While late 1960s rides often steal the show, it would be a mistake to overlook potent earlier cars like this shiny black Galaxie. The 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 in Rockford, Illinois is a claimed original R-code dual-quad four-speed 427, the angriest full-sized beast offered by the Blue Oval that year. The closest thing you could get to a street-going NASCAR racer demanded respect, and you can experience or re-experience the legendary 427 with a high bid here on eBay. The listing lays out numerous pictures and a spartan description that includes “runs great,” and at least eight bidders have driven the market value beyond $30,000 without meeting the seller’s Reserve. Thanks to reader Larry D. for spotting this fearsome Ford.
It’s unlikely that anyone “accidentally” ordered the 427 because they asked for the “big engine” to tow a boat or travel trailer. Rated at 425 HP (gross), the high-winding 427 used a solid lifter camshaft, 11.5:1 compression ratio, and twin four-barrel carburetors to deliver every bit of its advertised power and more. Thanks to Hemmings for some details.
Sometimes referred to as a “1963 1/2” Galaxie, the fastback roof line entered the market as a mid-year option designed to be slipperier in NASCAR competition and sportier in the show room. Twin rocket-inspired tail lights were a Ford signature in those days, and this Galaxie would give most challengers a quick look at those tail lights before vanishing into the night.
Showing well inside and out, the big Ford offers room for six if the middle passenger up front doesn’t mind the driver getting friendly while operating the crooked floor shifter. It would be hard to imagine an interior more different than today’s performance cars, but throw some modern tires on this Ford and it will extinguish the high-tech hopes of many poseurs. It may look like a giant battle tank, but the two-ton curb weight makes it about one passenger heavier than a 2021 Mustang, Camaro, or Challenger. Of course, the Galaxie doesn’t have traction control or blind-spot monitoring, but if you drift this Galaxie into another lane and blip the throttle, folks will make room with alacrity. Would you like to wring out this high-strung Galaxie?
Where can you even get gas for a engine of 11.5:1 compression? Now that I’ve got that out of the way, what a cool car. I’ve only seen one in person, and it was owned by a rancher in east Texas who’s father bought it while working at a Ford dealership way back when it was near new. It was sitting under a barn awaiting restoration. I sure would like to be the lucky owner of this one, but with my current state of poverty that won’t happen.
God bless America
Even in California race gas is readily available. Google search “race gas near me” on a phone and it will show who in your area stocks it.
Steve R
Yes race gas is readily available as Steve R said. Aside from googling you can go to any car show or drag strip and start asking around. Plus for 11.5:1 you don’t really need 110 or 116 octane. You can cut it down to the high 90s with 93 and it will run fine and save a little cash. I used to mix 110 Torco 50/50 with 93 and it came to about 100. Ran great with 12.5:1 compression but with all the ethanol in the pump gas nowadays I don’t like using it anymore because it goes stale in a couple weeks and corrodes your carburetors. Race gas is alcohol free so I like to use 90 octane recreation gas which is also alcohol free. You can store either in a dry dark area for a couple years and it will stay fresh.
Having said all that, I love this car. I love all Ford muscle but this is so much more of a car than most. I love that it will seat at least 5. I love the colors and the jet era styling. Something about a 427 FE that does it for me too. I’m in the process of trying to buy one for my 67 Cyclone I am going to build. A friend told me he would let it go but he is reluctant to price it because he really doesn’t want to sell it and I can’t blame him. Extremely rare piece.
2015-2017 5.0 are 11:1 compression.
I’m skeptical of the “unrestored” claim. It looks too nice.
Yeah but it could be just a low mileage well preserved example too. The painted undercarriage is not uncommon for an owner to do on such a rare car. Even when bought new the buyer bought this car with these options on purpose and paid dearly for them at 1963 prices. Good observation though. You could also be spot on. Either way I would enjoy this beast often if it was mine.
This is the exact car that put me out of drag racing. 427, 4 on the floor, 4.10 limited slip rear, put into my class either running an Olds powered ’40 Ford coupe with stock transmission and rear end or ’53 Studebaker coupe with big Olds, B & M modified 4 speed automatic, and a Ford rear with 3.9 Gears. Local track wasn’t much but the first time I ran against the the car there were 4 guys in the car and they pulled by me half way down the track. Local track rules were a little slack those days. No riders today.
Holy moly that’s an amazing car.
Rockford? That’s my home town! Good thing I’m not back there right now. What a surprise…and a beautiful car.
Hard to picture that car anywhere but Rockford.
Knoxville, Tennessee comes to mind, along with Concord, North Carolina. The dual-quad trifecta would be this, a dual-quad 426 Wedge, and the dual-quad 409. Come on, Powerball!
@Dave- Nah. Too sunny. This car is built to be driven past an abandoned factory on a rainy night with the driver looking to get into trouble with the slinky blonde in the passenger seat who answers to the name “Cookie”. If she answers at all.
I’m SoCal native, grew up in the era. I can picture this beast in 3 locales…Bob’s Big Boy on Whittier Blvd. in Whittier; Hawthorne Blvd. in the South Bay and (of course), Van Nuys Blvd. in the San Fernando Valley. Lotsa great car on Friday and Saturday evenings and a lot of ‘non-sanctioned acceleration contests’ on public thoroughfares. Good — and crazy times.
Hard to think of anybody better qualified to drive other than Rockford.
Forget formalities, I’d take it over the 409 Inpala people keep commenting on from a few weeks ago. No surfer songs about it and that’s just fine, the music is coming out of the tailpipes and noisy intake!
What a beast of a car, well respected umongst “car guys”, yeah maybe Ford was a little lax during the muscle car era and all about the little pony Mustang, but when it came to race cars Ford made some great street versions….at a cost of nearly a thousand dollars extra nobody ever mistakingly bought one of these rude terrors. Great find!
Well said !
Back in the day we would carry a couple gas cans out to the regional airport and get some 104 Octane Aviation fuel. Had to almost beg the guy working because of road tax issues. There was a Gas station in town that sold Cam2 Racing fuel out of a pump (main route to the local drag strip). Man o man I sure wish I could win the lottery!!
Our local airport used to let us pull up to the pumps and didn’t worry about the road tax.
What an awesome car ! I’ve always like big cars from the early 60’s, they were the cats behind back then. I’d just love to take it for a ride in the country, it’d be fun !
I keep coming back to this beautiful beast. I would take this over any gen 1 full size muscle car…and I’m not even what I’d call a Ford guy, but the lines on this match that sinister powerplant perfectly. Much nicer (imo) than a 409 SS or any Chrysler 300 letter car.
I had a 409 dual quad red impala ss if you didnt own one shut the HELL UP. CICERO IL.
@terry kowalski should I get off your lawn too?
@terry kowalski
Take a few deep breathes and a handful of Chill Pills! You’re getting angry and obnoxious about a topic that’s supposed to be fun. Nobody is insulting you, your tastes, your manhood: we’re car enthusiasts, admiring a rare and very desirable car.
I’ve owned — in some cases still own — GM products (’73 El Camino, mid-70’s never-finished Greenwood Corvette IMSA racecar, ’76 Corvette, supercharged ’99 Corvette Hardtop, ’99 Firebird Formula WS6 1LE, and 2000 Corvette coupe), a veritable fleet of Fords including a ’56 Ranch Wagon (my high school car, which I still have) ’55 T-Bird, at least a dozen Mustangs, a Grand National-powered ’37 Ford street rod pick-up and a 2014 F-150 (my daily driver, and one MOPAR (a ’69 340/4-speed Barracuda S-Package fastback), and several British, German and Japanese cars..I’ve had good and bad experiences with almost every brand I owned. Don’t take a person’s individual preferences as a personal insult, and try to enjoy the ride, be it 409, 426 (wedge of Hemi) or a 427 Side-Oiler. They’re all cool and all worthy of admiration!
Man would I love to have this one, the 64 409 Impala and a 426 Max Wedge Fury to finish out the trifecta. Can’t complain about the cost of gas if you could afford that trio, but would love to give them a try.
Amen to that brother!! I would daily drive them all too.
Hell My Left N– Just Hangs Around Now Days. Learned to Drive in a 63 with a 390. This is what dreams are made of.
My freshman year biology teacher had one of these, although his was the Custom 300, 410 hp. single 4-barrel, 4 speed, formal roof in Colonial white. When I asked why he didn’t opt for the dual quad engine, he said that his had enough power for him. I’ll never forget Mr. Rahn at Limestone High School.
A true Muscle car – before the term was even invented, and misused.
I loved the ’60’s. Big ass cars with big ass motors.
Yup I’ve been saying that same thing since the 60:s
IMHO, one of the nicest looking Fords of the Sixties…and beyond.
2015-2017 Mustangs have 11:1 compression an 2017 Camaros are 11:5:1 so gas isn’t a problem.
I owned two of these cars… sans the dual carb 427. I always wanted an R code… however, I don’t have the room or the desire anymore. It’s still a beauty that I can appreciate.
My dad bought a used sherif dept car, with the small 4 bbl 427 and 4 speed. Black, 4 doors, custom 300. My mom would ease around town doing grocery runs, and when I came home from college, I’d take it out to “ clean out the cobwebs”. My sister was embarrassed by it til she got her drivers license, then was the “dragging queen” of northwest Colorado. Great car.
For many years I drove a 63XL Convert. It had a 352 two barrel. I put a cam and a four barrel on it, but it still was a dog. Not so with these 427’s!! My friend put a 406 Experimental engine from a Ford dealership, in his 1956 Ford. It came with two four barrel carbs and was frightening fast. He did not have a shifter for the four speed and would,”Disappear” while driving to bend down to shift the transmission levers! Frighting all around!
One of the best looking engines with that “427 aura” about it.
Now this is a very serious car !!!
I do not think this car is original. For instance I see AC under the dash. This is accurate for a 63, however AC, PS & PB were NOT AVAILABLE with a 427. This is from a piece of Ford literature I had once upon a time.
Those are aftermarket gauges. Look at the ebay photos, and it’s quite obvious. And, you are correct, PS, PB & AC were NA on these big block Fords. 62 Chevy 409s were the same, altho’ I ‘think’ PS & PB were available in later years.
The A/C was probably dealer installed. I have a ’65 mustang that has a similar unit with a Sears logo on it.
Did you read the previous comments? THERE IS NO A/C in this car!
I’ve looked these pictures closely and I don’t see a/c under or in the dash. I don’t see a power brake booster or power steering pump. I’m not sure but on the left firewall there is something could be a thermostatic expansion valve, but I don’t think so as I don’t see a compressor or condenser. Checking the VIN would be the proof.
God bless America
Yeah R codes did not have any power accessories and also had drum brakes all the way around. In the late 60s this became the drag pack option with 4.30:1 gears. I read that I f you had a Mercury it was spelled drag pak but not sure about that.
$60,100 and still going. What a freaking great car!
$65,322 and reserve not met … I’ve seen these for over $75k …
Only thing i’d add would be the fiberglass super stock hood always thought those were one of the best looking factory hoods
Look again, NO AC, NO POWER BRAKES, NO POWER STEERING. Single belt for fan , generator.
Just to nice for an original car but hey the guys owned it for 5 years so time to unload.
only thing wrong with that car is…IT’s A FORD>>>…
Yeah and I would still take it and this is coming from a guy that loved full size GM cars during this period (especially Pontiac).
I rode in one once, local guy had traded for one out of an old garage and had the quarters rusted and skinny bias ply tires…filled the car with tire smoke when he pushed the throttle through the first three gears…and we were moving about 20 MPH because of NO traction…
Sounds like fun to me!
In the late nineties I picked up Autotrader magazine the day it came out…I was a few days late one week and saw a 427 r-code Fairlane in Houston for 3500$…I called the guy immediately and he had sold it to the first guy to come look at it… he bought it new in 67…it had 20000 miles on it…it was my dream car…the one that got away…I think about it more than I should
Several times I got there too late but also many times I didn’t have the means to buy them when they were available, cheap and right in front of me. Those memories sting worse.
Here’s my ’63 Galaxie 500. Not as good as an original R Code. Way better. Way. Stroked 445 ci, 500 hp +/-, 69 Cobra Jet C6 automatic trans, Porsche Sport Classic Gray, custom dyed interior. Less than 200 miles. A virtually new car. Yeah. I like it. https://www.facebook.com/fortesclassicgarage/photos/1613188358884834
Great write-up, Todd. These cars are very cool and powerful. I purchased one last year (after years of looking for one), and it is a “survivor” that spent the last 20 years in the high desert of Colorado. It’s a black on black ’63-1/2 and can be seen in this video: https://vimeo.com/430533130. It is a true R-Code and the sound of the solid lifter cam at idle is wonderful. As is the sucking sound coming from the dual Holleys at full throttle. Fully restored and in excellent shape these are going for north of $100k. This looks like a very nice car.
Hello I have owned both a 409 impala and a 1963 ford 427 “r” code galaxie. TRUTH, the 409 could never not even in a dream catch a true “r” code ford…Keep on dreaming..