1963 FORD GALAXIE 500 XL CONVERTIBLE 400 V-8 FRAME OFF RESTORATION AACA WINNER

Description for Ford Galaxie 1963

Up Up for sale is a 1963 Ford Galaxie XL 500 Ming Green Convertible that has had a complete frame off restoration. The original plan for this car was just to clean up the undercarriage. touch up the exterior paint. and clean up the engine compartment. However. the car had at least three coats of paint that was chipping off very easily. so the decision was made to give the car a frame off restoration. Once the body was stripped of all trim and interior components. it spent eighteen months on a rotisserie. The door braces were fabricated to keep the body as rigid as possible while on the rotisserie. The bottom was completely wire wheeled to remove any crud so that the underside could be blasted with a garnet blast media to prevent metal distress. The doors. inner fenders. deck lid. and hood were media blasted with plastic. All sheet metal repairs were completed. including the underside. The only new metal welded in. was along the passenger side inside rear quarter. Mounting brackets have been added for rear seat belts. The entire body was painted with zinc chromate primer. New seam sealer was added and the car was brushed for a factory look. Sandable primer was them applied and the body was prepped for color. The underside was paited with black schutz. which is a thick 3M paint with a small texture. The firewall could have been painted body color or black. depending on where it was assembled. Body color was chosen to make the engine compartment "pop". The door jambs. firewall. and truck compartment were all painted body color. The body was no ready to be assembled to frame for final color. This was done so there would be no stress applied to the paint as was reassemble to the body. The frame was moved to my home shop. where I stripped it of all components. It was then taken to a commercial sand blast company. The frame was found to be in excellent condition with only surface rust and no repairs were required. After it was blasted. it was primed and painted black with a hardener added. I brought the frame back to my shop to commence assembly. The rear end and drive shaft were sent out to have the seals replaced and given a thorough cleaning and inspection. The engine was rebuilt using custom pistons manufactured by Wiseco Piston Company. After installing the rear end to the frame. the rear brakes and drums were installed. The new stainless steel brake and fuel lines were then installed. Next. the power steering mechanism and new steering hoses were installed. The steering pump. valves. and cylinder were all rebuilt. The restored front suspension and brakes were installed next. Then. the engine was painted and mated to the transmission and installed onto the chassis. The last thing to do on the frame was to add the exhaust system. Reproduction mufflers with one of the chambers removed were used for a thoatier sound. All of the exhaust hangers have been rebuilt. The resonators were not put in. but the pipes are there so they can be added later. All of the original clamps and fasteners were used on the frame and body of the car. Everything was cleaned and glass beaded before receiving a fresh silver cad plating. This completed the rolling chassis. Next. it was time to assemble the body to the rolling chassis on a two post lift. New rubber body mounts and refurbished hardware finished the job. The temporary door bracing was then removed. The doors were installed. along with the trunk lid. The restored radiator support and inner fender wells were installed to support and align the fenders. The fenders were then fit and aligned for the body lines and prepped for final sanding. Once the final sanding was complete. the fenders were removed. The fenders and hood were painted separately because the assembled car is too long for the paint booth. The car was then masked and painted. Three coats of body color and tree coats of clear coat were applied. Once the car was painted. it was moved back to my home shop and the paint was left to cure for a few months. The hood and fenders were installed after the engine compartment was complete. The power brake booster was also rebuilt. A custom maintenance free battery that resembles a 1963 battery was purchased and installed. A new old stock fan decal was also obtained. Next. dynamat was installed in the cockpit and inside the doors. Once that was done. we started assembling the guts of the doors. Once again. all of the fasteners have been restored to original. The wing vent mechanisms were rebuilt. The exterior trim was restored for the previous owner. I chose not to use any snap on connectors and instead used post and nuts. All new wiring was used on the car with the exception of the dash harness that was professionally looked at. The wiring and lights were installed. connected and tested. The rear bumper was then installed. The front bumper was installed after the front fenders and hood had been installed and aligned. The hood pull is a new old stock part. The front trim was then completed. For the interior. the dash pad was professionally redone and painted to match the interior trim. The dash frame had been glass beaded and painted interior color. The clock was also rebuilt. The entire dash was assembled on the bench in my garage. A new fuel gage and all new lenses were installed. An AM/FM radio ($129 option in 1963) was also installed. All of the chrome on the interior and exterior was redone along with the stainless steel. New carpet and door sills were installed. A new heater box. vent assemblies. and firewall insulation were all installed. The completed dash was then installed and tested. New gas and brake pedals were installed. along with the parking brake assembly. The steering column was then installed and connected. Next. the console was installed with a new plastic shift indicator plate. A new pair of convertible top hydraulic cylinders. new hydraulic pump. and new hoses were installed. The completely refurbished convertible top frame was re-assembled on the car and tested for operation. All the bushings for the wiper motor assembly were replaced and the assembly was installed and tested. All new glass. that has been etched with the proper Ford logo and date. was installed. Next. the door panels. kick panels. and rear seat panels were installed. The seats were installed after I had new foam installed. The covers had been installed by the previous owner. but new foam was not used. The seat frames were completely restored. The trunk received new cardboard panels. decals. and a correct burtex mat. The jack was restored. including the proper plating. along with the trunk latch mechanism. A new bias ply tire with the sticker is in the trunk. The new black convertible top was installed by a professional. The proper bias ply black wall tires were installed along with NOS simulated wire wheel hubcaps. This car was gone over by Don Allen. a Galaxie expert from Georgia to confirm that everything was done correctly. The car won it's AACA First Junior in 2012 in Reading. Pennsylvania on the first try. The car then won the AACA Senior in 2013 in Auburn. Indiana on the first try. In 2014. the car won Best in Class at the Ford Nationals in Carlisle. Pennsylvania. This car is being sold for a close personal friend of ours. The description comes right from him. Please click here if you would like to see the car as the restoration progressed. If you need anymore information. please contact Dave directly at 330-425-7374. If you would like more pictures. please do not hesitate to ask. We have included more at the beginning of this description. but have hundreds more if you would like to see them. is We accept the following forms of payment: PayPal is accepted for the non refundable deposit only. For payment of the amount due after deposit. we will accept a bank wire transfer. cash on pickup. or a certified bank check. If you need this car shipped. you will be responsible for arranging shipment. We can assist if needed. Please call with any questions or concerns. We can be reached at 800-981-8321 Extension 123. We are available to answer your questions via phone Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 5:30 pm EST. Emails are answered regularly and will be responded to within 24 hours. For over twenty years. we have become one of the most complete Hubcap & Wheel centers in the Nation. Our focus is to provide tire centers. body shops. and repair facilities with insurance grade hubcaps & wheels. All Merchandise is individually inspected for straightness and over quality prior to stocking. Our specialty is factory Original steel & aluminum wheels. hubcaps. center caps. and Antique & Classic Hubcaps. With an Inventory of over 50. 0 Antique & Classic and 75. 00 late model pieces. we’re sure to have what you need at a competitive price.