1963 Galaxie 500: Our Shed

By: Nathan Ponchard

Date: 15.05.2013

Our shed: New seals, lowering blocks have neatened up Ponch's Gal'

Our cars: 1963 Galaxie 500

1963 Galaxie 500

Slowly, but surely, this Galaxie is nearing my version of perfection. Last time we covered any mechanical work (read more here), it was fixing the power-steering and harmonic-balancer woes that emerged after 2012 Targa. Soon, it’ll be sorting out the little bits and pieces that result from a 50-year-old car having covered such a low mileage.

The Galaxie had already visited Peter and Nick Anton at Supafix Automotive in Oakleigh South for new gaskets around its gushing ‘wedge’ all-in-one manifold, to the major benefit of the oil that was almost dripping from the bottom of the engine and transmission.

But Uncle Phil and Peter have decided (on my behalf, of course) that we may as well replace all the remaining seals in the engine, while shaving the head slightly, fitting new rings, and a ‘torquey’ camshaft. If the donk’s gonna come out, may as well do everything at once!

In the meantime, I sent the Gal’ over to our mates at Suspension City in North Melbourne to have the rear end lowered a little. Suspension City fitted brand-new, five-leaf rear springs just before Targa last year, and even though the back sat up a little bit, Phil told me to be patient and wait until the car had done a few miles before fiddling any further.

Close to 10 months on, I finally decided that seeing the Gal’s diff when following it was like staring at the Big Merino’s nuts – not entirely pleasant. So back she went to Suspension City for a pair of lowering blocks, shackled into the rear spring mounts, to line its sizeable booty up with the front. We also wound off the Koni shocks from stiff Targa spec and, what do you know, the thing rides brilliantly.

Levelling the ride height and tweaking the damping rate has seriously transformed the car. Now to liven her up a bit.

*****

More reviews:

> Our cars: Ford Galaxie (post Targa Tour) review here

> Classic metal: Ford Galaxie review here

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