Technical 1963 Ford Galaxy Fast Back...Saved from the crusher

Great save! The interior is almost a dead ringer for the one in ours which has buckets, centre console and power windows. Ours has the 390 with an Autolite 4100 4 barrel and yes, as Atwater Mike said, no problem sliding into traffic. They haul ass! Good luck!

 

Whoa!!
Good save!
My favorite "big car" Ford.

 

Nice save. Yes that is a C6. Can't help you with which convertor you need but as mentioned before pay attention to the size of the pilot hole in the crankshaft for the proper fit of the new convertor. At a minimum I would go thru it and reseal it before using it. It will leak at the front pump and you can see the damp spot around it right now. They all seem to leak there, nature of the beast. Had one of those back in the late 60's. No engine/trans in it and I scrounged up a 406 and T-10 trans for it. Both were basket cases. Went thru both and ended up with a pretty bad 406 w/2x4's. Left many a new "muscle car" owners with long faces after they got beat by this big old boat.

 

Thankyou! I should keep my eye open for a set of Hollander books.

 

I'm leaning towards the 360 I already have. I pulled the motor from my 1948 Panel truck and replaced with a rebuilt 390. The 360 was a junkyard motor that I gave $100 for with a T-18 hooked to it. It had good oil pressure, and the rear main didn't even leak...that bad LOL. I think a set of rings would help it smoking greatly! Probably throw a set of mains and rod bearings in it just because. I'm trying to find a cheap source for the rings and bearings. I purchased the 390 rebuild parts from Parts Dinosaur, But it looks like he is out of business. Don't need a whole kit, just some parts.

 

I found a set of old stock standard size Hastings rings for the 292 in my edsel for $30 on ebay, new ones were closer to $60 even on rockauto. And the rod and main bearings looked fine, so I left them alone. But you won't know till you take it apart.

 

I rebuilt a 1300cc VW engine over the winter. Found NOS rings on ebay for less than aftermarket. Runs Great! Just called a number that the guy I bought the car from gave me. He is 72 years old and was a former owner the car. I told him what I had and he said he has everything to put the car back together. Even a rebuilt 335hp 390. Not sure how long ago it was rebuilt or how much cash we're talking but defiantly taking a ride Sunday afternoon. Wish me Luck!!

 

Here's hoping it plays out in your favor - I love when a good story is advanced by fortuitous events!

 

That should make a decent cruiser without spending too much money. Hope the engine lead works out, that would be nice to get a rebuilt 390 for cheap.

 

The 360 is a low compression truck engine. its a 390 block with a 352 crank. the 390 pistons are used. and they are down in the bore due to the 390 piston pin location. A 390 crank will fit using the 360 pistons and rods. Be certain to remove every bit of ring ridge if you put a 390 crank in a 360. most 352,s where thought to be dogs. mostly they had the cruseomatic trans and 300 to 1 rear gears. not a tire buring 1/4 mile car. they where top end cars. get a 352 with a stick trans and some 3.89 or 411 rear gears and they will surprise you. The 59 and60 352 interceptor engines had high compression and made 300 hp.

 

Well things have got more expensive LOL. The guys was very nice and has a ton a Galaxy parts. We ended up making a deal. He wanted a $1000 for the 390 completely rebuilt 4 Barrel Carb to the Oil Pan by a very reputable local machine shop in Utica, NY (UAP)According to their sign they use to build engines for Bill Elliot back in the day, but I digress. He had a radiator with overflow, the flexplate, torque converter(From my car) and rebuilt steering box . I told him I would buy the motor if he threw in all the rest of the parts. He agreed!!! Engine was rebuilt 5 years ago for a P Code car he wanted to build, but never found the time. The engine still sits on the stand and he rotates it by hand every so often to keep it from setting up. So as of know I have $1375.00

 

I removed all the seats and carpets. I cleaned the seats up and gave them a Duct tape upholstery job. I disposed of the mouse pee carpet. Floor is pretty solid, couple of rust holes, but not bad. Dash pad was shot and there was a mouse nest behind the glove box. The dash is rusted pretty bad in the corner by the glove box. I think the mouse pee ate the metal away.

 

mice are hard on sheet metal! you wouldn't guess until you seen it. They made quite a bit of rust in the roof of my Edsel, and really tore up the roof of an old Suburban I had.

 

Nice car. I am a Chevy guy, but I do have a soft spot for that body Galaxy. Good luck with your build.

 

Going to pickup the motor tomorrow. I called him the morning and he says the original flywheel and torque converter from my car is still bolted to the seized 390. I am going to try to talk him into throwing in the seized 390. Maybe its not seized too bad and/or maybe I can use the heads or something. More the parts the more the merrier! I will post some picts later.

 

Excited and glad for you! Imagine: Fresh 390 in Utica, N.Y.!!
Convertor and extra parts, all in one location...
Great find, be careful loading.

 

This is getting good, great score on parts from previous owner.

Does he happen to have any 4 speed stuff???

 

I got the motor home. It turns pretty hard, I'm hoping its due to the rust from sitting and tight machining. I could not get the torque converter unbolted from the flex plate I was just rounding off the nuts. I going back with my torches and heat them up a little. The engine being seized does not allow for rotating the flex plate allowing for a socket. He told me that this is the 390HIPO and used solid lifters just like the 406 and 427. He seams to know his stuff. He said he bought one brand new in 63. So the saga continues.

 

Take your time and dump a lot of Marvel Mystery Oil down the pistons and let it soak. Go slow and try to rock it a little at a time. Pretty sure this one will rock free by the looks of it. Just be patient. It's going to take a couple of weeks playing around with it.

 

The PO has kept Marvel in it and was able to rotate the engine on the stand when I bought it. I tried to rotate it while hanging on the engine hoist and it just wants to swing on the chain. The torque converter and flex plate are on the original seized engine still in his barn. I am going back Thursday night after work with the torches and heat up the nuts. I blasted the intake, gave it a coat of etching primer and high heat aluminum paint. I thought the aluminum paint would make it lighter LOL. Stupid question...What goes in this hole?

 

That should be a hose to the waterpump.

 

I think it is a press in nipple for the hose to water pump. There is like a 4 or 5 inch hose the connects the intake nipple to the back of the pump.

 

that looks like the back, if it is it's for the breather tube.

 

Yep, that's where the road draft tube connects... Pre-PVC valve intake.

 

I just called the PO and asked him he said that it was a draft tube for the PVC. Does that need to be there? If so I will add it to the list of parts I need. The PO has a ton of parts and when I made the deal for the engine I stipulated all the parts to make it run.

 

That is certainly the hole for the road draft tube. And it need to be there or a PCV retrofitted.

 

This tube was connected to the spacer plate under the carb. It looks to have a PCV valve inline. The tube is shaped to fit the back of the manifold in a vicinity of the "hole". I need to find the insert that plugs into the manifold and has a nipple for this rubber hose. I also posted a pict of the engine compartment. My plan is not to do any body work until I get it running, but I couldn't bring myself to put a pretty engine in a dirty/rusty hole. When I was younger any hole would do, but with age I have become more discriminate. LOL

 

Nice car. But it's not an XL, just a Galaxie. The XL had the bucket seats.

 

I wish it was an XL. I have a set of buckets that cam with it.