Galaxie Unobtainium--almost

[Diogenes]

After a few years of searching and purchasing (nearly 10 years since I purchased the car), I've finally got my Galaxie mostly into the configuration I've envisioned, with a fair amount of help over the years filtering through the immense wealth of knowledge found within the members of this website.

I purchased the car back in 2014, getting a decent deal on it because the fairly fresh 390 was burning oil and the owner couldn't figure it out (the intake manifold gasket, valley pan removed, and umbrella valve stem seals replaced with positive stop).

It was a bench seat, column shifted C6 car with a 3.25 open 9". The LTD/7 Litre grille shells were warped, powder coated examples that I replace a couple years ago with light to moderate pitted chrome pieces. I sourced the interior from a 7 Litre that was in an advanced state of decay, but with a nice interior, converting to a floor shifted console car. Two years ago, or so, I located someone scrapping out a 7 Litre convertible 4 speed car, obtaining the HEH-CG big in/out with all the parts to convert my AT console to 4 speed and OE Ford shifter. The Ford shifter functioned acceptably, but I always wanted the Hurst shifter for it, but the Galaxie with console shifter was long out of production, probably back in late 70's/early 80's. I finally found a nice NOS shifter for an amazing price, having to pay more for the install kit than the shifter (install kit long out of production as well).

The car is a 1966 Galaxie 500, A/C car, radio delete dash with clock (need to delete plate it), nice running Z code 390 4bbl, Big in/out Toploader, 3.89 traction lock 9", 7 Litre interior with console and hurst shifter. Now maybe it needs black stamped steel wheels and poverty caps--I always liked that look.

Does anyone know how rare the radio delete dash is? I'm curious.

I drive it quite a bit, but not much for car shows, so I thought I'd show it off here

[Heo]

Looking good

[randomologist]

Sharp looking car! I've always liked those Galaxies!

[badcatt]

I like the 66. Yours is sweet! I've had 2. A 500, 390 2V and a LTD, 390 4V. I really liked the LTD.

[cleandan]

I don't have production numbers concerning radio delete dashboards for the 1966 Galaxie so all of this is anecdotal based on my years of working with, owning, junk yard searching, show judging, and generally enjoying the 1966 Galaxie in general.

First, understand the Galaxie is a trim line within the Ford "Full size" lineup.
That full sized lineup included many different choices for 1966.
Custom
Custom 500
Galaxie 500
Galaxie 500 XL
LTD
7-LITRE
Ranch Wagon
Country Sedan
Country Squire

Because the way the buyer could configure a car in those days each version could have a radio delete dashboard....but mostly that option was relegated to low option, service type vehicles.
Taxi Cabs, Airport shuttles, Coroner work vehicle and the like.

Pretty much ALL of those were totally used up and scrapped by about 1980.....often well before that.

The part that really makes a radio delete dash rare is how the 66 Galaxie dash plastic was made to include the radio holes...except for the radio delete dash which had no holes in the plastic.

Most other cars of the era either had no hole in the metal dash, or it contained a metal plate blocking off the holes in the dash.
This makes fabrication of a "radio delete" dash quite a bit easier than in the 66 Galaxie.

Fabricating the 1966 full width, no radio holes, radio delete dash piece is not easy....This making a factory radio delete dash a very rare part these days.

As far as fabricating a convincing, "period correct" radio delete plate goes that is only limited to your skills and imagination because the vast majority of onlookers will never know what a real radio delete dash is supposed to look like in a 66 Galaxie.

The final nail in the rare coffin lies in the shift away from the Galaxie body for 1966 so the weekend racer was not likely to purchase a stripped down Galaxie as the tool of choice.

[Diogenes]

There were 1,040,930 fullsize Fords produced in 1966, in all the various body/trim levels according to the "Standard Catalog of Ford 1903-1998". 1966 must've been one of the biggest production years for Ford. That is an amazing production figure for just the fullsize line-up. As cleandan wrote, the delete pieces probably disappeared long ago. I still see a radio delete insert pop up on ebay every now and again. From what I've seen, they look to be plastic. I believe I've seen someone offering 3D printed repops as well. Does anyone know if they are plastic or diecast?

I've never seen another radio delete dash.

[TomP]

I sold someone on the FE forum a radio delete dash like that about a dozen years ago.
 Now around here there are no old cars in wrecking yards but out in the sticks a couple hundred miles from here there are. And not only that they had no radio stations you could get while driving so many cars sold new in that area had no radios.

[cleandan]

I sold someone on the FE forum a radio delete dash like that about a dozen years ago.
 Now around here there are no old cars in wrecking yards but out in the sticks a couple hundred miles from here there are. And not only that they had no radio stations you could get while driving so many cars sold new in that area had no radios.

Interesting.
In most instances a car with radio delete was an option choice because the basic radio was part of the build....You had to specify no radio in order to keep it out of the car.

I can see the old farmer, filling out the order sheet for his new car, telling the dealership, "Nah...I don't want to pay extra for that radio"...."I don't get reception anyway so why waste the money."

[Fordman]

I have a 1966 custom 2dr post car, (was originally)240-6 /C4. Manual everything,radio and clock delete. Going through an options list the auto trans is the one and only option on the car but I honestly wish it had the 3 on the tree. It was originally silver frost with red interior ( now Wimbledon white). I am the second owner as I bought it off of a teacher at my high school. He bought himself the cheapest full size available  and then bought his wife a FULLY loaded mercury montcalm? Pwr everything,  ac, power back "Breeze way" window with a 428. I bought both cars at the same time. The custom was mint, absolutely no rust of any kind anywhere ( I live in Canadas only pocket desert) but oddly the merc had Rust, but alot more milage. I believe he pretty much only used the custom to drive to work. I have built it into raunchy street/occasional drag car.

[Diogenes]

I have a 1966 custom 2dr post car, (was originally)240-6 /C4. Manual everything,radio and clock delete. Going through an options list the auto trans is the one and only option on the car but I honestly wish it had the 3 on the tree. It was originally silver frost with red interior ( now Wimbledon white). I have built it into raunchy street/occasional drag car.

Sounds like a very cool car--any pics???