Ford's full-sized Galaxie used to be called an American icon, known for serving as everything from a police car to a cab and a race car. It took the Blue Oval to NASCAR glory in the mid-60s, but you almost never hear about it nowadays.
The Galaxie obviously doesn't have muscle car proportions. It's a big boy compared to a Mustang, with a long rear overhang and a stubby nose. It works well with the fancy gold paint and pinstriping you see in the lowrider community. But this particular example is more about straight-line performance and having an attitude.
Owner Nickvig got the 1963 (and a half) Ford Galaxie 500 because his dad had one when he was young. But instead of air suspension and gold leaf lettering, he built a dragster that can also cruise. This all-motor machine makes 750 hp and produces a soundtrack that you don't want to miss.
The engine is really the most special thing about this built featured by AutotopiaLA. It's a Ford 460 Big Block that's been punched out to 520 cubic inches (8.5 liters). The suspension and chassis have also been heavily customized to deal with the power and torque of this engine. The exterior looks largely untouched, but everything mechanical is made to go fast.
The Ford Galaxie 500 was Ford's answer to the Chevy Impala SS, with its legendary 409ci (6.7-liter) V8. For 1963, the car got a powerful and robust new "427" engine in combination with the "slant back" hardtop roof design. That year brought about the more sculpted character lines you see on the side of this dragster, as well as a new concave grille with a floating Ford badge that doubled as the hood latch. The rear brought the trademark round lights above the bumper and a grille that matched the one at the front. Both the 500 and the XL had those seven chrome gills on each rear fender.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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