What this is all about…

A very special 1964 Ford Galaxie 500

In 1964, the Ford Galaxie was in its prime and a force to be reckoned with. It is the car Ford used to dominate the super speedways and was available in a plethora of configurations including body styles, trim levels, and of course engines.

All engines available were of course V8’s. The note worthy V8’s were from the Ford Edsel (FE) family of engines and there were several lesser engines that I won’t mention. The go-to, go-fast option was the 300 horsepower 390. There was a 330hp 390 police interceptor version available as well. Neither were anything to scoff at given that the Galaxie didn’t weigh as much as you might think and numbers were likely underrated. However, in true Ford fashion, the police interceptor was no where near the most powerful Ford had to offer. The engine that would run away from the PI was in the midst of becoming legendary. It was the venerable 427 which was essentially a 390 bored out with incremental improvements to the block design and head flow. This engine was used in stock cars, road racing and drag racing. Aside from dominating the super speedways such as Talledega, this engine also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the late 60’s and thereby cementing legendary status. Very few engines are capable of the endurance it takes to win Le Mans, a race where the most powerful cannot win unless able to run wide open for 24 hours. This was a race dominated by Ferrari. Just to give you an idea of what Ford was up against; Ferrari was a racing company started by a racing fanatic that just happened to build road cars only to fund its racing programs. Beating out Ferrari was simply a gargantuan success in its own right and Ford’s whole purpose for the endeavor after failing to by Ferrari, but that is a story for another day.

So, we have a very special 1964 Galaxie Fastback. It belonged to my “Unkie James”. It is a car he bought new and the car he drove when courting my “Aunt Beck”… A car, in which, she later was known to drag race around town bullying unsuspecting victims from stop light to stop light. Unkie couldn’t understand why the rear tires weren’t lasting very long…or chances are he did understand and secretly condoned?!

At some point, the transmission gave out and another was put in, but Unkie said it wasn’t ever right and eventually the car was parked awaiting resurrection. This Galaxie was ever present in their basement from 1987 to 2021 and I saw it often as I grew up. It was never moved an inch to my knowledge. Every now and then, he and I would talk about fixing it up, but we never did. I suspect we were too alike to work well together. No matter, I still love him dearly and he taught me so much over the years. 

Fast forward to recent years, there was talk about fixing it up for one of his grandsons, so I was hopeful that would happen if the grandson wanted it. However, as often happens, time passes quicker than we realize and Unkie was having health difficulties. I didn’t realize the extent until I visited one day as his daughters were cleaning out the house to prepare for them moving to an independent living complex. He wasn’t in the typical character that I knew and loved on that day which was like a sledgehammer across the face to me. At one point, he decided to go down stairs and check out the clean up efforts. He walked around and seemed pretty coherent and said the clean up efforts looked good with his unique smile he always had. That day, I asked one of the son in laws about the Galaxie and he said they weren’t planning to give it to the grandson. I later told him and two of the daughters that I wanted it if no one else did. They said they would let me know. I returned the next day to spend time with Aunt Beck and Unkie since I was shellshocked from the day before. We were talking and next thing I know, Unkie tells me he wants me to have the Galaxie “when he is done with it”. I told him that it would be my honor and that I would keep it as long as I am able. Aunt Beck also told me that he wanted me to have his elephant collection (he was an avid Alabama fan).

Soon thereafter, they moved. Aunt Beck texted me and said Unkie wanted to know if I got the elephants. I had and in that instant, I made the realization that the reason he gave me the Galaxie and the elephants was because I was an Alabama fan and a Ford guy. The daughters and their husbands were all Auburn fans and Chevy drivers lol! I also believe that he was tying up loose ends. He truly did love me like I was his biological son. He had been a dad to me as much as anyone can be and I’m grateful for that. Sadly for us, he passed very soon after that. I visited him in his final hours and was overcome with sadness seeing him the way he was. However, I knew he was strong in his faith and he absolutely had no doubt where he was going. The next morning, Aunt Beck broke the news and she told me that I needed to be happy for him, so I did my best to be. I felt strangely comforted as if he was advocating for us all in Heaven. I also knew that he wouldn’t want any of us to shed a single tear for him. He had lived a good life and an honorable one.

So, now I have a 1964 Ford Galaxie Fastback that I never really imagined having. I also have the gravity and the reverence of the decision Unkie made in giving it to me. I have no problem performing work on the car technically speaking, but I struggle with what to do with it because there is so much to consider and so much I could do with it. Would he want it all original? Should I have it repainted? Should I keep the 4 speed and rebuild the engine. He acted like he wanted a new motor put in it as in not the motor just rebuilt, but gave few other clues. I’m not sure if he meant a modern motor, but the legendary FE is nothing to scoff at. It appears that I’m going to have to get it running and see what the car wants so to speak. Somehow, I get the feeling I’m not the owner. It owns me to an extent.

This blog will serve to keep record of the car’s progress and I will post updates periodically. Updates will likely be slower than I would like since I work full time and have a young child that keeps me on my toes constantly. I hope everything I do with the Galaxie makes Unkie proud. This website is named DeepThinkingFace in honor of him as he often contemplated things so deeply that you could almost see the wheels turning in his head from the look on his face.