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Checklist to Road Worthiness - 66 Galaxie 500


Guest Chef Voyardee

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Guest Chef Voyardee

Just picked up a great car, a 66 Galaxie 500 in pretty good shape. It had been in storage for the past 3 years. Starts right up, totally drivable. But it needs some sorting out.

 

Since its newly acquired by me, I need to a thorough inventory and check of the car, which I am totally excited and absolutely looking forward to do. I love this discovery phase (even though you might find some not so great things). I'll be making wish lists and creating a budget of things based on priority and performance. While I feel confident I will capture much of what I need to know, it never hurts to get experienced feedback and insight, especially if it is make and model specific. So here are the specs:

image.jpeg

 

1966 Ford Galaxie 500 Convertible

351W (1970), Was a 390 (don't judge!), not a 7-Litre (I wish!)

4-Barrel Carter Carb

Air Conditioning

Dual Exhaust with old glass packs

Stock headers

Power Steering

Single reservoir brake system (gotta go!)

4-wheel drums (yuck)

 

This is what I know without a full inventory. My wife thinks it strange that I am dying to give her (the car, not the wife) an examination. I wanted to take the whole damn week off to play with my new toy! I'm having a hard time concentrating on anything else, LOL!

 

Ok esteemed auto gurus, I await your wisdom ?.

Edited by Chef Voyardee (see edit history)
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Stopping is a good thing so a complete exam of the brake system should be a priority. Changing out the fluids is also a good thing to do as well as checking for leaks.  Enjoy your new toy!

 

Terry

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Congratulations on your purchase!

 

Many people use antique cars without converting to a 

dual brake system;  and millions of people drove billions

of miles on those original brake systems.  So while a 

dual system does give extra protection, don't think of the original 

configuration as some imminent catastrophe that must be avoided at all costs.

I have a few old cars, and have driven them for years, with 

their original single reservoir system.

 

And, I may add, the original drum brakes on all four wheels

can stay.  Do people add disk brakes to 1932 Cadillacs?  No.

Unless you're driving on mountain roads, you should be fine.

You can put your money, Chef, on other things!

Edited by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)
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Nice Car.  I have 66 Impala Convt which was my first car purchased in college in 1980. It has drums and single cyl master too and has made me nervous with the original hoses. I plan to put in new rubber and rebuilt everything this year before I drive it and put in Silicon fluid. My Dad did that 25 year ago to a 57 T-bird I just inherited. Never any issues with the T-bird brakes. My 66 brake system works fine I just leave a little more distance with cars ahead than a newer car. They are much better that a big rig truck even without discs.

 

Tom Muth

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I agree with these guys that the drum brakes are not really a problem as long as they are in good working order.  Make sure the emergency brake works, then jack it up and pull the wheels to check the brake linings, drums, and wheel cylinders.  Also look underneath for rusty brake lines.  If there are any apparent problems or you are unfamiliar with drum brakes write in here for advice.  Also you should immediately download a Galaxie catalog at www.dennis-carpenter.com for lots of stuff to spend money on :) Enjoy!

 

PS--get a service manual ASAP too, either printed or on CD.  Strangely Dennis Carpenter may not have a 1966 but someone does

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I'm all over and up to date on the 66 Galaxie 500. The drum brakes provide plenty of stopping power, power brakes make it easy for everyone and if you really feel the need, the front suspension from a late model Ford Crown Vic will fit with work. (plenty of old police interceptor parts available) 

 

Two things to keep in mind with drum brakes:

1. If you run them through a deep  puddle they will flood and you will want to ride the peddle some to dry them out before you need to use them.

2. Self adjusters only work when they want to and when they get to dirty they don't work at all. Pulling the drums and cleaning the hardware is normal maintenance, when hand adjusting the front wheels spin the tire and adjust so that both sides stop spinning after the same number of revolutions. Being a bit on the lazy side I go for a turn and a half and let nature take it's course.

 

There was the 7 liter motor and there was the Galaxie 7 liter model. My brother was in the process of acquiring everything needed to turn his 66 fastback into the 7 liter model when somebody knocked on his door and offered him more  cash than he could say no to. The 7 liter interior went with the car, engine block and parts to build the 428ci stayed in his garage.

 

 

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I have owned MANY old used cars and the things that almost always are in need of work are brakes, suspension, and steering linkage. All the things that will cause you to crash right away! If you find problems anywhere with these systems you might as well bite the bullet and redo the whole system, it's cheap insurance.

Another thing to look for is rust, especially on a convertible. In addition to the usual floor pans / trunk pan / fender and quarter bottoms the 65-67 Fords are known for frame structural rust problems. Good luck!

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Bump your AAA towing to 100 miles and drive the hell out of it. Fix what breaks and drive it some more.

 

Keep your cell phone in your pocket and if you feel uneasy about the car only shut it off at friends houses.

 

Thoroughly study and have a firm understanding of the concepts of this set of laws: http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html.

 

Then you'll know by getting the extended coverage you will probably never need it.

 

I bought that extra coverage when I got my first Jaguar, thinking it the prudent thing to do. My Wife thinks it's funny because I have only used it on the Buick.....twice!

Bernie

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Didn't Ford offer disk brakes in 66 (may have been on the T'bird). None of my cars stay stock for long (Judge had drums, now has disks) but that and a dual master I'd consider "safety of family". 4 wheel disks are nice but fronts do most of the work so I would not bother with rears.

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While I am not an expert on this particular car, here are a few thoughts:

 

Certainly the brakes, as thoroughly discussed above.  I would replace the fluid, check/rebuild the wheel cylinders, and inspect the lines.  I echo the remarks that drum brakes are quite effective, if in good working order.  Nothing wrong with disc conversion, though, if you have the cash.

Of course, check all fluids, including transmission and differential.  Steering box, too, if applicable, and grease fittings as well.  Next to brakes, the most important safety item is steering, so check king pins or ball joints for play, tie rod ends, and drag link.  Steering alignment. 

Re-pack wheel bearings.

If you are going to do highway speed driving, then you might want to check the age of the tires.  You can do this from the code molded into each one.  Needless to say, tire pressure should be on your list.

Check water level in battery cells.

A flush and replacement of antifreeze, or at least check temperature protection level and ph of the existing coolant.

Replace the fuel filter.  Also, if the carburetor has a filter screen at the fuel line entry, remove and clean it.  Air filter.

Check condition of belts and hoses.  Tune up time?  Plugs, cap, rotor, and points; plug wires.  Check ignition timing.

Check condition of exhaust pipe and hangers; some of them have rubber components that deteriorate over time.

Lubricate things like the door hinges and hood hinges.  By the way, make sure the hood latch works properly and is installed correctly (ask me why I say that!).  Even your key sockets could stand a little lube from time to time.

 

Oh the fun you will have...

 

Good luck with your new car!

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A checklist to road-worthiness? Sounds just like our Warrant of Fitness, a safety check required by statute on all vehicles. New ones yearly after year 3; up to 12 years old annually; after that, 6 monthly. The check is for ROAD SAFETY and does not include things like lubricated hinges etc. So what do they check?

 

Each wheel bearing is checked for movement and smooth spinning of the wheel.

King pins for movement up-down and slop. They use a lever for this and for bearing movement.

Steering joints by turning the wheel with an observer underneath looking at the joints and the ends of the steering rack or box and anchorages for movement.

Steering smoothness lock to lock by turning elevated road wheels.

Tire tread depths, tire condition - no cracks, splits, chunks out, wear spots etc.. Spare wheel bolted down.

Exhaust pipe leaking? Meets the noise standard.

Split drive shafts must be in good condition; sometimes the front joint can release and the shaft come out sideways and hit a passing vehicle, so they check it cannot come out (esp. on trucks). Universals must be in good condition.

Suspension is tight (found with the lever test).

Brakes: on a machine, for balance side to side, front to back and sufficient to meet the standard. Including hand brake (not many parking brakes by foot here yet).

Seat belts fasten easily and work as designed when testable, not frayed, cut, stretched (not previously used in a crash), anchored as required.

Door locks work well inside and out and secure the doors. Horn works.

Windscreen wipers and washers work and do not leave streaks on the screen (blades need replacing).

Required rear vision mirrors present and work.

Detailed inspection underneath with strong light for rust and other problems that could affect safety. Inspection for structural rust throughout the vehicle.

License plate light working of course.

Headlight high and low beam meet the standard (using a machine half a metre in front of them). Indicators work. Reversing light works. Fog lights work where fitted.

Drive test: brakes pull up straight. Seat belt fastens properly.

Plus anything else I have missed!

 

Everything else is really maintenance rather than road worthiness. e.g. change brake fluid so you know how good it is. Change coolant so you know how old the antifreeze and anti corrosive additives are and their concentration. Change other oils so you start fresh and know what is there and when next change is due.

 

Be careful oiling hinges. Oil is a wetting agent and you will attract dust to the hinge, making a mess plus a good grinding paste. Grease is better if you can get it in there, or a dry lubricant (not graphite unless it is in a carrier that does not dry out).

 

 

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Good looking Ford.  

 

Don't worry the 351 will pull that car around very nicely.  So would have the 390 if it was still there.

 

You didn't mention the type of transmission.  Anyway, I would drain and refill, what ever transmission is in it. If it is an automatic, pull the pan and change the filter also.

 

intimeold

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and the differential.

 

Spinneyhill: what about antique cars that are only driven once or twice a year, still inspected every six months ? Is that done by the government at inspection stations or by roving mechanics with rolls of stickers ?

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Not sure what you are asking but a thorough inspection is a good idea. Go over the car and give it a good cleaning, wash and wax the exterior. Save any receipts or odd parts you find. If there are new parts like brake shoes in the trunk this is a strong hint that those parts need replacing. Any loose screws, odd bits of plastic or metal should be saved. They always turn out to be some irreplaceable part. You can throw away the dried out ballpoint pens and McDonald's wrappers lol.

 

As you do this you can make a list of any repairs that are needed.

 

You or your mechanic should inspect the brakes, steering, exhaust, lights, in the name of safety. Also check the rad hoses, fan belts, vacuum hoses, all hoses and rubber parts under the hood. They should be reasonably flexible, not bulged or mummified.

 

Change oil, trans fluid, brake fluid, coolant, PS fluid, in fact all fluids. Lubricate the chassis with a grease gun. Don't overlook the handbrake cables, I like to wrap them with a rag where they come out of the sheath and soak the rag with oil.

 

Tires are important too. Look for cracks, broken belts, worn treads, and check the date code. Tires over 5 years old should be replaced. You can use your own judgement here, if they are not too old and check out ok, and you don't do high speed driving you can get a few extra years out of them.

 

You don't have to do all this in a day. It is ok to spread it out a bit. If you really want to put the icing on the cake a new set of shock absorbers are not expensive, about $100 and will transform the ride. A front end alignment will do the same for steering and handling.

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Forgot to mention an engine tuneup is a regular part of maintenance on older cars, something we forget since new cars don't need this attention. It may be enough to check the air filter and take out a spark plug, if the car was seldom used it may not need tuning.

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5 hours ago, padgett said:

Spinneyhill: what about antique cars that are only driven once or twice a year, still inspected every six months ? Is that done by the government at inspection stations or by roving mechanics with rolls of stickers ?

 

The Warrant of Fitness (WoF) on a vehicle more than 12 years old must be the less than 6 months old when the car is driven. So if you drive the car in summer only, then only get one WoF for the summer. You must have a WoF to relicense the car each year. I think we can buy a license for just 6 months at a time too. The relicensing fee includes a levy for accident health cover (we have no-fault health treatment).

 

WoF testing is done by Vehicle Testing NZ (was and maybe is a Crown Entity) and approved mechanical workshops. They must have a lift and a "rolling road" brake machine for the work. Gone are the days of once-over-lightly WoFs we used to get from the corner garage.

 

I forgot to mention earlier, the under-car inspection will also look for leaking fluids, esp. steering and brakes.

 

P.S. "Crown" = gov't, coz the Queen is our head of state.

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Guest Chef Voyardee
On May 17, 2016 at 4:16 PM, Spinneyhill said:

 

The Warrant of Fitness (WoF) on a vehicle more than 12 years old must be the less than 6 months old when the car is driven. So if you drive the car in summer only, then only get one WoF for the summer. You must have a WoF to relicense the car each year. I think we can buy a license for just 6 months at a time too. The relicensing fee includes a levy for accident health cover (we have no-fault health treatment).

 

WoF testing is done by Vehicle Testing NZ (was and maybe is a Crown Entity) and approved mechanical workshops. They must have a lift and a "rolling road" brake machine for the work. Gone are the days of once-over-lightly WoFs we used to get from the corner garage.

 

I forgot to mention earlier, the under-car inspection will also look for leaking fluids, esp. steering and brakes.

 

P.S. "Crown" = gov't, coz the Queen is our head of state.

Never knew about the warranty of fitness. That's very interesting...

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