This 1969 Ford Galaxie 500 has been on my radar for several days now, and I’m still going back and forth about whether this one’s a worthwhile project, or perhaps better left alone and used as a fun, occasional cruiser. From a distance, the car looks fairly decent, with a cool SportsRoof, and the engine is reportedly running very well. However, to be a standout and a reliable daily driver, it will need some bodywork, interior refurbishment, and transmission attention, or at least a bit of shifter or linkage tinkering. I’m thinking that attempting to negotiate the asking price of $4,500 down may be the way to go here, as a lot of time, effort, and funds will be required if the next owner wants to take it to a higher level. Tipster Barney spotted this 1969 Galaxie 500 here on Craigslist in Outlook, Washington, and we’d like to thank him for making us aware of it!
Outside, there are both positives and negatives to consider, with a good point being that this one is mostly complete. I don’t recall seeing many of these cars with a luggage rack either, which may be because the trunk area is large and deep enough that many buyers probably thought it was unnecessary. The seller mentions that the only real rust is on the quarters, and there are also some visible cracks in the finish on both sides. However, the floor pans are stated to have only surface rust, so hopefully, they’ll be solid enough not to require any immediate attention.
The interior’s condition appears to be at about the same level as the outside, with many components in some sort of disarray. I do like how the dash was designed with the driver in mind, with the curvature making it easy for them to access all of the controls. It’s a plus that this one features a manual transmission, but it was originally a three-on-the-tree, and a past owner relocated the shifter to the floor. The owner reports that the linkage is funky, and not in a good way, as it’s sometimes challenging to find the gears with the current setup.
The seller states that there’s a 289 under the hood, so the engine isn’t original, as the 302 had taken over as the small V8 by 1969. Fortunately, it’s said to be running very well, though no further details are given. The bottom line is there’s both good and bad with this 1969 Ford Galaxie 500, and fortunately, nothing that necessarily makes me want to avoid this car. I’m just not sure how much time and resources I’d want to invest here, if any, deeming this one a likely mostly-as-is driver for the foreseeable future, in my opinion. What are your thoughts here?
Love the sport roof on this, you don’t see these around anymore. It has a sinister look with that all business frontend and the way it sets, even with the light colors. For some reason, when I first saw this car, the movie “From Dusk to Dawn” came to mind. I can see this hauling ass down a dusty desert road with someone tied up in the trunk!
Ruff as my dog would say . I’m sure this is a rust bucket underneath as well.
Looks a transplanted engine and four speed transmission. This may be too far gone for $4500. Maybe a $2500 Fix Or Repair Daily project.
Is that a duct tape repair on the driver’s seat? I want to like this car but for the price it needs too much. They were good looking full sizers though, back in the day. Oh and put the ride height back to stock.
Yes! I’d definitely grab that and fix it up. Those were really nice driving, nice riding cars. You just don’t see those anymore either. Even at cruise in nights you don’t see these. Looks like a fun project you could drive as work progresses. Grab it👍