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1965 Ford Galaxie 500 LTD Body off Frame Resto

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40K views 35 replies 10 participants last post by  ford4v429  
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#1 ·
Hi Folks,

I just went and picked up someone else's abandoned project yesterday. My father and I bought this as a project to do together. The drive train was pulled previously, but all parts were included. Looks to have very solid frame and solid floors. I have to do some work to the quarter panels, door skins and top of the front fenders were they bolt on.

Here are some starting pics where she sits on the trailer. We are going to begin disassembly tomorrow and hope to have the body off the frame before the month is out.
 

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#2 ·
Great pics. Thanks for sharing!

You are only going to be mildly surprised by the amount of bondo in the lower quarters and unsuspected pin hole rust in the floor boards and that one weak spot in the frame behind the driver where it begins to arch over the rear wheel. :)

You're going to have a blast restoring that beauty!

Keep us in the know!
 
#4 ·
Oh boy, have fun :)

heres a link to the short and long story on ours, was a lot more work than anticipated, and its just a semi-rough driver...but we got her roadworthy again. although dealing with the rust is never fun, its kinda neat seeing it slowly come back together...especially as my kids/nephews/neighbor lent a hand whenever they could help- thats the key I think on not getting 'project car burnout'. if you love to work on stuff AND dont have a ton of other commitments, a solo project is great- but if youve got to juggle work/kids/a bizillion other things like most of us, Ive only met very few folks that could stay energetic after a year of solitary confinement in their garage...as a father/son project, cant imagine a better way to spend time :)

http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/makin-progress/470059-rusty-65-galaxie-500-ltd.html

http://www.fordmuscleforums.com/galaxie-pages/490496-saving-65-galaxie-loooong-story.html
 
#7 ·
just be sure to find out what heads/pistons...the stock c8ve/d0ve heads with flattops are pushing close to 11:1, gas for that will be pricey...if its got closer to 9.5~10:1 normal 93 should work OK (I think). I know mine always 'growled' when you shut it off (my stepdad used to say that SOB was so mean it growled at you), wasnt till I got it and put a oil pressure gage in it that I realized it was running backwards for a second at shutdown (oil pressure sucked to zero like instantly). It used to run great on that sunoco blue 100 octane stuff, everything else it liked to ping a little and would diesel/un on at shutdown- on the 100 it ran great, except for the 'growl' :)
I think Crites makes the only headers for this swap, and think they are a little pricey... would sure be a mover though :)
 
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#9 ·
It looks like you got a nice project. They make good looking rides when complete. I'm on my third 65. the first one is on the road for now, the engine will be coming out soon. The second one is still on the rotisserie, waiting to get all all the replacement matel welded out. The third is in the dis assemblely. The thing is that they all has rust out area in the same place. The front floor pans will rust right below the fresh air vent they leak water The resr floor pans, becase the are made like a sink and hole water. Then over the rear wheel. That rust start in front of the rear wheel all the way aroun to the lower qauter panel to the bumper. Over a peroit of time the drain holes will stop up. If you go tomy web site rcchesnutt.smugmug.com and go to r galaxies you will see one picture that show the rear quarter window there is a peeace of tape with a arrow that point to a spot where all the wate from the gutter goes right in that hole into the rear guarter panel. They put sealer over the hole, but with age, the hole will open. It's right where the quarter panel and top join. I got more, but if you go to my web site, you will see it all. I add to the site once a week. Good luck
 
#13 ·
body parts were funny back then...I needed a gas filler door for our 4dr hdtp, bought one from a 4 dr sedan, and it was 3/8" longer...was able to section it to make it work, but was really suprised to see different parts where they didnt need to be...
 
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#15 ·
I'll post some updated pics soon. Just got back to working on the Galaxie. We have the whole front disassembled, doors off, starting interior removal. Looks like we have to replace the passenger side floor pan. We are very close to being ready to remove the body from the frame. My neighbor has a rotisserie he said he is not using now and would loan to us for this job.

Do you guys have any good thoughts on sources for parts? I'm thinking of getting maybe a 4 wheel disc brake conversion kit. I will need a trunk lid, passenger side floor section, etc. Any good resources for nut and bolt kits to reassemble this thing when the time comes? I'm thinking of taking my 390 to a local machine shop to have it rebuilt.

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
 
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#17 · (Edited)
Well the car project is taking much longer than I had originally hoped. Just not as much time to spend on it as I had hoped. This is how it goes sometimes. My Dad and I are talking about starting our own classic car and restoration business. Neither of us has enough experience yet. I did my first frame-off restoration last year. This Galaxie will be my second. I think we are going to focus on Mustangs though. If any of you know of any smoking deals on busted up 64 1/2 through 70 mustangs let me know. Here are some pics of where we are in the tear down of the Galaxie so far. As far as I'm concerned no restoration is complete unless you find a dead critter when you pull the interior! Oh, and based on these pics you will be able to see that I got button-hooked by the guy who sold me the car who told me it had solid floors. The floor pans are easy enough to replace and very available so that won't be too much of a problem. I'm hoping to get some buddies over in the next few weeks to get the body off the frame. Then, I'm going to take the body to another guy to sand blast and etch prime it. While he's doing that we will strip the frame down.

In this first pic, you will see my father working on detaching the steering column from the gear box. Dad just got over a bout with bladder cancer and has a pretty clean bill of health so I'm very blessed to have him available to do this with me. In the second pic you will see the little critter I found when I started to remove the interior. :)

We are planning to add a modern rack & pinion system (just like Randy Chesnut who posted earlier in this thread) as well as disk brakes. We are still contemplating what to do from an engine perspective. I'm afraid to try to rebuild our 390 ourselves, but I called a local machine shop to see what they would charge for a full service rebuild - $4,400!!! WOW!! I'm thinking for that price it may make more sense to buy a brand new crate motor. What do you guys think?
 

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#19 ·
palposity, been awhile sence I got back with you. Looks like you are moving along. On tear down there is a surprize around every corner. This being my 3rd 65 I learned all the bad spots on a 65. They all have the same spots that rust out. The front floor pans rust out just like yours. The freash air vent is the problem. They let water leak in.I close them off. Check the air duck out. There is a seal on both side in that air duck that rust out. Clean the body sealer off and see what you got. I just finished up replacing the rear qauters. I see it all the time clean no rust cars for sale. I believe there is no such thing. When they say that it raise a red flag. Keep at it.
 
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#21 ·
I should be posting more pictures nexts week. I was waitng to get the complete pictures of the rear qauter panels are in and ready for the finale primer. I know you have had days that seems to roll pretty good and then the surprize get you. I know i have them. I,m working with Corvete America on producing the padded dash for 65/66. They do the interior for Eckler. Waiting to see how that goes. Will let you know when I up date my web site
 
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#23 ·
Polposity, how was your rear quater panels? I just replaced mine. I just up dated my web site. It up to where I,m at. Where are you at? For Green Machine my web site is rcchesnutt.smugmug.com. I take it the green machine means John Deere. I too rebuild the old JD. On the quarter panel I used two 66" panel and part of a 88" panel. The 66" panels are stamped right and the 88" panel is not. Some modification was needed. I finaly learn to stitch weld that light metal. Blew a few holes before learning. I,m a old stick rod man.
 
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#24 ·
I got the idea from JD, but "Green Machine" is actually my 95 F150. I've helped my dad/grandpa restore John Deere (2 cyl) and Farmall tractors, restored a 46 Farmall B as an FFA project. I'll check out your website, thanks.
 
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#25 ·
Hey Folks - sorry I have not replied in so long. Have not touched the car in so long I am embarrassed. I still have Q panels, have not replaced them yet. The good news is I scored a vehicle rotisserie from my neighbor who is letting me borrow it for this project. He just brought it over and we are assembling it now. Pics soon.
 
#29 ·
I got a long blade in a sawzall in and cut one...pulled it out, found it was rusted all but maybe 3/16... Took vice grips and piece of pipe, bent the others till they snapped off, royal pain. Russ Owen mentioned he cuts the front of the torque box out to get inside and get a wrench on the busted nuts-but then you have a big ugly hole to weld... Although bet 90 percent of the time, there's rot in there to get after anyways...

If you try the sawzall, keep water handy, the rubber will burn after just a minute, and it took me several blades, and like a half hour to get the bent blade barely in to the area...pain in the butt for sure, many skinned knuckle moments trying to work in those little cutouts.

What really really pissed me off was once they were cut, I lifted the body off and found the mount bottoms were rusted thru to the rubber/washer diameter anyways, here I coulda lifted the body off and fought the darn studs out in the open-DOH!
 
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#32 ·
Okay - Did some work on that last set of bolts today and got them out! A little sawzall as ford4v429 suggested (I found it easier just by prying the rotted bushing out and exposing the bolts). I'm going to set up a chain fall tomorrow to my roof trusses and lift the body off the frame and onto the rotisserie that my neighbor provided then finally post some long overdue pics on here!
 
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#33 ·
Well, I finally finally finally got the body lifted off the frame today. The frame is pretty solid thank God! I need to do a little work on it where the body mount areas are, but other than that it looks pretty good to go. The body is another story. I'm going to sand blast it, but I know I need to do work on the floor pan, trunk floor, rear valance, quarter panels, etc. Time for the fun part!

I still have to fashion some mounting brackets to attach the body to the rotisserie. This will be my first rotisserie restore. I am looking forward to using it. My neighbor is letting me borrow it so it will be great to make use of.
 

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#34 ·
Palposity; what have you used to replace the frame /body mount bolts you cut? Have you source a new set of mount bushings?
 
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