Parts Car in the Rough: 1965 Ford Galaxie 500

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Chevrolet and Ford competed head-to-head in the full-size market. That meant buyers had to choose between cars like the Chevy Impala and Ford Galaxie (Chevy usually won the sales game). The seller has a 1965 Galaxie 2-door hardtop (probably a “500”) that has been relegated to parts car status (no engine and lots of rust, aka patina). Located in Atlanta, Georgia, the forgotten former classic is priced in cheap-wheels territory ($500) here on Facebook Marketplace. Thanks for the FOMOCO tip, “Moparman”!

The largest disparity in sales between the Impala and Galaxie no doubt came in 1965. Even though both cars had been redesigned, the Impala’s styling was particularly attractive, and Chevy sold more than one million of them that year (a number that has never been bested). The Ford had a strong showing, yet still only mustered about half as many sales. But they had the upper hand overall: more than a half million Mustangs were sold in 1965 and Chevy’s entry, the Camaro, was still two years away.

Little is known about this Ford. We assume it once had a V8 engine under the hood (with displacements of as little as 289 cubic inches). But that motor is MIA, though the automatic transmission (Cruise-O-Matic?) is still in place. The radiator is sitting in the front seat, and we’d guess more is missing than the bumpers. Rust seems to be of the surface variety rather than gaping holes, but there is enough to camouflage the car’s paint color. The seller says purple, but he may simply be having some fun.

The black or red interior has seen better days (a lot better). But for $500, you can’t expect that everything will be usable, so you’ll have to pick and choose. Parts cars, especially for vehicles you don’t see around much anymore, take more time to sell. So, the fact that this listing is six weeks old is not surprising.