1963 Ford Galaxie 427

"Total Performance" was Ford's slogan for '63, and midway through the model year, it delivered with a muscle car that fit the bill: the 1963 Ford Galaxie 427.

Muscle Car Image Gallery

©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Ford called its new semi-fastback the Sports Hardtop. See more muscle car pictures.

Galaxie 500 and 500XL hardtops got a new semi-fastback roofline good for an aerodynamic advantage on NASCAR superspeedways. At the same time, Ford introduced an enlarged version of its 390/406 V-8. The engine displaced 425 cubes, but playing off NASCAR's 427-cid limit, Ford called its new mill the 427.

©2007 Publications International, Ltd. The 1963 Galaxie came with a 425-cid V-8 that Ford called the "427."

A forged steel crankshaft and cross-bolted main bearing caps gave it strength. Forged aluminum pistons, a lightweight valvetrain, and a solid-lifter cam helped it survive at 7000 rpm. With two 652-cfm Holley four-barrels under an oval aluminum air cleaner, it made 425 bhp and 480 lb-ft of torque. With a single 780-cfm Holley, it made 410 bhp and 476 lb-ft of torque. Both versions had 11.5:1 compression and an aluminum manifold.

Available on any full-size Ford, a 427 cost $406, or $462 for the dual-quad edition. Both came with a heavy-duty suspension, beefed-up drivetrain and rear brakes, and 15-inch wheels instead of the 14s used on lesser Galaxies. A four-speed manual was a mandatory $188 option.

©2007 Publications International, Ltd. The 1963 Galaxie featured a basic bench-seat interior.

The "Sports Hardtops" were a hit in the showroom, and in stock-car racing they carried Ford to the '63 NASCAR title. Things were tougher on the drag strips, where Galaxies outweighed the competition by 300 pounds. Ford did field 50 race-only lightweights with fiberglass front clips, bare-metal interiors, and no sound deadening. A 3425-pound 'Glass Galaxie could turn low-12s at 118 mph in Super Stock, but even that wasn't good enough to win a single NHRA championship.

On backroads and boulevards, the 427 Galaxies held their own. But there were not nearly enough of them to remedy Ford's lackluster street reputation.

The 1963 Ford Galaxie 427 Specifications
Wheelbase, inches: 119.0
Weight, lbs: 3700
Number built: NA
Base price: $3,000

Top Available Engine
Engine: ohv V-8
Displacement, cid: 425
Fuel system: 2 x 4bbl.
Compression ratio: 11.5:1
Horsepower @ rpm: 425 @ 6000
Torque @ rpm: 480 @ 3700

Representative Performance
0-60 mph, sec: 7.4
1/4 mile, sec @ mph: 15.4 @ 95