Vehicle Description
For fans of full-sized Ford muscle, there aren't many holier grails
than a real-deal R-code Galaxie. Well, here's your chance, because
this 1963 Ford Galaxie 500XL 'R-Code 427' hardtop sports a
side-oiler 427 FE V8 and top-loader 4-speed manual, dual quads, and
a delicious red-on-red color combination. This was by far the
biggest, baddest car on the streets of 1963, and it's been
beautifully restored back-to-stock. If you want one of the best
Galaxies 500XLs out there, you won't do much better than a
real-deal, dialed-in R-Code hardtop like this.
Code J Rangoon Red is this car's original color and now that you've
seen it, it's hard to imagine any more suitable color for a car
with so much potential. It was treated to a cost-no-object
restoration several years ago (reportedly the in the 1980's, but by
all accounts, it looks much more recent than that), and although
it's been driven and enjoyed since, any imperfections you find are
minor and don't take away from the top driver-quality presentation
of this early muscle car. It's just flat-out nice, and a
cut-and-buff would easily restore some former glory, or drive it
like is with great confidence knowing there aren't many nicer than
this R-Code. The glossy Rangoon Red paint is surely worlds better
than it was in 1963 and you can tell at a glance that there's a ton
of money and time invested in the final result. Look how
beautifully straight the quarters are, the exacting panel gaps, and
the deep gloss that only comes from high-quality work laid down by
professionals that knew what they were doing. Reflections are
distortion-free in our pics and in real life and the doors close
with the most wonderfully solid THUNK we've ever heard on a
hardtop. Of course, the chrome and stainless trim is all in really
nice shape as well, and the upscale 500XL carries quite a bit of
the shiny stuff, so you know that wasn't cheap to restore. Most
importantly, the factory '427' emblems still live on the front
fenders, perhaps the only warning that anyone's going to get
regarding the beatings that this car regularly doles out.
The Code 85 Red vinyl bucket seat interior is as equally nice as
the exterior, and we love the attention grabbing red-on-red theme.
Buckets and a console in a full-sized Ford is simply awesome, and
the driver's compartment is every bit as beautifully detailed as
the body. The high-end vinyl upholstery is in excellent shape, the
proper cut-and-pile carpets are plush, and the ornate
chrome-accented door panels, dash, center console, and even the
seatbacks are, of course, in fantastic shape as well. The
leather-wrapped dual-ring steering wheel has an opulent look and
feels wonderful in the hands of the driver, and there's just
nothing cooler than a 4-speed shifter in a full-sized car like
this, which is just a short reach away inside the factory center
console. The gauges are original-spec and keep an eye on the giant
motor under the hood, including the super-rare factory tachometer
mounted at the head of the center console. The only other notable
options are seatbelts and a heater/defrost unit and stock AM radio,
although they're both due for an upgrade. Matching floormats line
the floors, the back seat looks virtually untouched, and out back
even the trunk is correctly finished with factory mats and includes
a full-sized spare and jack set.
But the real reason this car is special is the 427 cubic inch V8 FE
medium-block under the hood which was Ford's most potent powerplant
and one that also landed in the legendary Cobra. We've done our
best to find as many casting numbers and date codes as possible
since nothing was VIN-stamped back then, and as far as we can tell
it is in fact a proper FE block with 1965 date-code, cross-bolted
mains, a side-oiler setup, and correct FoMoCo heads, manifolds,
intake, and distributor. Topped with period-perfect dual Holley
4-barrel carburetors, it's an incredibly strong runner with huge
horsepower and plenty of torque up-and-down the throttle. Correctly
detailed with shiny chrome valve covers and that long oval air
cleaner adorned with a correct '427' badge, it looks very much like
it did in 1963 and is ready to be shown off with great pride. The
Borg Warner T10 4-speed manual gearbox muscles through the gears
with ease and it was fitted with a reported non-locking
conventional 9-inch rear end with 3.50 gears out back to make it
friendly on the street. Nevertheless, we guarantee you've never
driven something this big that's also this fast. The undercarriage
is very solid - albeit not detailed for show - the suspension
features an independent front end and coilovers out back, and the
throaty Flowmaster dual exhaust system sounds fantastic as a
perfect dance partner to the big 427. Paint-matched steel wheels
with bright hubcaps are the right choice and carry 225/70/15 Cooper
radials that are a big upgrade over the bias-plys this big hardtop
was original born with.
Awesome colors, awesome pedigree, and an awesome restoration. If
your blood flows Ford Blue (or maybe Ford Red would be the more
apropos phrase in this car's case), then this is the car you've
been waiting for. Call today!
