UPDATE 08/27/2023: We’ve seen a few classics that have appeared to sell, only for the owner to fall victim to a non-paying buyer. However, that might not be the case with this 1969 Ford Galaxie XL GT. It sold at auction earlier this month for $13,951 but has appeared again. The indications are the current owner might be flipping it because the seller and location details in the listing are different from last time. It has moved from Clermont, Florida, and now sits in Tucson, Arizona. You will find the Ford here on eBay in a No Reserve auction. The bidding has reached $8,300, meaning monitoring this auction could be worthwhile to see if the final figure is higher than last time. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Mitchell G. for spotting this returning classic.
07/26/2023: Buying a classic car often involves compromise, with enthusiasts forced to choose between performance and luxury. It can lead to situations where a vehicle doesn’t quite meet their expectations. That may not be an issue with this 1969 Ford Galaxie XL GT. It appears to be a solid car that has spent its life in a favorable climate before finding its way to its current location. The interior features enough factory options to make any journey pleasant, while the 429ci V8 under the hood guarantees that those journeys will be effortless. Some might consider it a survivor that has only minor cosmetic needs. The Galaxie is listed here on eBay.
Ford introduced the latest model of its Galaxie range in 1969, with the range slightly larger than its predecessor. Our feature car rolled off the line during that first year, with the original owner ordering it in Lime Gold with a contrasting Dark Green vinyl top. This gem spent most of its life in California, arriving in Florida in 2008. That history has served it well, with no significant rust for the buyer to consider. There are small sections of steel penetration on the hood’s leading edge and the tops of the rear quarter panels near the trunk opening, but all should be easily patched. The Galaxie retains its original Ford sheetmetal, with the underside and trunk pan appearing solid in the supplied photos. The paint has a few imperfections, but the car remains presentable if the buyer chooses the preservation path. The stripes are crisp, while the glass and chrome appear above average for a vehicle of this vintage. The aftermarket wheels won’t appeal to everyone, but the seller includes the original wheels for those preferring a stock appearance.
UPDATE: I have carefully examined the feedback on this car from the original article, and our readers raise points that deserve consideration. Some question whether this Galaxie has fallen victim to flood damage, but I hasten to add this was not mentioned in either listing. Questions were also raised about the stripes’ originality and whether they are adhesive or painted. The photo quality isn’t good enough to provide a definitive answer, but it leads me to my mantra that some may find tiresome. I can never emphasize how vital an in-person inspection is. I am not suggesting for one moment that there is anything untoward with this Galaxie, but following that practice will provide peace of mind.
The impressive presentation levels continue when we examine this Galaxie’s interior. It is trimmed in Dark Green vinyl that looks almost faultless. The seats are free from wear, while the dash and pad show no evidence of cracking or UV damage. The lower steering column shroud is discolored, but that is one of the few visible flaws. The seller states it left the factory with air conditioning, but the compressor is missing from the engine bay. However, the luxury experience is enhanced by the bucket seats, console, power windows, power locks, and tilt wheel.
UPDATE: Further points were raised by readers concerning the carpet and console. Some believe the carpet is the wrong color and should be a darker shade of Green. The fit isn’t great and looks decidedly lumpy in some areas. The front console mounts should be concealed, but these are readily visible. That suggests the carpet has been out at some point. The seemingly warped door trims have been cited as a possible sign that this car has been wet. These are all questions worth asking to gain an insight into this Ford’s history.
The engine bay houses the powerplant that lifts this Galaxie beyond mere mortals. The 429ci “ThunderJet” V8 was new for 1969, which is what we find lurking under the hood. It sends 360hp and 480 ft/lbs of torque to the road via a three-speed C6 automatic transmission. The inclusion of power assistance for the steering and brakes won’t shock most readers. The Galaxie is a heavy beast at 4,191 lbs. However, that monster motor can launch it through the ¼-mile in 15.6 seconds on its way to 132mph. The seller claims this GT has a genuine 55,000 miles on the clock, but they don’t mention verifying evidence. However, it is a turnkey classic that runs and drives extremely well. The option of flying in and driving home is within reach of the winning bidder.
Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too? This 1969 Ford Galaxie XL GT proves it is possible to own a classic that perfectly combines high comfort levels and effortless performance. Buyer interest has been high, and barring a non-paying winning bidder, it will be on the way to a new home in under a week.
UPDATE: It would have been easy for me to perform a simple update of the original article published for this Galaxie, but I decided to take a different approach. Purchasing any classic is a calculated risk, and there are factors we must consider. These cars represent a luxury for most people, not a necessity. Some enthusiasts spend years scraping together the money for such an investment, which will be a one-shot deal for many. If they get it wrong, they could find themselves at the center of an automotive nightmare that could permanently drive them away from the classic scene. Buying with the heart rather than the head is a common trap. Being dazzled by sparkling paint and spotless presentation is easy, but bringing logic to the table is crucial. This extends beyond an in-person inspection because asking a knowledgeable friend to tag along as an extra set of eyes can never be underestimated. Don’t rush the decision. You may long to own the vehicle in question, but always remember there are other fish in the sea. I am not suggesting for one moment that there is anything underhanded or questionable about this 1969 Galaxie or its owner. I felt it was a golden opportunity to use your feedback to shine a light on the best strategies you can utilize to maximize the chances of gaining years of enjoyment from what should be the car of your dreams. With those thoughts in mind, would you consider pursuing this car further?
I like the wheels,the Trans Am exhaust tips not so much.
The whiteish substance below the rockers, the lumpy carpeting in places and warped door cards may indicate flooding. Inspect before buying.
Flooding would explain the rust on the hood trunk and upper rear quarters those are not the usual rust areas on this body style I’ve owned 4. The carpet is the wrong color for the interior it should be dark like the seats. You can see the center console is installed incorrect the mounting should be under the carpet all hidden. Those crisp stripes are painted on not the original sticker for this car which are still available in the aftermarket. This is a very nice car but there is certainly a back story on this one. Buyer beware.
I would have agree with Bill B, the engine bay has peeling paint and the air cleaner has some rust. I wonder if this was in a hurricane at some point. It would require an inspection and a lot of questions. It is one of those cars I would like in my garage.
Seller states “AC car” but compressor and lines are missing, right ?
Moisture got inside – I would yank/pull up driver side carpet.
The inner fenders underhood and top of front Radiator support all freckled- moisture or sea water ??
Full story needs told.
Just me but if I was selling this and it was clean- clean I would have a reserve as Galaxy XL big blocks have some strength – how many of these do we see?
The nose knows inside the car if it flooded – I would be cautious.
Could be a great car, but a personal inspection and plenty of answers for that rust and AC pieces missing.
This car does hit the sweet spot of large & in charge with authority. Rarely does comfort for all meet with plenty of horsepower but here we are! The missing A/C has me more worried then anything as I live in Central Florida close to where this car is & A/C is a big part of comfortable so the cost of that repair would be front & center to what I would be willing to spend on the car as is. No deny this car has the right stuff once sorted
IMO, it makes no sense putting a big guzzling high compression motor into a full size car, let alone offering racing stripes, since none ever broke into the 14s, except maybe some full size cop cars.
Docile, low compression regular gas big cube motor makes more sense for mountainous areas, & a reg gas 351 4 bbl for elsewhere.
Too bad more Fords didn’t get that horseshoe shifter.
15 years or so in Florida with all that humidity, salt air and other elements of mother nature. I personally would pass on this one. Maybe this explains the no reserve suction.
I am seeing some highly unusual and poor photoshop work done on these images, particularly on the ground under the rockers. Check out the 3/4 view images. Note the strange patterns in the street and shadows that just don’t quite match the surrounding area.
The photoshop shadows are done incredibly poor, and it looks as though the rockers have been retouched poorly.
Lovely lines with those sail panels, hidden headlamps, and wrap around dash with horseshoe shifter. BTW the car is an XL, not a Galaxie XL.
My maternal grandfather had a gorgeous 1969 XL Sportsroof, bright blue with white vinyl roof and white bucket seat interior. I wanted it bad, but 16 Omaha winters left it mortally wounded by the insidious Dark Lord of Oxidation.
I think this is a “sports roof” with those flying buttresses off the roof at the rear. Price would be double if it was a comparable Mopar of the era. I like the looks of these, they’re just a bit different, in a good way.
Looks to me like they painted the inner Fender Wells and everything else that’s black they just didn’t sand anything at all. Looks like they painted right over the little spots of rust and just left them there. Just painted for appearance sake only. Sure is a nice car as long as it don’t go a whole lot over what they’re asking for it it would be an amazing find. Keep an eye on this one we’ll see.
This is a flood car. It is rusting in places that are highly unusual. The cheese cake work to hide the rust is rather pathetic. Great car if it never left CA and ended up in a swamp. But then again a beach car from CA can certainly have its share of tin worm hell. First place to look is under the dash no need to pull the carpet and under the package tray in the trunk.
Hope it wasn’t floating, a while back. Because these a rare as hens teeth.
Thorough update Adam. Good job.
Moved it to Arizona to dry out in the desert?
I hope anyone “flipping” COLLECTABLE CARS loses their shirts. It should be illegal. Anything over ??? XX years .. you should have to show documents that you owned it for at least a year before resale. Anything under a month you can only sell for 100 more than you paid.
Or something like that… This market has taken the “find out of COLLECTING cars. Was really into it years ago and truly enjoyed it. NEVER did anything for big profit flip. Probably gave away more than profited.
Just the sad state of the mentality of things these days I guess.
Typo .. taken the FUN… darn auto correct
While I agree with the sentiment, I think we should realize that if it weren’t for the flippers we likely would never hear about many of the vehicles they are flipping. Also, I’d gladly suffer the flippers than have government bureaucrats “protecting” us from these profiteers.
These are a logical evolution of the 427/428 Galaxie XLs of the early 1960s.
Agree with a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) which is rarely done on muscle cars.
The 429 was a new monster motor in 1969, only used in Full Size, Merica, Lincolns.
I would love to see the Marti report as it was a well optioned full size with the right options would keep up with lighter muscle cars.
Lots of Comments in the AC delete.
Vintage Air & others offer modern reliable AC for restoration cars. Much better, smaller aluminum compressors and better operation. If a true 55k mile car, this would be a great drive as you restore car which is a lot less practical than it sounds.
Sounds like the new buyer is underwater, literally and figuratively!
I’d love to visually inspect this Ford. But since the new seller moved the darn thing ANOTHER 1000 miles away from me? I’ll have to pass.
I can;t even imagine the number of flood cars that have been unleashed on the public in the last 10 or so years. Besides rust, all the components will quit working right much sooner than if it had stayed dry.Electronics being one of the big ones.
Who in their right mind would flip a car without at least setting a Reserve?
Maybe yet another EBay scam? Watch out!
With the extreme flooding in Florida from powerful hurricanes, there is little doubt in my mind that this offering has been under water, or close to it. Because of it’s rarity, an owner since the flooding spent time and money cleaning it up for resale. It certainly does warrant an on-site, in depth inspection.
Stripes are poorly done,not enough gap along the top..should be a good inch more body showing..plus the top curve on this comes to an edge instead of the smooth curve on a regular one.They just look off.
I especially enjoyed the UPDATE at the end of the original article written. I have rushed to buy a vehicle many times because I just had to have it missing many problems and seller wants to dump his car and grab his money and run fast. He is not going to tell you of any issues if you don’t ask and may not even if you do. I then have bought a car that is going to cost more time and money than I had planned on and now have grown to hate the car putting it back up for sale at a lowered price than I paid to a smarter buyer than I was seeing the problems .Buyer be wear.
In youtube, search for “Hilarious 1969 Ford Cobra, Torino, Maverick, Mustang, More! Commercials”- a bunch of great ’69 ford commercials in good condition, including the big Ford – some with the voice of Dick Tufeld, the voice of the Lost in Space robot.
Back then many commercials were directed at young people, using young people, emphasizing LOW PRICE, with such cars as the 1st Maverick & even the Torino Cobra with 428! Compare those with today’s soooo lame commercials using mostly rich familes(car companies could not care less about single people or even families on a budget) with brainwashed kids going nuts over ugly all lookalike 4 door only appliances. & what color choices! I seen a vehicle the other day with just 4 color choices – black, grey, white & blue – no red, let alone orange, yellow, 4 shades of red, blue, green, brown, etc. like back in ’69 even on the under $2000 cars.