1965 Ford Galaxie 500 XL Project
This 65 Galaxie 500 XL was manufactured on May 7th, 1965 and delivered to Twin Cities MN. in Twilight Turquoise. The dealer added on cruise control, Thermo-King air conditioning and an emergency flasher unit. The first owner sold her to the current owner's uncle in 1972. He had the car until he passed away just several years ago when his nephew took ownership with the idea of restoring her.
The last time she ran and was driven was in 2004. The mileage on the 352 4 barrel is a bit of a mystery, as from an appearance point of view, she looks like she has a bit more than 30K miles ... but, the uncle's mileage log shows mileage starting at 23,800 from a 1990 log and ending at 30,524 in a July 2004 log. She currently shows 30,690 miles on the odometer. She had been sitting in a barn in Minnesota since and was brought here to CT about 6 years ago.
Now with two kids and the realization that a restoration will cost a whole lot of money, he's decided to sell her.
The interior and body of the car are in great condition (she was repainted at some point in her life in the same color). There is some minor wear and unfortunately, her time in the barn saw her fall victim to a mouse hole in the headliner. Because she hadn't been driven in twenty years, the nephew installed a new gas tank but didn't do much else. He did purchase a bunch of new parts - shocks, brakes, steering components, but hasn't had the time to do any other work. The tank is empty but he hasn't touched the lines or filter and so we fired her up by putting some gas into the carb bowls.
She did fire and run for about 30 seconds. The Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission shifts correctly from gear to gear, she rolls easily and the brakes work well. Aside from the aforementioned AC and Cruise Control, the car came equipped with power steering and power windows. The windows all work but do need some assistance. All lights and the horn work correctly too, even the clock works.
Her biggest issue, to me really isn't an issue, but to some would be a complete deal breaker. She has had rot repairs on her rear frame sections (done correctly) and needs some more on the two front sections just behind the front wheel wells. Grinding and welding in patch panels isn't really that difficult and hasn't affected the structural rigidity of this car. The body of the car is nearly rust free with only a little in around the trunk edge near the bumper and a spot in the front of the right rear wheel well. There are some areas of wear on the vinyl top.
Overall, she is solid, she runs and will drive, she's in very good condition for having sat in a MN barn for 20 years. She will need some work before taking her out for a ride, but she's not far from that first drive in a long time.
Here's what I'd do:
Weld in the needed patch panels up front. Fill the tank with a premium fuel, toss in some Lucas and /or BG fuel additives, change the inline fuel filter, change oil and filter and get her running.
I'd then detail her inside and out, compound/buff the paint, mount new tires, register her and enjoy.
If that's not your bag, she is a very solid foundation for a restoration.
Although the frame work may seem ominous, this car is not far from being back on the road and looking pretty good as well. The rest is very presentable and she'll start and run.
All of that puts the asking price at $10,000 OBO.
Any questions, for several hundred additional photos and video, to schedule a time to see her or to make an offer, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for the interest!
