There’s a lot of debate about which car was the very first muscle car. Personally, I view the GTO as the first one, but the 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 G-code makes a pretty compelling case! This example is rough and missing some key components, but it was clearly optioned to be a factory-built drag car. Between the rarity of the 406 G-Code equipped cars and how this one was optioned, it deserves to be restored, but will it find someone willing to tackle this challenge? You can take a closer look at it here on eBay in Riverdale, Nebraska with a BIN of $5,500.
Some of you might be wondering what a G-code Galaxie is. Well, the G-code 406 cui V8 is a monster of an engine. It was rated at 405 horsepower and 448 ft-lbs of torque. While that’s a decent amout of power, that alone doesn’t make it a muscle car, but add in the 4-speed, 4.11 rear end and it starts looking a lot more like one. Ford even built a small handful of lightweight Galaxies with this powertrain that they took racing and they were very successful. This isn’t one of those cars, but it’s still a pretty rare find. Unfortunately, the engine that makes this one special is missing and likely has been for many years. Replacement engines are available and can be built to the same or better specs than the original. I’d definitely want to go over the car to make sure it really did start life as the 405 horsepower model and not one of the lower powered options.
The engine isn’t the only piece that’s currently missing. A look at the interior reveals that it’s already been stripped out, but there are photos of the seats sitting nearby it. They look to be in rough shape, but having the frames to start with is at least a place to start. Galaxie parts aren’t terribly difficult to find so restoring it won’t be impossible, but it also won’t be cheap.
This car is a bit of a conundrum to me. It’s solid enough to be restored and the fact that it’s a G-code car definitely makes it more desirable, but values aren’t as high as you’d expect for something like this. If the engine was present, you might be able to restore it without being terribly upside down financially, but it’s going to get pricey to find all the correct G-code parts. Personally, I’d be very tempted to build this into a period style drag car with a minimal interior. What about you? Would you give it a full restoration or go a custom route? Or would you skip over it entirely and try to find an early GTO project?
Hey Josh, nice to see a write up from one of the creators of this site!
I don’t have as much time to write as I use to, but it always feels good to take a break from other responsibilities and just write about cars!
Restore this one, it’s solid and rare. There are solid 6 cylinder cars around to restomod or drag car without ruining a gem. Build one with a cammer in it, that would be different.
I actually had a 62 Galaxy 500XL with the 406 tri-power. It was a beautiful car that had previously been featured in Hot Rod Magazine. It met an untimely mechanical demise when someone dropped nut and bolts down one of the carbs after losing a race to me. I hate external hood releases for that reason.
dang, ever find out who exactly andd if so what did you do????
No, I had my suspicions, but couldn’t prove it. There was a rich kid that had a supercharged 1981 Corvette (slow car) that I raced while I had 4 guys in my Galaxy. My friends were motioning out of the windows for the Vette to hurry up because we were slowly walking away from him. The guy had his hot girl friend in his Vette and he was watching a 62 Galaxy pull on him. He was the one I always suspected.
HA thats great, that reminds me of a story my autobody teacher told me, (this was the 80’s) he had a 1969 Plymouth barracuda drag car, 426 raceing hemi, tubed, caged, 4 speed, the whole 9 yards, when he was about 16-17,(he bought it and kept it as his dad’s friends house down the road his dad never knew because he had drag cars so his dad never thought anything of it), but anyway there was this kid at school and his dad was a lawyer, well his dad bought him a brand new Camaro IROCK-Z, and he would always go on about how fast it was and how he had the fastest car at the school and on and on, well my teacher had that barracuda and he was tired of it, so he was like, “hey, ill race you after school at so and so road for pinks” the guy laughed and said “ok, but your gonna loose your car”. well that night my teacher went home and he put tail lights, headlights, and turn signals in the car and drove it to school the next day and by then everyone knew. so after school they met up at that road and almost the entire school was there, and my teacher blew that Camaro’s doors off like it was nothing at all, that Camaro might as well have been sitting still, and the guy booked it home and my teacher went and took his car back to his dad’s buddy’s house, and his friends followed him there and they went to the guys house because he wanted his Camaro, well the guys dad came out and threatened to throw the book at him, so he never got the Camaro but the guy did shut up about it.
Just another more expensive way to ruin it.
“Pretty Good Shape” wonder what bad shape would be. I always love the big headline is the engine and trans. But they are not there. Lots of work and have fun finding a 406. If in better shape would repair it and find an FE engine to put in.
Is it worth the ask without the original block? Looks surprisingly solid inside, but a rusty roller for that…?
Sorry; I don’t see $5500. worth of anything here. And with no engine, even less. Nothing but an empty shell.
Sad…good luck bringing this back to life.
Forgot to mention–no engine or transmission. Like the guys were saying, looks pretty solid but thats it. If you had a donor car this would make a nice project, put like you guys sais its a lot of coin for a rolling hulk. Good luck and happy motoring.
Cheers
GPC
Guess the posters don’t know G codes………
Gosh, does the flat tire come with it, or is that extra? It wouldn’t kill people to buy an air pump, or at least find some junk yard bald tire that will hold a little air so you can get an idea of the stance. Lazy people never hauled away this stuff when it was junk, now it is a little more valuable, they are still lazy. Karma does not visit all people, obviously some slip away. Hardly seems fair.
Sigh, the great debate goes on, 1st muscle car. Without going back to the Byzantine Era, say pre-war, the 1st muscle car was without question the Olds Rocket 88, like the clear hood one earlier, when a V8 anything was the hot stick. Soon to follow, were lots of V8 powered cars, usually big cars, but the “musclecar” term, morphed into a big V8 in a small car FROM THE FACTORY, and that honor goes to the ’57 Rambler Rebel, 8 years BEFORE the GTO, which is widely acclaimed as the 1st true musclecar.
This Ford was a “muscly”(?) car, but was too big and Fords only offering until people started stuffing big V8’s in Comets and such. This car was more for stock car racing, something Ford dominated in the early 60’s.
This car? sorry, strip it out the rest of the way ( those tail lights will bring $4,000 a piece today) and scrap the rest.
Starting with the GTO, when they were new, big block intermediates were called super cars and Novas and Dusters, etc. were called junior super cars. The term muscle car is certainly harder to define which car was the first.
you are right first muscle car 1949 1950 olds rocket 88 remember see a red one on show room floor with see tru hood in 1950 was young but remember it
Howard, my friend,
“Soon to follow, were lots of V8 powered cars, usually big cars, but the “musclecar” term, morphed into a big V8 in a small car FROM THE FACTORY, and that honor goes to the ’57 Rambler Rebel, 8 years BEFORE the GTO, which is widely acclaimed as the 1st true musclecar.”
I agree with you and most of the muscle car publications, that the definition of a muscle car is as you stated above. While as a loyal Wisconsinite, the Rambler was a good guess for you, there is an earlier production car that also meets the definition:
The 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk hardtop came standard with the Packard 352 V8, 4 barrel carb [a few were sold new with the Packard Caribbean’s dual 4 carb set-up], dual exhaust, and the industry’s first posi diff; Studebaker-Packard’s Twin Traction, by Dana. While most were equipped with the Ultramatic transmission, a few were ordered with 3 speed & overdrive.
I used to own a light blue and white 1956 Studebaker Sky Hawk hardtop equipped with the 289 V8, 4-barrel carb, dual exhausts, stick shift with OD, and Twin Traction. I also had a silver with red stripe ’57 Rambler Rebel with Hydra-matic too. The Hawk was 350 pounds lighter, and as the Rebel was only available with the automatic, I’m pretty sure the Sky Hawk was faster down a straight line. Both were fairly low milage original cars, and although I owned them at different times, I believe the Hawk would win the race.
While the Galaxie’s tail lights may have commanded good $ until recently, there are a few NOS housings on feebay for around $300 to $400, and the lenses [with back-up lamps] are $15 and up for NOS pieces. This is no surprise to me, as when various parts become more expensive, more “hidden” examples often become available. [“Oooo, I’ve got some of those out in the shed, better stick ’em on feebay!”]
A guy in upstate NY had a building full of collectable Ford’s, one of which was a 64 Galaxies with a 406/405 and a four speed. He had documents showing that it was in the Ford Exhibit at the New York Worlds fair. I’m thinking that adds some value.
406 was only offered in 1962 and 1963 fords in 1964 top engine was 427 rt under that 390 it had to be a 1963 or 1963 if it was a 406
So the question is, how much is a stripped rusty body with a rare ID tag worth?
Because that’s all you’re getting here.
By the time you spend 5gs for the car and another 10 to 12 on paint, there’s 17gs. No thanks
This is in need of a closer inspection .
In my day, this would be considered scrap.
Too many zeros in the price for this $55 pile of scrap! $20000needed to bring it back to even good condition. Good luck to the buyer and hopefully he knows where a 6 cyl donor car is!lol
Jim
Cars have souls and I feel so of cars that I’ve owned and built. Of course it’s worth 5 grand
I believe the 62 Pontiac Catalina with the Super Duty 421 should be considered as one of the first muscle cars. Dual quads on the drag race car and a single quad on the NASCAR one.
remember them well and yes it was great so was the 1961 catalina with 389 tri power 348 hp or 1957 Bonneville tri power or fuel injection or 1957 olds super 88 with j2 option which was tripower or 1957 tbird 312 with 2 4 barrels or supercharger some great cars in the 50s and not to forget in 1961 before the 406 ford starliner 390 tripower 401hp
Had a 61 Catalina bubbletop 389 tri-power, 4 speed, 8 lugs, 41,000 miles.Had a big round air cleaner, about covered the whole engine, and a grease fitting for just about anything that moved. Nice car! I knew I made a mistake selling it when the guy kissed the title.
1957 Rambler Rebel.
406 was only offered in 1962 and 1963 fords in 1964 top engine was 427 rt under that 390 it had to be a 1962 or 1963 if it was a 406
Walked past a green ’62 on my way to school
in the early 60s. No real idea what it meant
then, just had the 406 flags on each fender…
and I loved it!
How about the 57 Studebaker Golden Hawk? It came stock off the showroom floor with a supercharged 289 V8. It set all kinds of speed records (170 mph) on stock bias ply 6:70 x15 street tires burning Mobile “Ethyl” pump gas. That was a combination of beauty, power, and speed that never gets the recognition it deserves. None of the other so called mussel cars even came close.