My Dad worked for Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN) in Cambridge, Mass in the 1960s. BBN was an acoustics specialist outfit contracted by Ford to do the instrumentation and analysis for the Rolls Royce comparison. Bob Newman headed up the project. Ford bought a new Rolls Royce for the testing. BBN instrumented both cars and ran the tests. The result they reported was that the Ford was indeed quieter than the Rolls. Ford was obviously delighted with the results of independent testing confirming their claims. So impressed, they offered Newman his choice of any car in their inventory. “That’s great” said Newman, “I’ll take the Rolls”. He drove it for years after that.
BBN contributed an early version of the TCP/IP network stack to the Unix kernel and utilities. I might be worth noting that Bill Joy thought it was terrible looking code and rewrote it all at Berkeley. That work had a significant impact on the success of BSD. BBN also wrote TENEX, an OS that ran on the DEC 10. It was later adopted by Digital as TOPS. We can thank them for things like command line recall and editing, tab completion, the TECO editor, and other early advances in usability.
@@philrulon Thanks! Always enjoy getting the answer socially rather than looking it up. I started at the tail end of the Unix Wars. In college I still had BSD, but from my first job onwards SVR4. So I'd read bits of the history either in books or on usenet but spent 20 years+ just programming instead of studying history. Now playing catch-up to C++20...
In 1965, my dad traded his 1965 Mustang in for a 1965 Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop. He was a traveling salesman and found the Mustang too small for his needs. The Galaxie was dark blue and had under dash air conditioning. It was our first car with A/C. One summer, we drove from Nebraska to New York. It was a great road trip car.
@Benjamin-cd8vk - This is not the venue to try and get people to convert to Islam, or any other religion. Allah would not approve of this practice. Go out directly to the people and seek new converts, but don't waste the space of completely unrelated videos to suit your desires. 😇
Back in the 60's Ford beat Rolls Royce in its own game of quiet ride, one year later Ford beat Ferrari in its own game at Le Mans. Those were the days of proud American cars.
Rolls Royce lowkey were outdated cars that werent overall better than american luxury cars or Mercedes of the time. still nice cars though of course but the price was insane.
I had -67 LTD with 428 when I was young in the -80:s. I still love that car, I literally cried when I had to sell it to afford starting life as a family. There were only 3 similar in Finland at that time, and mine was the best version 4d ht. It was baby blue and a chick magnet. I met my wife with it, she was like a twin sister of that year's Miss Finland. Fond memories...
I had a '' 66" 7 Litre. White with 2 shades of red interior.. Like the T Bird furnishings. Sold it a few years later. Now they are somewhat rare and is my most memorable car. Thanks.
@@johneckert1365 That's true but probably more street-worthy for the average driver. I think the 428 was an option in the T-bird over the standard 390.
My parents bought a new 65 LTD 2dr ht with 390. They traded our 63 Galaxie with 223 6cyl with 3 on the tree. Holy Moley, what a difference!! The 65 was absolutely gorgeous! I learned to drive in that car, and took my driver's test in it. Of all my parents cars, I liked the 65 the best. Useless tidbit: the taillights had about 1" diameter holes on the inside of the housing-this let light into the trunk if the parking lights were on. Fun story: Mom hadn't driven an automatic in many years, so when we got the car, Dad was driving and Mom asked what the "L" on the shift indicator meant. Dad stopped the car, dropped it into Low, and did a 50ft burnout! Mom was aghast, but I (being 13) thought it was the coolest thing ever! Loved that 390!
The Cruise o matic would have started in low gear if the selector was in D1 anyway. A better demonstration of L would be to be going 30 mph downhill and show how it helps keep the speed in check without overheating the drum brakes.
Memory of a Ford ad from about that time, with Mario Andretti. "I know Fords. I know how strong they build 'em. And when they build 'em that strong, they stay quiet. Real quiet."
Adam, your delivery of information is both smooth and somewhat soothing to listen to. I know you started this channel talking about the cars that you own. But now you've taken this channel in a new direction. Covering automotive design and development on the cars we all grew up with. I think you're on to something good here!
Adam has the #1 car channel, ranking far above everyone else. Others try but always botch the details, information and photos. All others rush their presentation and concentrate too heavily on power or speed. Adam is composed, knowledgeable, accurate, well researched and unbiased.
For me as a European Adam has openned up a whole new world of Cars; many of which we knew very little about. (I´m looking at you Mercury) American cars were too big for our roads, gas prices have always been high in Europe and American car´s were always thought of as lacking sophistication compared to our car´s. I now know this is a wrong impression; certainly up until the malaise era when ironically American auto makers tried downsizing their offerings to more European and Japonese size engines and bodies.
@@domenicogaldo6065 There's nothing more shocking than being an American and driving a normal sized car in Europe, and then having to move aside for some German driving a gargantuan Cadillac Eldorado convertible.
A 66 Galaxie was the first car I ever drove. It was white with beautiful blue interior, powered by a 289 2 BBL and was being used as a personal car for my dad. After he had it for a while (letting me drive it around in the yard and the open field by our house) he gave it to his brother to use as a work car. Not long after it caught fire (I forget why, but his brother's cars didn't last long) and came back home to be permanently parked in that field. He took out that 289 and took it apart in front of me. He explained everything about how it worked and to this day I learned more in those few hours than I've ever learned since. I still remember driving that car, the look of pleasure on my dad's face when he drove it (who otherwise hated large cars) and the mixed smell of oil and old gas as he disassembled that engine.
@@Paramount531 Thanks. It's a crew cab (4 door) with a 273 (smaller than that 289 you had). Dad called it the "little engine that could". Took him to retirement and 201k miles before I inherited it.
I had a 1965 country squire (10 passenger, 352 cu in, I bought from my folks, when they moved up to a 1970 country squire. That car saved my life when I was hit by a 1972 Buick Rivera, while stopped at a traffic light. He hit me doing over 60 mph, never hitting his brakes. I drove home with a dent in my tailgate. His car was towed. I drove that car for 10 years, hauling my boat, before I donated it to a non profit. Even then, it still ran great.
Absolutely love the 1965 to 1968 Fords, no other vehicle from that time captured the styling and aesthetics of the mid to late 60’s as the Fords did. GM and Chrysler was still clinging on to the jet-age styling while Ford went all out in the 60’s which was kicked off with the Falcon, Galaxie 500, and 1961 Lincoln Continental.
Hey Adam. The 1965 Full-size Ford was a beautiful transition from the 64s, and beyond, I say that and yet the 63, and 64, Full-size were very good-looking cars, so the beauty in the 65, takes nothing away from Ford's prior model years. The dark blue metallic you featured in the review is just gorgeous, and the black vinyl top fits perfectly. I was just 10 years old in 65, but I remember how attractive the 65s were, and yet very different from GM and Chrysler's styling. I guess you might say I'm a pushover for stacked headlights. The square grill and stacked headlights are very classy, and the shape of the taillights are magnificent. The new 65 look somehow said pure Ford even though it looked like no other Ford from the past. The new dashboard was really well done, even as a kid I could appreciate the dash layout. When you look closely at the LTD interior you can see the quality of the materials, and the excellent trim, the woodgrain panels, and the use of chrome is spot on. Ford really nailed it in 65, and the evolution of the look in the 66, and 67 continued the right direction. I have always been a big fan of the 67s softer look and the taillights were bold and classy at the same time. I knew then I would be a Ford man for life. And that doesn't even include the 66 Mustangs. Their subtle refinements of the 65s just added to my attraction. Ford just seemed to know what I like. The Ford blue color used on the engines was perfect. I can remember rebuilding the 351 Windsor in my 69 Mach l, I searched all the auto parts stores in the San Fernando Valley until I found that Ford blue color. It actually stopped the rebuild from progressing until I found the right blue. True Story. Thanks again, Adam, for another great review.
So many channels get the details all wrong. You have everything correct. I was around back then and I knew these cars well. You got my sub and the bell. Thanks!
I have a 1965 LTD 2dr and it ride’s absolutely amazing. I restored the suspension and it is better than a new car. All you can hear is 500 hp of FE , lol
My father had a 1965 Galaxie 500 sedan in the sixties. I was too young to notice whether it was unusually quiet or not, but it was a good, dependable car.
I remember my dad bringing one home, a dark green LTD. The car was incredibly quiet in my observation. In addition the cloth seating surfaces were super soft. It was as if the Ford was now luxury class car. I was ten years old, never forgot that experience.
My grandfather had a 1966 lTD, it had the most comfortable seats of any car I have ever been in! And it was super quiet and smooth going down the road. It had the 390 engine.
I had a 66 LTD from '72 to '74 with a 390. I went through two transmission rebuilds and junked it on the 3rd failure. It couldn't stand up to the 390 and the weight. But yes, everyone wanted me to drive because it was big, quiet and cool.
My godmother drove one for 20 years with no mechanical problems, with the SEEMINGLY delicate ulatrafine cloth seats, same drivetrain - and the BRAND NEW 8-TRACK PLAYER invented by Bill Lear for his jets! Unfortunately, when it came my time to drive it myself, BOY did that divorced-power-steering and handling suck!! I wasn't able to compare it to a contemporary Continental, but Dad's '71 Lincoln steered & handled soooo much better. I will, however, admit that it did ride solidly & smoothly as Adam explained with those oddly-planned chassis mounts...
Ah! '65. What a year. I remember this ad campaign well. Dr. Oldsmobile was another favorite of mine. I miss glass headlights. I'm so sick of cleaning the plastic cover that covers the bulbs of my Honda.
Thanks for sharing this video Adam. Your in-depth knowledge continues to amaze me. I've been fortunate enough to own a 66 Ford LTD now for several years; a 4 door hardtop with the 352 V8/automatic. Not a speed demon by any means but I simply love driving that car and with proper care it has been a very dependable car, too, asking for very little since I first purchased it. I love the soft quiet ride that it offers. I did update the brakes a few years ago to front discs to make it safer to drive in modern traffic. Otherwise she remains almost all original. That LTD will be with me forever.
If the engine ever needs to be rebuilt, you can have it done to 1958 specs. You will have 300 horsepower. Also, you can swap out your rear end gearing with more aggressive gearing. That will give you LOTS more speed!
love the body style ( runner up in my consideration but bought a 1969 charger instead ) in hardtop/glass-roof/convertibles as im not into having a b-pillar blind-spots aka nice car 👍wishing ford/others made something like this in 2030~ in 120"in wheelbase/full-size or 115-118" 1/2-sized suisced back-doors
The ‘65 LTD is such a gorgeous design imo. So clean, simple, and elegant. I think this car, especially if coupled with any of the 427s, was the best entry-level-brand car you could get at the time, and one of the best in general
My Dad bought a new 1966 Galaxie 500 four door hardtop that was white with a red interior. If I remember correctly it had the 289 V-8. I can also still remember the soft whooshing sound it made when you opened the flow-through ventilation system. One of my favorite design features was the formal looking roofline and rear window. @@Johnnycdrums
The 427 codes are (Q), (W), or (R). The last 427 appeared in 68' Cougar GT-E's, and it was the lower tired (Q) code and were only available with auto trans, unless you got the Cougar the GT-E with the 428 CJ. I think the Cougar GT-E was one year only, and the only Ford model available in 1968 with only two engine choices, a 427 or 428. How cool would it be to have both?
I had a '67 Galaxie for a while. It was the best camping car ever because you could put EVERYTHING in the trunk, even your fishing rods, without having to take them apart.
My Grandfather worked at Chicago stamping for 42 years. Starting back in August of 56'. His brother started in 59' & stayed 39 years. & their brother started back in the 40's at Chicago Ford Assembly & stayed 47 years. So, I love anytime that u make anything for FoMoCo related. Especially land yachts & luxury cars.
Here's a great Hemming's article by Jeff Koch on the subject: "The idea remains as shocking today as it did in 1965. "The 1965 Ford rides quieter than a Rolls-Royce!" shouted the headline. Ads in newspapers and on TV all touted the same results (and used a lot of the same artwork). Ford tested the Galaxie 500 LTD, a new model for 1965 that saw the everyman division pushing its reputation into Mercury territory, if not Lincoln spheres of refinement. We don't doubt the results of the testing, but we might suggest that there were a couple of mitigating circumstances to consider. One is age: While the Silver Cloud III came around in 1963, the Silver Cloud line itself debuted in 1955. Which means that the technologies used to make the Silver Cloud happen were probably developed in the 1940s, since Rolls-Royce (then and now) famously never invents anything, but refines everything. Compare this to the full might of Dearborn's engineers turning their attention to the chassis. Technology changes in a decade (or more), whether it's for speed, handling, comfort, you name it. And Ford's chassis was, in 1965, more advanced than most. The marque's all-new full-size chassis paired the company's hard-won expertise with unibody cars in the late '50s to its full-framed experience to make something that was uncannily smooth and good-handling, even in the base models. The body itself was built with unitized levels of stiffness, while the all-new boxed perimeter- frame chassis was more compliant. The four-crossmember frame was new for 1965, and incorporated torque boxes, located where the outer side rails joined the front and rear frame rails, to stiffen the frame and damp out road irregularities. The body was joined to the chassis via eight butyl-rubber mounts-mounted where vibrations cancel each other out, further preventing the harsh realities of the road from entering the cabin. Later ad copy described the full-size '65 Fords as possessing a "liquid-satin ride" and "velvet authority." We would also suggest that the Rolls is working harder than the Ford. Keep in mind that the Ford has a far lower profile (56.6 inches for the Ford versus 64 inches for the Rolls; the Ford is nearly 7.5-inches lower!); a 4,367-pound Rolls-Royce's 6.25-liter V-8 engine would have to work rather harder to get that car to 20, 40, and 60 mph than a standard 200-hp "Challenger" V-8 would in the lighter, 3,700-pound Ford. If it's working hard, it's gonna make some noise. if it's 7.5-inches taller, then the body is smashing against that much more air, which will send sound (however thoroughly damped) through the cabin. We'd suggest that squeaky leather seats played a part, but history has not divulged exactly how these test cars were equipped. Rolls-Royce hardly needs defending. Rolls-Royce was unaffected by the comparison, which was rendered moot the moment that the Crewe crew launched the unitized-body Silver Shadow in late 1965 to replace the decade-old Cloud series. In any event, for an ad about quiet cars, Ford sure made a lot of noise about it."
My dad bought a silver blue 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 2 door. It was a beautiful car. Love this year's tail lights and vertical headlights. The interior also was so modern looking.
The 1965, 66 and 67 Fords were really good lookers. The 1967 7-Liter R-code 427 fastback "with 4-speed of course" has to be the best of the bunch. Thanks to Adam for posting.
The favorable comparison for quietness only worked with LTDs' equipped with the 289 V8. Still the 65-68 Ford were great cars. My parents had a 66 Galaxie 4D and I had a '68 Galaxie 2D....Loved those cars....and they were beasts. Very reliable and tough.
Hey Adam, as usual, an excellent review of the 65 model years. We had a handful in my neighborhood in the mid-60s. The people were in awh for months after the release date. In a few short months we began to see mostly LTD, and the Chosen Country Sedans and square s. Ford has Always been the Wagonmaster,s, and if you drove, or even road in one you'd see how it earned the title. The 65 LTDs suddenly had a much higher quality through out the car. Back in the day in our neighborhood you could see just how popular they were, and still they are everywhere. During the week you would see those wagons full of kids being taken, and get picked up in a late Ford wagons. They looked great (the wagons did) The interior fabrics and vinyls fit and finish was excellent the dashboards all the details, lead you to believe you were in a much higher class of car. Over the years, you could tell you were looking a Ford. Ford's tended to all have the Ford look. I wish they were still around today! If they were, I believe people would want one hands down. Most of the family's would be driving one. Not minivans and SUVs. But that's just me. An excellent choice to review. I loved seeing them
I was about 11 years old when the new Ford Galaxie came out. What a beautiful design, and what a quiet, comfortable ride. My brother’s friend used to come over in his dad’s baby blue LTD with dark blue vinyl roof. That was a beautiful combination. These cars were everywhere back in mid to late 60s. They must have sold a huge number of them. Btw, congratulations, Adam, on 100,000 subscribers. You have a great talent and superb knowledge of everything automotive, particularly from the classic era. I think I listened to your first couple of videos, the 66 (or 67?) Pontiac Catalina and ‘69 Lincoln Mark iII. Keep up the good work.
These were the car for many to have during the late ''60s through the '70s. And they were quiet! FYI, the building behind the two cars is San Francisco City Hall.
I learned how to drive on my mom's beige 1966 Ford Galaxie powered by the "screamin" 352, and later in a 1969 Ford LTD in Drivers Ed in school. My mother's '66 was quit and smooth around town and managed 11 mpg, 15 on highway. On the highway at 70 mph there was tremendous wind noise with the windows closed or open and it was tiresom on long trips. Conversely, the 390 cu. in. 1969 LTD driver's ed car drove lie a cloud, was super quiet, and could get closer to 20 mpg on highway. My favorite American car ride was a long trip in someones 1969 Buick Riviera. that car could cruise at 80 - 87 mph on the highway and was so quiet you could hear the clock ticking! A year later I bought my first car- a Citroen DS 19.
My Aunt had a dark blue '65 LTD that looked exactly like the one in this video. That car lasted up until 1978(still in pristine condition with only 78,000 miles on it) when she gave the car to my cousin who stupidly ran the car without lead additive that it required due to the 392 engine never being rebuilt. He ended up trashing the engine and scrapping the car after having it less than 6 months.
My 1966 Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop I had as a senior in high school in 1971 was one of the nicest riding and quiet cars I have ever owned. Fond of that car still today.
I love Adam’s voice. ❤ The Galaxie was assembled in Australia and our Fairlane shared a lot of front end styling too. All Aussie Fords had the torque box too. However all our cars were unitary construction. And rear leaf springs persisted till the 1980s. It’s a very handsome automobile.
Another great episode. This is such a informative channel for enthusiasts of anything car related. I’ve learned much about the inner workings of the automotive industry here! Thanks
Great subject, great video. 0:48 & 0:58 Jaw dropping Lincolns.. 0:20 Amazing Ford products.. Super interesting stuff, this is one of the best channels ever.
I guess front parking lights were optional. I remember backup lights were optional on the 64 Fairlane. This doesn't have back up lights either. I remember when the later models headlights were on the parking lights didn't burn. When locking the doors, you had to depress each door lock. The drivers door or passenger door, which you exit is to be locked with the key. No locking keys in the car. I always carried extra door key in my wallet when that feature no longer exists. Jay Leno's Garage show's Jay driving his 66, 7 Litre with the Roush built 428. He tells the story of picking the engine for his dad's 66 when at the dealership ordering it. Jay was 16. Great show. Thanks Adam for all your time and videos. Show your UT plaque with pride.
Awesome Engineering back then in the U.S....Build Quality & Quiet Ride deteriorated Mid-70's, but the peak in the U.S. was in the 60's & Early 70's, as U have said many times, Adam😊🤲
Great video! Very well done. I have ridden many miles in a 65 Ranch Wagon with a 289 and 3 on the tree. It rode very well, as smooth and quiet as my fathers 64 Chrysler Newport wagon.
I understand that Chrysler also benchmarked the Rolls Royce for its 1964-66 Imperial. I read somewhere that they put 235 pounds of soundproofing into the 1964, and upped that by an additional 10 pounds for ‘65-66. Interesting story on the Fords. Especially appreciated the engineering details.
Adam I never understood the frame flex design that well until you educated us here. I recall how well and quiet these cars rode. Interesting thought came to me that we used to have smooth cars and good roads. These dynamics, at least here in Canada have done a role reversal it seems.
In 1965 I was a physics major at Villanova University, Penna. and myself and three others did a sound analysis of both a Ford and a Rolls Royce (2 of them) and indeed the Ford was quieter. The Ford was provided by a local dealer who, by chance, gave a ride to one of my friends while he was hitchhiking to the University! The 2 Rolls Royces were provided by another dealer along with their head mechanic as a chauffeur. It seemed to us that the tires on the Rolls and Ford were much different and that may have been the reason for the quieter ride.
I have had a 67 390 and 73 400. now have and keeping my 77 landau 460. I really liked that 67 390. Not letting another one go. After seeing what is on the road now these cars are priceless.
You are correct about everything. You didn't quite mention harshness, the feel of little imperfections in the road. We now talk about NVH - Noise, Vibration, and Harshness. They are perceived to some degree as parts of the same thing, and were greatly reduced in the '65 Ford.
My brother took his first job out of college as an engineer for sound designers Coffeen Fricke in Kansas City in 1989. They had a poster of the ad on wall and my brother asked about it...we'd seen the ad in Dad's old Popular Mechanics magazines. Turns out they were the company that did the sound testing for Ford. Our parents had a Galaxie stored, which is my show car now. Mostly, C-F designed sound systems for stadiums. They still exist, but called Avantacoustics now.
My dad bought an 1966 LTD with all the options, he paid $5400 for it, it was a great family car for many years, and went on many vacation road trips. Many fond memories.
I know the chassis/ underpinnings from ‘65 were carried through the ‘68 model year but I don’t know how drastic the changes were from ‘69 onward. Perhaps that could be a future video, comparing the engineering, ride, handling, and quietness between your cars of those 2 generations.
@@travelingfool9096 I think I saw that at least the front chassis area survived basically the same into the Crown Victoria era, it was that stout and quiet.
9:55 Skirts were still quite popular on these cars in 1965. In 65' we would see these cars with the skirts to give that lowered rear end look as they would sport dual glass pack exhaust and dual mount swept antennas on the rear deck. Those were the days.
We had a 65 Galaxie 500 4 door in a light metallic blue. Then we had a 71 Galaxie 500 4 door hardtop. My parents traded the 71 in on a 73 Newport. Even though I was only 9 years old in 73, I noticed the sound level in the Chrysler was a lot louder.
The quietest Ford I ever drove was a 1976 Ford Thunderbird, last of the big Birds. I'd parked at a drive-in and turned the car off. When I went to turn it on again, I thought the engine hadn't turned over as I couldn't hear it running. So I turned the key again to start it and was met by a grinding noise I could hear. But otherwise, with the windows up this was one car that qualified for "you can hear a pin drop," I was a big "tank" of a car, but quiet and extremely comfortable to cruise around in. It was lipstick red and white exterior with white leather seating surfaces, and was a real eye catcher. A few years later, in college, my parents got me a used 77 T-bird that was in exactly that same color combination. I loved that car!
My family bought a Galaxie in 1965 and I still have it. Have had several others and it is my favorite Ford car. However, up in New England, every 65-66-67 Ford I have seen had rusted out torque boxes. This happened when they were about 10 years old. Unfortunately this resulted in many being prematurely scrapped.
In 1985 I got my first car at an auction for $325. It was a 1965 Galaxiee 500 LTD, it had original black paint with a white vinyl top and black interior and a 390 cubic inch engine. I loved the awesome shine in that black paint that looked like a mirror. I received compliments on the car anytime. I picked it up in about the second week of January and the first drive was about an hour drive and it was cold in Missouri and the heater/defroster didn’t work, so after I drove a little while the front window fogged up and froze up on the inside and I used my hand to thaw it and then it froze up thicker and I finally had to drive with my head hanging out the window in the cold air so I could see where I was going. I later replaced the thermostat which fixed the heating issue. At the time I was working for about five dollars per hour and it started having issues with needing to pump the brakes to get it to stop. I didn’t have enough money to have the brakes properly looked at and repaired, so I kept driving it until the brakes failed on a curve on a wet country road that was marked 35 mph. I was pumping the brakes to slow down and nothing was happening and as I neared the corner I panicked and stomped on the brakes and they locked up and I couldn’t steer and I dropped in a ditch that was about 3 feet deep and slammed into a driveway that was coming out at the apex of the corner and the front driver side tire ball joint broke at the top and the resulting accident only pushed the front back till the radiator was touching the cooling fan. But the damage that was caused was much more than I could afford to pay at the time. I wish I would’ve had the money to pay for the repair. Sometimes you live and learn. Be sure to spend the money to keep your vehicle in good working order, even if you have to borrow the money.
David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) from "The Invaders" knew all of this. I loved the stacked headlamps. Later in 1965, RR introduced the Silver Shadow, to succeed the Silver Cloud, which had a separate chassis.
I honestly never thought about the tremendous advancements between 1964 and ‘65 full-size Fords. I just knew I liked the ‘65 through ‘67 more! This is a very enlightening presentation. Thank you Adam.
Another thing that was significantly new for the 1965 Fords was the dual-facing rear seats for the Country Squire and Country Sedan station wagons. With them, Ford was able to promote seating for up to ten people, although that may have been more true if the people sitting there were small children. They remained a Dearborn exclusive until the last big Ford wagons were built in 1991. Anyway, interesting video, and BTW, congratulations on reaching 100K subscribers!
I took my driver's test in a new '65 Galaxy 4 dr. It was easier to parallel park than our '65 Catalina 2 door. The car was very solid, the engine was precision balanced as was the drive shaft. Was that the year of the wedge valve cover engine, where they set a glass of champagne on it to demonstrate how smooth it was? This was also the year Ford car doors stopped rattling.
The downside of the torque boxes on the frame was they would rot and break up here in the northeast- in particular the 1965 and 1966 models. I was a tech in the 70's and we had to be careful when lifting them to look. I towed a few in with broken frames in the front corners.
Hi Adam, WOW…this was an outstanding and detailed history of the Ford chassis during that era. Extremely informative. I’ve studied the American automotive industry primarily from a historical business perspective, but also from a product, design, and evolution perspective. And lastly, as a car enthusiast. Granted I lack any professional industry experience and have had this interest over the last 50 years and find it absolutely fascinating. The chassis area is my weakest area in terms of knowledge and your video was extremely informative and amazing. Thank you for sharing this and tackling this specific area as without going into great research of many documents your video summary I believe provides a great overall perspective. As always looking forward to your next video.👍
When we were teens my buddy's Dad had a '66 Ford Custom sedan. It had a 289 with three on the tree. When he was able to borrow the car we put it through hell, but it took everything we could throw at it. A testament to Ford's build quality of the time.
In 1968, my dad helped me purchase my first car. It came down to 2. A 1965 Mustang or 1965 Galaxie 500 convertible. Obviously, we had no idea what the popularity of the Mustang would become. And because it was $300 more than than the Galaxie, dad decided on the lesser cost of the 2. As it turned out, my red on red with white convertible top and glass rear window became, for me, the one that got away. We paid $1000 for a 3 year old drop top and I drove it until I married, when my wife at 5ft 0 couldn't handle the non power steering land yacht. Several years later, Ford discontinued the convertible and the value of my 500 began to rise significantly. A lot of memories of that car continue to make me smile. I really miss that ride.
My truck-driver grandfather bought my grandmother a '65 Galaxie 500 4-door hardtop, candy apple red with a white (not vinyl) top. It had a 427 with a 4-barrel carburetor. She told my mom that the first time she drove it, she did donuts in the middle of downtown Waco. It was far more powerful than anything she had ever driven. And she loved that car. After raising kids through the depression and WW2, good for her.
The '65 Galaxie 500 2dr hardtop 352ci was my first new car. I was too young to appreciate what a fine car it was but I worked as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership so fully aware of the marketing. It was twilight turquoise, I still admire the car in my old photos. One thing new to me was the blue engine cold light, I have never seen that on another car.
We had the same navy blue w/ black vinyl top ‘65 Galaxie 500 w/ the LTD option. Mother drove it till 1970 and traded it for a new LTD - a ‘70 bronze brown w/ chocolate brown vinyl top. I think the ‘65 LTD was the best looking, most modern looking car we ever had as a family car.
My Dad worked for Bolt, Beranek and Newman (BBN) in Cambridge, Mass in the 1960s. BBN was an acoustics specialist outfit contracted by Ford to do the instrumentation and analysis for the Rolls Royce comparison. Bob Newman headed up the project. Ford bought a new Rolls Royce for the testing. BBN instrumented both cars and ran the tests. The result they reported was that the Ford was indeed quieter than the Rolls. Ford was obviously delighted with the results of independent testing confirming their claims. So impressed, they offered Newman his choice of any car in their inventory. “That’s great” said Newman, “I’ll take the Rolls”. He drove it for years after that.
hillarious! I think BBN went on to write one of the versions of Unix??
BBN contributed an early version of the TCP/IP network stack to the Unix kernel and utilities. I might be worth noting that Bill Joy thought it was terrible looking code and rewrote it all at Berkeley. That work had a significant impact on the success of BSD. BBN also wrote TENEX, an OS that ran on the DEC 10. It was later adopted by Digital as TOPS. We can thank them for things like command line recall and editing, tab completion, the TECO editor, and other early advances in usability.
@@philrulon Thanks! Always enjoy getting the answer socially rather than looking it up. I started at the tail end of the Unix Wars. In college I still had BSD, but from my first job onwards SVR4. So I'd read bits of the history either in books or on usenet but spent 20 years+ just programming instead of studying history. Now playing catch-up to C++20...
@Benjamin-cd8vk Reported but RUclips doesn't have a category for random off topic proselytizing.
The Ford is much easier to maintain. Look what they are worth in great condition now.
In 1965, my dad traded his 1965 Mustang in for a 1965 Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop. He was a traveling salesman and found the Mustang too small for his needs. The Galaxie was dark blue and had under dash air conditioning. It was our first car with A/C. One summer, we drove from Nebraska to New York. It was a great road trip car.
So did Muhammad drive a Galaxie? I'm confused... @Benjamin-cd8vk
Another advancement for Fords in 1965 was fully integrated AC (which your dad's car didn't have.)
@Benjamin-cd8vk - This is not the venue to try and get people to convert to Islam, or any other religion. Allah would not approve of this practice. Go out directly to the people and seek new converts, but don't waste the space of completely unrelated videos to suit your desires. 😇
Back in the 60's Ford beat Rolls Royce in its own game of quiet ride, one year later Ford beat Ferrari in its own game at Le Mans. Those were the days of proud American cars.
Si-Si.
Yes, very well said, thank you
Yeah like Consumer Reports says a Toyota is better than a Rolls. They kinda missed the point.
Rolls Royce lowkey were outdated cars that werent overall better than american luxury cars or Mercedes of the time. still nice cars though of course but the price was insane.
@@rogersmith7396 NO, you missed the point.
I had -67 LTD with 428 when I was young in the -80:s. I still love that car, I literally cried when I had to sell it to afford starting life as a family. There were only 3 similar in Finland at that time, and mine was the best version 4d ht. It was baby blue and a chick magnet. I met my wife with it, she was like a twin sister of that year's Miss Finland. Fond memories...
I had a '' 66" 7 Litre. White with 2 shades of red interior.. Like the T Bird furnishings. Sold it a few years later. Now they are somewhat rare and is my most memorable car. Thanks.
The 7 Litre came with the new 428. It was a great engine, but nothing like the 427 was
@@johneckert1365 That's true but probably more street-worthy for the average driver. I think the 428 was an option in the T-bird over the standard 390.
@@hugh007 Ha yea, it was definitely more driver friendly
My parents bought a new 65 LTD 2dr ht with 390. They traded our 63 Galaxie with 223 6cyl with 3 on the tree. Holy Moley, what a difference!! The 65 was absolutely gorgeous! I learned to drive in that car, and took my driver's test in it. Of all my parents cars, I liked the 65 the best. Useless tidbit: the taillights had about 1" diameter holes on the inside of the housing-this let light into the trunk if the parking lights were on. Fun story: Mom hadn't driven an automatic in many years, so when we got the car, Dad was driving and Mom asked what the "L" on the shift indicator meant. Dad stopped the car, dropped it into Low, and did a 50ft burnout! Mom was aghast, but I (being 13) thought it was the coolest thing ever! Loved that 390!
we had a 68 w/390 very fast and burned rubber forever
big car, big motor and shite tires... the perfect burnout car.😄
@Benjamin-cd8vk I guess given the Middle Eastern Origins of Allah, your preference would be the Rolls Royce ?
The Cruise o matic would have started in low gear if the selector was in D1 anyway. A better demonstration of L would be to be going 30 mph downhill and show how it helps keep the speed in check without overheating the drum brakes.
@@super20danI had one as well. My dad bought it new & I bought it from him in '71 instead of him trading it in. Would definately smoke the tires !
Memory of a Ford ad from about that time, with Mario Andretti. "I know Fords. I know how strong they build 'em. And when they build 'em that strong, they stay quiet. Real quiet."
Remember Charles Bronson driving his Ford Pickup off the Grand Canyon in the movie Mr. Majestik. Did'nt even scratch the paint.
The good old days when people valued a quiet car
Dad had a 67 Galaxy. Loved that car.
Congratulations you richly deserve this hundred thousand subscribers‼️
Adam, your delivery of information is both smooth and somewhat soothing to listen to. I know you started this channel talking about the cars that you own. But now you've taken this channel in a new direction. Covering automotive design and development on the cars we all grew up with. I think you're on to something good here!
Adam has the #1 car channel, ranking far above everyone else. Others try but always botch the details, information and photos. All others rush their presentation and concentrate too heavily on power or speed. Adam is composed, knowledgeable, accurate, well researched and unbiased.
For me as a European Adam has openned up a whole new world of Cars; many of which we knew very little about. (I´m looking at you Mercury) American cars were too big for our roads, gas prices have always been high in Europe and American car´s were always thought of as lacking sophistication compared to our car´s. I now know this is a wrong impression; certainly up until the malaise era when ironically American auto makers tried downsizing their offerings to more European and Japonese size engines and bodies.
@@domenicogaldo6065 There's nothing more shocking than being an American and driving a normal sized car in Europe, and then having to move aside for some German driving a gargantuan Cadillac Eldorado convertible.
@@nomebear 😂
Congratulations on reaching one hundred thousand subscribers. Great channel!
Thank you very much!
A 66 Galaxie was the first car I ever drove. It was white with beautiful blue interior, powered by a 289 2 BBL and was being used as a personal car for my dad. After he had it for a while (letting me drive it around in the yard and the open field by our house) he gave it to his brother to use as a work car. Not long after it caught fire (I forget why, but his brother's cars didn't last long) and came back home to be permanently parked in that field.
He took out that 289 and took it apart in front of me. He explained everything about how it worked and to this day I learned more in those few hours than I've ever learned since.
I still remember driving that car, the look of pleasure on my dad's face when he drove it (who otherwise hated large cars) and the mixed smell of oil and old gas as he disassembled that engine.
Cool story. I still have my dad's 66 Coronet that he owned from new. Unrestored; just keeping it going as it left the factory.
@@LongIslandMopars I absolutely love the 66 and 67 Coronets!
@@Paramount531 Thanks. It's a crew cab (4 door) with a 273 (smaller than that 289 you had). Dad called it the "little engine that could". Took him to retirement and 201k miles before I inherited it.
I had a 1965 country squire (10 passenger, 352 cu in, I bought from my folks, when they moved up to a 1970 country squire. That car saved my life when I was hit by a 1972 Buick Rivera, while stopped at a traffic light. He hit me doing over 60 mph, never hitting his brakes. I drove home with a dent in my tailgate. His car was towed. I drove that car for 10 years, hauling my boat, before I donated it to a non profit. Even then, it still ran great.
Aunt had '67 Galaxie.
Unbeatable.
394,000 miles before she got a '74 Galaxie.
CONGRATULATIONS on 100k subscribers! Well done. 🏆🎉
Absolutely love the 1965 to 1968 Fords, no other vehicle from that time captured the styling and aesthetics of the mid to late 60’s as the Fords did. GM and Chrysler was still clinging on to the jet-age styling while Ford went all out in the 60’s which was kicked off with the Falcon, Galaxie 500, and 1961 Lincoln Continental.
Hey Adam. The 1965 Full-size Ford was a beautiful transition from the 64s, and beyond, I say that and yet the 63, and 64, Full-size were very good-looking cars, so the beauty in the 65, takes nothing away from Ford's prior model years. The dark blue metallic you featured in the review is just gorgeous, and the black vinyl top fits perfectly. I was just 10 years old in 65, but I remember how attractive the 65s were, and yet very different from GM and Chrysler's styling. I guess you might say I'm a pushover for stacked headlights. The square grill and stacked headlights are very classy, and the shape of the taillights are magnificent. The new 65 look somehow said pure Ford even though it looked like no other Ford from the past. The new dashboard was really well done, even as a kid I could appreciate the dash layout. When you look closely at the LTD interior you can see the quality of the materials, and the excellent trim, the woodgrain panels, and the use of chrome is spot on. Ford really nailed it in 65, and the evolution of the look in the 66, and 67 continued the right direction. I have always been a big fan of the 67s softer look and the taillights were bold and classy at the same time. I knew then I would be a Ford man for life. And that doesn't even include the 66 Mustangs. Their subtle refinements of the 65s just added to my attraction. Ford just seemed to know what I like. The Ford blue color used on the engines was perfect. I can remember rebuilding the 351 Windsor in my 69 Mach l, I searched all the auto parts stores in the San Fernando Valley until I found that Ford blue color. It actually stopped the rebuild from progressing until I found the right blue. True Story. Thanks again, Adam, for another great review.
My first car was a '66 Galaxie. It did have a great ride. Wish I still had it.
1:23 : Maybe those wheel covers from your '66 ended up on that '65! _(8/8/2023)_
@@knowbodiesfull5768SO happy to see that someone else noticed that 😊
So many channels get the details all wrong. You have everything correct. I was around back then and I knew these cars well. You got my sub and the bell. Thanks!
Thanks for the sub!
Channel is growing fast. Two days ago it was at 99.7 and
today it reached 100K! Great content is why it's one of my favorite channels.
I have a 1965 LTD 2dr and it ride’s absolutely amazing. I restored the suspension and it is better than a new car. All you can hear is 500 hp of FE , lol
Congratulations on hitting 100,000 subscribers.
My father had a 1965 Galaxie 500 sedan in the sixties. I was too young to notice whether it was unusually quiet or not, but it was a good, dependable car.
That 65 Galaxie 500 is such a great looking car.
Ride aside, ain't nothing better to get your blood flowing, than a 427 4-speed Galaxie 👌 no matter how rare they may be lol
How many of those were made? Like 2?
Hemi Coronet just entered the chat....😎
Exactly
Amen!
Wagon
On a side note, I'm very reliefed you're not using background music to distract from the stories. Love the channel.
I remember my dad bringing one home, a dark green LTD. The car was incredibly quiet in my observation. In addition the cloth seating surfaces were super soft. It was as if the Ford was now luxury class car. I was ten years old, never forgot that experience.
My grandfather had a 1966 lTD, it had the most comfortable seats of any car I have ever been in! And it was super quiet and smooth going down the road. It had the 390 engine.
I had a 66 LTD from '72 to '74 with a 390. I went through two transmission rebuilds and junked it on the 3rd failure. It couldn't stand up to the 390 and the weight. But yes, everyone wanted me to drive because it was big, quiet and cool.
My godmother drove one for 20 years with no mechanical problems, with the SEEMINGLY delicate ulatrafine cloth seats, same drivetrain - and the BRAND NEW 8-TRACK PLAYER invented by Bill Lear for his jets! Unfortunately, when it came my time to drive it myself, BOY did that divorced-power-steering and handling suck!! I wasn't able to compare it to a contemporary Continental, but Dad's '71 Lincoln steered & handled soooo much better. I will, however, admit that it did ride solidly & smoothly as Adam explained with those oddly-planned chassis mounts...
Ah! '65. What a year. I remember this ad campaign well. Dr. Oldsmobile was another favorite of mine. I miss glass headlights. I'm so sick of cleaning the plastic cover that covers the bulbs of my Honda.
Honda...🤣😂
Another excellent video from Adam! I’d love to watch a video about the 1966 Ford Galaxie. In my opinion, one of the most beautiful cars from the 60’s.
1965 actually, although the 1966 model was just a slight facelift.
Thanks for sharing this video Adam. Your in-depth knowledge continues to amaze me. I've been fortunate enough to own a 66 Ford LTD now for several years; a 4 door hardtop with the 352 V8/automatic. Not a speed demon by any means but I simply love driving that car and with proper care it has been a very dependable car, too, asking for very little since I first purchased it. I love the soft quiet ride that it offers. I did update the brakes a few years ago to front discs to make it safer to drive in modern traffic. Otherwise she remains almost all original. That LTD will be with me forever.
If the engine ever needs to be rebuilt, you can have it done to 1958 specs. You will have 300 horsepower. Also, you can swap out your rear end gearing with more aggressive gearing. That will give you LOTS more speed!
love the body style ( runner up in my consideration but bought a 1969 charger instead ) in hardtop/glass-roof/convertibles as im not into having a b-pillar blind-spots aka nice car 👍wishing ford/others made something like this in 2030~ in 120"in wheelbase/full-size or 115-118" 1/2-sized suisced back-doors
@@michaelbenardo5695 LTDs are about comfort not speed. If you want speed, buy a dodge Hellcat or a rocket sled!
1965 was the peak for Automotive industry of America. With subsequent several years of good models.
100k!!!! You did it!!! YOU did it with your excellent content!! Congratulations!!!
The ‘65 LTD is such a gorgeous design imo. So clean, simple, and elegant. I think this car, especially if coupled with any of the 427s, was the best entry-level-brand car you could get at the time, and one of the best in general
I think 66' is the best looking year for any iteration of the Galaxie,
including LTD and 7 Litre Galaxie 500.
My Dad bought a new 1966 Galaxie 500 four door hardtop that was white with a red interior. If I remember correctly it had the 289 V-8. I can also still remember the soft whooshing sound it made when you opened the flow-through ventilation system. One of my favorite design features was the formal looking roofline and rear window. @@Johnnycdrums
The 427 codes are (Q), (W), or (R).
The last 427 appeared in 68' Cougar GT-E's, and it was the lower tired (Q) code and were only available with auto trans,
unless you got the Cougar the GT-E with the 428 CJ.
I think the Cougar GT-E was one year only, and the only Ford model available in 1968 with only two engine choices, a 427 or 428.
How cool would it be to have both?
@@Johnnycdrums I had a 68 XR7 with a 302, loved that car!
Thanks for the info, I've never driven a big block Cougar.
@@Johnnycdrums Agree.
I own a 1966 Ltd and all these years later it's still very quiet except for when I open the cut-outs it has a supercharged 289 my little hot rod
My first car was a 1966 Galaxie, 390/4bbl, 2 door.
I had a '67 Galaxie for a while. It was the best camping car ever because you could put EVERYTHING in the trunk, even your fishing rods, without having to take them apart.
Congrats on 100k subscribers Adam! Well deserved!!!
My Grandfather worked at Chicago stamping for 42 years. Starting back in August of 56'. His brother started in 59' & stayed 39 years. & their brother started back in the 40's at Chicago Ford Assembly & stayed 47 years. So, I love anytime that u make anything for FoMoCo related. Especially land yachts & luxury cars.
I had a /67 Ltd. It had the 315 hp390. VERY quiet, and a nice car to drive.
Here's a great Hemming's article by Jeff Koch on the subject: "The idea remains as shocking today as it did in 1965. "The 1965 Ford rides quieter than a Rolls-Royce!" shouted the headline. Ads in newspapers and on TV all touted the same results (and used a lot of the same artwork). Ford tested the Galaxie 500 LTD, a new model for 1965 that saw the everyman division pushing its reputation into Mercury territory, if not Lincoln spheres of refinement. We don't doubt the results of the testing, but we might suggest that there were a couple of mitigating circumstances to consider.
One is age: While the Silver Cloud III came around in 1963, the Silver Cloud line itself debuted in 1955. Which means that the technologies used to make the Silver Cloud happen were probably developed in the 1940s, since Rolls-Royce (then and now) famously never invents anything, but refines everything. Compare this to the full might of Dearborn's engineers turning their attention to the chassis. Technology changes in a decade (or more), whether it's for speed, handling, comfort, you name it. And Ford's chassis was, in 1965, more advanced than most. The marque's all-new full-size chassis paired the company's hard-won expertise with unibody cars in the late '50s to its full-framed experience to make something that was uncannily smooth and good-handling, even in the base models. The body itself was built with unitized levels of stiffness, while the all-new boxed perimeter- frame chassis was more compliant. The four-crossmember frame was new for 1965, and incorporated torque boxes, located where the outer side rails joined the front and rear frame rails, to stiffen the frame and damp out road irregularities. The body was joined to the chassis via eight butyl-rubber mounts-mounted where vibrations cancel each other out, further preventing the harsh realities of the road from entering the cabin. Later ad copy described the full-size '65 Fords as possessing a "liquid-satin ride" and "velvet authority."
We would also suggest that the Rolls is working harder than the Ford. Keep in mind that the Ford has a far lower profile (56.6 inches for the Ford versus 64 inches for the Rolls; the Ford is nearly 7.5-inches lower!); a 4,367-pound Rolls-Royce's 6.25-liter V-8 engine would have to work rather harder to get that car to 20, 40, and 60 mph than a standard 200-hp "Challenger" V-8 would in the lighter, 3,700-pound Ford. If it's working hard, it's gonna make some noise. if it's 7.5-inches taller, then the body is smashing against that much more air, which will send sound (however thoroughly damped) through the cabin. We'd suggest that squeaky leather seats played a part, but history has not divulged exactly how these test cars were equipped.
Rolls-Royce hardly needs defending. Rolls-Royce was unaffected by the comparison, which was rendered moot the moment that the Crewe crew launched the unitized-body Silver Shadow in late 1965 to replace the decade-old Cloud series. In any event, for an ad about quiet cars, Ford sure made a lot of noise about it."
My dad bought a silver blue 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 2 door. It was a beautiful car. Love this year's tail lights and vertical headlights. The interior also was so modern looking.
My dad had a 65 Galaxie 500 XL. Tudor, bucket white vinyl seat, T shifter and full console. Loved that car. Wish I still had it.
Congratulations on 100K
The 1965, 66 and 67 Fords were really good lookers. The 1967 7-Liter R-code 427 fastback "with 4-speed of course" has to be the best of the bunch. Thanks to Adam for posting.
68s were in there too.
@@johnehlert4366 I think 68 was a different "new" platform. But a 68 Galaxie LTD, Fastback, 429 PI, Manual trans would make me happy.....
The favorable comparison for quietness only worked with LTDs' equipped with the 289 V8. Still the 65-68 Ford were great cars. My parents had a 66 Galaxie 4D and I had a '68 Galaxie 2D....Loved those cars....and they were beasts. Very reliable and tough.
Hey Adam, as usual, an excellent review of the 65 model years. We had a handful in my neighborhood in the mid-60s. The people were in awh for months after the release date. In a few short months we began to see mostly LTD, and the
Chosen Country Sedans and square s. Ford has Always been the Wagonmaster,s, and if you drove, or even road in one you'd see how it earned the title. The 65 LTDs suddenly had a much higher quality through out the car. Back in the day in our neighborhood you could see just how popular they were, and still they are everywhere. During the week you would see those wagons full of kids being taken, and get picked up in a late Ford wagons. They looked great (the wagons did)
The interior fabrics and vinyls fit and finish was excellent the dashboards all the details, lead you to believe you were in a much higher class of car. Over the years, you could tell you were looking a Ford. Ford's tended to all have the Ford look. I wish they were still around today! If they were, I believe people would want one hands down. Most of the family's would be driving one. Not minivans and SUVs. But that's just me. An excellent choice to review. I loved seeing them
Sorry for the duplicate comments. I just really get into your reviews.
I was about 11 years old when the new Ford Galaxie came out. What a beautiful design, and what a quiet, comfortable ride. My brother’s friend used to come over in his dad’s baby blue LTD with dark blue vinyl roof. That was a beautiful combination. These cars were everywhere back in mid to late 60s. They must have sold a huge number of them.
Btw, congratulations, Adam, on 100,000 subscribers. You have a great talent and superb knowledge of everything automotive, particularly from the classic era. I think I listened to your first couple of videos, the 66 (or 67?) Pontiac Catalina and ‘69 Lincoln Mark iII. Keep up the good work.
They were even featured on the Andy Griffith Show as the police car.
These were the car for many to have during the late ''60s through the '70s. And they were quiet! FYI, the building behind the two cars is San Francisco City Hall.
Cue the “needles and poop” comments!
I really miss the '65 Country Squire we had when we were kids.
I learned how to drive on my mom's beige 1966 Ford Galaxie powered by the "screamin" 352, and later in a 1969 Ford LTD in Drivers Ed in school. My mother's '66 was quit and smooth around town and managed 11 mpg, 15 on highway. On the highway at 70 mph there was tremendous wind noise with the windows closed or open and it was tiresom on long trips. Conversely, the 390 cu. in. 1969 LTD driver's ed car drove lie a cloud, was super quiet, and could get closer to 20 mpg on highway. My favorite American car ride was a long trip in someones 1969 Buick Riviera. that car could cruise at 80 - 87 mph on the highway and was so quiet you could hear the clock ticking! A year later I bought my first car- a Citroen DS 19.
My Aunt had a dark blue '65 LTD that looked exactly like the one in this video. That car lasted up until 1978(still in pristine condition with only 78,000 miles on it) when she gave the car to my cousin who stupidly ran the car without lead additive that it required due to the 392 engine never being rebuilt. He ended up trashing the engine and scrapping the car after having it less than 6 months.
Sad that he would scrap it only because he needed a valve job.
390 engine, not 392
@Benjamin-cd8vk Allah can't be that great, I heard he drives a Lada
My dad had a 1965 Galaxie LTD hardtop, jet black with a tan interior . Gorgeous. Very luxurious.
My 1966 Galaxie 500 2 door hardtop I had as a senior in high school in 1971 was one of the nicest riding and quiet cars I have ever owned. Fond of that car still today.
Those old Galaxies were SWEET.
I love Adam’s voice. ❤
The Galaxie was assembled in Australia and our Fairlane shared a lot of front end styling too. All Aussie Fords had the torque box too. However all our cars were unitary construction. And rear leaf springs persisted till the 1980s.
It’s a very handsome automobile.
Another great episode. This is such a informative channel for enthusiasts of anything car related. I’ve learned much about the inner workings of the automotive industry here! Thanks
werent they about the same as the 65's
Great subject, great video.
0:48 & 0:58 Jaw dropping Lincolns..
0:20 Amazing Ford products..
Super interesting stuff, this is one of the best channels ever.
Loved the clean styling of this era, definitely a time of beautiful and tasteful cars
I guess front parking lights were optional. I remember backup lights were optional on the 64 Fairlane. This doesn't have back up lights either. I remember when the later models headlights were on the parking lights didn't burn. When locking the doors, you had to depress each door lock. The drivers door or passenger door, which you exit is to be locked with the key. No locking keys in the car. I always carried extra door key in my wallet when that feature no longer exists. Jay Leno's Garage show's Jay driving his 66, 7 Litre with the Roush built 428. He tells the story of picking the engine for his dad's 66 when at the dealership ordering it. Jay was 16. Great show. Thanks Adam for all your time and videos. Show your UT plaque with pride.
That's one of the styling touches that I like about the '65. The lights are nicely hidden behind the grille!
Awesome Engineering back then in the U.S....Build Quality & Quiet Ride deteriorated Mid-70's, but the peak in the U.S. was in the 60's & Early 70's, as U have said many times, Adam😊🤲
Agree!
Very interesting coverage from a technological and historical perspective.
Great video! Very well done. I have ridden many miles in a 65 Ranch Wagon with a 289 and 3 on the tree. It rode very well, as smooth and quiet as my fathers 64 Chrysler Newport wagon.
This is such a clean and pretty design.
I understand that Chrysler also benchmarked the Rolls Royce for its 1964-66 Imperial. I read somewhere that they put 235 pounds of soundproofing into the 1964, and upped that by an additional 10 pounds for ‘65-66.
Interesting story on the Fords. Especially appreciated the engineering details.
Thanks.....love to the USA from NZ.....from Down Under!
Adam I never understood the frame flex design that well until you educated us here. I recall how well and quiet these cars rode. Interesting thought came to me that we used to have smooth cars and good roads. These dynamics, at least here in Canada have done a role reversal it seems.
In 1965 I was a physics major at Villanova University, Penna. and myself and three others did a sound analysis of both a Ford and a Rolls Royce (2 of them) and indeed the Ford was quieter. The Ford was provided by a local dealer who, by chance, gave a ride to one of my friends while he was hitchhiking to the University! The 2 Rolls Royces were provided by another dealer along with their head mechanic as a chauffeur. It seemed to us that the tires on the Rolls and Ford were much different and that may have been the reason for the quieter ride.
Ford Fairlane was one of the best drag racing cars just by their Superior ride but of course when you put the 427 in there you have a true winner
I have had a 67 390 and 73 400. now have and keeping my 77 landau 460. I really liked that 67 390. Not letting another one go. After seeing what is on the road now these cars are priceless.
You are correct about everything. You didn't quite mention harshness, the feel of little imperfections in the road. We now talk about NVH - Noise, Vibration, and Harshness. They are perceived to some degree as parts of the same thing, and were greatly reduced in the '65 Ford.
My brother took his first job out of college as an engineer for sound designers Coffeen Fricke in Kansas City in 1989. They had a poster of the ad on wall and my brother asked about it...we'd seen the ad in Dad's old Popular Mechanics magazines. Turns out they were the company that did the sound testing for Ford. Our parents had a Galaxie stored, which is my show car now. Mostly, C-F designed sound systems for stadiums. They still exist, but called Avantacoustics now.
My dad bought an 1966 LTD with all the options, he paid $5400 for it, it was a great family car for many years, and went on many vacation road trips. Many fond memories.
I know the chassis/ underpinnings from ‘65 were carried through the ‘68 model year but I don’t know how drastic the changes were from ‘69 onward. Perhaps that could be a future video, comparing the engineering, ride, handling, and quietness between your cars of those 2 generations.
yes great idea.
@@travelingfool9096 I think I saw that at least the front chassis area survived basically the same into the Crown Victoria era, it was that stout and quiet.
@@machpodfan My thought was three basic full sized cars post WW2:
49, 65, 79 ( panther)
The 69 & 70 LTDs put the radio on the wrong side of the dash where it could not be reached by the front passenger.
@@deepthinker999 Calm down passenger, The Captain has the tunes under controll.😎
9:55 Skirts were still quite popular on these cars in 1965. In 65' we would see these cars with the skirts to give that lowered rear end look as they would sport dual glass pack exhaust and dual mount swept antennas on the rear deck. Those were the days.
Congrats on reaching 100k subscribers, Adam. Much deserved.
My dad bought a 1966 Ford Ranch wagon. He loved that car.
We had a 65 Galaxie 500 4 door in a light metallic blue. Then we had a 71 Galaxie 500 4 door hardtop. My parents traded the 71 in on a 73 Newport. Even though I was only 9 years old in 73, I noticed the sound level in the Chrysler was a lot louder.
Chrysler cars were all unit construction, Fords had a separate frame. Your ears noticed even at that young age.
The quietest Ford I ever drove was a 1976 Ford Thunderbird, last of the big Birds. I'd parked at a drive-in and turned the car off. When I went to turn it on again, I thought the engine hadn't turned over as I couldn't hear it running. So I turned the key again to start it and was met by a grinding noise I could hear. But otherwise, with the windows up this was one car that qualified for "you can hear a pin drop," I was a big "tank" of a car, but quiet and extremely comfortable to cruise around in. It was lipstick red and white exterior with white leather seating surfaces, and was a real eye catcher. A few years later, in college, my parents got me a used 77 T-bird that was in exactly that same color combination. I loved that car!
I have a '65 Galaxie LTD. It's a great car. And it was super quiet before I put a 429 under the hood.
My Fathers 65' Olds 98 4door Luxury Sedan model was to this day one of the smoothest quietest riding cars I have ever been in.
Congrats on 100K! And a great video too!
My family bought a Galaxie in 1965 and I still have it. Have had several others and it is my favorite Ford car. However, up in New England, every 65-66-67 Ford I have seen had rusted out torque boxes. This happened when they were about 10 years old. Unfortunately this resulted in many being prematurely scrapped.
In 1985 I got my first car at an auction for $325. It was a 1965 Galaxiee 500 LTD, it had original black paint with a white vinyl top and black interior and a 390 cubic inch engine. I loved the awesome shine in that black paint that looked like a mirror. I received compliments on the car anytime. I picked it up in about the second week of January and the first drive was about an hour drive and it was cold in Missouri and the heater/defroster didn’t work, so after I drove a little while the front window fogged up and froze up on the inside and I used my hand to thaw it and then it froze up thicker and I finally had to drive with my head hanging out the window in the cold air so I could see where I was going. I later replaced the thermostat which fixed the heating issue. At the time I was working for about five dollars per hour and it started having issues with needing to pump the brakes to get it to stop. I didn’t have enough money to have the brakes properly looked at and repaired, so I kept driving it until the brakes failed on a curve on a wet country road that was marked 35 mph. I was pumping the brakes to slow down and nothing was happening and as I neared the corner I panicked and stomped on the brakes and they locked up and I couldn’t steer and I dropped in a ditch that was about 3 feet deep and slammed into a driveway that was coming out at the apex of the corner and the front driver side tire ball joint broke at the top and the resulting accident only pushed the front back till the radiator was touching the cooling fan. But the damage that was caused was much more than I could afford to pay at the time. I wish I would’ve had the money to pay for the repair. Sometimes you live and learn. Be sure to spend the money to keep your vehicle in good working order, even if you have to borrow the money.
David Vincent (Roy Thinnes) from "The Invaders" knew all of this. I loved the stacked headlamps. Later in 1965, RR introduced the Silver Shadow, to succeed the Silver Cloud, which had a separate chassis.
I honestly never thought about the tremendous advancements between 1964 and ‘65 full-size Fords. I just knew I liked the ‘65 through ‘67 more! This is a very enlightening presentation. Thank you Adam.
Glad you liked it!
They got ugly in 68 :(
Another thing that was significantly new for the 1965 Fords was the dual-facing rear seats for the Country Squire and Country Sedan station wagons. With them, Ford was able to promote seating for up to ten people, although that may have been more true if the people sitting there were small children. They remained a Dearborn exclusive until the last big Ford wagons were built in 1991. Anyway, interesting video, and BTW, congratulations on reaching 100K subscribers!
Wow 100K subs congratulations. Impressive and you earned every bit of it with your knowledge of these cars. Please keep it up!
I took my driver's test in a new '65 Galaxy 4 dr. It was easier to parallel park than our '65 Catalina 2 door. The car was very solid, the engine was precision balanced as was the drive shaft. Was that the year of the wedge valve cover engine, where they set a glass of champagne on it to demonstrate how smooth it was?
This was also the year Ford car doors stopped rattling.
Either that year or 66.
Galaxie, not Galaxy
The downside of the torque boxes on the frame was they would rot and break up here in the northeast- in particular the 1965 and 1966 models. I was a tech in the 70's and we had to be careful when lifting them to look. I towed a few in with broken frames in the front corners.
They did look nice, but the 64s were much better quality.
Hi Adam, WOW…this was an outstanding and detailed history of the Ford chassis during that era. Extremely informative. I’ve studied the American automotive industry primarily from a historical business perspective, but also from a product, design, and evolution perspective. And lastly, as a car enthusiast. Granted I lack any professional industry experience and have had this interest over the last 50 years and find it absolutely fascinating. The chassis area is my weakest area in terms of knowledge and your video was extremely informative and amazing. Thank you for sharing this and tackling this specific area as without going into great research of many documents your video summary I believe provides a great overall perspective. As always looking forward to your next video.👍
When we were teens my buddy's Dad had a '66 Ford Custom sedan. It had a 289 with three on the tree. When he was able to borrow the car we put it through hell, but it took everything we could throw at it. A testament to Ford's build quality of the time.
In 1968, my dad helped me purchase my first car. It came down to 2. A 1965 Mustang or 1965 Galaxie 500 convertible. Obviously, we had no idea what the popularity of the Mustang would become. And because it was $300 more than than the Galaxie, dad decided on the lesser cost of the 2. As it turned out, my red on red with white convertible top and glass rear window became, for me, the one that got away. We paid $1000 for a 3 year old drop top and I drove it until I married, when my wife at 5ft 0 couldn't handle the non power steering land yacht. Several years later, Ford discontinued the convertible and the value of my 500 began to rise significantly. A lot of memories of that car continue to make me smile. I really miss that ride.
My Dad had a 78 Buick....it was like driving with marsh mellow tires on top of clouds....smooth as could be and air tight quiet cabin....
My truck-driver grandfather bought my grandmother a '65 Galaxie 500 4-door hardtop, candy apple red with a white (not vinyl) top. It had a 427 with a 4-barrel carburetor. She told my mom that the first time she drove it, she did donuts in the middle of downtown Waco. It was far more powerful than anything she had ever driven. And she loved that car. After raising kids through the depression and WW2, good for her.
Wow. What a car.
The ‘67 T-bird rode even soother and quieter. A friend had one years ago and the ride was absolutely silent and serene.
The '65 Galaxie 500 2dr hardtop 352ci was my first new car. I was too young to appreciate what a fine car it was but I worked as a mechanic at the local Ford dealership so fully aware of the marketing. It was twilight turquoise, I still admire the car in my old photos. One thing new to me was the blue engine cold light, I have never seen that on another car.
We had the same navy blue w/ black vinyl top ‘65 Galaxie 500 w/ the LTD option. Mother drove it till 1970 and traded it for a new LTD - a ‘70 bronze brown w/ chocolate brown vinyl top. I think the ‘65 LTD was the best looking, most modern looking car we ever had as a family car.
I had a ‘66 Galaxy 500. I rode quite well, handled exceptionally well on snow/snow packed roads, and towed trailers well too.