1966 Ford Galaxie Coyote

The 1962-1964 Galaxie 500XL was the first big performance Ford, with engine options all the way up to the legendary 427 in the factory lightweight cars in 1964, of which only 25 were built. Hot Rods By Dean proprietor, Dean Livermore, thought the new Ford Coyote engine would be a great fit in one of these big cars, and set about looking for one.

FORD’S full-size Galaxie is an American icon, having served as police cars, family trucksters, cabs, and even race cars powered by the thundering 427ci big-block. Along with taking scalps in the NHRA, Galaxies were used by Ford to take NASCAR glory in the mid-60s.

This 1966 Ford Galaxie Coyote was powered 5.0L Coyote engine, GM TH400 three-speed auto transmission, Viking coil-over suspension, custom rear four-link.

Northside Motor Trimming had a huge job to fill out the Galaxie’s expansive cabin in a way that blended 60s style with contemporary flair. That amazing distressed leather covering the re-foamed stock seats was sourced from Relicate in upstate New York, and is paired with latte-coloured suede and dark brown carpet. The strip speedo was binned in favour of a cluster of modern Dakota Digital electronic gauges, while the Gal runs a Dakota air con system for cool summer cruising.

The Coyote 5.0 was the first Ford eight-cylinder engine to feature twin variable camshaft timing on both the exhaust and the intake, and the aluminum block was webbed rather than reinforced in order to give it additional strength. It also featured entirely new DOHC heads that shared little with the three-valve single overhead camshaft design of the older modular engines that had populated the Mustang’s engine bay.