When I see the words “Tri-Power”, I first think of a Pontiac GTO with a 389 or a Corvette with a 427. I can’t really say that I would have associated that with a Ford Galaxie, at least until I saw this 1963 Galaxie listed here on eBay. With nearly one horsepower per cubic inch, I bet this would be a fun car to drive!
The seller states that this is an original G-code 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL with a little over 71,000 miles on the clock. Although original, the 406 cubic inch engine has been rebuilt by Joe Lapine, who is said to be one of the premier Ford engine builders in the nation. Add to that 406 Tri-Power a four-speed Borg Warner T10 and a 9-inch rear end with 4.11 gears and you suddenly have a lot of fun to be had.
The seller states that the car is as it was when it left the factory and shows the normal wear and tear of a 55-year-old car. I always appreciate a fully restored car, but this original condition adds a unique value to this big Ford. This would be the type of car you could take out and drive and not worry about getting a rock chip here or there.
Even if the Pontiac GTO is commonly known as the granddaddy of the muscle car, this Galaxie would give it some close competition in deserving that name. The seller has the Buy It Now price at $25,900 but gives the option to make an offer. What might this car in this shape actually end up going for?
wow. this is a beauty & would be fun to drive & show. amazing condition for its age & purpose. no clue what the market will bear but can’t imagine it being worth much less than the BIN price.
This thing looks like it could be a mobster in one of the Cars movies. Not a Ford guy but I wouldn’t kick this out of my garage.
Nice!! Ford’s hottest stick in ’63, but it still wasn’t enough. Pontiac’s 421 and Chrysler 426’s dominated the tracks, until the R code in ’64. These cars were too heavy to be competitive, but for a street hot rod, not much could beat it. I read, of these XL’s made, most were the fastback, so a squareback ( or whatever you call them) and this setup, which was only a 2 year run for the 406, is quite rare. With those back tires, and that motor, going to be like driving on ice. Very cool car.
What about the 1963 R-code 427 Galaxie? The 426 Hemi wasn’t produced until 1964. The 63 Galaxie won over 20 races in NASCAR. I think you have your years messed up.
I think Howard was referring to the Mopar 426 Wedge, Brian…
The 406 would have been pretty rare in a ’63 Sport Coupe. By the time the ’63 1/2 Sportsroof entered production, the 427 was the hot setup.
Cool car, no matter what. I hope its new owner uses it, rather than leaves it on display somewhere.
They called this a boxtop( as stated in the auction ) and this would be a great one to have, I think the price is in line with the fun factor.
The perfect street cruiser… wow. As a Ford guy, this would be the ultimate car to enjoy with my sons.
Canuck, don’t you think the ultimate car would be a convertible version of this?
To my eye the hardtop has a more menacing appearance and I think it better suits this setup. In saying that, I wouldn’t say no to a convertible version, but the wind dishevelled hair would definitely detract from the ‘cool’ factor.
Canuck, cool people don’t care what their hair looks like. HAHAHA.
They do when there’s not enough of left it to go around!
Wow! What a machine! Seeing the “406” badges always meant that it was a badass car. Ford’s 4-speed shifter with the t-handle reverse lockout is a thing of beauty. This car is perfect as it is, but I would be sorely tempted to install full wheel covers and wider whitewalls. Great find, and worth every last penny!
If I recall correctly, the 406 and the 427 badges (we called them “flags”)
were gold colored. The 390 had silver flags. Anything else didn’t wear flags on the fenders. For big heavy cars, they ran pretty strong.
What a beauty, with it’s black paint and steel wheels with center caps it almost looks like a under cover cop car from that time in America.
I’ve been a GM/Mopar guy my entire life, I was never really interested in Fords. But I gotta say, Barn Finds have changed my opinions about many of the old Fords. With that being said , this car is badass and really tempting. If I purchased it, I would leave it as is and ENJOY !
Maybe the Chrysler 300 was the first muscle car? I would drive it and enjoy it. Hope you can find some good leaded gas with no alcohol to run in it; there is limited availability. Perhaps there was updated valve seats during the rebuild?
Maybe 15,500 and that’s top dollar. Nice car I have to say because I live the old Galaxies I had my Dadas after his passing with the 390. It was beige inside and out. It was a big car I guess that why when I shop for used cars today I’m still looking at the biggest ones I can find.
Well you were only about $10K too low.
Four hundred and six cubic inches of Ford power here! Three deuces just like the 390 had before, built for competition more than for motoring the family around, if you’re a Ford guy you are most definitely drooling over this by now!
Excellent car!
Sold for 29,500. Poetry in motion!! Would love to have but I paid 26k for my house in 75. can’t exceed that for a car…not yet any way!!
Cheers
GPC
Sold for 25,900. Kool car!!!!!!
I am sure you are not the only one who paid less of their house than a car you want today. That just makes you smart to have the same house.
Question: Was this tri-power or more like a six barrel carb?
You look it up.
The 406 was no more than an overbore FE 390, we used to be able to buy these , instead of replacement 390’s, as a performance enhancer from three different suppliers clear into 1990’s, as they were no more costly than regular rebuilt with but cleanup cylinders.
Couple times the 6 brl was kept but as a performance item it was complicatex to tune, so we woul buy Weiand intakes and Holley carb with mild hydraulic stret cams.
These Fords were not lightweights, we were 1/4 mile oriented, but with tuned and cleaned up headports and exhaust headers friends got into low low
14’s, this in 1980’s and pump gas.
Check out cost of a complete including linkage,stock carburation unit.
I prefer this body style, cleaner and smoother lines, with enhanced stance and wheels over later 64-75 Fords.
Fair price for what appears to be a darn nice cruising or even long naunt ride.
Ford called the 3×2 setup “six barrel”.
Interesting that there isn’t a DSO code on the door. Wonder what this car’s history was and who ordered it.
It is a lot of car for $26K….but I still wish that I had gotten something like this when they were below $10K…The prices are crazy these days…
When in high school, at the end of FFA meetings. We would all go out and do some street racing out in the farmlands. (1961 409 Impala (not original engine), 1962 Biscayne 327, 1969 Chevelle 396, 1963 Bel Aire 327, and my 1955 Chev 283 convert) None of these cars were stock. And Ken’s ’62 was the top of the heap until the 406 3X2 4 speed Galaxy showed up. We were all Chevrolet guys at the time. And just laughed at the Ford. We weren’t laughing when it was all over. It just took all the fun out of the racing! This was just a week before I called it quits racing on the street. I was neck and neck with the Chevelle while the guys in the back seats of the cars were passing beers back and forth between the cars as we went sailing past the county cop shop and then up a hill. No problems, no tickets and no one hurt. But it just dawned on me that I had crossed the line of sanity. My only racing has been closed course ever since.
I’ll never forget the local Mopar guys dropping a 383 Golden Commando into a pickup and tearing up the streets with it. They got cocky one night and ran against a white colored version of this same car and where instantly taken to school about what an old Ford could do. That same truck ended up with a 440 in it soon after.
I’ve always loved these old big body, big motor cars. Almost a shame that the pony and mid-sized stuff turned them into dinosaurs.
There is a convertible version of this car here in Mexico for sale for around 19K USD.
As soon as I can get to where it is I plan on buying it.
It is also a 406, 4 speed and tri-power.
Yes, those are wire wheels, which will go away as soon as I get the car.
I like my cars all original.
Miguel
I don’t blame you for being all over this one.Over the years I loved the Ponchos from the 1960s (still do) but these big Fords from the same era is growing on me such as this one and this is one nice Ford.If I was able I would be all over this one.
Here is the engine.
And the 4 speed.
Very nice shape Miguel…post a sound clip of that beast idling once you are able. Are those wire wheels it’s sitting on?
We trust that you are going to replace that steering wheel?
Absolutely ccrvtt. The car has to go back to original.
😲I HAVE A 19631/2 427 (C3AE-H SERVICE BLOCK)&(C3AE-C HEADS USED WITH 406cu. 6 BARREL MOTOR’S & THE 6 BARREL CARB’S & MANIFOLD, 9 INCH, I GOT THEM FROM A NEWLY REBUILT 19631/2 GAL. DROP TOP THAT THE OWNERS SON TOOK OUT 4 THE FIRST TIME & CENTER PUNCHED A LITE POLE ON THE RAMP 2 FREEWAY, ALL 4 $
(DAVID)(310)(906)(5887)
Citizens arrest, citizens arrest!!!!
Awesome car!!!!!
The big problem with the 406 was that it had 2 bolt mains! The guy’s that really pushed the envelope for horse power, usually ended up with the crankshaft in the oil pan. Ford recognized this problem, and then came up with the 427 with cross bolted mains. They also punched the cylinders from 4.05″ to 4.23″, and then gave it a nodular iron or steel crankshaft, depending on the application. A well built 427 tunnel port is easily capable of 600+ horse power.
This is the reason I kept the first car I owned from 1976. I still have my 1963 Galaxie 500XL convertible with the rare dealer installed 390 Tri-Power with T-10 4 speed, and 3.90 rear gear.