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"Some Old Ford" is My old Ford

Discussion in 'New to the H.A.M.B.? Introduce yourself here!' started by hvywrench, Sep 29, 2011.

  1. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

    Hi folks, I finally decided to introduce myself.
    I'm Bill from Northwestern Conn. and I own the Galaxie "Some Old Ford" that is featured in the vimeo video that has been posted on the HAMB for I think the 5th time.
    When it was first posted back in Feb (I think) it got a ton of positive comments and I was pretty surprised...I'm just a guy that kept an old car. The car is pretty cool, but I certainly didn't expect all the compliments.
    One comment that was posted by a fella in the original thread stated that he thought the car was "fake cinematic B.S." but never was specific about what made him think that.
    Quite honestly, there is nothing that was created for the film that was fake.
    I offered the car to my nephew to film because he wanted (now he is!) to be a free-lance film maker.
    Even though a couple of the shots are out of sequence, we just dusted it off, (ok, so we didn't actually dust anything off, just uncovered it) started it, and went up and down the road a couple miles. (Yes, it was legally registered and insured).
    I really did buy the car from a country gentleman that was a distributor of moonshine and he was a character. It is not a numbers-matching, R-Code Gal, but does have a factory-correct R-code drivetrain.
    It is a lot more solid and straight than it might appear, but no doubt that I was a Bozo for not taking better care of it. I have been spending time making improvements and get a kick out of firing it up.

    I've been a mechanic forever; Heavy Equipment, Class 8 trucks, transport refrigeration, and now I wrench for a municipality.
    I spent many, many years working overseas contracts (Antarctica, Kwajalein, Qatar) and that sort of accounts for letting the car sit and end up looking as it does.
    I am aware that this forum is about traditional hot rods and pre- '64 iron so I won't be doing a lot of posting about my stuff.
    I'm also not real familiar with this forum format, all my forum experience is on a simpler format and I would probably fat-finger stuff I tried to type if I tried to get fancy.
    I mostly wanted to check in and formally express my thanks to everyone that viewed the video and made comments, positive or otherwise.
    My nephew is very talented in his abliity to use video to tell a story and he did a great job with this particular story.
    I wrote to Mr Jeff Norwell when he posted the video on a thread here to thank him for his kind comments as well since he is "in the business" so to speak.
    Thanks for all the acceptance! It is much appreciated!
    Bill
     
  2. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,500

    Muttley
    Member

    Welcome. Your car is awesome, please dont be under the impression that it is something that isnt really welcome on the HAMB...........that car is basically everything the HAMB stands for/is all about. Please post some pictures of it when you get a chance.
     
  3. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

  4. dmikulec
    Joined: Nov 8, 2009
    Posts: 590

    dmikulec
    Member

    Welcome from Danville, KY!

    That was one cool video, and one helluva cool car too. Glad you found your way here. :cool:
     

  5. Welcome to the H.A.M.B. from central Iowa!
     
  6. Racrdad
    Joined: Jul 27, 2007
    Posts: 1,208

    Racrdad
    Member

    I hadnt seen the video before but just watched. Really cool video, car and owner it would seem. Should the car be restored? I dont think so!
     
  7. Jeff Norwell
    Joined: Aug 20, 2003
    Posts: 14,809

    Jeff Norwell
    MODERATOR
    Staff Member

    Hey Bill!
    Glad your here. Your car has S-O-U-L.

    Jeff
     
  8. Baron
    Joined: Aug 13, 2004
    Posts: 3,636

    Baron
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Hey Bill. I had watched the video a couple of times when first posted. I thought it was excellent and instantly sent it to a few of my Hot Rod friends. Just the sound of the motor and exhaust is great. Glad you left it as you found it. I love it. Thanks for posting and welcome from MA. :)
     
  9. Just Gadget
    Joined: Aug 7, 2011
    Posts: 1,130

    Just Gadget
    Member

    nothin' wrong with the car that I can see .... Welcome Aboard! from Tennessee!
     
  10. 1964countrysedan
    Joined: Apr 14, 2011
    Posts: 1,131

    1964countrysedan
    Member
    from Texas

    Welcome

    GREAT STORY AND CAR!
     
  11. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

    Again, thanks to all! Kind of a coin-toss when it comes to how cars (especially old and less-than-perfect ones) are either judged as being lacking, or accepted as-is.
    When Ben first posted the video and it was 'making the rounds' so to speak, it got mostly all positive comments from the car boards.
    Surprisingly, there was a Ford board, "Blue Oval Forum", or something like that, where I got slammed big time for the neglect and the poster thought I didn't 'deserve' the car and should sell it to someone who did.
    He was immediately jumped on by a few other members who reminded him that back then a '64 was no big deal and most had already rusted away.
    I give him credit, he edited all his negative comments after the discussion.
    I don't own the shop where it is stored, I beg space there and trade some mechanical work for the floor space. Really need my own place to tinker.
    Little by little the improvements are being made and I hope that next summer allows a lot more touring with it. Although I have more than I need for projects, I can't see myself parting with this one...and I'm sure that all on here know how that is.....
    Thanks folks!
    Bill
     
  12. FAST57F100
    Joined: Oct 8, 2011
    Posts: 73

    FAST57F100
    Member
    from Washington

    Hi Bill, I drove a 64 "R" code Galaxie for about 15 years! It was always a great day when I took it out. I had it out on a road rally one night and with the 3" flow masters the check point workers would hear us coming from miles out! They would give us a big thumbs up with big grins! It stood out as most all of the other cars on the rally were VW GTI’s or Mazda Miata’s. My rally partner could not believe just how well the car handled and how much power it had! Fun days, keep enjoying the Old Gal.

     

    Attached Files:

  13. Red Dragon Racing
    Joined: Nov 17, 2008
    Posts: 146

    Red Dragon Racing
    Member
    from Indiana

    Welcome. Nice Ford.
     
  14. 64crump
    Joined: Oct 17, 2011
    Posts: 398

    64crump
    Member
    from Alta Loma

    Welcome,

    Someone sent that video to me via e-mail a while ago, and it was great. Your nephew did a good job of the documentry with a humble tone of you just taking your car out for a ride.

    Made us all jealous!
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Bill:

    Your story really hit home, I have a real soft spot for 64 Galaxies, My uncle (his name was also Bill) taught me everything about building Hot Rods when I was a kid, he had 2 r-code Galaxies and he would sit around when I was a kid and tell me all the street racing storys from the 60's. He made a lasting impression in my life that still burns strong today! I'm in the process of building a tribute car for him, I'm sure he'll see me burning rubber from above.

    Fast Eddie
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2011
  16. Hemiroid
    Joined: Nov 6, 2011
    Posts: 147

    Hemiroid
    Member

    I like it just the way it is...
     
    Last edited: Nov 6, 2011
  17. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

    Thanks folks! I have to agree that the story works for folks that aren't even 'car folks' because of my nephew and his talent. His ability to tell a story keeps people interested and the length is just about right for it to appeal to a wide audience.

    Haven't been on the net for about 8 days, lost all power and internet during Saturday's storm at 3:42pm and just got it back today about 2pm.
    Had a generator to keep the house warm and hot water for cleaning up, wasn't too bad but happy to be back to normal.
    I have to admit that I like the car just the way it is as well, working on doing some needed stuff to make it more dependable for next year. Stuff like the past week aren't helpful in that regard!
    Bill
     
  18. I was waiting for the Big Burn Out at the end of the movie :(

    LOL!!!!!!
     
  19. Bill:

    Here's a pic of my Tribute Car, I'm building in honor of my Uncle

    Gonna be a Black on Black when it's done.
    [​IMG]
     
    ffr1222k likes this.
  20. 94hoghead
    Joined: Jun 1, 2007
    Posts: 1,289

    94hoghead
    Member

    Welcome to the HAMB. Love the car!!!
     
  21. Welcome aboard old son!!
    Remember this saying "If it's Bitchin it don't have to be Perfect !!!
     
  22. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

    That car already looks good, I suspect that it will be great when you're done. It sits 'right' and the Cragars look good on it, too.
    Those Galaxies have really nice lines (for a big boat!).
    When I bought my car I also owned a '66 Fairlane and my plan was to just plop the driveline (with cast headers) into the Fairlane and get rid of the Galaxie (too big, I thought).
    Seems that I had a whole bunch to learn about my intentions of a "drop-in" swap. I figured that since the Fairlane had a 390/toploader originally it was a quick weekend project. Galaxies are 'too big', remember?
    I was wrong in a big way and this young know-it-all got an education real fast.
    So the engine went back into the Gal and it went outside until I could find a Mustang (as if that was gonna be easier...this was way before message boards where people who had 'been there, done that' were readily available to correct me).
    One New Year's Eve I had no plans so I dragged the Gal into the shop while I sat hugging the wood stove with a 12 pack of Blue Moons on ice and I pondered the situation. As the 12 pack diminished, I became enlightened as to what great lines that car really had. Except for the mess that the mice had created, the car was basically all there and straight.
    Over the course of that New Year's Eve I ripped out the nasty headliner and used some polishing compound on the dash, treated the rust with rust converter, vacuumed up the mess that the mice made, washed the windows, and started it up with open headers about every 15 mins.
    I'm sure that the neighbors loved me after about the 3rd or 4th time of tacching it up to listen to it bark. I never did finish the Blue Moons but I had decided that my Galaxie was a pretty good looking car and I needed to try and save it.
    After that I would pick some mechanical task to make it driveable and 'safe' and fix things piece by piece, re-registered it, got insurance (tried to get collector car insurance but for some reason it didn't qualify....I guess you can't insure cars with too much 'character' or something)
    I begged some space where it is now so the weather wouldn't spoil my plans during periods of overseas work and I guess you know the rest of the story.
    Kind of the long way around the barn just to say that I like Galaxies now, eh? Ah well...

    And as far as the big burnout at the end of the video that folks want to see, I'm just glad that it survived my abuse when I was driving it on a regular basis! I need to check the bottom end before I start showboating with it, I would hate to blow it up after all this time just because I wanted to show off...you'll have to look at burnouts on YouTube until I overhaul the engine.
    Bill
     
    Last edited: Nov 13, 2011
  23. Bill:

    I hear ya, I can repect the fact of not wanting to break something. I still have my Grandfathers 65 Comet that I learned to drive on the family farm when I was a kid. I'm planning on restoring that one after the Galaxie. Those memories are priceless!!!!!!

    [​IMG]
     
  24. SOHC427
    Joined: Apr 5, 2009
    Posts: 1,048

    SOHC427
    Member

    Hello Bill,

    I had about 7 or 8 people send my the vid, your nephew made, and loved it.
    That is a great history on your car, and a really sweet ride it is.

    I, too, Like Fast Eddie, am partial to 64's, as my fist car, was a 64 XL, Z coded 4 speed, and my 3rd, was and is a 64 XL R code, with SOHC, in progress.
    The Z code is drivetrain less, sitting in a neighbors barn, waiting its turn.

    Your posts are inspiring, to say the least, so please keep us up to date on the progress, and fun your having with your Galaxie!

    Thanks, Eric
     
  25. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

    Hi Eric, I have sort of been following your build since the thread was one of the first to have the vid here.
    I think the fact that you have an SOHC is inspiring! Yowsir, Yowsir, Yowsir!
    That is going to be an outstanding ride when done, best of luck to you.
    Bill
     
  26. Bill

    Love the license plate and Moonshine 2!!!!!!!!!

    Had to have a little when we all went to the California Hot Rod Reunioin last month, got the California Boys all hooked!!!!!

    Fast Eddie
     
  27. Bill:

    Thinking you should meet up with us for the Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY in June next year, and sip some good stuff, Your car would totally be a big hit!!!!!

    Fast Eddie
     
  28. hvywrench
    Joined: Sep 29, 2011
    Posts: 158

    hvywrench
    Member
    from N.W. Conn.

    Now, There's a Challenge!
    If that gathering is anything like the one in Dawsonville (I've seen pics here and over on the other place I visit) there are lots of '63s &'64s with amazing restorations and stunning presentations......I would probably take some heat for mine being the way it is. I'm ok with it for now, but next to those cars that the owners put lots of time into......ummmmm, I dunno.
    As far as 'shine, I've had some (had to have a little from time to time as part of the negotiating process for my car.) and it isn't on my list of favorite things to drink. I'm more of a beer guy.
    To me, 'shine (at least what I had) reminds me of the Italian stuff I had when working with the Alpini troops, Grappa, only more harsh. Couldn't develop a taste for it.
    Bill
     
  29. Bill:

    Thinking about putting my ole M/T cross ram on the Galaxie, what ya think?
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    ffr1222k likes this.
  30. Bill:

    Plenty of beer in Bowling Green LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
     

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