Ford described their restyled 1965 full-sized model as “Solid. Silent. Elegant, and the most-changed cars you’ve seen in a decade – completely new from top to tires.” In my opinion, 1965 was one of the best styling years from Detroit, and this attractive 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 Hardtop Coupe is a nice surviving example. The new look was clean, smooth, and crisp with stacked headlights and hexagonal, not the usual round, taillights. The buying public also liked the looks of the ’65 Fords as full-sized Ford sales increased 6 percent with more than 565,000 Galaxie 500’s sold, including 157,284 Hardtop Coupes. Located in Advance, North Carolina, this clean ’65 Ford is for sale here on Facebook Marketplace with an asking price of $19,500.
The clean, smart, nicely-proportioned styling and the sportiness of the hardtop roofline (some refer to it as a fastback) looked great 58 years ago when this Ford was new and still looks great today. Based on the photos, the solid-color Wimbledon White paint looks very presentable (the seller says, “original paint except hood and fenders; very good paint overall”) and I’m not spotting rust or any major scratches or dents. The bumpers, stainless trim, glass, badging, period-correct whitewalls and sporty-looking wheel covers all look good for a driver-quality survivor.
Red was the right interior color choice to compliment the Wimbledon White exterior and the seller says it’s original. The optional all-vinyl seats look very good with only some wear and sagging noticeable where the driver sits. The complimentary door panels, “padded instrument cluster,” and red carpet are in good shape, but no photos were supplied of the Ford’s headliner. The steering wheel is even wrapped in red along with red seat belts. Other listed options ordered from the factory include power steering and a 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission.
Galaxie 500’s came standard with Ford’s new 150-horsepower Big Six, but the power plant on this ’65 is a 250-horsepower 352-cubic inch V8, one of four optional V8’s offered that year. The engine looks clean and tidy and the mileage is listed at 110,000. The seller says the car runs exceptional well and is a great highway cruiser. The brakes are described as “okay and could use some attention, but still very drivable.” No history is given about this solid-looking survivor and what it’s been up to the past 58 years, but it looks like it’s been well taken care of and not modified or monkeyed with. The lucky next owner can start driving and enjoying it from day one.
Looks like a nice car, a very sharp example. White with a red interior is a great combination and the sharp lines of the new for ’65 full size Fords were a big hit with new car buyers as the writer points out. Somebody will like this one as the price isn’t unreasonable for what you’d be getting.
No ford blue for the engine, gold and black back then ? I thought an Oldsmobile rocket was gold
The Ford blue engine color wasn’t used before 1966. The black and gold of this car is correct for a ’65 352.
Same color scheme for the 289 except air cleaner snorkel was black.
I’ve got 2 of these, a 500XL (bucket seats, console, 390, factory 4 speed), the other a regular 500 purchased new by my father. Gold rocker covers and air cleaner are correct, and the engines were painted black. Blue engine and accessories weren’t present until 1966 or 1967.
Black and gold FEs were in 65 only, all previous years were blue, possibly red in certain models, but most were light or dark blue
1965 Galaxie 352 engine valve cover and air cleaner were gold, and engine black if I recall.
Nice Galaxie 500.
Just love these big Fords!
My 1st car was ’67 Ford Custom PI, $300 back In 1977.
Rock solid.
Could live with this one.
Price ok but would be better by a pinch with the 390.
Hope it goes to a good caretaker and kept inside.
Great looking car and fair price. The only concern would be a car from the 1960’s with 110K mileage. Valve job needed at 50K, piston rings at 100K.
My parents bought a ’67 Merc with a 390 brand new. and put over a 100,000 miles on it then gave it to my brother for a couple years. It ran great and never had any major motor work, but it went to the junkyard with a bad frame.
Nice car. The crisp, angular, sharp-edged styling came across particularly well on the full size 1965 Fords. This Galaxie 500 looks clean in white/red. Not cheap.
Thanks Ron.
Your thinking of chevy small blocks. I’ve owned three 352 Fords, one with 250000 miles one with 150000 and another with 160000, all of these were untouched and ran perfect.
I bought one just like this in 1982. It also came from North Carolina and it showed. Rust free body and frame. I called the color midnight green. It had a white (painted) top and off-white interior. It was unbelievably clean. Same engine as this one, too. I paid a whopping $1600 for it. I put wire wheels on it and to this day, I’ve never had so many compliments on a car.
Granddaughter had a 65 Galaxie 500 2 door like this because 2 doors were quieter than 4. Green color inside and out I believe. Bench seat 352 auto trans just like this car. Drove very smoothly, solid vehicle imo. Might not of been a boulevard bruiser or a 1/4 car, a nice refined ride nonetheless.
This seems to be a nice example.
Learned to drive in a red ‘65 Galaxie 500 with a 289 V-8. Had to get creative to burn a little rubber at age 16. Backed slowly, put in gear, and stomped it. Liked this car but preferred driving my Dad’s ‘69 VW Bug.
2nd Photo, see an old green car in the background…
Any guesses?
Background car looks like a ’52 or ’53 Packard.
Yes!
Bought one in…’71 or ’72. It was the 2nd car I had owned after my ’63 Comet (6 cyl. 3 on the tree) bit the dust…used for $35 (4dr version) from a good neighborhood friend…tnx for the memories!
First 352 powered 65′ i’ve seen.Figured it was 289 or 390 for V8 choices by then.My grandparents owned a 58’Ranchero with the 352 4v interceptor.Probably makes this Galaxy more rare than a 390 car.very clean and in excellent shape
Nothing rare about the 250 hp 352. Others V8s – 289 2 barrel, regular 300 hp 390, Police 390 (330 Horsepower) . 427 1- 4 barrel 410 hp. 2-4 bbl 425hp. Also early (Sept. 64 to Feb. 65) 427s had low-riser heads and intake. Later 65s (March 65 to August 65 build date 427s) came with medium riser heads and intake. Much better – more horsepower, But didn’t change factory advertised horsepower and torque ratings. Reference May ’65 Hot Rod magazine
Thought the Ford’s had 426 and Chevy had 427’s.
I owned 2, 1967 Galaxy, both 390, 4 door. First one I paid $300 in 1973 and it pulled VERY hard to the left when braking. The star wheel adjustment was cranked all the way down because the brake shoe was cracked. A junkyard provided a front set of brakes from a wrecked Ford with 30,000 miles for $45. They even pulled them off. Took me about 3 hours to install. This was my second car at age 15 and THANK YOU HIGH SCHOOL POWER MECHANICS CLASS.
My second Galaxy was exactly the same color and engine. I paid $67.50 from a used car salesman. My friend’s grandmother traded it in a half hour before I showed up. He told me that he could get between $50-75 at auction. I split the difference. Year was 1978 or ‘79. Tranny jumped into reverse when starting unless I held the shifter when turning key. Ford’s fix? They sent a warning sticker to place on the dash. I eventually gave it to a single mom with 3 kids. She drove the heck out of it for 3 years. Best deal of my buying 30+ vehicles.
I had a friend in highschool in 71 that had a Black on Black 352 4 speed bench seat radio delete.If I remember it had the same paint combo on the engine. This car looks nice I like the white and red.
Bought that model form the dealer at $2600 off the floor. Great car, quick but the ignition switch unscrewed itself every few hundred miles and stopped me dead in traffic.
Well the standard engine could be called a “Big Six” I guess because it was pretty large compared with Fords “Little sixes” but was only 240 cu.in. The mighty 300 inline six was the same engine family but was never installed in cars. :-) Terry J
My first ride in a new car at age 7 in the fall of 64, right from the dealer. My Grandfather bought a red one with the 352. That car sounded so good with the dual exhaust. He had the dealer install chrome impact strips, a remote drivers side mirror and a black vinal top. It had white walls and full wheel covers. What a beautiful car. It had red cloth interior and the new car smell smelt so good. He took me in it to upper Michigan from Detroit in the summer of 65 and many years after that. One of my favorite cars of all time for sure.
Everyone seems to be talking about engine and colors, and I’m not an expert. It’s mentioned that the brakes might need attention, so I looked and there seems to be no brake booster unit. Is there one available for these? Just asking.
This was my car through most of high school in the late sixties. I had a Galaxie 500 LTD w352. The LTD was a trim upgrade option to the Galaxie that became a stand alone model name later and the Galaxie name went away.
Beautiful cars back then.nice original looking car, not all cobbled up like most cars at car shows nowadays.
My dad gave me his gold ’65 Galaxie 500 in 1972. I was 17 and working at a local gas station. A regular customer, a salesman by trade had an XL with a black interior.
He was getting $400 as a trade-in on a new Torino. He offered it to me for the trade-in price. It took longer than expected to get his new car, when it finally came in he said “just give me $200”. A car and gesture I’ll never forget.