1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner Hard-Top Convertible

This body-off restored, long-term-owned, 1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner Hard-Top Convertible is ready for top-down cruising, as “everything is in excellent working condition,” the seller says, right up to its innovative retractable roof that the automaker promised, “converts easily and surely from an all-steel hardtop to a sun-loving convertible in 60 seconds.”

 

“My dad is its second owner,” the seller recalls, “and he bought the car in 1962 in McAllen, Texas, while my parents were living there. He used to drive it in parades in town. It was used daily when he first purchased it, but once my parents moved back to Canada in 1963, it was only driven occasionally. Then, around 1973, the Ford was stored in my grandmother’s garage where it remained for 20 years. It was moved to my father’s place and parked there until 2015 when he began an extensive restoration on the car that was completed in 2017.”

The seller believes that the 225-horsepower, 332-cu.in., two-barrel OHV V8 (code-B in the VIN) is “original” to the car. He adds that it has “less than 2,000 miles on it,” since it was rebuilt to stock specifications during the restoration. A dual exhaust system and a switch-activated electric fuel pump were added at the time.

 

“It starts well in the cold, idles at higher rpm until the engine warms up, and then it kicks down to low idle,” he reports. “There are a couple drops of engine oil under the car after more than a year of sitting, but nothing is at the transmission.” The Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic (code-4 on the driver’s-door-mounted warranty data plate) “shifts smoothly,” and the rear gear ratio is 3.10:1 (code-1).

This Galaxie Skyliner’s Colonial White repaint (code-E) is “excellent with no swirls or rust,” per the seller. However, there are two chips, one on passenger’s-side door edge and another on the driver’s-side sill plate.” The top operates properly, there’s one stone ship in the windshield, the seals are in “excellent condition,” and the exterior lighting works.

Inside, the seat covers are “in excellent condition,” as is the carpet, the seller notes. All the trim is present, and the gauges, original AM radio, and the heater/defroster work, but the under-dash-mounted A/C system does not. 

“I’m not sure what my dad did with the suspension when he rebuilt it,” the seller admits, but the bushings, shocks, and drum brakes are “all in excellent condition.” The tires, mounted on steel wheels, were replaced during the restoration, and they too are “excellent with more than a ¼-inch of tread left.”

When driving straight down the road “the steering wheel points straight,” he says. “There’s a minor amount of play in the leak-free power steering system compared to a new vehicle, but there are no vibrations at highway speeds, and the car rides very smoothly.”

The seller states that this vehicle will be sold on the proper Ontario, Canada, document in his brother’s name for transfer of ownership. Included in the sale are “receipts for any parts my dad bought, extra A/C components including four compressors, some used body trim, a radiator, and the manuals (see photos).” This 1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner Hard-Top Convertible is ready for new ownership, and is sure to impress anyone who sees it, even when it’s simply lowering or raising its top.

PHOTOS