When it comes to fast Fords of the 1960s, everybody remembers the Mustang. But people who don’t have knowledge of every engine that went into every sporty Ford to memory likely don’t know you could have just about any car in the lineup with a thumping great V8.
Take this 1966 Ford Galaxie coupe we found for sale on Craigslist in Arizona that sports an engine that wouldn’t look out of place under the hood of a Mustang. It’s a Ford FE engine, part of a larger lineage of high cubic displacement, relatively high-performance engines dating back to the late 1950s. In its first generation, the FE engine ranged in size from 331 cubic inches (5.4-liters) to 390 (6.4-liters). out of these, this Galaxie sports the largest of the family.
It’s hard to say whether or not this is the same engine that came with this 1966 Galaxie from the factory. Our research found this engine was present for this model year in the 1966 Fairlane and Mercury Comet, but no mention of the Galaxie itself. In any case, it’s not like the engine hasn’t been sufficiently breathed on to make it more special. With an aftermarket Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor in tap, the old beast is bound to breathe better than ever.
Though it’s for sale in Azusa, Arizona, the owner claims this has been a California car its whole life. That’s usually a recipe for an unrestored beauty that doesn’t need much labor to look stunning. Still, the owner decided to re-upholster the interior and re-paint the exterior even so. We must say, the super minimalist Wimbledon white paint might have been applied in the name of not standing out, but it does quite the opposite.
The interior is in remarkably good shape as well. You can clearly see a lot of money went into touching up the finer details inside. But does that translate to huge dollar signs to pay for this? Well, $19,500 is no small hunk of change, but for the car, you’re getting for it, it’s worth it thousand times over.