Throughout the 1960s, Chevrolet and Ford netted the most car sales with the latter maintaining second place—a situation that was typical throughout the preceding few decades. These were the entry-level cars that the vast majority of people could afford to buy. My dad, Bill Temple, was one of those who bought Ford cars during that decade. We talked about the cars he owned back in the 1950s and 1960s, and I recall most of what he told me. However, I will never know how he started with a Ford as the first new car he bought as I never asked.

Dad had owned Chevrolets while in the U.S. Air Force from 1951 to 1954, and he and my mom got a 1957 Chevrolet as a used car while living in Little Rock, Ark., around the time he graduated from pharmacy school in 1959. His choice to ultimately buy five Fords in the 1960s was driven by circumstance, no doubt, rather than by some loyalty to the brand. He also owned a one-year-old 1965 Cadillac Calais for a while, so I know he liked cars made by General Motors, too.

For whatever reason or reasons, while still living in Little Rock, he purchased a 1962 Ford Galaxie 500 four-door sedan powered by the 292-cid V-8 and automatic transmission. My guess as to what led to this selection is that a customer of the pharmacy where Dad worked was a Ford salesman. By then, Dad had been working for about two years as a pharmacist. Not long after getting that car, he found an opportunity to be a partner in a Walgreens with another pharmacist from Arkansas in the East Texas town of Longview. He and Mom moved there in the summer of 1962 and one year later, they had a house built. The associated expenses likely kept Dad from buying a 1963 Ford, or any other make of car. My birth one year after that, though, did not keep him from buying his next new car, a 1964 Galaxie 500 two-door hardtop.

Two spins with a 1964 Galaxie 500

The ’64 was a demonstrator before being sold to my dad. The dealer came into the store one day and gave my dad the old pitch that went something like, “I have a deal for you. If I can’t sell this car to you, then I just can’t sell a car.” It was Pagoda Green with a 390-cid V-8, automatic, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, a radio and a remote mirror. My dad didn’t even realize it had a 390 and its power took him by surprise. He noticed the fender-mounted “390” emblems after a few days and thought, “No wonder it has so much power!” He sold it to his boss and friend before buying it back one to two years later. Regardless of just when, it was definitely back in the garage before mid 1967, when I was three years old. Otherwise, I would have no memory of that car other than seeing it in a home movie and in the background of photos in the family album.

A brief jaunt with a ’65 Galaxie 500

After the ’64 was sold the first time, a 289-powered 1965 Galaxie 500 two-door hardtop took its place. It was Raven Black with black upholstery, but without tinted glass nor air conditioning. Dad had the dealer install air conditioning as it’s needed to survive summer in Texas—especially in an all-black car! The car did not even have an outside rear-view mirror, which remained an option at that time, although it had the extra-cost rocker panel extensions along the quarter panels and an all-vinyl upholstery, an extra-cost upgrade over the standard-issue cloth-and-vinyl combination. That is all I know of it other than it being in an accident in which the entire front end and radiator had to be replaced. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

A 289 ’66 Galaxie 500

Next time, Dad bought a Wimbledon White ’66 Galaxie 500 two-door, also with a 289-cid V-8, automatic transmission, factory air and tinted windshield, though still with a black vinyl interior because “black interiors look luxurious,” Dad said. That is all I knew about that car until recently when, by happenstance, I found an ad Dad had placed in the local newspaper while I was searching through old newspapers via an online service. The ad was in a May 1966 issue of the newspaper, thus revealing the ’66 was not kept more than several months. Why so short an ownership I do not know, but suspect Dad had finally bought a Cadillac, a car he had long wanted to own. Back then, Cadillac was known as “The Standard of the World” and I guess Dad felt that was true. His Cadillac was a blue 1965 Calais four-door hardtop. He said it was a year old when he bought it, so my theory seems reasonable.

A keeper ’67 Galaxie 500

In mid-June 1967, my parents went shopping for a new Galaxie 500. Dad had one he described as “palomino” in color, but there was no such color that year. Therefore, I can only assume the car was Pebble Beige, the closest match to Palomino which, by the way, was a 1964 Mercury color. This car was equipped with a 289 and very likely had factory air conditioning and definitely an automatic transmission. However, Mom was looking at a Candyapple Red car equipped with a two-barrel 390 and a black vinyl top. She liked the color combination. Dad was not enthused about the extra costs of the 390 and the vinyl top. While he was frugal as the result of growing up in the latter years of the Great Depression, he was also practical. Dad bought what Mom wanted! (At the time, he did not know this would be the final new car he would buy until 1988, when he purchased a Mercury Cougar for my mom (red, of course). So, he really got his money’s worth out of the purchase.)

The 1967 Galaxie 500 also came with “Special Equipment Group M” consisting of all-vinyl (black) interior, Select Shift Cruise-O-Matic, 815×15-4 whitewall tires, power steering, wheel covers and bodyside moldings. Other options present were an electric clock, Selectaire Conditioning, AM radio and tinted windshield. With the trade-in of a 1960 Continental for a $150 credit, Dad recalled the sale price was $3,210. The window sticker, which Dad kept, shows more than $3,800. In later years, he claimed that when the car was once again worth what he paid for it, he would sell it, but he did not.

Mom drove the ’67 for many years, including taking me to grade school in it. (That car seemed to stick in the minds of some classmates; those I later encountered remembered the car.) Dad drove the ’64 Ford for a while, but how long I do not remember. I do recall him having a number of used cars at the house, such as the ’60 Continental he traded in, which he repaired as needed and flipped for a profit. I also remember a gold late-1960s Cadillac that must have been owned for only a brief time. There were no more Ford products bought for personal transportation until the aforementioned Cougar.

Eventually, the ’67 Ford became used less and less; around 1979, it was driven only 300 miles for the entire year. However, my dad decided to start driving it as his go-to-work car. The vinyl top had deteriorated and needed replacement so a white one was installed. In August 1983, it became mine. By this time, the old car bug had really bit me after attending my first car show a few months earlier. The Galaxie served me through my college years and well beyond. During that time, the front suspension was rebuilt, the rear main seal, timing chain and U-joints were replaced, dual aluminized exhausts were installed and the vinyl top was replaced with a black one, thus giving it its original appearance again. I also added additional options and accessories such as Styled Steel wheel covers, headrests, deluxe seat belts, AM-FM radio, etc. Additionally, an NOS bodyside molding kit replaced the original oxidized and somewhat dinged units.

I drove the car on trips to visit my grandparents in Arkansas; twice to the Petit Jean (Arkansas) Swap Meet; Memphis; Galveston, Texas; Ft. Worth; and elsewhere. By mid 1995, the old Ford’s 390 was tired after 143,000 miles and rust had infected the roof panel. Dad passed away that year and I inherited his 1982 Riviera, which I drove for nearly a year before getting a new car. The ’67 went into storage until late 1999 when it was hauled to R&R Restoration for major body work that included not only a repaint, but a roof transplant. A vinyl top was not installed this time. Several years later, the transmission was rebuilt using an NOS taxi-type valve body. (It shifts quickly like a shift kit would do.) Axle seals, wheel cylinders and wheel bearings were also replaced. Recently, major mechanical work has been performed, including a new 390 using a slightly used standard-bore block along with NOS cam, lifters and timing chain. The earlier rebuild had been poorly performed, making the block nothing more than scrap metal. All that is left of the original engine is the crankshaft, heads, front cover and intake and exhaust manifolds. It is ready for another 100,000 miles, though it probably will not be driven that many more miles.

My interest in cars ultimately lead to a writing career which includes authoring five books, among them, “Full Size Fords: 1955-1970.” Who knew some old Fords could lead to that?

Cars I Wish Could Have Been Kept

My father had a sideline of selling used cars. He partnered briefly with a man in 1967 to form Gregg Motor Co. (I suppose “Gregg” was for Gregg County, because neither was named Gregg.) Sometimes my dad brought home a car for minor repairs. The partnership dissolved by early 1968 when dad’s partner suddenly died. However, my dad continued to sell used cars as a sideline, but from home.

Among the cars I recall were a blue 1962 Impala, a 1963-’65 Riviera and a turquoise 1965-’66 Bonneville four-door hardtop. My sole memory of the Impala is not a good one. My dad backed it over my pedal car, thus totaling my first “car.” (At least I still had a tricycle!) However, the Riviera and the Bonneville fascinated me; I recall riding in them on just one occasion each, but those memories stuck with me all these years. One day, probably about 20 years after the fact, I mentioned those two cars to my dad. He said, “The Riviera burned too much gas,” and the Bonneville was “too big.” However, I loved them!

The 1964 Galaxie 500 my dad owned twice is remembered by me from the second ownership. I was brought home from the hospital in that car after my birth. I was probably three years old when I saw what must have been the first flat tire I had ever seen. My parents and I were going to go somewhere in it, but the car’s left front tire was flat. That is my one memory of the car, but seeing it in a home color movie and in the background of family photos, plus the story of my mom driving it at 80-85mph on the highway, left an impression on me, plus the 1964 model is my favorite full-size model of the decade.

Another car he had to sell, which I do not recall, was a blue 1965 Galaxie 500 with a four-barrel 390 and four-speed. He told me a young guy came to look at it, but the car would not start. The problem was a simple one; the tachometer had shorted out. Dad did not think the guy would return, but he did. He gave it a test drive and bought it. Incidentally, the car had come from Hawaii.

Lastly, my father mentioned having for sale a 1967 or 1968 Camaro with a four-speed. He said it was tremendously fast. I suspect he had some fun driving it, but I do not believe he would have ever admitted it.

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The post Several trips around in Galaxies appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Story and photos by Brian Earnest

When Russ and Sandy Kuenstler were snooping around for a new collector car to play with a few years back, there wasn’t much doubt what kind of car they’d wind up. Sandy had already settled on mid-1960s Ford Galaxies as her favorite machines, so it was almost a forgone conclusion that the New Berlin, Wis., couple would wind up with another one.

The latest, and best, of her stable of Galaxies is the pair’s striking 1965 Galaxie 500 XL convertible, outfitted in bright red with a gleaming white interior. The car makes the rounds of the Wisconsin car show circuit in the summertime, and the Kuenstlers are happiest when they are caravanning from show to show, top down, enjoy their glorious convertible cruiser.

“This is my fourth one,” Sandy notes proudly. “One of them was a Ford Custom, the other three were Galaxies. I just like that car. It’s my favorite…. And the top stays down. Always! About the only time we ever put it up is if we get caught someplace and it starts raining.”

The Kuenstlers almost always travel with a vintage child seat in the back to add to the fun. It’s complete with a steering wheel in case any little backseat passengers want to practice their driving.

Sandy bought her first Galaxie from a friend back in the 1960s for $100. This one cost a bit more, but it’s been worth every penny for the Kuenstlers. They found it when it had about 76,000 miles on the odometer back in June of 2004. By then the car had been restored once and been through a succession of owners, beginning with an optometrist in Waterloo, Iowa, who bought in new. Just a year later, in 1966, the car went to a couple in Waverly, Iowa, who kept it until 1988, when they sold it to a man in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

The Wisconsin Dells owner had the car restored, but the job took until 1997. That was a lot longer than the owner wanted, apparently, and he got rid of the car in 1998. “It was fully restored. The fella that owned it got fed up with the car because it cost so much and was taking so long. I saw it in [an advertisement] in Old Cars Weekly. I saw that the guy had a local area code — we were in the Milwaukee area — and I called the guy and he had the car up in Door County [Wis.]. So we went up and looked at it and bought it. The guy had kept it up there in Door County and used it mostly for parades.”

Since then Russ has only tinkered with a few minor things on the big Ford. He’s added an electronic ignition to make it more reliable and put headers on the 390-cid V-8. The odometer now shows 119,000 miles and counting.

The droptop was one of 9,849 Galaxie 500 XL convertibles assembled for the 1965 model year. They carried a base price of $3,426. A two-door hardtop was also offered for $3,167 and production of the closed cars was almost triple that of the convertibles at 28,141 assemblies.

The Galaxie 500XL was the sport trim version of the Galaxie 500 and included all Galaxie 500 trim plus bucket seats and floor-mounted shift lever, polished door trim panels with carpeting on the lower portion of the doors, dual-lens courtesy/warning lights in the door panels, rear reading lights in hardtops and Galaxie 500XL badges on the body exterior.

The 1965 full-sized Fords were billed as “the newest since 1949.” Luxury and comfort were emphasized in the new Custom, Custom 500, Galaxie 500, Galaxie 500XL and Galaxie 500 LTD series. It was the first year for coil spring rear suspension and promotions were geared towards the new LTD being quieter than a Rolls-Royce.

Clean, sharp, square lines characterized the fresh new body styling that was set off by a radiator grille with thin, horizontal bars and dual headlights stacked on top of each other. There was a slight “Coke bottle” shape to the rear of the body. The Galaxies came with two keys to aid in valet parking — one key opened the trunk and glovebox, the other the doors and ignition.

The 289-cid/200-hp V-8 engine and Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission were standard in both XL body styles. The 240-cid six-cylinder was stock in the base Galaxies. The optional 390-cid V-8 was rated at 300 hp and was a $246 upgrade. A 352-cid/250-cid V-8 and four-barrel “Interceptor” 390 were also on the options list, as was the 427-cid/425-hp Thunderbird Super High-Performance V-8 preferred by racers and horsepower junkies.

The Kuenstlers’ car is equipped with all the goodies they desired for pleasant cruising, including and AM/FM radio, console and clock with second hand. The top is new, but it rarely sees daylight.

The license plate reads “1 Hot Gal”, which the red Galaxie certainly is. It continually reminds Sandy of her younger days and her first car, which she needed to get to work. “This one’s in a lot better shape and it’s the reverse colors — my first one had a white exterior and red interior,” she says.

Even though Russ does most of the driving, he insists its his wife’s car. He’s reminded of that anytime the subject of ever selling the car arises.

“If you see this car for sale in the paper, and you don’t see my death notice, you can look for his death notice,” Sandy says.

“If he starts selling it before I’m gone, he’s probably going first!”

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The post Car of the Week: 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 XL appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

By Brian Earnest

Ken Anderson answers to a lot of different names: Barney, Barn, Lt. Fife., Deputy Fife … he’s got a long list of handles. Mr. Mayberry works. But Anderson prefers “Mayberry Guru”, especially when he’s talking about his favorite subject, The Andy Griffith Show, and cruising around channeling Don Knotts in his sweet 1965 Galaxie 500 Mayberry patrol car.

Anderson, a resident of Eau Claire, Wis., has long been a devoted fan of the show and all it stood for, but that connection reached a whole new level in 2010 when Anderson added to his Mayberry memorabilia collection with the ultimate prize — a replica Mayberry sheriff’s car. The ’65 Ford isn’t quite an exact replica of the cars used in the show’s sixth season — when the series finally went color — but it’s close. Anderson’s car is a Galaxie 500, while the car used on the show in 1965 was a base-level Custom sedan. But the car looks great, is wonderfully authentic, and more than fills the bill at the many appearances Anderson makes each in year, in full police uniform, spreading the Mayberry gospel.

“If it was the real thing, it would have the Police Interceptor engine [390 cid, 330 hp], but it’s only got a [352] in it,” Anderson says. “I talked to some officers from here in Eau Claire who said it basically looks just like Galaxies that they had.

“I’ve always been a fan of The Andy Griffith Show. I had to retire early from teaching due to some health issues, and it has sort of become my hobby. I put together a Barney Fife outfit and thought, ‘Boy it would be great to put together a squad car.’ A number of my Mayberry Internet friends have squad cars, especially on the East Coast in North Carolina, and it was always in the back of my mind that I kind of wanted one. I also have a ’66 Impala convertible that I’ve owned for 30 years, so I enjoy classic cars.”

Anderson eventually found the car in neighboring Illinois and bought it after seeing it on a Youtube video. “I trusted the guy and he drove about halfway to meet me and I picked it up, and I’ve never been sorry. But I had no idea it would turn into something this popular around here. It’s been quite a surprise.”

According to Anderson, the Galaxie 500 had originally been all white and was converted to a Mayberry TV car clone by a man in Tennessee. The Ford has the proper black-and-white paint job, police decals, siren, vintage Motorola police radio, and single flashing red light on the roof. “Mt. Pilot Ford, Mt. Pilot, N.C.” is stenciled on the edge of the trunk lid for some added authenticity. He even has an authentic “JL 327” North Carolina license plates. “They changed the law here and now I can put those plates on the car for shows and events as long as I have regular plates with me,” Anderson points out.

A bunch of squad cars were used on the Andy Griffith Show and its spin-offs, and most were Ford Galaxie four-door sedans. “I wanted a ’61 or a ’63, but there were just none available,” Anderson said. “This one was done up nice, and it was pretty much an exact replica of the ’65 from the sixth season. It just turned 70,000 original miles. I’m trying to keep it looking exactly like it did on the show. A lot of people say I should go with the chrome hubcaps, but I always say no, this is the way they looked. About the only thing I’ve done is have the black repainted, and I’ve had a lot of the chrome redone. Oh, and I put in a new headliner. The seats are all original. It’s pretty much like it came off the assembly line.”

The Galaxie 500 was the middle trim level for 1965 full-sized Fords, above the Custom line and below the Fairlane. The Galaxies had the Ford crest in the center of the trunk lid, chrome window frames, the Ford crest on the roof “C” pillar, “Galaxie 500” in block letters at the front of the front fenders, chrome rocker panel trim, hexagonal taillights with chrome “‘cross-hairs” trim and back-up lights. Two-tone vinyl trim was used on the insides of the doors and on the seats. The base 240-cid six-cylinder offered a modest 150 hp, but the majority of buyers went with one of the V-8 choices.

Galaxie 500s were offered as two- and four-door hardtops, two-door hardtops and convertibles. Prices ranged from $2,730 to $2,996 for the six-cylinder versions. The four-door sedans like Anderson’s were the most plentiful and they were among the country’s most popular vehicles with more than 181,000 assemblies for the model year. In addition, the engine choices the Galaxies could be equipped in a myriad of ways. Popular options included Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission; four-speed manual; power steering, brakes and windows; tinted windshield; air conditioning; vinyl roof; and whitewall tires.

One of the first things Anderson did when he got the car was get in touch with local law enforcement to make sure they knew he wasn’t going to be chasing any real criminals. “I met with the Sheriff’s Department and the city police to explain to them what I was buying and how I was going to use it. The only thing they advised me was not to drive it too much at night,” he says. “People who don’t get a good look at it at night might think it’s a real police car and that could pose a danger to me. I get lots of positive feedback from the police. They say I’m their back-up. Most of them are really good sports about it. They really enjoy seeing the car.”

The dressed-up Ford has allowed Anderson to tie together three of his favorite subjects: cars, The Andy Griffith Show and raising funds for the library in his tiny hometown of Dorchester, Wis. He says any money he collects from his appearances go to help fund the library, and his many appearances give him a chance to deliver a message about what modern society can learn from a simple TV series that aired five decades ago.

“I have a Power Point [presentation] and it’s kind of a nostalgic thing where we take people back to a little town … and really stress the values that the TV program presented. I tell people I’m a motivational speaker, and I try to motivate people to slow down and remember the simple things that are important in life.” He has written a book about the show, “Mayberry Reflections, The Early Years” and has a website of the same name (www.mayberryreflections.com).

Many of Anderson’s appearances involve taking kids for rides and letting them crawl around in the car and test the siren and light. “I guess I’m not as careful as I would be if it was totally restored,” he admits. “I want it to look like a police car. It’s my fun thing and I want to be able to use it.”

Anderson says he let’s his wife, Linda, drive when the car is in parades so he can walk behind in the street “and arrest people.” He says his next project will be equipping the Ford with a PA system that will whistle the Andy Griffith theme song when the car rolls down the street. “But I make it very clear when I make appearances that I’m not [imitating] Don Knotts!” he insists. “I wear a uniform to remember him and honor him, but I don’t try to imitate him. There’s no way I could do that… But people call me Barney all the time. ‘Hey Barney, where’s your bullet?’”

When he’s not busy with other Mayberry engagements, Anderson takes the car to car shows, and usually comes home with some hardware in the backseat, even if he insists he isn’t seeking any. “I win so many trophies with it and feel guilty because there are so many cars that are perfect and have had frame-off restorations and everything,” he says. “And my car gets the trophies because of what it is. I feel guilty, but I’m very honored that I get the trophies.”

Eventually, he hopes the car winds up in a museum or collection of another enthusiast who would enjoy the feel-good Ford as much as Anderson has so far. He’s had plenty of people inquire about buying the car, but he’s having far too much fun to consider parting with it.

“I don’t want to just sell it to anybody who’s not going to appreciate it for what it is,” he says. “It is a special car and it’s very unique.”

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The post Car of the Week: 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.