I have always thought this was the coolest tail light ever. Maybe it’s because two were attached to the 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 my dad owned when I was a very small boy. I got to spend a lot of time contemplating them. The neighbor kids’ dads had their Fairlanes and Catalinas and Satellites and Le Sabres, cool cars the lot. But none of them had tail lights as futuristic and brash as those on the ’66 Ford.
I can spot a ’66 Ford tail light from a football field away – or, as in this case, from across a giant room crowded with cars. This is the ’66 Ford to which this light is attached.
You have to be older than about 40, I think, to remember a time when the big automakers produced several models based on the same body. The full-sized ’66 Ford hosted a panoply of two- and four-door cars. Those cars came with many different model names: Custom, Custom 500, Galaxie 500, Galaxie 500/XL, and LTD, in increasing levels of trim and convenience from basic transportation at one end to near-luxury at the other. Three station wagons even rode on this platform and shared much of the styling: the Ranch Wagon, the Country Sedan, and the Country Squire.
This car is a Custom 500. It offers a few creature comforts over the bare-bones Custom, but its cabin is still pretty austere.
There isn’t even a radio in this dashboard. The driver will have to be entertained only by the sound of this car’s engine. Now, ’66 Fords were advertised as being as quiet as a Rolls-Royce. But this Custom 500′s engine bay is stuffed with a giant 427-cubic-inch V8 that generates an enormous 425 horsepower. That’s a hell of a lot of engine, and I’m quite sure it can make a serious racket.
That 427 is a Johnny-come-lately in this automobile, which left the factory with a smaller, but still plenty potent, 275-horsepower, 390-cubic-inch V8. Even that engine is probably fairly unusual for a Custom 500, which was marketed to people who wanted the room of a full-sized car but at budget prices. That’s why the interior is so Spartan – and why these cars were much more commonly equipped with 6-cylinder engines. But if you squint, you can see a little plaque under the speedometer that reads “Certified Calibration.” Especially in the days before speed radar, the police needed to know for sure how fast they were going when they were tailing a speeder, and a certified speedometer made that possible. You only see that badge on cars equipped for police duty. And to enable catching the bad guys, police cars always came with potent 8-cylinder engines and heavy-duty suspensions.
This Custom 500 appears to have been equipped for police duty except for one detail: its four-speed manual transmission. Cop cars are automatics – when you’re in hot pursuit, you don’t want to mess with shifting manually!
No, a private citizen – Norman Smith of Chesterfield, NH – ordered this car. It says so on the copy of the bill of sale posted in the window.
This sticker in another window ominously warns you to roll up the windows if you’re going to drive faster than 120 miles per hour. Yikes. Here’s hoping this car was fitted with brakes more powerful than Ford’s 1966 standard issue, or stopping this car from that speed would be a white-knuckle adventure at best.
Here’s a final look at those delightful tail lights, in context with the rest of the car. Say what you will about the ’66 Ford’s styling – that roof cribbed directly from the ’64 Pontiac Tempest, that me-too coke-bottle flank that looks somehow pasted on – you can’t deny: those tail lights are just wicked.
That is a true beauty – I’d prefer it all stock with the original factory 390, but if that’s a real FE 427 with 3 deuces and not a 428 (7 Litre), then that is indeed a quick and brutal car……
Did they do those on 427s? I would have expected dual 4bbls
A pretty cool car with the 4 speed though, they only sold the sedan out here – if you bought a car with a big back seat you expected to be able to access it.
I don’t know if the 427 was offered from the factory with three two-throat carburetors, but its 405 cid predecessor definitely was, so I assume the 3×2 manifold would fit a 427. The 427 was available with both dual and single four-barrels, that much I know.
Er, I mean 406, not 405.
You’re right Jim, these tail lights are a 60s Ford icon. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Custom 500 of this vintage in coupe form before. I really like it. The interior and back seat look huge. Nice dash too.
As a coupe, I find it looks oversized Falcon-like in profile. A perfect sleeper.
I remember seeing the occasional Custom/Custom 500 two-door when I was very small, late 60s and early 70s. But they disappeared by the mid 70s. Really, where I lived almost all of the 66 full-sized Fords were Galaxies.
I always liked the ’65-’66 big Fords – tail lights and all. Definitely a sleeper – I’ll bet it gave a few Chevies and Mopars (and other Fords) a rude surprise. Very cool.
Granted, police cars are USUALLY automatics but as one can see here, the 4-speed was available. This one has corn squeezins written all over it, either as a pursuer or the pursued.
PS-An enlargement of the pic reveals this to be a tribute car, stated on the windshield. Originally a 390.
FWIW the height of brake pedal reveals this to have power brakes, but without the metal disc callout that indicated disc brakes.
Yup, originally a 390. Truth be told, I’d like this car a smidgeon better if it still had the original engine.
+1 still like it though
Count me as another enamored of the 66 Ford. My father had a Country Squire. I too loved those taillights on the sedans. One minor addition, there were actually 3 wagons-the Ranch Wagon was the low end version that would have been trimmed like this Custom 500.
I do love this car, but will admit that I have gotten really tired of low end 2 door sedans being remade as monster engine sleeper racers. I think that there were maybe 100 of these actually made across all brands and years, so almost every one that any of us will ever see at a show or auction started out as a 6 cylinder strippo originally purchases by a spinster piano teacher or someone’s tightwad grandfather.
Rant off. I will also say that this was always one of my favorite 60s color combos. A navy blue car with a silver blue interior was always really sharp. A neighbor had a 66 Impala 4 door hardtop in that combo.
I added the Ranch Wagon to the lineup in the text.
At least this one was a 390 V8 to start!
Such a wide car. And that boot is massive! I bet if that boot lid were opened inside would be cavernous. Was it not obligatory for police cars to be 4-door models?
No, not at all. Many agencies, including our own RCMP, used 2-door sedans for patrol work into about 1966 . Some agencies used them until they could no longer buy them.
Ohio for example
For the Mopar boys.
Virginia State Police used 2-door Furys until 1970.
One of the old timers told me it became cheaper to order 4 door sedans on fleet orders than to keep with the 2 doors. Many tactical and operational decisions in the law enforcement are made based on cost, which in this case was a good thing. I don’t want to stuff a bad guy in the back of a 2-door.
Im another lover of the 66 Ford taillights; the stacked headlights as well. Overall a great looking car and the 65-67 big Fords are among my favorite cars. The 427, 4 speed and sedan body style made that one a brutally fast car, Im sure it as a lot of weekend warrior stories. Too bad its been relegated to show poodle status now.
Love that artwork – It’s a contemporary view of downtown Pittsburgh – you can see the old Point Bridge – but that winding, tree-lined road is a far cry from Grandview Avenue on Mt. Washington.
I know a lot of highway patrol cars were 2-door, but never saw any around Pittsburgh. My hometown used station wagons, which doubled as makeshift ambulances.
427 2 door Biscayne…nice.
The trunks in these were ENORMOUS.
When Dad had his ’66, he also had a hound he used to take rabbit hunting. He’d pop the trunk and whistle for the dog, and the dog would come sailing in out of nowhere and leap right into that trunk. Dad’d close the lid and drive out to wherever he thought rabbits might be that day. The dog was plenty happy to ride in there. Craziest thing.
I went coon hunting with a couple of farmers on a number of occasions in western Illinois in a 1950 Ford four-door sedan. Two hunting dogs occupied the trunk. I don’t know what these dogs had for dinner, but it didn’t smell particularly appetizing.
2drs were often used by state patrols for their hwy cars. Presumably they would mainly be doing speed enforcement and you weren’t going to be cuffing and stuffing most speeders. The 2dr was a few dollars cheaper and couple of pounds lighter.
1966 – 1968 full-size Fords are particularly attractive.
In my opinion, the 1966 two door hardtops represent a high water mark in Ford Motor Company styling.
ITA. That slim roof with concave rear window was beautiful. My aunt’s 66 LTD 2door hardtop in black over Vintage Burgundy is one of my all time favorite cars. I thought the 66 Ford was way more handsome than the 65 or the 67.
We learned to drive in my Dad’s Ford Fairmont, with a three speed on the column. Still trying to remember what year it was, but the body is remarkably similar to the 66 Galaxy 5oo. Reminiscent.
“You have to be older than about 40, I think, to remember a time when the big automakers produced several models based on the same body.”
I believe the last example of this would have been the 2005 Buick Century/Regal, although I’ll grant that few people under 40 were paying attention to Buick at that point. (Yes, yes, obviously there are later examples of different brands sharing the same body, but I think we’re talking about multiple models from the same brand.)
Beautiful car! I believe the 120mph sticker is a recent addition though, they came from the factory on 9C1 Caprices and repros are available on eBay.
I think they came on the big whale 1991 and up Caprices with the 9C1 package, I remember driving a used one with the sticker on the dash.
I think you’re right, except that my 1994 Caprice didn’t have one — at least not by the time I bought it. Perhaps some did and some didn’t. Another good sticker that some 9C1s got said something to the effect of “Use Over Drive for High Speed Pursuit”.
In 1968 I toured a Ford assembly plant that was building the big Galaxies and such. It was a revelatory experience. I was especially impressed by the door-fitting done with a big mallet, and at the end of the line a worker cranking the engine for the first time to drive away. Throttle to the floor, copious smoke from the exhaust pipe(s) and skid marks as the rear tires spun.
This one brings back many memories. When I was little, my father brought home a shiny new ’66 Custom 500. Unlike the one in the photos, it was a 4-door with a 289, 3-on-the-tree with overdrive, no P/S, no power brakes and no A/C. Overall, a good car, if a little under-equipped. 120 might have been a little optimistic for the little 289.
I saw 3 of these in a scrap yard in Sydney all 4 doors and all engine less, the only one Ive seen recently running has a rag top nice cars but thin on the ground here.
Short of full wheel covers and white walls, the exterior is amazingly well trimmed for a near stripper. The chrome wrapped side window frames are a surprise. Wheel lip mouldings were common in this era on middle and high line cars, add those and you have near LTD trim.
I really like very much about these cars. From ’62 through ’67 Ford did little wrong in the styling department.
For a short time I owned a ’67 Galaxie 500 390 coupe. In the mid ’80s it got compliments everywhere it went.
I love an unmarked police car, there is just something so cool about them, an unassuming plain sedan, with wider tires, no non-sense basic hub caps, CERTIFIED speedometers, calibrated to a higher top speed number than your basic sedan, especially during the 85MPH period, when a police spec car could have one calibrated to 125MPH or even 140MPH.
They exhibit a certain coolness to them, not like your marked regular squad cars with their roof lights and sirens, screaming to the world that they are a cop, like Barney Fife. Unmarked cars are more like Detective Bullitt, yeah, there’s a sport coat and a turtleneck and dress trousers, but theres still a S&W.38 in a holster in there somewhere too, if the need arises.
I’ve noticed that in my neck of the woods the unmarked car of choice is quickly becoming the Dodge Charger. Looks unassuming until you realize that the windows are blacked out with 1% of being opaque. The only “ODD” unmarked car in the local constabulary is an unmarked final model year W-body Buick Century being used by the local police. Maroon with tinted windows it doesn’t even have hub caps just black steelies. In my fantasies they’ve at least replaced the 3.1V8 with a 3800.
The Century/Regal/Intrigue/Impala/Grand Prix W-body of choice was a long time staple with the City of Miami/Metro-Dade Detectives squad, usually dark blue or dark grey. along with baser Taurus. The Charger is now starting to sneak into the unmarked cars too. Lots of unmarked Impalas still in service.
I like the new Chargers, they are easy to spot from a mile away a night, thanks to the neon/LED light show built into the taillights.
Yep, I’ll join the chorus about those tail lights. I think those were a big part of why I always to professed to prefer Fords when my middle school buddies were extolling Chevys and especially the SBC. (Well, that, and that I always liked to be different…)
I remember seeing these up and down I 95 in the late 60s, when a car-crazed pre-teen could identify almost every car on the road, down to the year, just by the grill and/or tail lights. I suppose it can be done now, but it’s rather more subtle.
I have always found a fully loaded Galaxie with the LTD package and vinyl top very handsome.
http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1967_Ford/1967_Ford_Full_Size_Brochure/1967%20Ford%20Full%20Size-06-07.html
I agree. This is when Ford really started goin’ for the Brougham
OMG, it’s the Curbside Classic Effect again! Just saw one of these yesterday – a white Galaxie 4 door sedan. Not unusual except this was in Otaki Beach (about 60km North of Wellington) and hens teeth-rare in Enzed. And yes the tail lights were the best part.
Umm, what would happen if you drove over 120 with the windows open?
It might blow out the rear window. NASCAR stockers of this vintage always had rear window straps to hold the glass in.
By far the best full size ford from the 60s were the ’64 Models, followed by the ’66s. 🙂
I always thought the new Taurus’s tail lamps bore a resemblance to the ’66s, especially with the LED ‘racetrack’ perimeter they have that gives the same definition as it did in the Johnson Administration era.
This one is gorgeous with redlines and poverty caps.
Me want
I had a 66 Custom 2dor post with a 289 4barrel & C4. It performed acceptably, but nothing like the 67 Fairlane 500 with a 390 that I had. The Fairlane would make my buddy’s 73 Grand Am with 455 look like part time help from a kickdown at any speed.