Photos by chasglynn from the Cohort.
I have many fond memories from my days living in San Francisco back in the ’90s. One of those was to see old beaters still in regular use, somehow defeating the odds, still roaming the streets in worn-out condition. At the time, I felt the city had an unusual amount of beat-up vintage rides, a reality that was to change in the next few years.
Yet, this old ’65 Ford recently captured in the City by the Bay is in keeping with those memories. Heck, it’s even parked a few blocks from where I used to live. Talk about a trip down memory lane.
Do cities have a ‘peak beater’ period? Seems like they do. Old cars in San Francisco were the norm back in the early ’90s, but I didn’t see many in my more recent visits. On the plus side, the remaining few become all the more remarkable.
Regardless of its exterior appearance, this old Ford has to be a daily driver. There’s no debris under the vehicle, nor any signs of it sitting still. Heck, I know that neighborhood. Had this thing overstayed in that spot a few minutes, multiple parking tickets would be stacked on the windshield. Take it from me, I’ve never had so many tickets in my life as I did during my days in SF.
I’ll leave it to Ford Galaxie experts to tell us what specific version we have here, since the lack of trim doesn’t leave me many clues. Is it a normal 500, an XL?
And in regards to the Galaxie’s background and specs, these 1965 models have been amply covered at CC before. Just follow the links below.
We’ve one interior shot, and it’s quite a mix of conflicting signals. There’s a neat aftermarket steering, a fairly clean instrument control area around the steering, much-ruined upholstery, and lots of granny blankets. And well, lots of missing trim and panels. By the way, that steering looks fairly new. Is this car on its way out, barely kept alive, or being rescued?
No matter. As it is, the whole setting has given me a nice trip down memory lane.
Further reading:
Curbside Classic: 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 – A New Ford Fit For Goldilocks
Car Show Classic: 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 – Look Ma, 428 Four-Speed
I feel like the 90s were the last decade where you really still saw a decent amount of older cars like this on the road as daily drivers.
I think much of it was gas was still so cheap that you could still run these economically. Late 90’s you could still get a gallon for under a $1.
Once gas start getting $2-$3, even if an older car like this was “free”, something newer was cheaper, even with a car payment. Cars like this in stop and go, you’re lucky if you can get 12mpgs.
I noticed a similar void of old cars on a visit to San Jose several years back. Like the rest of the Bay Area, SJ used to be a haven for all sorts of vintage, obscure and exotic iron, many sitting in driveways awaiting redemption. At the time I spotted one – a forlorn Datsun Fairlady roadster – partially obscured by a car cover. I guess California’s aggressive anti-emissions pogroms
Stacked squared-off headlights proves its a ’65. And the lack of bucket seats would indicate it’s NOT a 500XL, however the passenger headrests and mismatched upholstery prove the front bench seat is not original. (70’s era Ford I’d say.) In fact, the lack of emblems and front headlight trim (popular items for folks restoring one of these) seems to prove this car was a parts car for a more successful Ford someplace. However the XL’s also had a console-mounted shifter, not available in the base models, and this clearly has the steering column-mounted shifter so a base Galaxie 500 it is. (Although I suppose a really dedicated individual may have exchanged even shifter linkages to convert their 500 to a 500XL using this former XL as a donor.)
I also note no factory or Ford-blessed dealer-installed air condo, and not even a clock (in the center of the lower console, just above the steering column and below the speedo.)
There was also a very-base Ford Custom that lacked all the trim beauty of the 500 and its roofline was a more pedestrian squared-off look.
Clocks were standard on these. Someone actually went through the trouble to remove it and install a delete plate from a ’66 Custom.
Our family owner a 1965 Galaxie 500 and it did not have a clock. It had the blanking plate where the clock, if ordered, would go. The blanking plate was nice – a little Ford crest in the middle.
An electric clock was standard on the 1965 Galaxie 500.
Perhaps a delete option or a change from the publication of the brochure (it happens). I know I stared at a blanking plate for more than 10 years.
Wow, this baby looks tired!
Dr. Scheib! Paging Dr. Scheib! Emergency! Patina overdose in the ER!
But seriously, this was an attractive car in its day. It reminds me of the ‘66 Galaxie my brother bought in Columbus Ohio back in the day. (Around 1973) He and dad made the trek to the big city and snagged a red 2-door from one of the “bargain” lots. Although the body and paint were very presentable, the poor thing barely made it home under its own power. Right away, he had to get a replacement engine. I’m too young to remember what else went wrong, but the car didn’t stay in his ownership very long. He was so soured on Ford products that he never owned another one.
Nice patina as the car look dead strate ! just touch up / fix the real rusty areas with mat flat colors to match ! as now patina / barn find cars are in ! and paint / body work is so cost prohibitive !! just do the important mechanical stuff & enjoy ! One bad thing about 65s & early 66 they have notorious frame rot problems !! maybe not this one being in the south So nice to see it lives on
Isn’t that Joe Friday’s patrol car from Dragnet TV series?
1966 or 67 Fairlane was used on Dragnet.
You’re right, ‘67 Fairlane.
I remember these when new, I thought they looked so modern and sharp .
Before the mid 1970’s when California became serious about the lack of breathable air beaters like this but 1930’s & 1940’s vintage were everywhere, mostly as older folks original owner cars or poor folks / college kids cars .
The original smog testing was death to them, in time we learned how to make an oldies run well enough to whizz through most any smog test but they then the damaged was done .
‘Patina’ is B.S. not cool ~ it means you’re broke, lazy or stupid .
RUST NEVER SLEEPS .
-Nate
Keeping things in perspective for us old people, this is a 58 year old car. Think of a 58 year old car when this was new and chose something from 1907! Looking back on my childhood, the 1939/1940 Fords I loved and admired in 1961 at the age of 9 were only 20 years old and they looked ancient. These ’60s cars as beaters are long gone from the northeast though……..
Front end looks more like a Comet Caliente than any Caliente that I remember. 😳
As a young kid in the 1970s, my exposure to 1960s cars on television and in movies, was often as bank getaway cars, freeway crash fodder, or generally as backdrops to scenes featuring current cars. Examples not as rough looking as this Galaxie, but close. 1960s cars widely portrayed in TV and movies, as worn-out beaters like this one. Consistently, unflattering portrayals.
That Chevy pickup in the background might only be two years newer than the Galaxie. As a ‘65, I don’t think this Ford would have ever required emissions testing here but general age, rust, fuel economy, safety and of course “Cash for Clunkers” took many of these off the streets. Where I live in California there are still quite a few 1960’s-70’s vehicles running around as daily drivers but the majority are pickups. Perhaps more durable than their passenger car stablemates, and their functionality has withstood the test of time better than an 18 foot long two door that gets 12 mpg and might have a powertrain that is no quicker than a Mitsubishi Mirage – and much worse brakes.
The cost of gas was a big reason that old beaters like this fell out of favor. In the late ’90’s I had a ’66 Riviera that was a daily for me. Gas was 3.00-3.50 a gallon and it got around ten miles a gallon. My round trip commute to work was only 22 miles. I was using a couple of gallons a day for that, add a few errands and that was another gallon or two. Although it was my daily, it was still a hobby car and I had newer family cars for long trips.
Safety also becomes a consideration. The brakes are marginal in modern cut and thrust traffic and driver protection is limited to a lap belt. Even old cars in better shape than this are best kept for occasional hobby use.
This car looks like the one Uncle Buck traded in for his Mercury Marquis. 😉
The essence of a Curbside Classic. Long may it live.
In the Summer of 1973 I drove a car for the very first time. It was a blue ‘65 Galaxie 2-door with a 289 V8 and Cruise-O-Matic. I was 12 years old and permitted to take the wheel (for maybe a quarter mile) down a farm lane. I was car crazy and this was a big day in my young life!
L
I bought a 66 Galaxie 500xl in 1981 for $300 off my girlfriends mother. I put about $3000 into restoring it and then got rear ended in 1985 totalling the car. I ended up parting it out to a guy that had the Galaxie 7litre model with the 427. Still wish I had that car today.
GM stylists said this was the box a ’65 Chevy came in. They did not like the linear effect but to me it has aged well.
I suspect that the quota is still met. Although this car is older. 1990 was 33 years ago! Try ad see how many cars from th 90’s are there now. I’ll better there are even more.
I suspect that there are more. 1990 was 33 years ago. How many cars from the 90’s are tere now ill bet there are more.
That’s what I was thinking, getting on the circling train of car payments and full coverage insurance will offset the fuel consumption of a beast like this anyway, I think the simple reality in terms of why you don’t see 65 Galaxies and the like as beaters anymore is because they’ve transcended being just old cars at the end of their lifecycle to survivors that hobbiests would want, and would pay a lot more for than a true beater. Today somebody would want this car for what it is, and that’s probably the case with the current owner. It’s not the car that once was a couple hundred bucks in the classifieds section you’d get just to get around anymore.
And you’re exactly right, relative to time this in the 80s-90s is the equivalent to a 80s-90s beater today – only real difference is paint doesn’t deteriorate as badly as the old paint formulas so there’s less decay and layerage of various primers in vain attempts to cover bare metal rust as the original single stage lacquers and enamels burned off.
We just don’t notice them as much because paint is much more durable and most of them are still somewhat shiny.
Those plates were issued around 66 based on cars in my family that started with a similar sequence.
By the looks of the rust, it must have spent most of its life close to the ocean.
She’s a red lead special.. Low production I Would think being a hardtop…