(Author’s Note: The build up to this can be found chronologically here, here, and here.)
When it comes to driving old cars there is a fine, yet distinct, line between adventuresome and masochistic. As someone who recently took his fifty-two year old Ford Galaxie on a journey through six states, I’m not yet sure onto which side of this line I fall.
The occasion for such a journey was the Ford Galaxie Club of America’s convention in Tupelo, Mississippi. For various reasons I had been unable to attend the previous two conventions and was determined to attend this year.
So let’s fire up the engine and get this adventure underway.
It’s about 440 miles from where I live in Jefferson City, Missouri, to Tupelo, Mississippi. Leaving bright and early on a Friday morning, I moseyed south toward Tupelo along the route shown in blue. With several pitstops, it took me exactly ten hours to make the trip.
Driving an old car any distance is going to be noticed by most attentive drivers. One simply doesn’t see too many examples of the older stuff and people tend to appreciate it. Throughout my trip I received many waves, thumbs-up, and smiles. Even as one who doesn’t seek such attention – nor worry about what others think – it is a stroke to the ego to know driving your old car is an endeavor noticed by others.
Stopping at Mammoth Spring State Park in Arkansas gave me the strangest personal interaction I’ve had in a while. Located at the Missouri / Arkansas State Line on US 63, the legend about Mammoth Spring says a drought long ago caused the death of an Indian chief’s son during his search for water. Upon the grave being dug, water shot furiously from the hole; the chief vowed water would run from here forever as his son had died searching for it. The spring produces 9.8 million gallons of water per hour.
As I pulled into the parking lot, several people began gawking heavily. Heading toward my chosen parking spot, they left this picnic table to swarm around the car and began asking questions before I had shut off the engine – or even rolled down a window.
“Hey, man, what year is your Ford?”
A 1963.
“What do you know – I’m a ’63 model myself. I bet it’s got a big trunk?”
It’s sizable.
“Oh man; I bet it’s got a big engine.”
This continued for a few minutes. While they weren’t posing any threat, and I still appreciate their curiosity, this father and son duo didn’t have the most polished approach I’ve ever encountered.
This Chrysler Crossfire convertible also graced the parking lot.
While I am familiar with US 63 on the Missouri side, I had only traveled US 63 through Arkansas once before. The terrain for the segment from Mammoth Spring to Jonesboro is quite the contrast; the north half is very hilly and curvy and the terrain changes instantaneously to being as flat as a table top upon crossing a river bridge.
This segment was the most stressful of the entire trip down. The road was two lanes and the hills were long with several areas having climbing lanes. I was driving the speed limit and was negotiating curves at a pace comfortable for the car. This Ford isn’t going to win any awards for phenomenal handling and I didn’t care to drive as if my posterior was afire.
However, I soon had a red Peterbilt on my rear bumper. He would not pass despite being given multiple opportunities. Keeping ahead of him required some minor risk taking in negotiating a few curves- I was seriously concerned about his hitting me as I could see only a small portion of his grille in my rearview mirror due to his proximity. It seemed it was becoming my own, watered down version of the early Steven Spielberg movie, Duel.
After what seemed like a very long time, another climbing lane appeared. Letting my foot tackle the firewall, the old Galaxie downshifted from overdrive to third direct. She sensed the urgency as she lunged forward, hurtling herself to just north of 85 miles per hour while still going up a respectable grade. At that speed a few high speed vibrations and the rattles converged into a harsh symphony, but she was giving some of her best. We put two trucks between us and we finally parted ways with the Peterbilt while in the flat lands about thirty minutes later.
My original plan was to leave early to minimize the likelihood of getting caught in Friday traffic around Memphis, Tennessee. It would have worked flawlessly had the Arkansas Department of Transportation not had contractors working along I-55 and the four miles north of the I-40 junction took about thirty minutes to travel. While the clutch on the Galaxie is neither the heaviest nor lightest I have experienced, I was concerned my arthritic left knee would soon balk from the stopping and starting. Thankfully that was not the case.
Once past the construction work, it was smooth sailing across the Mississippi River into Memphis. Funny, but I didn’t know there were pyramids in Tennessee.
Navigating Memphis was a breeze. Exiting I-240 onto US 78, I stopped for fuel before my final 100 mile leg of the trip to Tupelo.
It was a straight shot, with about a dozen signalized intersections before hitting open country just north of the Mississippi State Line. Traffic was light and it was easy cruising into Elvis Presley’s hometown.
While I had to snag this picture from the web, I drove past the Toyota plant in Blue Springs, about a dozen or so miles north of Tupelo. US 78 goes from right to left toward the bottom of this picture. There was quite the supply of new Corolla’s that could be seen awaiting transport.
On Saturday I attended the Galaxie Convention and the concurrent Blue Suede Cruise, an annual car show in Tupelo. Each will be covered in separate articles.
Packing up my stuff on Sunday morning, I looked around the parking lot on my way to the office to check out.
I saw this Mercury Marauder on a trailer. The U-Haul truck pulling it nearly had me blocked in.
This 1955 Chevrolet and 1966 Ford Fairlane were also parked nearby.
For the return trip, I chose a variation of the alternate route shown above and this route was adjacent to the Shiloh National Military Park, where the Battle of Shiloh was fought during the United States Civil War.
For those not familiar with the U.S. Civil War, this particular battle was fought on April 6 and 7, 1862. The Union Army’s Major General Ulysses S. Grant (who would later be elected President) encountered Confederate troops under Generals Albert Sidney Johnston and Pierre G.T. Beauregard. After an initial surge by the Confederate Army, Grant received reinforcements overnight from Major General Don Carlos Buell. The Union Army would ultimately win the battle, but the cost was high with 24,000 people dead, wounded, or missing.
The Park is currently 5,500 acres with an eleven mile driving tour that covers the major points of the battle.
Near the Hornet’s Nest
Walking on ground where such extreme violence occurred is sobering and one can’t help but think of those that walked this same area so many years ago, never to return home again.
Twenty minutes away from Shiloh, in Adamsville, Tennessee, is the Buford Pusser Museum.
The museum was originally Pusser’s home; still furnished as it was at the time of his death in 1974, the home has been converted into a museum. I covered the cars of Buford here.
I struck up a conversation with the lady who was the downstairs tour guide. I mentioned having written the article and Jana Lingo’s subsequent comment about her mother having dated one of Buford’s deputies. The lady stated she doubted it was Deputy Petie Plunk, as Plunk was her brother.
She told me the museum had acquired the Corvette in which Pusser had died. The Corvette had been in a museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for years (I had seen it there in 1982) but when it closed someone had seen the car sitting behind the just sold building. The Pusser Museum was able to acquire the burned Corvette at that time.
Sitting beside the Corvette was this Lincoln Continental, another of Pusser’s cars. Oddly, I did not encounter this car during my research although the museum has pictures of Pusser with this Lincoln.
Instead of crossing into Missouri from Dyersburg, Tennessee, as shown in the map toward the top, I opted to drive through the western tip of Kentucky into Illinois. Crossing into Illinois at Cairo (pronounced Care-Oh, oddly enough) put me into the county where I grew up and I wished to make a few important stops.
My great-uncle Donald bought this Galaxie in 1964. Having been purchased new by a gentleman around Tamms, Illinois, the original owner soon began having issues using the clutch and sold the car to Donald. Donald’s daughter Susie, who was a child when he purchased the Galaxie, had expressed interest a while back in seeing the old girl again. Realizing I had not seen Susie since 2009, I knew this was a great opportunity to visit and catch up on things.
Susie and I certainly got caught up. Not only did she inform me of some very juicy family history, she also told me her ongoing genealogy had revealed the Shafer Clan is predominantly of English lineage, not German as had long been thought. This would certainly explain my fondness for room temperature beverages.
As I was preparing to leave, Susie came out to see the Galaxie as did her husband Carl. Their son Donald, also seen here in the picture, was four years old the day my father and I had to keep shooing him off so we could drag the Galaxie home. Susie sat down in the driver’s seat and took in the interior. I could tell a lot of long lost memories were coming back to her. She said she would shutter to know all the places this Galaxie has been, what and who it has hauled, the conversations it has heard, and how many cigarettes have been smoked inside.
It was almost dark and I still had more driving to do. Earlier I had called my grandparents “Iris” and “Albert”, who are now 88 and 91, respectively, asking if I could spend the night. Twelve miles away was the Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau, Missouri, making the return to my state of residence the fifth state the Galaxie and I had visited that day.
The adventure is far from over; stay tuned for Part 2.
English not German, huh. I believe a certain Royal family also makes that claim. Maybe you’re related.
That Galaxie is looking real fine.
I-40 going into Memphis was a disaster area this spring, the last 5 miles was basically nothing but potholes, I bet we saw 15 cars pulled over with flat tires in that last 5 miles.
This reminds me of the 1200 mile road trip I took in my 66 Fury III sedan from Indianapolis to Philadelphia and back in 1987 or 88. The Fury was only a touch over 20 years old then, but was also under 40,000 miles at the time.
My greatest memories of the trip are two – the effortless torque of the wideblock 318 when mounted to a Torqueflite with no overdrive as I drove through the mountains of western PA, and the way the drivers seat back was so lacking in support that I had to periodically drive with a bed pillow behind my back.
I look forward to reading about the rest of your trip!
Nice travelogue, thanks. I hate it when vehicles prefer to tailgate instead of pass when the road ahead is obviously clear.
Re Battle of Shiloh, a great anecdote:
Late that night tough Sherman came to see [Grant]. Sherman had found himself, in the heat of the enemy’s fire that day, but now he was licked; as far as he could see, the important next step was “to put the river between us and the enemy, and recuperate,” and he hunted up Grant to see when and how the retreat could be arranged. He came on Grant, at last, at midnight or later, standing under the tree in the heavy rain, hat slouched down over his face, coat-collar up around his ears, a dimly-glowing lantern in his hand, cigar clenched between his teeth. Sherman looked at him; then, “moved,” as he put it later, “by some wise and sudden instinct” not to talk about retreat, he said: “Well, Grant, we’ve had the devil’s own day, haven’t we?”
Grant said “Yes,” and his cigar glowed in the darkness as he gave a quick, hard puff at it, “Yes. Lick ’em tomorrow, though.”
That is a handsome car. I like the proportions. The front overhang is minimal – just enough to allow for that big chromed bumper. The long rear overhang looks good with the period Ford “C” pillar shape. And I also like the full wheel covers with blackwall tires.
It is just plain a handsome, stately car. You’re lucky to have it. I admire the effort to preserve and use it.
What a nice writeup .
That ”63 looks nice , I used to own some ’62 Ford full sizers , one was a galaxie , great cars IMO .
-Nate
I lived in Memphis until 4-5 years ago, that stretch of I 40 is probably THE worst stretch from I 55 to I 80. It was like that more than 5 years ago….and they are finally fixing it.
Arkansas has some of the worst interstates because the weight limits are quite high.
The pyramid in Memphis was built in the late 80s and after a short stint as a sports venue/convention hall has been mostly empty. Before I moved to Florida, there was talk that Bass Pro wanted to buy it and put in some kind of superstore.
The Toyota plant in Tupelo was originally planned for building SUVs, my understanding was that it would build RAV4s. It seemed like that plant was under construction forever.
My folks had a 64 Country Squire with a 289, “3 on the tree”, AND that overdrive. Living in Pa. I think I managed to use that overdrive once….maybe twice.
I really like those early 60s full-sized Fords but if I was buying one today it would have to be a 65.
RE Memphis Pyramid Bass pro Shops has bought it and it is quite a big attraction
I never knew about the pyramid in Memphis, either. Then one night on the train from New Orleans to Chicago, I happened to part the curtains in the sleeping car room as the train slowly crept into Memphis. The sight of the pyramid startled me awake!
Great story, look forward to more.
People do say some odd things to old cars. I pulled into a rest area recently, got out and saw a guy having a smoke break, watching me.
I said hi. He said, “You going to cut the top off, make it a convertible?”
Um, no?
I’d say I’m a bit envious, but that be an understatement. Taking a classic on a long road trip…
Love the Galaxie. I’ve been seeing several around lately, real handsome cars.
I’m not a Ford guy, but the ’63 Galaxie is probably my favorite of the big Ford cars. Make mine a Country Sedan (I hate fake wood siding), perfect for summer vacation with the family.
Great story, looking forward to part deux. Good for you, letting the old girl stretch her legs on a trip like that, I’m sure she enjoyed it immensely. And somehow the world looks a bit different from inside an older car as well as compared to a modern, quiet, tightly sealed transportation capsule…
BTW, I suspected there was no German in you when you didn’t want a cold beer in Auburn in favor of a Rum and Coke (both ingredients from former British colonies). If you’d ordered a Gin and Tonic I would have called you out right then and there. Well played, Sir, well played.
“BTW, I suspected there was no German in you when you didn’t want a cold beer in Auburn in favor of a Rum and Coke (both ingredients from former British colonies). If you’d ordered a Gin and Tonic I would have called you out right then and there.”
Wow, I had not realized the stakes were so high on this. Good thing this Irishman stuck to his Guinness. 🙂
Hmm. I had fish and fries (chips) that second night. With more rum and coke.
It’s bloody fun to learn your lineage – Lancashire County, to be precise.
Oh here we go, throwing in English-isms already. Next time we see you, you’re going to have a British accent just like Madonna now seems to have and be talking about the Queen Mum, bangers and mash, cricket scores etc.
Speaking as a man of Yorkshire, that Lancashire background is not necessarily an advantage…..and you need to have a proper beer (like Black Sheep Brewer Riggwelter, just google it) with the fish and chips 😉
I’m part Yorkshirian as well, my mother hails from Hull. However her mother was from Berlin. Grandad was an Englishman through and through though. So I guess I’m 75% Kraut and 25% Limey.
I didn’t notice the choice of drinks, but Jason never struck me as very German either. 🙂 Now Jim K., on the other hand…..
Ja Ja, Bier, Wurst und Senf, dann is der kleiner James ganz froh!
Beautiful country you got to see in a beautiful car. What could be better! Looking forward to Part 2.
Ah the Curbside Classic road trip. I’ve given this a lot of thought but as the owner of a 73 Peugeot 504 my issues would likely be the same as yours, namely, can this car run at 60 mph for multiple hours, will I be a nuisance to other drivers esp on challenging terrain, and if I breakdown where are the parts coming from? What convinced you that your Galaxie was up to the challenge? My car goes on a 100 mile highway round trip roughly twice a month but 500 miles? not sure
Oops, just saw the links to the previous posts about this car’s history, very nice. Based on these I’ll answer my own question as to what it takes to make a road trip in a classic car: 1) start with a well-maintained, reliable car and a very knowledgeable owner 2) pick a smooth route 3) probably pack a few spare parts and a AAA card and 4) hope for the best
To drive an old machine is just making love. You must know the right time to be sweet… and the right time to play rough!!!!!
Trusting your car is an important question. You don’t want to make a leap of blind faith. If you assess the condition of the major mechanical stuff: good compression (not too much smoke), good valve sealing (fairly smooth idle and good vacuum) no overheating or leaky hoses,radiator or water pump,good fanbelts, no major oil leaks. No leaks in the fuel lines or carb, Reliable brakes system, good flex lines, master cylinder, wheel cylinders, brake linings. Good tires. An intact exhaust system. Good battery and connections. Does the battery stay charged? Does the clutch slip? Does the auto trans leak or slip or shift smoothly? Is the steering and suspension tight and easy to keep the car in the lane?
I think this is stuff you already know if you’re driving your car fairly regularly.
Then proceed to the shake down run. Pick a point twenty five miles from your house in one direction. Pick another spot twenty five miles in the other direction. This way if it was to breakdown you wouldn’t be more than twenty five miles from home. Drive one circuit of the course, pull over (maybe into a parking lot) and let you car idle. Get out and walk around it. Listen for any weird sounds, look underneath for any leaking, smoking, look at the tires sidewall and tread, (especially if the tires are kind of old) open the hood, look for smoke or steam , or leaks. Is the car overheating? Is the oil pressure still up? Is the battery charging? Shut it off. Let it sit for about five minutes. Start it back up. How hard was it too start? How does it sound now? Drive another circuit, repeat the assessment. You have now driven it about one hundred miles. If it’s doing fine you’re good to go. A long roadtrip is just a string of one hundred mile segments. Even a new or late model car can breakdown on you. A little preventive repair, a little faith, and Triple A extended tow service is all you can do. Good luck.
Thanks Jose, that was a perfect checklist and pre-test, very well thought out, very scientific. My car certainly wouldn’t do well on I5 through the California central valley but I think I could go quite a ways on the smaller highways.
That’s precisely what I did to my 77 Chevelle in preparation for the PowerTour ’13. My friends and I went through the car, and replaced betls and hoses, completely overhauled the braking system save for the steel lines, its all new.
It made the 4,000 mile round trip, using 6 quarts of oil (it does have a semi-healthy appetite for oil) a quart of transmission fluid, averaged 17mpg for the whole trip (managed 22mpg on the return leg where I wasn’t sitting in traffic for hours).
It’s only issue was the starter died in Biloxi MS, at the lighthouse. had all my tools with me, just no parts, a great guy and his family gave me a lift to the parts store to get starter for it, and another guy that did the tour hung around till I got it running.
It still does flawless roadtripping now, its my primary car now, and has gone to Oklahoma City, Houston, Austin, Shreveport, introduced a Frenchman to roadtripping American style in a 70s land yacht, and all it asks still is check the oil before heading off, and put gas in it. It hasn’t tackled any major mountain grades like the Rockies, but it handled the grades of the Smokies well. I don’ t think this car has ever gone further west than San Angelo, TX, but it has gone all over the SouthEast!
I once had a 504 diesel while living in Charleston SC. It could not maintain 60mph from Charleston to North Charleston without overheating in the SC summer. Winter was fine. That being said, the car was geared such that one was in top gear by 30mph or so making it quite fussy at Interstate speeds, but perfect for clattering around Charleston’s streets that pre-dated the automobile.
I had trouble getting parts 20+ years ago (granted this was pre-Internet), it’s probably a real pain now. While changing the fuel filter one day I over tightened the glass bowl that it was housed in and shattered it. This resulted in me having to physically go to every junk yard between Savannah and Myrtle Beach to find a match as there were different designs used over the years. Ah, the good old days!
As I’ve said before, I loved and hated that car.
Well people used to take those cars on long trips when they were new, so it’s a question of whether the vehicle is in good condition and what are its specs – a Galaxy like the author’s should have no issues staying between 70-80 mph (particularly with that useful o/drive); a Peugeot 504 diesel, not so much, but then it was like this when new. Sure, with drum-braked cars you have to consider stopping distances but that’s something you have to do every time you take it on the road (and if it worries you, there are many disk conversion kits for 50s and 60s vehicles, all of which do not involve too much work).
In my experience, you can never really be totally sure. Sure, the transmission, brakes, etc are easy to keep track of, but other problems just won’t present themselves until you’re really on the road for many hours. Even a 100-150 mile shakedown cruise around local highways, for example, driving from NYC to Hartford, CT and back, might be uneventful and when you pull off to check it out, you might not notice anything wrong. Nope, that might wait for the 400 mile trip to present itself, when you’ve been cruising at 70 for an hour and a half.
I find it helps to have an AAA Plus card, a full stash of fluids, checking said fluids every 100 mi or so, and a good sense of humor when despite your best efforts you end up on the side of I-95 in Delaware waiting for the tow truck. There is no such thing as a “reliable” classic car, just a classic car that, if you or someone else kept it up right, *should* be reliable.
Finally, I plan road trips in my old cars somewhat longer…in case I get stuck somewhere for a day. I try to have a destination for the weekend and not drive on Sunday. Better to be on the road on a weekday where if you do have to get a tow, someone can take care of you the next day.
And the others are right. I see plenty of new cars by the side of the road, too.
Good point. I always do a multipoint inspection on any car I’m taking on a long trip but you just can’t check everything. In 2010 I was on my way to the Mopar Nationals in Reynoldsburg OH, driving from Louisville KY in my 45,000 original mile ’71 Challenger which was always meticulously maintained by both the 1st and second (me) owners. I’d already made several trips of similar distance previously in this car. I’d been cruising along at 75 to 85 mph most of the day, the 318 not even breathing hard, when I got to the exit to my motel in Columbus. As the car slowed on the ramp down to the first intersection a horrendous grinding noise was coming from the rear which I hadn’t heard at highway speeds. When the light turned green she would barely even move while I revved the engine. After putting it on the bumper jack I found that the left rear axle shaft was totally locked and the wheel was blazing hot. After spending $500 to rent a U-Haul rig to get it back home we found that the left axle bearing was completely dry and fragmented although the right one was still like brand new. I can only suspect that for some reason they didn’t get greased the same at the Hamtramck plant during manufacturing.
Driving that old car changes an everyday or common drive into an adventure. It was great to see that good old Ford on the open road again. It’s nice that not only did you revisit places, you revisited family connections. Older cars usually are more pleasant to drive on secondary roads as we are not going to drive them at the frantic pace you will encounter on the freeway. Unless you encounter that ‘mad trucker” I remember watching that movie when it was first aired on TV. I never looked at big rigs the same after that. I was debating driving my old Mustang down to a car show in Santa Maria, a couple hundred miles away, it’s first really long outing. I thinking I’m hitting the road tomorrow morning.
Congratulations. A cool trip in an awesome classic car. It doesn’t get any better.
Sounds like a fun road trip Jason. There is a special place in hell for all tailgaters. Soon I am going to invest in a cheap front and rear camera for my car so I can video record the assholes right before they hit me. It’s almost always someone in a big, expensive truck or SUV, no doubt heavily insured. I bet that guy would have backed off if he saw a cam in your rear window.
I love the cold start video and how the car rocks side to side when you tap the gas.
When I was in New Orleans in late 2008 I stayed at Habitat for Humanity’s Camp Hope 2 located at 1201 Bayou Road Saint Bernard Parish which used to be P.G.T. Beaugard Middle School so the connection is interesting to read about.
Great article indeed I thoroughly enjoyed it and glad you had fun. Does your Galaxie have 4 Drum Brakes? What type of Octane did you use and was a Lead additive needed? I would love to buy a 70 Dart like what my mama used to have and drive across the country to visit them.
When it comes to highway and/or Interstate travel my mentality is usually stay the same speed or go faster unless there is a steep grade then I listen to the revs to make sure I am not hurting my vehicle. Sometimes I (have to) pull over for faster and/or crazier drivers, but it depends since I do not want to intentionally be a jerk.
Shafer is English after all? Well. it’s not a real English name and definitely sounds German.
You’ll be driving on the left next!
Room temperature beverage available when you come back to the UK!
There’s a German that has intermingled somewhere along the way.
Because we have Lucas fridges!
Don’t stop there, Your Ladyship. Surely you have something to tell us about the Lucas vacuum cleaner as well…
Yep, it’s an oldie but a goody.
I’ve been using Lucas vacuum cleaners for an excuse not to do housework for many years
Good for something then? Reputedly the only Lucas product which doesn’t suck.
I haven’t taken my old truck on a longer trip for a few years now, although I used to go up to Portland (225 mile round trip) if I needed to haul something. It’s never crapped out on me on the road; once or twice in town only.
Back in 1993, I drove it between the Bay Area and Eugene on a number of trips (1100 mile round trip), pulling a trailer too, in a multi-stage move up north. I really enjoyed those trips, except for rush hour traffic in the Bay Area, fully loaded truck and trailer with those little drum brakes. But once on I-5, it was wonderful, to drive with the window down, and elbow on the window sill, and the wind in my hair….on the road.
Awesome road trip, I wish I could have met you in SEMO and shared a beer.
When my BIL picked up my VW in Austin Texas he said “You never know when people pull up if you’re going to get a wave for driving an old car or the finger for going so slow”
One of the fun things about being a more recent immigrant is that I have genealogy going back several hundred years. The D family didn’t move around much and the Church kept good records. A long and proud line of fisherman and illiterate farm laborers…
Jason (and Paul): This is why I come to CC.
I made the mistake of starting my day today with a political blog and ended up just feeling horrible on my way in to work. Then I took a break for CC and read all five Galaxie posts; my mood is much improved. Thanks!
Thank you.
Can I join in thanking? No political blog, just an Israeli news site – big mistake. Same as for Craig, reading the article was a relief. Problem is, now I’m very envious…
Really a road trip at a relaxed pace is easier on a car than around town stop and go traffic. No reason to worry as long as car has been maintained. Are you sure their isn’t an 18 wheeler burned up and laying at the bottom of a canyon off the side of a turnout? Good thing your fan belt didn’t break. Should get decent hwy mpg with the overdrive trans, have you been keeping track? Great to see you stopped by family and allowed the memories of the old girl to flow.
Nice story, thanks for sharing your adventure with us, Jason. Your car looks especially good now.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, there were several ’63 Fords in the neighborhood where I grew up, far more so than other model years. It’s of some comfort to see a familiar old face.
I used to have a Suzuki Savage (LS650) motorcycle and I discovered one great way to deal with tailgaters: flick the kill switch off and then back on. That ignites the buildup of uncombusted fumes in the exhaust pipe and makes a terrific ‘bang’ with flames being visible at night. It never failed to get the attention of the inattentive and sounded awesome in tunnels.
Don’t follow bikes too closely. If they have to panic stop, you’re going to run over them. People don’t seem to get that.
I did that unintentionally once in my ’74 Dart.
Some ignition issue caused it to miss a couple of times at 70mph.
One muffler slightly bulged, and the other one completely blew out the side seam!
Nice write-up on a great trip. It’s really cool that you gave the Galaxy that kind of work out. Also, seeing your family and showing them the car again must have been amazing. I wish I could once again see any of the actual cars my family had when I was a kid… all were either wrecked (2 got totaled so I know they were junked) or traded-in and sold on to folks unknown. I doubt any of them have survived this long.
I’ve stopped in Cairo before on road trips South. Interesting city, with lots of history and great old buildings, though sadly in rather rough shape today.
Best road trip I’ve ever done was from Cambridge UK to the eastern Germany (the old GDR) 20 years ago, in a Renault 19.
I can’t remember the mileage but we took a full, long day from the Belgian coast to our destination. This was just a few years after the reunification of Germany, and the distinction between West and East was clear and sharp, with the condition of the roads changing very abruptly for example. We also a lot of trailers and flat bed trucks, with Polish or Czech registrations taking and towing sound but clearly well used West German and Dutch east wards.
And we were ther first english guests at the small village hotel in eastern Germany, and got a very warm welcome!
Wow. Outtakes from both “Deliverance” and “Duel” on the outbound leg. What awaits our intrepid explorer on the return home?
A basic question fromn England – who was Burford Pusser?
He was a Sheriff who was made famous in the 1973 movie Walking Tall.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_Tall_%281973_film%29
I was wondering the same thing. So, a Real American Hero, then.
That’s a great video of that old Galaxie purring away out on the highway. That must be one of the best old car long distance cruisers in the world with overdrive.
In the cold start video, had it been sitting for awhile? If not, you could probably go a notch or two richer on the choke… If it’s been sitting, all bets are off…new gas evaporates from the bowls in a few days and then you’ll be cranking for awhile.
It had been sitting for about two weeks when I made the video. With the overdrive and the tires on it, I found an online calculator that says my engine speed is 2,100 rpm at 70 mph. That’s comparable to my contemporary vehicles, which is pretty darn good.
That’s about the same as my F100 in OD; 1850 rpm @ 60; 2200 @70.
That amazing – I may have to re-appraise what I thought about keeping old 3sp + O/D in cars like this (i.e., immediate swap for a modern 5sp). This means that – with that gearing and a slightly (and sensibly) rodded 289 – you could have a vehicle capable of cruising at 85 MPH all day long, no question of not being able to keep up with modern traffic…
Since my OD unit is set up to be activated manually, I can use it on all the gears. That gives me five perfectly spaced ratios (1st OD is too close to 2nd direct to be bothered with), as well as being able to shift without using the clutch. I need to make a video some time.
There is absolutely no reason to replace a 3/OD with a five speed. It has six gears! 🙂
OK – I thought it might be like some Volvos (?) where the OD was only engage-able in 4th gear. I have a very vague memory of an MGB GT I drove years ago which also did not have it in all gears.
A 289 with sensible rear gears and this 3/OD transmission will allow you to keep up with anything.
What’s so nice about the 3/OD is the ability to hit OD in second gear. Driving through towns with a speed limit of 35 mph (a common choice here) is being in second overdrive allows you to maintain 35 quite easily without the inadvertent acceleration to something faster. The overdrive unit really doesn’t care what gear you are in for it to engage, so long as you are going faster than 28 mph.
With this transmission, you effectively have six forward speeds as OD will engage for first, second, and third. I just don’t recommend using OD in first! 🙂
Jason: so do you shift with or without the clutch? I’ve gotten to where I shift almost exclusively without it. But I wonder if that’s harder with automatic operation, since it may not disconnect OD when it’s in 2/OD and you’re ready to shift into 3/direct.
The OD has to engaged, but not activated (direct drive) for the freewheeling to work, which allows the clutchless shifts.
Out of pure habit I have been using the clutch. A few times I have shifted from second to third without it, although it protested a time or two when doing so.
I read on a Ford forum about the need to clean the electrical connections every ten years or so. Mine has never been touched; had any problems with engagement or downshifting?
It depends on the OD unit. Some can be engaged in any gear, some in any gear but low, some only in high. As Paul says, even if a particular combination is available, it’s not always useful in terms of ratio, but sometimes it’s handy.
Even with prewar cars, overdrive can really make a difference in helping them cope with modern traffic conditions. I got to ride in (but not drive) a Lincoln Zephyr with OD, which sounded worryingly frantic at 65 mph in third, but seemed perfectly happy in OD-third. OD-second was also handy in around-town traffic.
OD will kick in for all gears on mine. First OD is rather useless, but I have found it will engage when going down the 8% grade near my house. Second OD, on the other hand, is a truly wonderful gear as Paul has mentioned elsewhere.
My daughter and I roadtripped the Thermal explorer highway at easter in our 56 year old Hillman it did fine passing cars uphill it ran like a swiss clock, I have no doubt your Galaxie would be quieter and more comfortable and better on the 1 in 8 grades, the Minx has now been pressed into daily drive duty thanks to the engine immobiliser in my Citroen doing just that and refusing to recognize the ignition key, the imobiliser and fuel shut off it acts upon have an armoured shield around them to prevent tampering that works fine too meaning the injector pump has to come out to bypass it yay,
hopefully this does not involve new keys and re-booting the electronic du-da etc. – not cheap or funny if the only alternative is the dealer…
It’s funny – after you have have had an old car for a while you get a sense for it – how it will run, its quirks, reliablility – and have some faith in it for a long distance trip. When I had my Scout I had put several thousand miles on it around the maritimes with only a failed fuel pump. Dad has a ’38 Ford street rod with a 305 and it’s been across Newfoundland 3 times, up Mount Washington, and around New England as well as the Maritimes. There a few stories to tell, really.
Until I watched the video I never realized the key was on the left, like a 911. The old girl is all ready for a LeMans start! Do many other American cars have the key on the left?
It was primarily a Ford (though oddly enough not Mercury, Edsel or Lincoln, which all varied) thing. Every big Ford from ’49-’64 had the switch on the left. (the ’65 was practically in the passenger seat) The smaller Fords and the T-Bird also moved to the right circa ’64-’65.
Ford trucks had the LH ignition through the Bumpside (’67-’72) era. Moved to the right in ’73 and finally to the column in 1980.
The 64 Galaxie switch was on the right. I used to watch Uncle Bob reach over the wheel with his left hand to hold the shift lever up in order to start the car.
That was an old Ford personality trait, pulling up the shift lever while turning the key to get it to start. I believe it had something to do with the neutral safety switch.
That was a Ford thing back to the 50s. The 61-63 Tbird did too. For some reason, Ford moved the key to the right on the 64.
Some Studes had a left handed key too. 69 Plymouth Fury was another.
My 71 Scout 800 had it on the left as well.
This was a treat to read Jason. I am sure that that coral 1964 Galaxie 500 was the same car I saw at a show in McCausland, Iowa last Labor Day.
Jason, thanks for this great trip report and all of your contributions to the site. I hope you can drive your Galaxie in good health for many miles to come.
Nice writeup on a nice meet. Here’s my brother’s ’63 Galaxie. This car belonged to one of my ex wife’s clients in Los Angeles. It was the executive car of a relative working for Ford, and as such was heavily optioned. Power Windows, Power Seats, AM/FM Radio (first year for factory), Factory A/C, Swing Away Steering Wheel, Dual Exhaust, Bumper Guards, 300 HP 390 V8, Padded Dash, Backup Lights. I think this car had every option available on a ’63 Galaxie. It was destined to be sold to Unocal for some idiotic ‘carbon credit’ plan in the 80s for $700. Hating to see it go to the crusher, I offered to try selling it for them. Sadly, I was unable to find a buyer at $700. Talking to my brother on the phone one evening, he expressed an interest, and wound up with the car. As you can see, it’s been modified a bit.
Nice period custom, very clean and no stupid 22″ mags etc. I wish I could find dad’s 64 Fairlane but it’s no longer on the Israeli DOT’s lists so most likely was melted to make Uzi SMGs or tank bits long ago (as many old cars did in Israel).
The engine. Nothing is chorme, it’s all polished aluminum.
Nice write up, what a car to travel in. What would I drive ? The best choice in my fleet that gets the best fuel consumption. 2003 Mustang Coupe with V6 and auto trans. The 530i would be nice but it’s my wife’s daily driver. Probably wouldn’t happen. There are just still many places I need to see in the U.S. Of A.
Nope, I’d do a solo road trip just as I have done in Europe. Never travel with a woman, it’s a cheaper, quieter way to see the sights.
So true. I was alone and didn’t pull my wallet out of my pocket for the first two days of the trip.
Indeed
Sounds like a great trip.
I’ve done a couple of 1000 mile trips in my ’65 Chrysler, but I don’t think I’ve gone more than 250-300 miles any one day. I think the thing I find the most tiring is the wind noise, but being a sedan, yours may be a little tighter than my convertible.
my friend has a ’71 ragtop Chevelle. It’s pure sex on wheels, but its miserable to drive long distance due to the windnoise. My ’77 Chevelle sedan while it has leaky weatherstripping, is lexus-like quiet in comparison – it still is louder than most cars on the road, but you can have a conversation, and not get beat by the wind thanks to the A/C unit delivering cool air in 100 degree weather. His is a heater only car.
Thank you, fun read. I took my ’72 Pontiac Grandville (from Omaha) to Dallas in ’88 and to Steamboat in ’89. It felt gutsy at times, as you obviously know. OK city has perpetual construction and I was doing 80 during rush hour with the lane to my left missing with a 1 foot drop, and no cones, let alone guardrails next to me. It made the Steamboat trip flawlessly, but was spooked when I saw a same gen Olds 88 off the side of the mountain with a broken axle. The day after I got home from Steamboat, the water pump peed in my driveway like a scared dog. Timing is everything.
Glad your trip went well!
You are very correct on timing being everything.
Thanks for a great read and driving a classic car not just polishing it.I doubt some of the classics I see at shows have been driven further than a trailer
Big trunk? Well yes, but it was the second last year of the 1957 based engineering, only Fords had gotten longer and lower, and the gas tank was flat and under the trunk. So it was a huge but shallow trunk. Starting in 1965 the gas tank was more upright and right behind the rear axle, so you got a longer rear axle bump and a deep well behind it. And goodbye fuel filler behind the license plate.
The new 1961 Lincoln had the flat type trunk. In 1963 they made the trunk lid taller, and then the whole car was remodeled (and aesthetically ruined) and they put in the more modern tank/well thing. And the fuel filler made for an ugly rectangle in the middle of the flat rear fender. On any other car it sort of blends in, but is a sore thumb on the Lincolns.
Thanks for the ride!
Glad you skirted oblivion with that lunatic Peterbilt. I had a similar “Duel” experience in the West Texas oil country on I-20 with a couple of thugs in a field service truck who wanted to play “tag.” No one was around for miles and all I could do was to count on the superior handling of my car over their less responsive, cumbersome vehicle. They eventually found something else to entertain them and disappeared on the blurry horizon.
That’s one thing no longer possible in the EU as new trucks have to be electronically limited to 100 Km/H (62 MPH), which I’m sure is frustrating to drivers of over-700 hp Scanias, Volvos and MANs…
That seems like it could be dangerous in certain situations.
for sure. That’s what happens when you try to regulate everything, as the idiots in the EC do. But of course, one can disconnect the thing:)
Sounds like a great trip. It was a fun read.
Just an update.The West Coast Kustoms National show was at Santa Maria this past weekend. Santa Maria is s/o Pismo Beach and n/o Santa Barbara. I had been thinking of driving my 70 Mustang down. I had penned a long post a few days ago and decided to go on Saturday. I am a talker but not all talk. It was a 463 mile round trip as I returned that evening. The car ran fine, the six spun happily and I was cruising at a steady 65 mph, occasionally hitting 70mph. for stretches. I was passed by just about every car on the road! I had calibrated the speedo with a smart phone GPS app. and found that it was reading 5 mph. faster after 50 mph. so I kept the speedo at an indicated 70. I had installed a tach as I wanted to know how the power curve and roadspeed interacted. The 250 ci. six with C4 tranny and I believe a 3.00 rear end. Boy does that motor have to spin! 65mph is 2,800 rpms, 70 mph.is about 3,100 rpms. Needless to say fuel economy suffers. I only got an average of 14,5 mph. I don’t know how so much gas can go down that one hole carb. I drove my 6 cylinder F150 at 85 mph. down to Newhall and averaged 15.5 mph with the A/C on. My 96 Mustang GT 4.6 with AOD spins at 2,200 rpm at 70 mph. and returns 25 mpg. I have read an article about putting an AOD behind an early Ford small block, sounds like a good idea. Here’s a pic of my car in the parking lot.
Awesome! It’s good to hear you had both a fun and uneventful trip.
Fuel economy is a puzzler on these at times. Part 2 is running on Friday and I talk about fuel economy some. My first tank of the trip was a shocker.
Nice! I like those wheels; I’m so glad that there are steelie aftermarket wheels as alternatives nowadays. These work very well with your car; they should have offered them back then, as an alternative to Chevys Rally wheels.
Those are Ranger wheels, though from the angle they look a little wider than the stock ones. The center caps are Ranger/P71. http://www.originalwheels.com/ford-wheels/ranger2005rims.php look at the first one in the steel section.
Yes those are 15x7in. Ranger wheels running 215/60 tires. I thought it would be easy to find some kind of old mag style wheels on the cheap, but I was wrong. These cars can’t handle too much backspacing on the front without hitting the ball joint. These had plenty of clearance even with the 235/70s that were on the rims when I bought them. These have the same center cap that the police spec Crown Vics have, and the cap clamps to the lug nuts so they can’t loosen up or fall off.The wheels are one inch bigger and are a least two inches wider than stock. I’m hoping that they let more air circulate around the brake drums for improved cooling. They also contribute to the simple back roads runner look that I’m aiming for. There is an aftermarket wheel called “Grab a track” which are supposed to resemble NASCAR wheels. Looking forward to part two of the trip.
I just saw this post today. Great read and I am looking forward to part II. It’s nice to see an old car driven and enjoyed.
It really is nothing to driving old beaters long distances as long as you give them a modicum of care ~ here’s my 1969 Chevy C/10 Pickup truck 600 miles from home in the mountains , I found another , better , larger (292 C.I.D.) not totally worn out i6 engine to stuff in it after I finish replacing the rusted out cab : .
It only took me 5 or 6 quarts of 30W oil to make this trip and it doesn’t smoke , it burns the oil completely .
-Nate
I have been contemplating a roughly 500 mile round trip along CA 395 from the Nevada border down to Mojave where I would jump off 395 and head west to US 5 North for home. A highly scenic trip down along the eastern side of the Sierras.The question would be which car to use for three people. Truck is out leaving two pony cars and two full size cars. Want to lean towards the 67 Park Lane as it is smooth at all speeds with plenty of room but 13 mpg on premium. Although gas in now cheap that it wouldn’t matter as much.
http://californiathroughmylens.com/highway-395-roadtrip
Would love to see a pic of that Park Lane. I have a ’67 Brougham which I drove during the 90s and is now in the midst of a restoration. Yup, gotta use premium in it. The owner’s manual calls for 101 octane for the 410 if I remember correctly. Ratings are different now of course. Always used a lead substitute in mine too.
Here…
Nice! Yup, nearly identical to mine on the exterior right down to the cornering lamps. Mine’s maroon met, dark red interior.
nice Merc! most 67 Broughams I’ve come across have nice interiors. I’m on my 5th ’67…it’s an S-55 and it’s a low option car..,,,
Great story! In 2004 I delivered a ’68 Newport convertible from Montreal, Quebec to Yakima Wa. through San Francisco. We kept off interstates completely because of the non-stop tailgating even in the slow lane. It took 22 days and was a blast. We had no problems at all with the car except brake fade on long downhills in the west. The biggest downside was the seats and the lack of cruise control. My butt was killing me by the end.
I’ve done long trips in my vintage VW and my ’69 Dart. All went without a hiccup except for a sore bottom each time. In the Beetle I jammed a stick between the gas pedal and the seat as a makeshift cruise control. To “disengage” it I’d just kick it out of the way.