Well here’s something that you really don’t see very often. What looks like a fairly ordinary Galaxie Fastback is actually a 1963 (strictly speaking it is a 1963½) R-Code Factory ‘Lightweight’ Galaxie.
Equipped with a 427 cubic inch V8 with TWO four-barrel carburetors that pushed out around 425 horsepower.
There was heavy competition to do well at the drag strip during the sixties, pushing Ford to produce these lightweight and powerful cars. After an initial run plan of 50 cars, a total of around 212 of them were ever produced.
Constructed with a hood, fenders, inner fenders and deck lid made from fiberglass. Flooring was thin rubber instead of carpet. To further reduce weight the car used aluminum bumpers and brackets.
All but one of these cars were produced in Corinthian White with a red vinyl interior. Lightweight bucket seats were used and there is no heater, radio or clock. Even the armrests are absent. This all added up to hundreds of pounds of reduced weight.
The glovebox contains a plaque that highlights the construction techniques (and its shortcomings) can be found on the door of the glove box.
It’s uncertain how many of these cars are left of the rather limited production run. It’s likely that many of them led a hard and short life in competition. This is a very rare and powerful beast of a car.
the twin 4 barrel cars usually had a highrise manifold with an air intake built in and made of fiberglass .These cars also never had an ID Number meaning that they were never meant for sale to the general public and could not be road registered and were fitted with a factory plate that said this .The car in the photo is probally a single 4 barrel .
Hi Mick – thanks for the comments. We’ve added a photo of the engine. It does look like it does have twin four barrels. Albeit without the highrise manifold. We welcome any other comments.
I thought they had a fiberglass teardrop scoop hood
Crap.
My best friend had a ’64 Galaxy with the 427/425 hp engine routed through Holman and Moody for blueprinting. It had the 2- 500 cfm Carter carb setup. The hood had no high rise bump or intake on the hood. The only tip off was the gold Thunderbird emblem (which said 427) 98in the normal location. It was completely street legal and normally licensed in Dallas, TX. Owned and operated by a 19 year old college student.
Humm, I had no Problem getting my 631/2 all right with DMV, and I had 2 4’s and mine was an R-code?
My buddy who worked for a Ford Dealer and that was the only way you could get one you had to be a dealer. He got one when they came out there was not a car that could touch him for at least 2 years that I know of.
As far as I can remember all the R Code galaxies had dual four barrel carburetor’s. The car was originally offered as an R code galaxy with a low rise manifold with dual four barrel that fit under the hood the R series light weight was a completely different car. The R code light weight galaxies all came with the fiberglass front clip hood fenders and rear deck lid and aluminum bumpers those cars had a medium riser manifold.It wasn’t until later on believe 64 when they came out with the 427 camer and that motor had a high-rise manifold on it .
My dad was an old moonshiner from the 50s and he owned a 427 R code light weigh galaxy that’s what I learned to drive with. But in my dad’s moonshining fashion the very first thing he did was to take the 411 gears out and put 275 gears in it. The car was capable of doing 90 miles an hour in first gear pretty easy
Early lightweights were low riser manifolds with a flat hood as you see. This is correct.
Yes!
The cars with the high rise manifolds and hood were the “THUNDERBOLTS” … They were not street legal … These were street legal … but would not pass the FORD STANDARD inspection …
Right.
We later bought a Thunderbolt body and put the engine from the full sized Galaxy in it with many enhancements, such that it could no longer be driven on the streets.
J Chambers
nice to see engine allthough Ford said the 427 was good for 425 hp it was actually close to 500 hp this was done to cut down on insurance for road registered cars with the 427 .Also if you bought a 427 car you had to sign a form if you intended to drag or race it which only gave you a 3 month warranty on the engine. Early 427’s blow up in racing due to the fact that they just 390 type cast blocks and the pistons had a habit of going through the cylinders. This was fixed in 1964 by recasting the block .The 427 was last used as an option in 1967 as it cost to much to make and was a $1000 option over the base engine. All 427 engine cars came with no power brakes or steering and only a 4 speed gearbox as well as 15 inch wheels. They could not be ordered in a Ranch Wagon. They were an option for the 1967 Cougar but no one knows if one was made and they were never factory fitted to ANY Mustang by Ford or Shelby .
I saw an aritcle about a 1967 ranch wagon that a guy special ordered from the factory with a 427 and 4 speed. Even had the wood grain sides. Was found in a barn in northern ohio. All paperwork was still with the car to include the build sheet.
My fried Red owned a 67 cougar with a 427 that he sold apart several years ago for $66000.00 I own a very rare 1963 1/2 mercury super marauder R code 425 hp 427 4 speed red on red bucket seat S-55 2 door ht fastback . One of 11 built that year . I didn’t buy it new but i thought all the 427 cars only has a 3 month or 4000 mile warranty . And you got to think if you missed a gear it went to 7500 RPm . My car has two pistons go out the side of the block at 61000 miles . IT has a blank DSO which it was for someone special i wish it could talk . I do also have the main body of a light weight 63 1/2 galaxie in my drive way left over from re boding someone did one years ago . It looks like it had a vin removed off the fire wall like regular galaxies also had . It also had steel doors and steel trunk lid . It has a lot of rust out and they were smart to start with another body and put all the fiber glass fenders and hood and aluminum bumpers etc on it .
“Of the two standard and three optional engines officially available to the prospective 1967 Shelby buyer, the most powerful was the special lightweight 427 racing engine lifted straight out of the GT40 Mk II. No horsepower or torque numbers are available, but the one GT500 that was built this way was sent to Goodyear for tire testing at speeds of up to 170 mph, and it averaged 142 mph for 500 miles to set a record. The price for this ultimate Shelby Mustang, dubbed Super Snake, was to be $7500. Long Beach dealer Mel Burns Ford envisioned selling an exclusive run of 50 such cars the way Pittsburgh’s Yenko Chevrolet sold special 427 Chevelles and Novas, but the first one took forever to sell and no more were built.”
https://www.motortrend.com/news/1967-shelby-gt500-vs-chevrolet-corvette-sting-ray-427/
One Shelby Mustang was made with the full tilt 427.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/1967-shelby-gt500-vs-chevrolet-corvette-sting-ray-427/
Had a similar car 63 galaxy xl 500 conv, 4 speed, 406 tri-power, 411 rear, headers, complete factory car, black, red interior, white top, wish I had it today.
I think many of us have those one or two cars that we wish we’d never sold 🙁
This car seems to have metal bumpers. I may be wrong but the Lightweights should have fiberglass ones and other lightweight parts. Still too heavy.
I have an “R” code 63 1/2 Galaxie bought New in 1963, and still have the it.
All steel and not a lightweight but was a Total Performance car, as advertised, and I never had it in my heart to part with it. Still have it! Love it!
This car looks like it has polished aluminum bumpers which would be correct. The lightweight ’63 Galaxies had aluminum bumpers with aluminum bumper brackets (as the article states). I owned one in the late ’70’s-early ’80’s.
I had two friends that got to of the motors threw a buddy that raced NHRA circle track he sold them because they were outlawed. One friend put his in a 34 Sedan body and the other one went into a T Bucket with a special designed frame. On his wedding day they drove it at the 1/4 mile track and pulled high 9s it was awesome. I heard the motor was sold to a friend who sold it a couple years ago for 20,000.00.
Thanks for the flashback, beautiful memories, I have owned 3 . Not this super but still 390 CD. ,325 HP 4 speed, one. 402 tripower 4 speed. Loved each one like a baby.
This car won every major stock car race in 1963.
My dad had a 63 1/2 390 4 speed car. White with red interior like the one in the photo. Id love to have one.
Had a sixty three 406 4 speed tri power that pushed a best 12.87@111 with street slicks and dumps open. Fomoco was dumb enough to do 2 years 24000 warranty and gotta tell ya I used a bunch of it up. Twisted off the axles, blew the ring gear thru the housing, more clutches than I can count.
A very lovely car to say the least. But I have one question: 427??? I´ve never heard of a 427 Ford engine except the SOHC
. So explain this to me please. Thanks.
Here’s a sample from the 1963 Ford sales brochure
427/425 HP,came out in 1963 1/2.in the day it was a bad boy.I had one
of the first.