Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Eric bought this Galaxie in 2010, and spent serious time learning it's history, all 12 owners, and that it had been stolen once, and spent 20 years on blocks in a garage


Eric published its history back to 1967, and the original owner’s son contacted him when he saw a photo of his dad’s car online.

Back in 1964, construction worker and family man Eugene Simmons was test driving a new Thunderbird at Ryder Ford when he saw a truck unload the Galaxie. The person who originally ordered the car refused possession, so Simmons jumped at the opportunity to buy it on the spot.

After a few years, however, the temptation of the new-for-1967 models lured Simmons to a Ford dealer in Reno, Nevada, where he traded in his prized Galaxie.

In the summer of 1967, Pat Mathis purchased the Galaxie off the lot and drove it home to rural Portola, California. Within a few years, she gave it to her daughter, Shirley, who lived in suburban Los Angeles. Shirley’s husband, Rufus, installed a highrise manifold and other high-performance modifications. In the heart of Southern California’s car culture, Rufus challenged just about anyone to a street race.

The Galaxie changed hands four more times in as many years on the West Coast, and by 1977, it was a daily driver near Portland, Oregon. Eventually, it was stolen and stripped. For 20 years, it sat on blocks in a garage until its eighth owner made it roadworthy again. The Galaxie traded hands three more times around Portland before Eric purchased it

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2020/01/24/dream-chasers-3-enthusiasts-3-classics-3-stories

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