Ford was on a roll in 1966. Its Mustang sold in unprecedented numbers, and the Galaxie attracted 597,002 buyers. The company introduced a new variant called the Galaxie 500 7-Liter, and this Convertible is one of those cars. It has undergone a thorough refurbishment, needing a new owner to add the finishing touches. Therefore, the seller has listed the Galaxie here on eBay in Gates Mills, Ohio. Bidding sits below the reserve at $10,100, with plenty of time for interested parties to confirm whether they have the funds to make a play for this classic.
Ford introduced a new Galaxie range in 1965, with the squarer styling giving it a more aggressive appearance and greater presence. Updates for 1966 were relatively modest and could be viewed as a refinement of the original theme. This Convertible rolled off the line in 1966, with the seller confirming they purchased the car in 2008. It wore its original Wimbledon White paint then, but they treated it to soda blasting to strip the panels to bare metal. They massaged the steel, ensuring the vehicle was laser-straight and rust-free, before applying stunning Raven Black paint around 2015. It recently underwent a minor refresh, leaving this classic presenting superbly. Its exterior shine perfectly reflects its surroundings, and if there are any imperfections, they are too insignificant to show in the supplied photos. The seller describes many exterior trim pieces as perfect, and those that aren’t should be considered excellent. The glass and Black power top are new, with the top operating perfectly. Some minor trim items require refitting, but this Galaxie’s exterior needs little to genuinely “pop.”
Ford widened buyer appeal in 1966 by introducing the Galaxie 500 7-Liter. The VIN confirms this is one of those cars, with its engine bay housing a 428ci V8. Shifting duties are performed by a three-speed automatic transmission, with the new owner receiving power assistance for the steering and brakes. That V8 produces 345hp and 462 ft/lbs of torque, and although this Convertible tips the scales at 4,083 lbs, it can still storm the ¼-mile in 15.6 seconds. Those seeking Mustang-like performance but with significantly more space would probably find this Galaxie an ideal solution. It seems this is a numbers-matching classic with a claimed 66,000 original miles on the clock. The list of work performed under the seller’s care is pretty long, but the winning bidder faces a few tasks to add the finishing touches. The car features a new exhaust, along with new springs and shocks. The front brakes were upgraded to larger Kelsey-Hayes discs, which brings us to one of the buyer’s more critical tasks. This Galaxie requires 16″ wheels to accommodate the new brakes, but the seller hasn’t ordered them. That is an added expense, but it will allow the buyer to personalize this drop-top by selecting the wheels they feel are appropriate. Otherwise, this muscular beast has no apparent mechanical needs.
The Galaxie’s interior presentation is almost as impressive as the exterior, with only minor shortcomings. The wheel has cracked, and the pad fit is slightly odd above the gauge cluster. A wrap would hide the wheel imperfection while stretching and gluing the pad might be possible. The worst-case scenario is that the buyer may need to source a replacement, but they are easy to find for around $420. Otherwise, this interior has no other cosmetic shortcomings. The Black upholstered surfaces are spotless, the faux woodgrain hasn’t faded or peeled, and the bright trim sparkles beautifully against the dark interior. There are functional faults requiring attention, but they appear to be relatively minor and don’t prevent the buyer from enjoying this classic immediately.
Ford sold 597,002 Galaxies in 1966, but the Galaxie 500 7-Liter Convertible is the rarest of the breed. Only 2,368 buyers handed over the cash, and it is unclear how many survive today. This one is a beauty, although the purist in me is disappointed the seller didn’t pursue a faithful restoration. It undoubtedly makes a striking visual statement in its current form, but the changes may impact its potential value. I expect the bidding to exceed $20,000 comfortably, but an original and unmodified example in similar condition would almost guarantee a sale price above $30,000. I may be wrong about the lower figure because this car’s modifications mean it falls into that vague category of being worth what someone is willing to pay. If you are an enthusiast seeking a rarer classic wearing the Blue-Oval, would you pursue this drop-top further?
I have no idea what the seller is talking about, the four piston Kelsey Hayes brakes of this time period absolutely did not require 16” wheels. I’m going to assume the seller is confused, especially considering there are wheels on the car now.
And no, the minor modifications alone won’t affect the price that much.. the confusion on the part of the seller certainly could, as the uncertainty over whether or not the car is even drivable (because of the brakes) will hurt much more.
Giddy up Local guy has a mint hardtop, didn’t know they came in rag.
Right quarter has rust perforation seen after media blasting. Was filler used or was bad metal cut out and replaced? If filled, the rust will come back, even with damp air. Need to do a bubble search and magnet test. Car currently lives in the rust belt. The steelies and stock caps look fine. Sounds like someone told him that aftermarket wheels need to be 16″ to fit over the KH calipers.
I’ll bet you a cookie that no one in the rust belt drives their classic cars in the slop and snow. I know I don’t.
7-Litres came with factory pinstriping. If the owner had put them back on after the repaint (especially in red) the exterior would really pop. Redline tires would finish the job.
I had a similar thought Wayne. I like the 7 Litre for its classy looks coupled with its good performance. And I like triple black convertibles. But this one needs a bit of dress-up, like pinstriping or redline (or even whitewall) tires.
I agree, Wayne, 7 litres were the fanciest cars. The color detracts from the beautiful lines you can’t see with black. What is Americas fascination with black cars today? A sad color for sad times.
Some cars look really sharp in black. I would agree that it’s not the right color for this car at all.. but neither is white. This car needs one of the more vibrant blues that were available then. Or perhaps a rich, deep burgundy. With a white top. And it DESPERATELY needs whitewalls!
This car would not have come with redline tires new. And I don’t think that would be the right look for it at all. Big cruiser cars need whitewalls. Not fat ‘50s whitewalls, but the modest 3/4-1” wide stripe.
A good friend of mine bought a new one when we graduated high school. His was a coupe with a 4 speed. That was one sweet ride.
These are the practical way to have a big Ford with some good go power. Of course we all love 427’s with dual quads but when you had things like solid lifters and multiple carbs you sure have to tinker with them a lot. This is a big torque monster and it will give you some easy to drive power. A practical choice for the street .
I can clear up the confusion on the wheels. Ford made special wheels for the The 7 Liters which are 15×6.5 compared to the regular Galaxy’s 15×6. The extra half inch provided more wheel offset to clear the Kelsey Hayes Spindles. In the sellers advert he mentions that he had planned to get a set of 16 ” Cragar 5 spoke wheels. In that case 16″ diameter was necessary to clear the KH Spindles.
Nice car but I don’t care for the color change from Wimbleton white to Raven Black. I much prefer my full size convertibles in white. The formality of Black seems to run counter to my idea of the joy of top down motoring.
Not sure of the reason for 2 sets of front parking lights/turn signals.
Never seen a car radio whose station #s were so huge & the same size & font as the speedo’s! That radio new has to be unobtainium today.
Beautiful car! I like it in black.
I Had a fully loaded coupe. I thought there was more side trim, I.E. rocker moldings and such. As for the brakes they are junk. Not sure why, the Lincolns use simular stuff that works.These ran from 65 to 67, four piston calipers and yes the steel wheels are different but can be sourced easily from later Lincolns and Galaxies. I had a 67 convertible with disc crap brakes. leaky calipers, parts pain but in 68 you get the standard single piston, works great system. A half days swap and never another issue including much cheaper and easier brake pads to get. An in person inspection is a must on this as frames and many other things could be hiding.