For Sale: 1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible - "1-Owner, Needs engine" - Detroit, MI - Not Mine - 9/5 SOLD!

[6T-FinSeeker]

For sale on Facebook: 1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible in Detroit, MI  -  $15,000  -  Must be a member of Facebook to access Seller's contact information.

 

Link: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/185976321165202/-1959-Ford-Galaxie-Sunliner-Convertible

 

Seller's Description:

1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner Convertible

• 1 owner
• Driven 200,000 miles
• Automatic transmission
• Exterior color: Black · Interior color: Gold

No Rust on Body - Interior Good - Needs engine - Serious interest only

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 5, 2023 by 6T-FinSeeker
update status (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

I like that interior. The Sun-Ray wheelcovers too.

 

Wonder how bad the engine is? Tired or completely unable to run?

[Crusty Trucker]

The engine appears to be a 272/292 "Y block". That probably means it's connected to a 2-speed Fordomatic. A better option was the 352 FE and C-6. Nice original interior. Could probably use a new top, appears to be shrinking, window getting cloudy.

If it were mine, the chrome skirts and the rubber-tipped bumper guards would disappear.

Price might be a few thousand optimistic considering whatever engine work was required.

[Bloo]

There was no C-6 back then, not until the 1966 model year, although it would have been a much better option. A 3 speed automatic back then would be a cast iron cruise-o-matic.  This one does have a ford-o-matic (look at the shift quadrant). I'm just not sure which ford-o-matic it would have been in 1959. If it's the aluminum 2-speed, I'd much rather have that than a cruise-o-matic. I'd also take a Y block over an early FE hands down.

[JACK M]

Maybe the seller can't deal with the way the distributor is hidden away on these cars.

Very difficult.

[m-mman]

3 hours ago, Bloo said:

I'm just not sure which ford-o-matic it would have been in 1959. If it's the aluminum 2-speed

Correct.  In 1958 Ford offered 2 automatics. Fordomatic and CruiseOmatic.  (PRNDL and PRND1D2L). 
problem was they were the same transmission. 😲 Both 3 speeds.  
 

For 1959 they brought out an aluminum case PRNDL 2 speed automatic.  It was promoted as a “low cost” option that allowed you to get an automatic transmission for slightly more than the manual.  They were heavily marketed and are commonly found. 
 

A good transmission, durable BUT with just two speeds they wind up the motor too much for my tastes before it shifts. 

[m-mman]

3 hours ago, Bloo said:

 I'd also take a Y block over an early FE hands down.

The FEs suck gas. 10-12 mpg. Maybe less. 
The Y-blocks do have difficult to repair ignitions and the consistent top end oiling issues with their clacking valves. 
 

The really great engine is the 223 six. Bulletproof reliability, service is a pleasure with unlimited access and great mileage. 
It won’t snap your neck on acceleration but that’s not how I drive my cars. 

[Bloo]

16 minutes ago, m-mman said:

A good transmission, durable BUT with just two speeds they wind up the motor too much for my tastes before it shifts. 

A common complaint of any 2 speed, but as far as I know there were no serious problems with those. The cast iron transmission on the other hand.... ugh. Never again. I'd really rather have a stick with overdrive than any of the automatics, I'm just not sure I could drive it. On the 60-62s my knee gets caught between the steering wheel and the door making it extremely awkward to clutch. From the pictures, that 59 looks like it has more space.

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 9/5, Seller marked the Facebook ad "SOLD!"

 

[JamesR]

On 8/23/2023 at 9:44 AM, Bloo said:

I'm just not sure which ford-o-matic it would have been in 1959. If it's the aluminum 2-speed, I'd much rather have that than a cruise-o-matic.

Am I correct in assuming that would be essentially the same transmission as the "Merc-0-matic" in my '61 Mercury? I think I read somewhere that it was aluminum, too.

[JamesR]

On 8/23/2023 at 1:09 PM, m-mman said:

A good transmission, durable BUT with just two speeds they wind up the motor too much for my tastes before it shifts. 

 

The winding up actually takes place more at the top end, if my experience is any indication. It's a little disconcerting when driving my 2 speed Monterey. With tame driving (which is how I always drive) the car shifts at about 15 mph, and that's it. 15 mph and 85 mph are the same gear. It does have a 2.93 ratio rear end, though (as I recall) and that helps. I put a tach in (a non-permanent location) because I was curious about rpm's on the highway. As I recall, the engine is at about 2600 rpm's at 70 mph. Not horrible, but I rarely cruise faster than that.  The most enjoyable highway driving for me is 65 mph.

 

I like the looks of this '59 convertible. The '59 Ford is one of those cars I've really warmed up to over the years. Appears to have been very well cared for. It would be interesting to know if that is the original engine and whether it's ever been rebuilt. If it's a non-rebuilt original, you certainly couldn't complain about its condition after 200k miles. I sort of doubt that it is, though.

[Bloo]

 

1 hour ago, JamesR said:

Am I correct in assuming that would be essentially the same transmission as the "Merc-0-matic" in my '61 Mercury? I think I read somewhere that it was aluminum, too.

 

The Merc-O-Matic may very well be the same. If it is aluminum and 2-speed, it is the same, or at least the same transmission family. There were probably minor changes yearly.

 

Once upon a time there were cast iron 2 speed Ford-O-Matics and Merc-O-Matics. They weren't really 2-speed. They were 3-speed automatics that never normally used first gear. If you selected manual low, you really got first gear, and that would be one way to tell. I'm pretty sure those were all gone by 61.

 

Cast iron transmissions from 61 that I have seen have 2 drive ranges. One range shifts 1-2-3 and the other shifts 2-3. On Fords, they are marked with a green dot and a white dot. Mercury is probably marked differently but I can't remember for sure. Later, Ford set up C4s and C6s like that (with the green dot and the white dot) until 1967.

 

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Bloo (see edit history)

[JamesR]

5 hours ago, Bloo said:

One range shifts 1-2-3 and the other shifts 2-3.

My indicator reads the same as this '59. PRNDL.

 

It would be interesting to know what kind of rear end ratio is in the '59 or what was offered with that transmission. BTW, I like the interior color scheme on this convertible and how it ties the gold/lime of the interior into the black of the body and the white of the top.