Technical Car Deal gnawing at me ...Help

I have an opportunity to get what I have always considered my dream car, a 63 427 Galaxie. I can trust my HAMB friends to be grounded and help me out (In case I have a bad case of the Goo Goo Eyes or if I'm not on the right track...) with this or at least provide the sharp wit that makes this place unique.
OK here's the details....
Car...1963 Galaxie 500 2dr sedan....originally a 289 3 speed car. in original paint, some body damage
Engine...Crossbolt main 427 Dual quad with aluminum heads, headers..... cammed up
Transmission....Toploader 4 speed

The car has some issues. A tree fell across the roof and deck lid. There is sheet metal damage but no structure is involved and it's been pushed out..Honestly I would leave it be for the time being.
Someone with no concept of taste airbrushed Dang Awful graphics on top of the otherwise pristine 63 paint. Too, the interior was done in the same color clashing scheme. Someone needed a color wheel.

The engine, it appears to be a legit 427 but it's been built up for racing. New hi-tech looking heads, long tube headers, Thunderbolt intake pipes from the inside lights, dual quads and I'm pretty sure it's running electric pumps.

Here is what gnaws at me about the car. I would much prefer the engine to be closer to stock. A period 427 car was badass but this????? If it runs like it looks, do I really have a use for it? Is it worth selling off my stuff for this?

Value....In my opinion not as much as you would think.
63 289 sedan damaged with cheese fest graphics, interior, and a high school boy wiring job....Value is there but limited.
Cross bolt 427....worth more than the car, maybe a lot more but it would be worth lot more in 63 specs. It's been fooled with.

The Drama.....you knew it was coming.

The present owner is a good guy. That's how he got the car. He loaned a guy in need money for it and never seen him again after he got 2 payments back. He tried to find the guy he's gone. That was a few years back.
He's not a car guy. He wants it out of his garage. He really wants back what he has in it and all I'll say is it's South of 5 grand. If it all checks out with the law.... I was going to offer 5 to 7 thousand for it after I thin the herd. Is that fair?

 

pictures would really help.

 

He has no title? That's your major problem with this deal.


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I see you are from Bama. not much problems on titles as we do not have them on anything before 77 or so, just check with police for any thing like maybe the car has a stolen report on it.. Unless the 427 is a 68 you can only run a solid lifter cam. Just buy a mild cam lifters and matching springs. If the car has what are called Lemans or 7000 rods the bolts must be replaced any time the bolts are loosened..May be you can buff out the graphics . Last the Cobra kit builders pay top dollar for cross bolt engines.

 

No Title = No Sale.
Move on, don't look back.

 

................................I don't think it's worth as much as you think I think it is.

 

Ok... I get to be FIRST!!!!! NO PICS..... DIDNT HAPPEN!!!!!!

 

Patiently waiting.... 3WL lol
Anyway, if he has the title then go for it. That's not a bad price for something that is your bucket list car. You can easily deal with the issues you don't like regarding the paint, body and interior. For the engine just run it as is until you find the correct parts to make it like you want. If you are not an engine tuning guy then get help with that to detune it some if you feel you have to. But drive it a bit first to see if it really is as radical as you think. 427s are hard to come buy. This one happens to also be in your bucket list car. How often does that happen.
Paul

 

Go ahead and buy it title or no title and get a bonded title. Put a straight axle in it and join the southeast gassers. The painted on graphics might be period correct.
I ran a 63 1/2 galaxie with a 406 tri power in super stock in the late 60's. Great big heavy fun car.

 

Three key words ...... "my dream car"

 

There's a rebuilt 427 and 4sp for sale on that website, $15K
Other genuine 427 Galaxies up to $73K or this gem (Fairlane) for ONLY $284K
Is it a centre or side oiler engine as I wouldn't be able to tell them apart unless someone in the know showed me how to identify them, all I know is that they have cross bolted mains and what tunnel port manifolds looks like. Are they low, medium or high riser heads. Looks of things to factor in! Is is the correct long tail top loader?

 

If you can get past the title snafu I would go for it. I'm thinking the engine is worth twice the asking price and you get a car to boot. A few period correct parts and your 427 is back where you want it. I just picked up my "dream car" (61 Starliner) that is far from original and needs plenty of changes to make it like I want it. Like Beaner says "if it don't make you dirty it ain't yours". Sometime I ask myself " why did I buy this" but I would do it again.

 

If you can vet the 427 to be the real deal, it is probably worth it for that alone. Especially with the toploader behind it.

 

Don't pay any more than what you could recover in parting it. People are asking $1500 and up for rugged original 427 blocks. What heads are they? If they're Speedmasters they're not worth any where near what BBM's, Survival's or Edel's are. What intake? There's big money differences between dual quad intakes. Is the trans a big in/out long tailshaft or a small in/out 390 trans? Big difference in money there. And remember, which is damned unlikely, someone could also spotface and drill and tap the skirts of the block to make it look like a crossbolted block. Trac-loc rear end? etc, etc, etc
What I'm saying is to climb all over/under and know what parts are making up the whole before you make him an offer.
Kevin

 

Kevin is giving you good advice. Forget the google eyes and pay attention now, or pay a lot more later.

 

Find yourself a Ford expert, would think you can verify block by serial #, casting #'s, met a gentleman that had a real 427 vintage side oiler in a Cobra kit car, bought it @55 K for the engine, stating engine alone was worth 25K+ minium, but if you say the heads are wrong, who knows what it is until you take apart and even a side oiler short block should be valuable to collectors.

 

You need to have much better dreams then a 63 Galaxie!

 

Don't walk away, run. I'm sure there are much better cars available out there. Sounds like you would be taking on someone else's headaches-failure.

 

No title is a problem waiting to happen,red flag

427 built for racing,red flag

fugly graphics,what are they hiding?

Sounds like a lot of green for a sketchy car. HRP

 

I would be concerned about the title issue.Forget about the car.

 

Read the thread, currently popular, about buying our 'dream cars' and then hating them! Also, take a cold shower.

If none of that dissuades you, then at least buy the car for the least amount possible. That will ease the pain later.

Ray

 

Lotta red flags. Title issue aside, might take a team of FoMoCo experts to decipher that jig-saw puzzle. You up to it? May end up in the end as a bunch of desirable parts of which none particularly match up...crap shoot.
The price would have to be really right IMO.

 

If you really have a ton of cash, and time, laying around buy it. In the end the '63 will not have value of all of the redo work required. The "valuable" motor will be a money pit.

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Too many problems. I'd walk away from it. Damage to hood and deck lid can be a hassle. I've replaced both rather then deal with repairs that never look right, FUGLY graphics a definite turn off. Your already looking at a paint job. Not my choice of engine or car.

Gary

 

first thing you do is tell the guy who has it to do a lien sale and get a title in his name, then go from there.

 

No title Parts Only. With paperwork current owner should be able to get a title(lien) but not sure you could.

 

The title would be a huge issue in Wisconsin, you've got to know that once you've paid for it, no one is going to be able to claim it from you. I don't understand how that works in a state without car titles.

Otherwise, it's only $5000 That's a lot to some people, but in the grand scheme of things, if it really right and truly is your dream and you can live it for $5000, fuck it, go for it. You only live once.

 

I've seen guys fake a 427, using a 390. They put fake cross-bolts in the block. Check the numbers!

 

55dude Agreed Pictures.Bruce.

 

Whooppss I didn't see that. No title.Walk away .Don't ask how I know. Bruce.