I don't have a land barge problem, I can quit anytime I want

"RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht" (ramblininexile)
12/27/2016 at 20:08 • Filed to: LAND SAKES IT'S 80 WIDE

Haven’t been on Oppo this week because of taking it off (and not Oppoing at work, hurr hurr). Anyway, ‘63 Galaxie 500 Get. It has a smallblock and a Cruise-O-Matic. More pics and details at some later point this week.

DISCUSSION (43)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 20:14

And four doors, which is how many doors it should have.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
12/27/2016 at 20:19

I get that two doors are considered more luxurious somehow, but the vast majority of four/two platforms (at least via FoMoCo) didn’t have different seat positions or anything substantially different inside between two and four in the 60s (usually the same pan, wheelbase...) which means a four is far more practical. A scant weight difference and a tiny bit more stiffness are important for people trying to scrape a tiny edge in performance, but that’s 90% going to be pretense, and not my thing.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 20:24

A solid analysis, but from a purely practical standpoint, who likes five-foot doors that weigh 300 pounds?

I learnt to drive on a ‘77 Caprice Classic (Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 1977) and I have nursed a deluded fantasy for many years of restoring one and installing a real small block V8 to replace the 305 that was stock. In any event, pretty much the only survivors are the coupe examples -- that did have a clever rear window -- and no thank you.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 20:25

BTW, Merry Christmas, Rover.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
12/27/2016 at 20:32

I have a transmission from some sort of ‘78 Chevy with a 305 in a project car - it could well have once been a Caprice, bravely sacrificing...

As to long doors, I’ll make an exception for the Falcon Ranchero, which uses the coupe doors. Heavy, but not insanely so, and the alternative is to have a very small pickup cab with large blind spots at the B-pillar as the Aussie Falcon pickup had. The Falcons in general had very small doors in the four door, so there’s less of a marked ridiculousness on two door models. *Only* four foot doors.

Jayvincent > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 20:32

So where do you find these aging beauties if you don’t mind sharing? I’m asking for a friend... :)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
12/27/2016 at 20:32

Thank you, and likewise to you.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Jayvincent
12/27/2016 at 20:35

Well, the Lincoln was via Oppo. The Ranchero was through manic use of AutoTempest and misuse of Craigslist over months, with a willingness to tolerate having a legendary rustbucket. The Rover was a rotty trainwreck that belonged to a relative, and this? It was just a chance find by my cousin, on my *local* Craigslist. Only an hour away, and I got it for $1500. Quite a bargain, though it has some un-sorted-out unknowns.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 20:37

Neat. Way back in the day , long before I was around, my dad’s family had a thing for Galaxy 500s. My grandmother had a four-door Galaxy with a 351, and my great grandmother had a two-door with a 390 at roughly the same time.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
12/27/2016 at 20:39

Dat hood latch. YOU PULL ON THE BADGE TO OPENZ TEH HOOD ZOMG

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 20:46

You need more Corvair.

Jayvincent > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 20:50

I was afraid of that...

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street.
12/27/2016 at 20:58

“So, where are going to park *this* one”?!
*buys Corvair too*
RIP RamblinRover

lone_liberal > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 21:02

My parents had a ‘63 Galaxie convertible that I just barely remember. I think they also had a ‘65 at one point. They also had a ‘57 Fairlane but that was after the Galaxies so I actually remember it. My dad is a Ford man, if you can’t tell.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > lone_liberal
12/27/2016 at 21:05

I now have one ‘59 FoMoCo product, and two ‘63s. Probably safe to describe me as a Ford man. Probably.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 21:15

Kinja'd!!!

Whoever said that size doesn’t matter did not consider doors on coupes . The Falcon’s coupe door would be much more reasonable in size than an LTD or an El Dorado or some other tuna vessel.

Kinja'd!!!

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 21:18

63, smallblock, so a 260? I think too early for a 289. Nice looking cars.

My dad was into old Fords when I was a kid, he had a 60 Country Sedan, 66 Galaxie (the car I first drove regularly) and a 68 Fairlane as project/fun cars back then. He sold them all by the time he retired, but always regretted selling the 60.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
12/27/2016 at 21:22

On some level, the absurdity appeals to me. On a more practical level... no. The Lincoln I have has doors 4' long times four . The mind reels at how much harder it would be to get in and out of in any kind of limited parking with only two at >6'. They’re already beyond bank vault-ish.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > fintail
12/27/2016 at 21:25

I think it’s a late ‘63, so it might be a 289... I haven’t triple-checked. The ‘60-’64 are my favorite run of the fullsize Ford, because while I like stack-’em-up headlights on a Pontiac or even a Fairlane, I’m not so much a fan on the big FERDs.

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 21:33

If remember right, they might be hard to tell apart. It’s a big jump to a 352 (assuming it is a stock engine), so it has to be one of those. My dad’s 68 was a final run 289, good engine, he drove that car a lot and never had any engine issues.

I remember looking at a lot of old cars with my dad, as it was 20-25 years ago, a simpler time when my dad had no qualms with going up to someone’s door and asking if a car was for sale. He liked 60-64, too, but also liked the thirsty 390, and the 66 was a bargain, so it happened. I like the 66 styling more than the blunter 65 or curvier 67. I kind of have a thing for the big 60 Fords now, interesting design, but I have room for only one project car, and it isn’t going anywhere (a MB with stacked headlights).

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > fintail
12/27/2016 at 21:39

I’ve seen a ‘64 with a 390 in it racing at Brand’s Hatch. It was bringing up the rear, but the driver did not appear to have any fucks to give about that. I’d not have minded this one being a 390, obviously, but the best odds of that are to have a 500XL, and I like having the bench seat, so 500 (and thus, usually smallblock) for me.

The owner described it as being a 289, and it’s a smallblock car, but I haven’t sat down with the minutia yet nor am I 100% certain (engine was rebuilt) that it’s the original engine. It’s said to be.

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 21:44

Our 66 was far from a racer like that, it was just a nice enough looking 2 door HT. It got about 10 mpg no matter how it was driven, it sounded good, and could smoke the tires. It was also painfully cold blooded, and liked to stall in the first 10 minutes of operation. Helps me appreciate FI.

If you have the data code for the car, that should tell it all (I forget the letter code for a 289, I actually knew this stuff back in the day). I think these early 60s Fords are still quite undervalued and ignored, or the GM cars are overvalued.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > fintail
12/27/2016 at 21:53

I was looking at the plate earlier, but not in depth. I do remember it was made in Atlanta Assembly, which for a southern car would be what we call Not A Shock. Somewhat unlike the special-ordered-in-Milpitas status of my Ranchero.

In regard to early Ford/Chevy price disparity, I also saw on my local Craig somebody trying to sell a ‘60 Biscayne for $100k. Ha. Ha. Hahaha.

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 22:06

I want to say our 60 was also made in CA, but I am not sure anymore.

A lot of these old Fords can be nice drivers for 5-10K. Hard to beat for that money. I don’t know what I would do if I found that wagon again, or a similar car. I also like the somehow kind of odd 4 door HTs that year. Starliners are a little dear for me.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 22:07

More particularly, the hinges are probably not bank-vaultish.

Zero appeal to me on any level. As ugly as anything the American auto industry has ever foisted. Obscene, even.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > fintail
12/27/2016 at 22:13

I was sort of starting to come into the market for pretty much this exact car when the Lincoln needed rescuing, so the hunt was put off. I was about convinced the Lincoln would cover all my barge needs when this came along, and now I get to have my cake and eat it too. The Lincoln is the gas hog mutant roarmaster with electric everything and is pillarless; this one is more mannered, manually accessorized, and has pillars, and is also less of an impending time sink.

TFritch drove a pretty nice mid-60s Fairlane he got for like $4k for about a year or so, and we also had a guy named Drew Silvers who was DD’ing a ‘63 Comet. I think Pixel had a Comet wagon years back as well...

fintail > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/27/2016 at 22:46

Yeah, less power accessories is a good thing at this age. Have fun with it. it survived 50+ years and should be good for many more.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/28/2016 at 04:49

Glad to see you’re staying true to form ;)

Nice looking Galaxie :) what needs to be done to it to get it driving?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/28/2016 at 04:54

Now that feels familiar ;)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
12/28/2016 at 08:00

It’s a brilliant old lump for only $1500. Mechanically, I need to replace a bushing on the trans linkage, sort out why it won’t shift into second gear (probably a loose band), do ball joints, make sure the engine’s sound, and go through the brakes. Brakes are working, but stick a bit, and the engine was rebuilt recently but then wasn’t that well kept - may have been run low on oil a bit.

I also ought to repair the weatherstrip edge on the trunk before driving it regularly, as that’s a bit rotted and the strip isn’t in place. Can’t be left out in the rain too much. Also need to reset the window winder on the driver door in its track. Past that, more or less down to cosmetic things.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
12/28/2016 at 08:02

I wouldn’t have even gone after this one if it weren’t (a) a specific model I’ve wanted for a long time, and (b) an incredible deal. It was worth the risk of being metaphorically grounded... although surprisingly my dad’s more okay with this than the Lincoln. Likes the looks better, and we’ve got more roof going up shortly...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/28/2016 at 09:12

Neat :) that sounds pretty simple really (or, at least, not a year’s worth of work...)

Looking forward to updates :)

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
12/28/2016 at 09:26

Lots of cosmetic things, but most can be seen to while I’m driving it. New headliner, new carpet, that sort of thing. It’s every bit as big as the one we saw in the paddock, and as wide as the Lincoln (80"!), though not quite as much in the cab or track width, and the Lincoln is (improbably) a foot and a half longer in overall length *and* wheelbase.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/28/2016 at 10:43

And I thought my Jaaag was a barge!

Is the plan to get it driving and fix bits as you go along? Can’t remember what you daily actually...

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
12/28/2016 at 12:00

I’ve been dailying an ‘87 Benz diesel, but the turbo is at roughly 0% function and the fuel pump and injectors need attention. To haul out and defunk the turbo (and replace engine mounts) approaches *requiring* the engine out, so I’m leaning towards fixing the Galaxie enough so that either it or the Rover are sure to be working on a given day, and then taking it offline for some weeks to go through properly.

Get it driving and then fix bits as I go is more or less the plan. Depends somewhat on how the engine and trans turn out.

A quick set of dimensional comparos, Jag SIII XJ/’63 Galaxie/’59 Lincoln Landau Sedan:

Length: 195"/209"/227.1"
Wheelbase: 112"/119"/133"
Width: 70"/80"/80.1"
Curb:3900-4200lb/3800lb(!!)/5200lb

Your Jag’s looking to be just a spritely little thing.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
01/04/2017 at 13:34

Hot damn, congrats!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
01/04/2017 at 13:40

My favorite two features are relatively little things: the fact that the vent windows open with a crank and that the hood latch is the grill emblem(!).

Kinja'd!!!

Hidden fuel fill too, of course.

And then there’s the part where like the Ranchero the ignition is on the left of the column. Ford, you so crazy.

19JRC99 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
01/19/2017 at 22:45

Always hated the leftside ignition in our Fairlane. That 2 speed kicked like a mule, too.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 19JRC99
01/19/2017 at 22:51

Ludicrously nerdy observation: The two-speed was actually a three speed, except that because Ford/Borg Warner were worried about clutch/band shock going from low to second (a consequence of using a Ravigneaux gearset the way they had it), so they kept you from going straight from granny low to second. The Cruise-O-Matic had a roller clutch/freewheel to make a smooth low-second shift possible, but when they made the same design in a baby version/cheap version, the roller clutch was left out.

As to leftside ignition, it *is* a bit weird. However, since I have three FoMoCo products set up that way, I’d have toe be really torqued off to change them all.

19JRC99 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
01/19/2017 at 22:53

Didn’t know that. Our Fairlane had the later series Fordomatic (before Cruise O Matic, after MX and FX), which was a true 2 speed. Hated that damn trans. Had money not been an issue, and had Dad actually liked the car (bit of a story), we’d have thrown a C6 in it.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 19JRC99
01/19/2017 at 23:01

I’m telling you, Ford rolled out their first three-speed auto in ‘49. I know that that Fairlane had a trans that was called a two speed auto. I know that it was marketed as a two speed auto and Ford swore up and down it was a two speed auto. I know that you probably never operated it in any circumstances in any but those two gears. However, due to the design of the gearset, you *did* have a not-a-gear getting-unstuck low first.

That whole family of transmissions were set up with the same two-band, two-clutch, two sun, common carrier design. Secretly a three speed, except that Ford hates you and the only way to do *anything* with it is to switch into low at a stop. Switching into low while in motion would put you in second(“first”)-only, low at a stop is the real secret granny first which only activates that way and you may never have used, even once.

EDIT: As I understand the physics of it anyway. Regardless, the Cruise O Matic badge actually goes back to ‘58.

19JRC99 > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
01/19/2017 at 23:26

Ah. From what I’ve read, the early 60s Ford O Matic genuinely did only have 2 speeds. Never did put it in first though.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 19JRC99
01/19/2017 at 23:40

Two forward valve body settings on a two-speed FOM: D and L. Three settings on a COM: D2, D1, and L. The COM D2 starts in second, upshifts to third, which is the same as the D setting on a FOM. D1 setting, under the right circumstances, starts out in first, but only on a COM, because an FOM isn’t meant to shift automatically up from true first, ever. It’s a two-speed automatic/three speed transmission.

On a later COM family trans the indicator has two little circley doohickeys for the two drive settings, and D1 has a dot connected to a *green* line running to “L”. Hence, “green dot drive” as it is called in lore is considered to be the right setting to drag race with.