With “performance” as their by word in 1964, the ’64 Fords had a ready-to-go-fast look. A restyled body with a strong, lavish use of sculptured sheet metal from stem to stern helped the gorgeous Galaxie achieve a racy appearance.
A full-width horizontal-bar grille with triple vertical ridges and wide-spaced, side-by-side headlamps gave the Galaxie a “customized” image. The rear deck lid latch panel was deeply scooped to surround Ford’s trademark large, round taillamps. On the plush Galaxie 500/XL it housed a horizontal silver anodized beauty panel. This top-of-the-line model came only in two-door and four-door hardtop and convertible models with standard bucket seats and center console. They were sometimes converted into muscle cars with the optional 427-cid V-8s.
The highly successful 427 was available in three versions, which were reviewed in great detail in the March 1964 issue of Car Life magazine. All three engines were fairly costly. The Q-code 427-cid 425-hp engine cost $461.60, plus $109 for a dual-carb setup. It was the volume-production version of the 427 that most showroom buyers ordered. Ford expected to make 10,000 to 15,000 of these. This 427 “street” engine had a 10.7:1 compression ratio and used premium gas, although super-premium was recommended. It had cross-bolted mains, a cast crankshaft and slightly looser-than-normal fitting pistons.
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