The least likely Twofer Tuesday!

GALAXIE 1,000!!

The other day I went for a rainy walk near the Prospect Expressway. Like other sunken highways planned by Robert Moses the Prospect Expressway shoved its way through an existing and densely populated neighborhood, showing zero regard for what it might be replacing. For this reason there are some curved and dead-end street stubs sprinkled along its route with small parks the shape of acute triangles where there were once apartment buildings and shops. On one of these little 1-way spurs I found this waiting for me:

Holy Toledo! A 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible! I once passed this very ride parked on another street late at night and noted the address. However, when I went back the next morning to shoot it it was gone. Even though this was a rainy windy day where your umbrella was in constant danger of turning inside out I knew I had to document it then and there.

These cars are tremendous and have enjoyed popularity since new. The styling at Ford in the mid-'60s was space-aged cool; just look at those rocket-ship taillights! Similar big round lenses could be found on the lower end Falcon as well as the tip-top Thunderbird.

The main red color for Ford in 1964 was the Rangoon Red. However I'm inclined to think this is the brighter Poppy Red. With the white convertible top this is a tough combination to beat.
We can tell that this is a standard 500 as opposed to the fancier 500XL because the chrome spear along the side remains a thin line all the way to the back. If it were an XL model there would be an oval badge in the middle of the trim near the rear end.

The Galaxie 500 represented the entire full-size lineup at Ford in 1964, which included 2 and 4 doors in both post and hardtop versions, as well as the Country Squire station wagon. Ford was also enjoying an era of very high build quality and durability at this time, with the '64s earning a reputation of going 100,000 miles without issue. This sounds pretty weak these days but in the early-to-mid '60s it was flat-out impressive! Lap seat belts were federally mandated for the first time this year too.

In person this is a huge car, though its clean lines make it seem light on its feet and nicely proportioned. I have to call out the Route 66 plate on the front of this beast; leave it alone people! Route 66, fuzzy dice, and poodle skirts are all nostalgia hallmarks that I vote off the island due to overuse.

This big red baby is sporting some white walls and hopefully has its set of original hubcaps hidden in the trunk. If you look at the corner behind this ride you'll spot a '65 Galaxie with its stacked headlights. There's no way this is a coincidence as both must be owned by the same person. Perhaps that '65 will be giving up its drivetrain for the ragtop at some point?
*I would've featured the '65 but for the impossibly good fortune of me finding another '64 convertible. There will be a future post featuring that ride separately. 

Such great design for this year, with the rear bumpers fitting nicely into the overall shape. We can also glimpse the brighter Poppy color from this angle.

I almost bought a 2-door fastback '63 Galaxie for $750 but I passed it up because I didn't want to spring for a 30 mile tow back to my driveway in Providence. Wish I had it now!

This original '64 World's Fair plate is perfectly legal for current use thanks to an accommodating law.

The biggest bummer of this car is on display here; you can see where someone cut right into the corner of the roof where it's a slightly different white. When I owned a convertible in NYC I left it unlocked with no valuables in the car. Twice I discovered the glove compartment and console open with papers all over the place, but my top remained intact.
Now on to an impossibility:

ANOTHER 1964 Galaxie convertible, this one a 500XL!

I was riding full speed down Myrtle in Fort Greene when I came upon this sweet ride and stopped to snap a few pics. The quality isn't great but I hadn't expected to ever see another so I went for it. From the side you can see that oval I mentioned in the middle of the chrome trim denoting this as an XL.

The color on this cruiser is Wimbledon White, and it looks great with these aftermarket wheels. This car was cherry.

If you're gonna leave a tire in the bike lane parked in front of a hydrant make sure it's a beautiful classic that everyone wants to drive and you won't get a ticket!

This was one of those warm summer nights where having a drop-top is the best.

I couldn't catch a glimpse of the top color due to that red boot (that matched the interior nicely). If it has a red roof this car would look spectacular parked next to the red one.
I couldn't believe my luck finding 2 '64 Galaxies for Twofer Tuesday! I have a special folder of doubles (and some triples) that I replenish as I find them, but this got skipped to the head of the line once I encountered the red car last week.