Motor Head Madness, or How I.....

[CJTK1701]

bought the coolest car for a song.

I just recieved delivery of a numbers matching 65 Ford Galaxy 500 ! WHOOT!

I'm going to give you a little back story here.... I used to race a 1966 Ford Fairlane, I had four of these at one time, there were three four door Fairlanes as donor cars and one two door. The two door was stock as a rock, but ran like stripped tailed ape. Anyway, I named my Ford "Christine." After I ran out of four door cars for parts and was left with just one two door I quit racing all together. I was hooked up with what was to be my Wife and we were planning a Family.

One day I was cruising down an old country road in the area where I have my country place and happened to see two 65 Galaxies sitting side by side. I immediately made a U turn and went to the boneyard and asked "How much?"

I ended up getting both cars for three hundred dollars, back in 92-93. By 94 I was driving "Christine II" back and forth to college. The other car was a four door and had given up many of its parts for the two door.

Alas as is often the case, I never did get her fully restored. I ended up going on the road as a traveling electrician working for gas plants and industrial firms. Big money that.

I moved into St. Louis and the poor galaxy sat on block under a tree for about ten years. Within the last year I had her transported to my current residence, but haven't had time to work on her due to my dedication to landscaping the new property, building a pole barn into a two story, two bay garage, loft, bar and gym.

Recently I was looking for a 65 Ford Galaxy model. I have one, but there are a couple of small parts missing. So, I'm searching the net looking for a model to buy for replacement parts, loe and behold I run across a full sized car for sale for, get this.... $100.00. I bid $75.00 just to keep track of the auction, I ended up winning the car for $100.00 even though I never bid that much. I suspect the Wife had something to do with that.

I got the guys phone number that was selling the car and found that he wanted $400.00 additional for the Engine and Transmission, that didn't bother me to much, because he had listed the body only. After talking with him awhile I found out that the car ran and drove and was a daily driver up until last year. Anyway, after much wheeling and dealing I got a contract to have it shipped for $600.00 with a $100.00 rebate.

Well, I just got the car today and I'm totally stoked! I've bought, swapped, traded, sold and restored cars for years and have never had a deal like this. This thing needs a little work, but after that first inspection I'm TOTALLY impressed. I can't believe the guy let it go for the price! This sweet baby starts right up and runs like a brand new car! It literally purrs!

This car has the original 352 cu in engine, with the stock Ford Four Barrel Carbeurator and runs like a top! So, now I have three Galaxies and only need one. My plan is to take the best parts load them up on the "New" one slap the other two door back together and shoot it with primer for resale. I should make more than my money back and still have a numbers matching car that I can do a frame off resto on!

God, I love it when a plan comes together!

It's pouring down rain and I can't wait to give her the once over. I did give it a basic inspection as I also used to be State Certified for that very reason, while working as a mechanic to get my degree.

Everything works on this but the AM radio! LOL.

Any of you other gearheads knows exactly what a boondoggle this is.

Pictures to follow.

[CJTK1701]

I finally got some pictures straightened out.

This is almost the exact same car I used to race, this is kind of what got me into the Galaxies. Man, I wish I had never sold this.... Well, at least the one I had. Copyright of the image is included. this is not my car, but a very close approximation.



I'm still looking for the first shot I had of the original, but this is what it looked like after I painted it. the thing is, I never got it back in the booth to seal the paint job......



....So, this is what it looked like after ten years of sitting on blocks, under a tree...... You can see the hideous Aqua Marine Green that was the original base color... EWWW.



After a quick clean up....



The *NEW* Galaxy.



the body disparately needs some attention.



Moss and mold, this what the whole car looked like when I got it. this stuff is what starts a paint job oxidizing, that's why it's imperative to wax these old cars...

Anyway, there's my project. It might look like crap now, but it definitely has potential and with the way it runs and the fact that all the systems on it are operational, I'm a happy camper.

Now I just have to find a model.

[CJTK1701]

As you can see the engine well is pretty clean and relatively free of rust. the engine and air cleaner have some surface rust, but not bad for a 43 yr old car that came from a humid environment.



All in all it's pretty clean, for an old beater...



The trunk is clean and has the original trunk liner, but it's going to have to come out for me to asses the actual rust damage....



The right side is going to need the most attention, but since I have two more of these to swap parts from, it's just going to be a matter of changing fenders and doors, then cutting out the lower section of the rear quarters and replacing with new steel.



The interior and door panels are in pretty good shape, I've seen a lot worse. I've got a spare dash and will probably attempt the seats myself, no9w I just need to find a good sewing machine....





the funny thing, to me is that the car dwarfs the minivan and is every bit as long as my 88 Custom Conversion Van.

Talk about land yacht..



Here's a video which is really just for audio purposes. It's night now, so there isn't much to see.



As I pass from the side to the rear you can hear a high pitched whine, I'm going to have to check the power steering unit tomorrow. You got to love the deep, throaghty sound of the engine, sounds like a freight train.

[CJTK1701]

I finally found the picture of the first Galaxy. Wow, I was a bit younger there.



Don't you hate the color of the car? Aqua Marine, indeed.

This will be the first time I've ever done and fiberglass and bondo, body work, but I figure that if I can create a 32.5 inch Starship out of paper tape and glue, fiberglass and bondo, then the big stuff should be easy.



Edit: I've really got to learn to proof read my typing, before I hit the submit button.

[CJTK1701]

It's pretty obvious that I'm going to have to swap over the front clips. the one I got, with the numbers matching, running engine just has to many body issues. I'm going to swap over the entire front clip and go back and swap out the left front fender. the LF Fender has the VIN on it and I have to keep that together. I already started stripping the hood.

[cjd]

is it just me, or are your build threads getting bigger...?

'man cave' and car both looking good

Chris

[paulhbell]

Cool cars, but need a lot of work.

When I worked in Houston in 93/94, a friend had a car that looked like a Ford Galaxy. His was a sandy/yellow colour. Bit of a rust bucket. I think I may have a photo somewhere, I'll have a look and post it later today, if I find it.

[CJTK1701]

Originally Posted by cjd

is it just me, or are your build threads getting bigger...?

'man cave' and car both looking good

Chris

Don't know. sorry, I'll try to limit the number of posts. All the rain we've gotten has seriously impeded things anyway.

[CJTK1701]

Originally Posted by paulhbell

Cool cars, but need a lot of work.

When I worked in Houston in 93/94, a friend had a car that looked like a Ford Galaxy. His was a sandy/yellow colour. Bit of a rust bucket. I think I may have a photo somewhere, I'll have a look and post it later today, if I find it.

Yeah, but not quite as much, were it not for the extra Galaxy. True, to do things right it's going to be an adventure, but hey, anything worth doing is worth doing right.

[Mark_1984]

Now that's what I call a restoration project for the ambitious

Are you going to post some pics of the cars during the re-build. I'd like to see them.

[CJTK1701]

Originally Posted by Mark_1984

Now that's what I call a restoration project for the ambitious

Are you going to post some pics of the cars during the re-build. I'd like to see them.

Yes, I'll provide some shots during the change over and resto. I want to start the parts swap now, but we are being plagued by rains and thunderstorms, not really something this area needs, right now. As soon as I can get a couple of days of clear weather I'm going to start stripping down the red Galaxy and swapping parts over to the white one. Unfortunately the garage is not yet ready to accept these behemoths so, when I'm not working on the cars, I'm working on the garage....

[CJTK1701]

What's wrong with people? What causes people to try and screw something up for others? What gets into people that they feel the need to destroy another persons program, or property?

We finally get a decent day of weather, so I opened the "New" Galaxy up to air it out. I go out later in the day and some jerkwad has ripped the mirror out of the windshield and let the air out of the right front tire.

Unreal!

I live in a rural area, so this isn't some kid off the street, in the city.

I called the Sheriffs deptartment and filed a report and all they can tell me is get it on camera. So, I'm sitting outside in the dark with an axe handle, waiting for it to happen again.

I swear, I just don't get people.

[Soaring]

With an Axe. Seriously? Well, gotta say, it takes some serious courage to wack a vandal in the face with your axe. For that, you deserve a:

Calling the Sherrif's departmant, that takes courage too. For that you deserve a :

To own a cool car and try to get it refurbished, for that you deserve a:

And Finally, <---Is deserved by the fact that you do your stuff, you build em, and noone else does. And that is pricless.

[CJTK1701]

An axe handle, there is no axe head on it. I'm not ready to cut a guys head off, but I wouldn't mind debilitating him, temporarily until the Sheriff shows up.

[CJTK1701]

Well, the rains finally stopped.....forawhile....I hope...

So I got some work on the Gals done.

Removed the inner door panels on the R-G door.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6...u/65Gal-25.jpg

Started srtipping the door down to bare metal, where ever there was / is rust.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6...u/65Gal-26.jpg

The right front fender got a little work done, stripped and primered...
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6...u/65Gal-27.jpg

The trunk lid on the R-G was the worst part of the original paint jod I did and it was right under the tree, for ten or twelve years. Lots of rust, but not all the way through.... I'll be putting this on the W-G as there's a pretty good sized dent I don't want to deal with right now.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6...u/65Gal-28.jpg

Getting this down to bare metal is going to be fun!


The reason for swapping the fender and door over, this doesn't even show the crease along the mid section of the door.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6...u/65Gal-31.jpg

Yep, I'm going to have to put rear quarters on, but that will be later.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f6...u/65Gal-32.jpg

More to come.