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Just so nobody thinks they might be able to rescue this poor abused Ford, The Crusher ate it up a couple months back.
You’ve got to wonder what the last owner was thinking when he or she did this McDonald’s-ish paint job. This Galaxie seems pretty thoroughly trashed, but still… orange and yellow?
12 Comments on “Junkyard Find: 1962 Galaxie 500 With Rare Harlequin Paint Option...”
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It looks as though it may have ended its useful life as a taxi cab. From what I understand, full-size Fords from 1958 on – aside from the 1960 model – were pretty tough cars that would have made good taxis.
They were not, however, known as performance kings, and their styling tended to be a bit more prosaic than comparable Chevrolets (which were considered more stylish) or Plymouths (which were usually just plain weird). The Chevrolets from that time offered high-revving V-8s and used ones were thus more likely to be bought by people seeking inexpensive performance.
Predecessor to the 2-toned Donks Boxes and Bubbles you see today.
I have always had a soft spot for the 62 Fords. They were very plain, but then Ford was a very conservative company in those years. I was always amazed that these cars still sported an exposed shift tube on the steering column. These were durable, not flashy cars. Also, it always seemed that there were more Fords with 3 speed column shifts (even well-optioned V8s) than there were Chevys or Mopars.
On my monitor, it is tough to tell if it is really orange paint, or the original Rangoon Red that has been badly neglected. This color of red was always a little orangy anyway, and would get moreso when it was let go. One of my secret desires is a 62 XL convertible with a 390 and a 4 speed in that copper shade that was a 62-only color.
Murilee, Why do you own anything newer than 1980 with all of the unbelievably well-preserved classics in the Mile High city? I would definitely rock a ’62 Ford as a daily driver.
I’ll assume the Rambler wagon by its side has met the same fate.
These posts are always so sad to me. I’m glad you were upfront about it and disclosed that it was long gone before the jump.
I know there is really no place for every peice of steel out on the road, but I always wonder if ones like this are the last of it’s kind, even if it is an odd choice of color…
I am totally impressed with these wrecker finds. Most wreckers have been re-branded as auto recyclers and offer a selection of vehicles from approximately 15 minutes ago for parts. There is nothing finer than a stroll through an old school wrecker’s yard. It brings out the inner John Milner in car guys.
What was the make/model of Mayberry’s Sheriff Taylor’s prowl car?
Any of y’all still use the term “prowl car”?
Don’t hear it used much nowadays, if at all.
Extra points for explanation of “prowl car” fading from the scene.
It was always a current-year big Ford, from the 1960 start of the show through the 1966 conclusion. There is a little restaraunt the next county over from me (across from the courthouse, of course) called the Mayberry Cafe. There is always an early 60s black and white Ford police car sitting out front. They have used both a 62 and a 63, IIRC.
Thanks, by the way, for reminding me of the term “prowl car”. I fear that “squad car” is heading the same direction.
It was always a current-year big Ford, from the 1960 start of the show through the 1966 conclusion.
I thought it ended in ’68. B&W from 60-65, color 65-68. The last season, ’67-’68, had the weird and unusual episodes. Like Aunt Bee learning how to fly and Howard Sprague moving to the Bahamas before coming back to Mayberry. BTW, the Gomer Pyle barracks were about 50 yards away from Wally’s filling station, just out of camera range. Gomer Pyle USMC used Chryslers though. I watch too much TV Land.
Speaking of “squad car”, Joe Friday on Dragnet often called them “black and whites”. Never heard that anywhere else.
It was a 63 Galaxie, Obbop. I’ve been to Mayberry twice and would still go if my car show hadn’t changed venues. Mt. Airy NC is a neat ol’ place.
Between 58-60 the fords had the same engines and drivelines, 59-64 used the same chassis. engines and drivelines remained the same from 58 to 64, only in 61 the 390 version of the FE engine was introduced, 62 the 406 version was introduced. They were the same engine as the 332/352 FE, only difference being bore and stroke. And the familiar Y block was available from 58-62. So what makes the 60 model bad and the other years tough?