I’ve been loving cars a long time, but I’ve never seen anything like this 1971 Ford Galaxie, which you should check out here on ebay. It’s something between spaceship and land yacht, but not in the “so big you can’t drive it” way. More like, “Get out of my way, because I’m a-coming through.” If you’re intrigued, get ready for a trip to Seattle with cash in your pocket and drive this machine home. It’s currently pulling only a few bids, for just under two thousand bucks. So cheap! But the reserve, no surprise, is not met. Where will it go? I’m going to follow for the next week and find out. You should, too. It’s a case study in the seldom-seen car which suddenly is on everyone’s radar.
The Galaxie was a Ford full-sized model, the nameplate in that era running from the late 1950s to 1974. There were four generations, with this one representing the last, available from 1969-74, though the 1971 model enjoyed a complete redesign. The result of the styling re-do is a car with what you could label “vestigial fins” and with a powerful and intimidating front grille and lovely, massive hood with a bulge running down the center.
This model is equipped with a 429 cubic-inch engine. Does that make you think of the Boss 429? Well, it’s not quite the same as having that mill on that famous Mustang model, but still, that’s a lot of cubes. The result is a car that cruises at 80mph all day long, according to the seller. And it will continue to do that for a long time, with the miles clocked at only 62,000. Add to that spotless condition inside and out, and you’ve got a car you can cruise or show. Surely, there won’t be many others in its category, so trophies await you. The seller has done a recommissioning to make your driving trouble-free, including radiator work, a battery, a tune-up (remember those) and oil change.
It’s too bad that this car has been repainted, if originality is the key, but the color looks true to the Ford corporate color chart of the era. The few flaws noted include some cracks in the dash and package shelf, but let’s be real—this car is as good as they get without an over-restoration. Should it go for under $10K, it’s an opportunity missed for everyone but the lucky buyer. Why not throw a bid at it now, while your curiosity is piqued?
Large and in charge w 429 🏁
What Carl Malden and a young Michael Douglas WISH they had for a detective unit..
Big boat, big engine, big noise. Big fun.
If you do win the bid and plan to drive it home, take your best credit card-$5.25 a gallon for gas when we were up that way last week!
I paid $3.83 a gallon (Arco) yesterday, in the heart of the high rent part of the Bay Area. Gas is expensive in California, by design, but it varies greatly, most stations in high traffic areas are around $4.50, cash, for name brand.
This is a nice car, it’s hard to say if the reserve will be set at a level where it will sell. There have been a lot big cars featured on this site lately with astronomically high prices.
Steve R
We pay 2.36/9 here!
I’m jealous.
Steve R
Where at, Barry? Sounds like Texas prices though my BIL said Mississippi was about that too.
Wow, I glad I’m not in CA or out west where gas is so high. We are taxed more than some surrounding states here in PA, but I was able to find some regular prices in around $2.99, though many higher. NY is similar, NJ and DE are cheaper, I think.
Nevadahalfrack lives in the same area I do. (Western Nevada) My local card lock is $3.04 and apologizes for that, because his fuel comes from CA refinery. Eastern Nevada is about 0.75 cheaper I’m told.
Yes, the Galaxie 500 (complete with French spelling of galaxy) was Ford’s middle child in the full-size lineup. Carl Malden and Michael Douglas would have been driving a Custom 500, Ford’s entry-level full size car, the ride of choice for police detectives across North America, LOL! The LTD was the top dog in Ford’s full-size lineup. Visually, the only external difference between the Galaxy and the LTD was the panel between the taillights. The Galaxy 500 used a simple pot metal panel between the taillights, but the LTD got a red illuminated panel that matched the taillights in place of the pot metal panel. By 1971, IIRC, the LTD’s hideaway headlights were gone, the last year for those was 1970. The taillights and rear bumper changed in 1972, with a slight change to the front bumper, but otherwise, the 1971 and ’72 were virtually identical.
First thought was Burt Reynolds as Gator McKlusky in White Lightning. He drove a 1971 Ford Custom 500 four door brown. Funny how certain cars have that connection to certain movies.
The little old grandma in the Lucas Oil commercials drove one of these.
Put on some decent RWL tires, classic Cragar SS wheels, maybe a dual exhaust with some Flowmasters, and hit the streets.
I was actually thinking just some things white line/white wall tires would perk this car up.
Yup, the police package moved right along. Great on the curves, squated down and held the road
A poor man’s Thunderbird, complete with Bunkie beak. This reminds me, I saw a rerun of Hawaii Five O and these full size Ford police cars were chasing a baddie and they bounced over bumps like they were on a trampoline. Softly sprung those cars were.
Ever notice how this is reminiscent of the 1959 Edsel?
Nobody sees that but me?
I had to go back and look, and you are correct, but not quite the horse collar. I do like the Edsels and they are not priced out of reach for a #3, similar to this car.
But the boss cop, Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) always drove a more upscale Mercury Marquis in place of the Government-Issue Fords. R.H.I.P.! “Book’em Dan-O. Murder One. Two Counts.”
The only downside to this one is that it’s a two-door coupe, and the doors on these full-size coupes could be incredibly heavy! Mom had a ’67 T-Bird “Tudor”, and those doors weighed a ton and seemed to stretch on forever, LOL!
Great car! I was just coming into the world of teenaged drivers when my parents had their new 1973 Galaxie 500 4 door. It was dark green, no vinyl top, 429-4V, loaded to the gills (PW, PL,PS, A-C, etc.). Even though they were being detuned to meet EPA requirements, that thing would scat! If you kept your right foot out of it (yeh right no teen would rawhide his parents’ car!), the car got about 17mpg on premium fuel. What a sleeper!!! Great memories! Only regret is that, as a young teen, I didn’t have enough money saved to buy it when the time came to trade.
Mom’s ’67 T-Bird was very similar in the mileage department. Hers was a 390 “FE” block, but city or highway, it didn’t seem to matter, 16 mpg was what you got, no matter what! Just feed it premium (Synonyms: hi-test, ethyl) gas and all would be well, but it knocked like the maracas in a mariachi band if you tried to run regular gas in it!
The 68-70 galaxie xl is currently high on my search list. I don’t hate the ’71, just not my favorite.
Had a new 1970 Galaxie 500 2 door coupe with a 390. Great car!
I bought a galaxy 500 in college it had fender skirts and it had the 429 under the hood. I also remember going out to start it one morning it was like -10 degrees and the windshield immediately fogged, heater core leak of course. I traded the car for a really nice 1911 .45 pistol
Nice, i once traded a Walther 22 for a 74 mercedes 240D 4 speed. Ioved that oil burner. Wife (now x) got rid of it when i was in Iraq cuz it leaked a little oil ;)
At least heater core on a late sixties early seventies Ford was an easy job.
Indeed, a rare one! I saw 429 and that infamous front end, & like mentioned before, thought of Burt & Jerry. Then I hunted for a second exhaust tip (duels), but none were found. This explains the 2-barrel carb. What a waste, imo!
I had the 1969 LTD version of this, with the #429 and no dash-cracks: would NEVER own one again! Here is why. These need the top-octane premium LEADED fuel! Once they went to un-leaded gas, she pinged like crazy, ran much rougher, and got poor gas mileage. And I am not willing to drive to the airport for 109 octate leaded fuel!!! But if YOU ARE, then you could not ask for a smoother ride, and a large car that will easily and quietly cruise to 120 m.p.h. (and probably more) on the Interstate! (I know — I tried it!). This was where cars were going… until leaded gasoline was outlawed, and they set 55 m.p.h. speed-limits to try and save fuel. One warning, though: these are RUST BUCKETS if you live in snow-country! The 1969 held up well with salt and ice, but the prettier 1970 rotted right out in the rear, with springs collapsing into the trunk: when was the last time that you saw one still on the road in the northeast or upper midwest?
Hardened valve guides and seats would allow these to run on unleaded without damage, and lowering the compression ratio could help with the low-octane unleaded gas of the era. One cheap fix was to put two (2) head gaskets under each cylinder head, to lower the compression ratio, much cheaper than machining the heads or replacing the pistons with lower compression examples. Modern unleaded gas is much better and retrofitting to electronic engine controls, with modern knock sensors, will prevent damage from engine knock, as the control system will retard the timing if knock is detected.
In the 1970 model year, the factory did this for you, to comply with the new EPA rules that required all new cars to be compatible with the new low-lead or no-lead gasoline that was mandated starting in 1970.
By the 1975 model year, all new cars were fitted with catalytic converters, and “Unleaded Fuel Only” began appearing on all new cars nationwide!
This is the exact car that I did my driver training in in L.A. the summer of ’72. Fortunately our instructor loved to cruise PCH from LA to Malibu! The “summer sights” along the beach were great and if you could keep this yacht between the lines you passed the class!😂🤣 I remember it as very smooth , lots of interior room and big windows to ” watch the sights” if you want weren’t driving!!
As charming as that Falcon is, here’s where my heart lies. Full size American iron will lots of cubes, just like my ice tea. A Galaxie as the LTD was gaining popularity and equipped with power windows! Good colors and I’m sure a great ride. Let’s roll!
I had a 71 ltd with a 400 under the hood. I think it had a 150,000 when I finally sold it. It was having transmixer issues. I later learned a fluid change and a can of Kw TRANS SEAL WOULD DO WONDERS.The problem was very common to high milage FORDS OF ALL KINDS. THEY wouldn’t shift until it warmed up good by then the trans was going away, I wish I had known this sooner, could have saved some old ferds.
I had the 1969 LTD version of this, with the #429 and no dash-cracks: would NEVER own one again! Here is why. These need the top-octane premium LEADED fuel! Once they went to un-leaded gas, she pinged like crazy, ran much rougher, and got poor gas mileage. And I am not willing to drive to the airport for 109 octate leaded fuel!!! But if YOU ARE, then you could not ask for a smoother ride, and a large car that will easily and quietly cruise to 120 m.p.h. (and probably more) on the Interstate! (I know — I tried it!). This was where cars were going… until leaded gasoline was outlawed, and they set 55 m.p.h. speed-limits to try and save fuel. One warning, though: these are RUST BUCKETS if you live in snow-country! The 1969 held up well with salt and ice, but the prettier 1970 rotted right out in the rear, with springs collapsing into the trunk: when was the last time that you saw one still on the road in the northeast or upper midwest? Incidently, when I was stopped at a red light, someone rammed me from behind and totalled their car. My 1969 Ford had the rear bumper only slightly curved inward in the middle by the impact, and the trunk was tricky to open, and a bit trickier to shut without popping back open. But just looking at the car, you’d never have realised that I’d been hit.
Driven many a mile between Cheektowaga, and Niagara Falls in one of those, but not one with a 429.
It’s at 6K now and reserve met.
Thanks for the update, the reserve is lower than anticipated. With over 6 days left it will be interesting to watch.
Steve R
My folks bought a brand new 4 door ’69 LTD with the 429 .Whenever I got to drive her once in a while I would spins wheels (no burn outs) what a hoot! These were super cars back then!
I had the 1966 Galaxie 500 2 door . I bought it used .It had the headlights with one on top of the other, not side to side. It was burgundy in color and had a lot of power. I know it had a 4 barrel carburetor and I got bad gas mileage, but at that time gas was $1 per gallon. I wish I knew what engine was in it .
Photos of the car on a lift, yet the only underside photos are when it’s on the ground. Seeing the whole underneath would have been great.
Thought Galaxie500 had kind of a paisley cloth insert on the seating? This 71 would look great with the optional turbine hubcaps. The 4 door version has “nicer lines” Never seen those outer edge “bumperettes” B4.
I was 16 years old in ’74 and in auto shop in high school, driving divorced mom’s ’71 LTD with a 351W engine. I broke the motor-mounts doing neutral drops, mom suggested I get my own car. I then bought the neighbor’s ’67 Stang fb that he put a 390FE engine in, off to the races for me then lol
Sold on 5/5/2025 for a high bid of $11,000, there were 11 bidders and 53 bids.
Steve R