, loaded with a 460, would pass anything on the road …..except a gas station. That hog wouldn’t get 8 mpg if it was falling off cliff
I had a 74 LTD Brougham 2 door- triple black- 460 V8 and on a good day – that is, if I behaved myself with it- it would eke out maybe 14 mpg on the highway, but only around 9 in town. But what a ride- loved that beast!
Had a police car this same year back in the day. The trunk had a Ford emblem on a hinge and spring. Many broke off after use.
I’m perty sure this car got Motor Trcar of the year in 1973.
I remember those trunk-lock protectors as being chrome. I never saw one the same color as the car. I wonder if the trunk was repainted for some reason?
My hubby’s family gave him his Grandfathers 78 Ford LTD when his Grandparents upsized to a newer vehicle. It was meticulous inside and out. Only had 31,000 miles on it but it was from Milwaukee, Wis. in the deep snow state. After a short while the back bumper fell off on the one side when my hubby was driving home from work so he tied it up. I was getting gas at a gas station one day and a young guy stopped to talk to me, saying he had one also that the bumper fell off, so obviously they are known for that. This vehicle appears to have been repainted. I wish I had known about Barn finds when we had his.
My brother HAS an almost identical one to this, but no vinyl top with a red interior, and in similar condition.
Very quiet and smooth ride, but defo low quality build. Body gaps and panel fit are poor comparatively, but not much worse than my 78 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.
Both cars original paint is VERY good though, smooth and shiny.
I had a brown ’74 with a 400 CID engine. The only car I ever ran at the Terre Haute Dragway. 2 door hard top. Pretty quick, for a land yaught. Slammed it into a 2 ton boulder @ 100 mph (alcohol may have been involved). The roof was wrinkled in 3 places, rear window skewed, and the floor board came up and met the brake pedal. ZERO travel. Thank God Almighty I had HIM on my side, and the quintessential 3 point seat belt. The driver’s door wouldn’t open, so just slid across the seat, and exited via the passenger door. Ended up with just a really painful bump on my left knee. Loved that car, and she kept me safe when I was too stupid to take care of myself.
Barrylk, I once owned a 73 Galaxy 500 with 351 Cleveland . It ran and rode like a dream. I have no complaints. Wish I still had it today.
The price jumped to $3550 due to an “error”.
Maybe an error in the seller’s judgment as to what his car is worth.
I have plenty of ’73-’78 LTD parts, some NOS, if anyone needs any. I’ve owned about ten of these over the years. Sold this blue 460 CID example just a few years ago for about $3,300. Prices on the coupes/sedans have finally started to come up a bit but not like the wagons.