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Topless Fun: 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 Convertible

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Fancy yourself in a big two-door convertible? This might be your ticket to topless fun next summer! This 1966 390 big-block Ford Galaxie 500 is being sold in Barton, Maryland and is listed for sale here on eBay

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The body looks relatively solid, although the pictures are sorely lacking. I think there’s some rust at the rear, and the bumpers are certainly pitted well beyond polishing. However, the top looks to be in good enough shape to last a while yet. A set of nice period wheels or even wheel covers would wake this car up visually, although I’m afraid I would deviate from original with some wider steel rims and small chrome centers like these. Sorry, originality fans!

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You can see the rust a little better in this shot, and what looks like a bullet hole in the left rear fender. As a whole, though, there’s a lot of pretty decent sheet metal here, and nothing insurmountable to the home restorer. I can’t say I’m a fan of those rubber mud flaps, but I’ll bet they’re part of the reason there isn’t more rust. I wish we knew more about the car–how long it was stored, any interesting history, etc. If you’re interested, I’d certainly recommend contacting the seller for more information before bidding.

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The seller didn’t include interior pictures, although we’re told it’s all original. That’s fine and good, but is it in great shape? Thankfully, the seller did show the engine. It’s a 390 V-8 and is said to be matching numbers, although no proof is offered. It also runs, but we don’t know how well. It looks like a new radiator has been fitted, although I’m pretty sure the factory one wasn’t a plastic/aluminum crimp type! Again, questions to be asked and answered before bidding. We do know it’s showing 94,000 miles and has an automatic transmission behind that 390. Is it worth inquiring further?

Comments

  1. Avatar randy

    I was going to mention the crappy radiator as well.. The original rad is not cheap, prob why he put this one in, to help with the sale.
    Below 2K, I’m going to keep an eye on this one. Thanks

    Like 0
    • Avatar 64 bonneville

      Randy, bidding is up to a little over $2100.00 with time left. there were several on St. Louis CL priced around same amount. Mo. is a lot closer to haul one from than Maryland. Didn’t know you were looking for one. BTW car is no “all original” since radiator has been aced with what appears to be an aftermarket one.

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  2. HoA Howard A Member

    It’s a bit of a shame to look at this car as it is, but this could be made into a really sharp car. While I’ve never been a big fan of the “stacked head light” Ford’s, these 60’s Fords are hot, especially a convertible.I don’t think it’s an XL, but not that much different. You’d probably get done restoring it, and want to keep it because it’s such a beautiful car.

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  3. Avatar Matt B

    It is one country over from me and from the looks of the West Virginia license plate, it was just put on the road in the last 6 weeks or so. This is out in the mountains where you’ll see 7 year old vehicles with plenty of rust so I’m curious about it as well. If it wasn’t so close to the holidays, I’d love to go out and take a look. When times were better, there was a lot of manufacturing and mining in the area and my mother lived nearby years ago. A hardscrabble area and this had to be someone’s pride and joy. It is near Dan’s Mountain state park which is a favorite summer hangout for my family too and just a little ways off of I-68.

    Are those ancient bias ply tires?

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  4. Avatar piper62j

    Great body style.. This one is more preferred over the 65 which was more on the boxy side. It’s a well worth project and yes, it would be a keeper for me.. We have a drive-in theater 40 minutes from here..

    By the way,, there are signs of rust from the inside out on the sides.. A little caution here especially where the top drains are located.. Still nice though.

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  5. Avatar Jason Houston

    The seller is another slippery used-car dealer and Maryland is notorious for rust, is why this sleazy seller threw a crappy wrong-color paint job on it and fake .7 Litre stripes. It’s also looks VERY rusty, starting with the bumpers, dirty tires, missing wheel covers… I’ll take a ’65 XL over a ’66 500 any day. And he’s probably got a Disneyland reserve on it.

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  6. Avatar Tundra/BMW Guy

    Anybody notice the new exhaust manifold bolts and differentiating washers on each of them? That has got to have been a b!+€# of a job to have done! The big question is WHY it was done??? You know it wasn’t done for the fun of it!?!?

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  7. Avatar randy

    I am not sure about the washers, but the upper bolts on the FE exhaust manifolds scare me to death. The threads are exposed on the back side of the bolt, and seize up. Always a very fun job replacing a leaking exhaust manifold gasket. Guys now just take the gaskets off and bolt them metal to metal.

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  8. Avatar Joel Piggott

    I bought this in 2018 from a fella in Maryland area. It was supposed to be in good shape, few rust holes in floors but minimal. etc. etc. Hmmmmm….
    Its an X code car, the engine is a 352 and was full of sand or something. The chassis had major rust throughout, the rear quarters are both rusted out with old repairs patched over the top of the rust. Its been crashed near side front and chassis slightly bent. Also crashed offside front wing near door hinge, new wing must have been sourced as the bulkhead underneath heater box and inner wing was all crushed in. Windscreen surround rusted away and screen was held in with black muck. All floors rusted out, rears completely and boot/trunk floor is swiss cheese covered up with that POR stuff, Its been one hell of a first project!!! I’m still repairing holes and I greatly regret buying it. A rust free example from a dry state would have been a better starting point me thinks. I suppose if I ever finish it I will be bloody proud of myself.

    Like 0

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