Wheels Galleries

Ronnie Patterson says his beautifully preserved 63-1/2 Galaxie is a great way to bond with his 11-year-old son, Miles. Patterson is only the third owner of the white-over-turquoise blue Ford.

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Mike Berry The Wichita Eagle

Patterson credits the car's first owner for keeping it in immaculate condition. Only minor modifications have been made to it, including a set of air bags to lower the front end and the American Racing mag wheels.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

The thing that set the 63-1/2 Galaxie apart from plain old '63 Galaxies was this stylish fastback roof, complete with a simulated convertible top seam. Ford actually switched to this roof line to make its NASCAR cars more competitive.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

The 63 full-size Fords received a restyled front end featuring a mesh grille and a kick-up in the massive front bumper. Note the Ford crest and the blade-like fender spears.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

The Galaxie 500 featured really big tail lights in 1963, accented with 5-ray chrome spokes; the rear cove was dressed up with its own simulated mesh grille.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

Five-spoke matte gray American Racing mags with contrasting aluminum rims makes a period-perfect addition to a '60s-syle street machine.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

Patterson has so far resisted the temptation to hot-rod the power plant, instead keeping the 352 cubic inch V-8 virtually stock. A good detailing of the engine bay belies the fact the Galaxie has covered 95,000 miles.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

Inside, the Galaxie's upholstery is immaculate, again revealing the original owner's care. The two most expensive options on the window sticker are seen here: the $360 Selectaire air conditioner and the $212 3-speed Cruiseomatic transmission.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

The bench seats are covered in a combination of blue vinyl and cloth and the door panels and arm rests look nearly new.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle

Included in the purchase price were the Galaxie's original owner's manual and window sticker. Total cost for the car, sold in Dallas, was $3,850.50.

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Mike Berry/ The Wichita Eagle