If there was a certification class for Craigslist car browsing excellence, I think I would ace the course. I spend way too much time traveling the country, and sometimes the world, in search of four wheeled deals. All without leaving my home office, of course. Though I prefer to showcase cars on this site that haven’t seen the light of day in ages, this clean 1968 Ford Galaxie convertible begged me for a feature. It’s currently listed for $7,000 in Carrollton, Virginia, a price that is more than half that of NADA guide’s average retail listing of $17,710. Now, I don’t know how many people are paying almost 20 grand for a Ford Galaxie, but $7K for this topless V8 powered, stick shift cruiser seems more than fair. Do I have your attention?
In 1968 the Galaxie received a face lift, shifting from vertically stacked headlights to horizontal. If you opted for the XL or LTD, which in 1968 were their own models and did not carry the Galaxie name (but were really just option packages), your car came with hideaway headlamps. Based on that, we know this car is indeed a Galaxie 500, as the base model wasn’t available as a convertible.
Under the hood of this land yacht is a 390 4Bbl V8. When new, Ford advertised this engine with a 315 horsepower rating. It’s mated to a three speed on the floor, sure to entice fans of the third pedal. There were bigger engines available in 1968, up to the 429 ci V8, but most people opted for the 390.
The color combo on this car is nothing short of classic. The seller states it has new black paint and a fresh white top. The red interior hosts such standard equipment as padded front seat backs, courtesy lights and a cigarette lighter. That all seems to make for some comfy cruise nights.
The Galaxie made up nearly 40 percent of Ford’s annual production, with 734,638 units produced, including XL and LTD models. Out of all those only 11,832 Galaxie 500 convertibles left the factory. These numbers don’t reflect a car of extreme rarity, but it won’t be a common sight at the car show. All in, this is a fine example of a late ’60s cruiser at a price that is easy on the the wallet. Is anybody ready to cash in on some fun in the sun? I sure am, but it’s way over there, so my loss, I guess.
