Diamond In The Rough? 1964 Ford Galaxie 500/XL
This 1964 Ford Galaxie 500/XL convertible is, unfortunately, following an oft-told tale. The seller tells us that he is selling the car for the widow of its owner – now that he has passed, she no longer desires to keep it. It is suggested that it could use some “TLC to make it look like new” so let’s do a review and see if we concur. Located in Livingston Manor, New York, this Ford drop-top is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $12,000 with 37 bids tendered as of this writing.
I had forgotten some of the details surrounding Ford’s XL (extra lively?) nameplate. Research indicates that it was introduced in 1962 as the Galaxie 500/XL and was made available on two-door hardtops and convertibles. In ’63, the four-door hardtop was added as an XL choice but then dropped for the ’65 model year. In ’67, the Galaxie 500/ XL became known simply as the Ford XL and it remained as such through the 1970 model year. The Galaxie 500/XL convertible count was a bit light in ’64 with 15K units of output but the non-XL Galaxie 500 offered another 37K copies and that combined tally of 52K convertibles sounds more like it.
As far as that TLC comment goes, the illustrations reveal no issues, I think this convertible appears to be a sound, complete, and neat offering. The finish, which appears to be Dynasty Green – really a turquoise hue, shows well, it has both depth and shine. I see no indication of crash damage or rust, and all of the trim is in place and presenting as it should. The convertible top would seem to be a recent addition (no creases or scuff marks) and the seller states that it “works up and down“. Being a convertible, a glimpse at the underside (floors) would be warranted but I don’t expect a problem to surface.
The seller doesn’t identify the engine but the VIN does and it’s a 250 gross HP, 352 CI “FE” V8 powerplant that was rebuilt about ten years ago (5,000 miles of use). It is said, “The car runs and drives great“. As is usually the case, a “Cruise-O-Matic” automatic transmission handles all things gear related.
Reviewing the bucket seat interior, I’d suggest that this Ford has not spent too much time, outdoors, in top-down mode. The black vinyl upholstery shows too well, there’s no indication of sun damage to it or any other aspect of the environment. Nothing in the listing references the interior, but all of it – the console, console lid, carpet, dash pad, door panels, etc. indicate no needed attention. It is in remarkable condition!
The seller suggests that this Galaxie 500/XL is a “diamond in the rough” but I think he’s underselling the car (how unusual!). Based on what I can observe, it doesn’t appear to need anything at all. This one’s a no-reserve auction so it’s going to go to a new home; how about yours?
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Comments
The XLs came with 390s.
Wrong, note the attached, 289 was standard. This Ford has no 390 badge, but more importantly, the “X” in the VIN translates into 352.
JO
Not true.
Hmmm….Nice mid-range (displacement wise) 4bbl V8, snazzy XL trim, and New York state inspection for 2023. I would think (and hope) the Empire State would look for anomalies such as frame rot, bad brake lines, and the like, to make sure the car is roadworthy – not just lights and horn. Of course, the jug of coolant used as an overflow tank should have raised eyebrows…
Not sure where the jug of coolant is – not seeing anything in the pictures. I see the original overflow tank, which from what I understand, they do not hold up well and replacements are hard to source. Something about engine vibration and old solder. I saw one where the guy made one out of aluminum. The only other thing I see is the bladder for windshield wiper fluid mounted on the fender, as per original spec. I guess it is possible that there was another picture that has been deleted from the listing.
Now I see it on the computer screen – better view than on the phone.
Diamond in the rough? What’s so rough about it? When I saw that headline and the accompanying photo, I thought it was going to be a Brian K writeup.
Nothing, that’s the seller’s description. That’s why I stated, “The seller suggests that this Galaxie 500/XL is a “diamond in the rough” but I think he’s underselling the car (how unusual!). Based on what I can observe, it doesn’t appear to need anything at all”
JO
My brother had one similar to this one. It came with a 390Cu.in. He put 2 four barrels on it and changed the rear gears to 411. The top was white and the body was mi t metallic green. She sure was fast and Loud. Loved that car.
A nice older classic ! As someone once said , ” You can always get your money out of a convertible.” I recall , when the ’64 Ford Galaxies were new , there were many sold and I thought they were the sharpest car on the road back then !
My uncle had a 64 just like this, not a convertible. Had the 390 with chrome valve covers that had “ thunderbird “ stamped on them. 4 speed. Sat in a shed for years. He used it as a pickup truck with that huge trunk. Had fencing supplies in it and the rear springs were saggy. Otherwise it was in wonderful shape, no rust at all, 50,000 miles. Me and a friend took it out, cleaned up all the bird poop and dust off of it. Took it for a Sunday drive, the thing ran pretty good. I was going to buy it but he traded it for some cattle feed to a dick salesman that got it for his son. Uhg.
I bought a new 64 Sport Fury convertible in early 64, and some friends got a new Galaxie convertible. My Fury had a plastic rear window but the Galaxie had a glass rear window. I loved that glass rear window and wished many times that my Sport Fury had one. I can’t be positive from the pictures but it looks like the window in this Ford is curved a little so not glass. Am I seeing it wrong or did some 64 Ford convertibles come with plastic rear windows. I’ve had many convertibles over the years but never one with a glass rear window, and the plastic window was the weak part, IMO, of owning a convertible. This looks like a nice car, I hope it goes to a good home.
When the top was last replaced, someone saved a few bux by putting in a plastic window in lieu of the original glass one.
C Dickinson: They will regret it if that’s the case. When that plastic window starts turning gray and becomes blurry they will wish they had paid the extra money for the glass window.
I had a 66 Galaxie and had the glass back window, but I was wondering if you couldn’t just zip the rear plastic window out and detach that from under the stainless and replace it with a glass one.
Be still my heart!
There is a Broadway song that sums up me and this car, IF I WAS A RICH MAN. Very nice car that needs nothing, perfect for a Sunday drive or whenever it strikes you. Top it off something cheap and easy to fix. Can’t do much better than that.
I love this car and wish I could ….
You probably could have bought a faster 64 Chevrolet, but you could not have bought a prettier one
I think the 64 Galaxies were a very good evolution of the 63s. They had nice lines and from what I could see, Ford used quality materials on it, as it did on all their cars. The dashboard is nice looking and I loved the aqua colored instrument lamination I have always liked the 64s.
I posted a comment about the car, but I wanted to also mention something about the point you made “selling the widows car. I think that it is one of the saddest things about growing older. The owner probably loved the car and it was a very big part of his life. I will be 69 in March 2024. I often think about not being able to at least drive anymore. It’s a very cold thought. So do we sell our toys we can no longer use, and like that not leave it for others to do after I’m gone. Now I have a fantastic collection of diecast model cars, all 1:18 scale. I love them, I look at them everyday and get plenty of enjoyment from them. I know no one I know feels the same way I do about them, and that concerns me about their future. Getting older is not easy, and can be challenging. So what do we do? Do I pick a time in the future to start selling them to guys that would appreciate them as I do. I don’t like that option either. Selling them because I’m to old would be very painful. The entire thought would be so depressing. I try not to think about, but I know that time will come, and that makes life kinda sad. Your thoughts?
Aging does bring challenges such as you outline. This I do know – if you have something, such as your collection, and it still gives you great joy, keep it. Don’t rid yourself of the things that are important to you simply because your odometer is rolling on. Plan what you want to see go into your estate with directions to the executor as to the final disposition.
I had an old friend that I had known since high school and he had both a sports car and a model train collection. In ’22 he died suddenly but his wife was able to turn the car collection over to individual members of his car club and the trains went, in one fell swoop, to an auctioneer who specialized in model trains (he had no familial descendants). The cars and the trains gave him great solace and it would have been a mistake for him to start pairing things down simply because he was aging. All of his things are now owned by people that will enjoy them as much as he did.
You just need to plan around the inevitable.
JO
My big brother had a 64 4 door Galaxie with bucket seats and a console, gold exterior, black interior chrome wheels and dual exhaust, it had 8 track under the drivers seat