The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car produced by Ford Motor Company from 1959 to 1974. The 1961 model year was the third year of production for the Galaxie, and it featured a number of changes and updates from the previous model years. These included a new front grille, revised taillights, and an updated dashboard design.
The Galaxie was available in a range of trim levels and body styles, including two-door and four-door sedans, as well as a convertible and a hardtop. It was also offered with a variety of engine options, including the popular 390 Big-Block V8.
This black-on-red four-door sedan was luckier than the rest and spent quite a few decades on the road, but it was eventually parked in a barn in 1998. That’s about 24 years off the road, which is usually enough to render a classic car unusable.
Almost forgotten by the previous owner, the Galaxie was recently rescued by the folks over at YouTube’s “Budget Buildz.” And what a great decision that was, because this 1961 Ford still has plenty of life left in it. Yes, the paint has seen better days, and the interior needs a lot of work, but this Galaxie is one fine survivor overall.
On top of that, it comes with one of the most powerful engines available at the time. I’m talking about the 390-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) FE V8, which Ford introduced on the Galaxie in 1961 in both four- and three two-barrel configurations. Yup, it’s the one with the Thunderbird valve covers.
As you might have already guessed, the engine refused to run after more than two decades without a sip of gasoline. But it came back to life after a bit of work. Yes, it’s not road-worthy just yet, but the V8 has enough oomph to take this classy four-door for a spin.