Help my spend $15k on my '65 Galaxie 500...

[SADDLE]

Help me spend $15k on my '65 Galaxie 500...

I've finally decided to go ahead and build my '65 Galaxie 500. She is a 352 cruiseomatic convertible. Rangoon red with a black top and interior. Column shift and bench seat. She is largely original and has been in my family since new. She has aged gracefully but I'm looking to build her and freshen her up to more modern amenities. More of a resto mod build than a pro touring, but my budget is only ~$15k. I figure the car is worth about $15k as is, I spent nothing on it as I inherited it when my grandmother passed. I can put $15k and some blood sweat and tears into it and not loose my butt.

So I'm looking for some guidance and advice as to how to allocate my budget and what recommendations you all would have to get this accomploshed. I will have a build thread on this site.

Here is what I'm looking for in the car.

Dead nuts reliability.
Ability to cruise anywhere.
Great stance.
Larger wheels & tires
Upgraded brakes
XM compatible stereo
Refreshed chrome
Decent paint

Here are a few pictures...

 

[03cobra#694]

Cobro swap. Kidding aside, neat looking car.

 

[agentsmith5150]

I've been working on a 61 falcon w/ the same requirements. Here's what I've completed so far, and I'm more than happy.

M2 front end - Tubular suspension throughout
Explorer 8.8 rear end
Triangulated 4 link rear suspension
Coilovers on all 4 corners
Wilwood front brakes
Heads/cam/carb

 

[EB85]

Maybe some used GT brakes, poly bushings all around, sway bars, good rubber. Go to an electronic ignition. +another to the Explorer 8.8 rear. Without going to a full repaint and getting chrome redone, maybe a high end detail will bring back the luster you want without breaking the bank nearly as much.

I forget my classic engine history. Which engine family is that 352 from?

 

[filthymcnasty]

Do you have any fabrication skills?

If so, I'd look at getting a GT500 donor car and transferring everything over.

But, you'd probably need some mad fab skills to accomplish that.

Good luck!

 

[SADDLE]

i forget my classic engine history. Which engine family is that 352 from?

fe

 

[bluebosss197]

F.A.S.T. XFI and an AirRide suspension would be the first steps to reliability and comfort that I would take. I've also seen some cruise control systems utilising the vacuum lines. It looks like you need to do nothing to the paint, which is a plus. Nice car by the way!

 

[CobraBob]

Yeah, you mentioned you were "looking for decent paint". Or were you just saying that it HAS decent paint? I think it's the latter, in which case I'd have it carefully detailed. That with refreshed chrome trim will make for a really nice exterior. I love the '65 Galaxy 500 (and XL). My favorite Galaxy year. My ex-brother-in-law had a '65 Galaxy 500 which was the same colors as yours. But it was a hardtop. 3-speed on the column. He bought it new in '65 and I still remember us double dating in it. Really nice car! I hope your build goes well and that you get years of enjoyment from this one. :thumbsup:

 

[EB85]

Bob mentioning the 3 speed trans made me think about highway capability. If you do swap in a new rear or rebuild the current one, for something different you can run a half decent rear gear and then use a Gear Vendors Under/overdrive unit to knock down the cruise RPM. Granted, this requires the driveshaft to be shortened by about a foot, IIRC.
http://www.gearvendors.com/

 

[VegasMichael]

Boy, that looks like a fun car.

 

[johnkn]

While I'm a firm believer that a person is entitled to do anything they want to their car, if I were in your situation and inherited it from my grandmother I would not deviate far from the original soul of the car. Sure you can replace everything on the car and then tell your friends, "look, this was my grandmother's original car, I ripped everything out of it to change it and make it mine and now it's nothing like hers ", or make a few tasteful updates to retain the original integrity, history, and story of the car .

I would likely freshen the front and rear suspension and braking system (assuming you already have front disc brakes) with new stock-like parts, Gear Vendors would be a good choice as GV has a moderate overdrive and you likely have 3.25 rear gears, new moderate sounding exhaust if needed, updated sound system with no dash cutting, vintage air if you want it, Pertronics electronic ignition module, and perhaps 16" or 17" magnum 500 wheels. I think the magnums on the car now look just right, larger magnums would give it a slightly more modern look and improve the handling a bit.

Good luck, you have an original car with about the best story possible, do you really want to change it?

 

[FineLineMtrSprt]

Mild 351w EFI swap ,possibly with a/c if you desire. Full suspension upgrade, but air ride can get expensive. So maybe just all tubular parts with fresh bushings and maybe some bigger swap bars. Built AOD/4R70w trans and a refreshed 8.8 rear. 18in/17in wheel&tire package.

 

[decipha]

I share the sentiment, I'd recommend keeping the car as near stock as possible excluding suspension, you'll definitely want to upgrade the dated suspension on that jewel

what are your goals with the vehicle? just a weekend cruiser? maybe become a daily driver? maybe a show car? knowing your intentions would help out a tad to recommend which route to go with it better

 

[BlksvtCobra01]

5.0 swap looks clean.

 

[aoc racer]

Fe engines can be delicate. But if it was well taken care of throughout the years you should be fine. I daily drive a 65 mustang 289. I recommend discs on all 4, electronic ignition, sway bars, just as an FYI, bigger wheels can compromise comfort if you don't do suspension upgrades, and just maintain it you will do fine. I always keep coolant and oil the trunk just to top off fluids every 2 weeks.

 

[andymarkv]

I have to agree with the stock and then some kind of modifications.
Honestly what you listed in your first post seems right on target! There has to be ways to do that list and still retain the flavor of the car.
Do you have a power target? If it runs good and you just want to cruise, most of the recent standalone TBI based FI kits seem very well thought out, easy to install and still "look" like a carb when you pop the hood.
Obviously if you need A LOT more power...then 390 based strokers come to mind if you want a stock look.
Just fresh bushings, quick ratio steering box, decent shocks & swaybars would clean up the handling a TON without tearing it all apart and still have a stock flavor.
The right wheels and stance will make this thing ROCK!

 

[xavier296]

I spent 21k on my 67 Galaxie inherited from my grandfather:
5k mile coyote 5.0
New 4r70w
Scarebird front brakes
Hydro boost brakes
Turnkey performance front accessories with A/C
Tubular rear suspension
New suspension bushings and springs
Powdercoated frame, inner fenders, suspension
Magnum 500 wheels with new tires
Trutrac rear for my stick 9 inch plus 3.5 gears
I have driven mine 15k miles in the two years since I finished it. It is fast, gets 20 mpg on the highway, brakes on a dime, and fits 5 with luggage.

 

[xavier296]

 

[SADDLE]

I drove the galaxie maybe 50 miles this weekend. It's a sweet cruiser and turns heads and gets thumbs up at every intersection.

After driving and thinking this weekend I'm much more inclined to change less on this car, but still attempt to upgrade the running gear to be more modern and comfortable.

New goals....

Rebuilt original 352 (shooting for 400hp) or 351/427 or 460
Updated transmission to something with overdrive
Disc brakes on all 4 corners
Upgraded tubular suspension pieces
Install a stereo with XM capabilities
Refresh chrome bumpers and trim pieces
Remove chrome trim from rocker panels and wheel arches

I still want to sink $10-15k into her, but I want to keep some semblance of her originality. Thanks for all the input, I will keep this thread updated with how things play out...

 

[Snake Plissken]

427 SOHC motor. Bam! money spent.