1963.5 Ford Galaxie 500XL R-Code

Vehicle Overview

Now available on Bring a Trailer Auctions : 1963.5 Ford Galaxie 500XL Hardtop Fastback R-Code 4-Speed

Bid - Watch at https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1963-ford-galaxie-500xl-15/

Contact us for any information regarding this process. 

Presented by Mohr Imports Monterey, member of Bring a Trailer's Local Partners Program.

This 1963½ Ford Galaxie 500XL is an R-code fastback built at Ford’s Atlanta, Georgia, assembly plant and originally equipped with a 427ci V8 with dual four-barrel carburetors and a four-speed manual transmission. The car is finished in Rangoon Red over red pleated vinyl and features front bucket seats, a center console, body-color 15? Kelsey-Hayes steel wheels with Ford-branded dog-dish hubcaps, and power-assisted drum brakes. The installed FE V8 is a 1965-era replacement and was rebuilt fewer than 500 miles ago by Barry Rabotnick of Survival Motorsports with medium-riser heads, performance internal components, and new dual Holleys. The car was previously owned by a former Ford employee, and the current owner purchased the car in 2023 and has since added approximately 500 miles. This Galaxie 500XL is now offered on dealer consignment by Mohr Imports, a BaT Local Partner in Monterey, California, with a dynamometer sheet, service records, spare parts, and a clean Michigan title.

The car is finished in Rangoon Red, and the seller states that it received an older repaint in its original color. Exterior details include quad headlights, a left-side mirror, Galaxie 500XL badging, chrome bumpers, and dual exhaust outlets. The high-beam headlights were replaced and the brake-light switch was adjusted in July 2025.

Body-color 15? Kelsey-Hayes steel wheels wear Ford-branded dog-dish hubcaps and are mounted with 225/70 Cooper Trendsetter SE tires. The car was factory equipped with front coil springs and rear leaf springs. Stopping is provided by four-wheel drum brakes, and a dual-circuit power-assisted master cylinder was installed while the engine was out. The rear leaf springs and suspension bushings were also replaced, and an alignment was performed. The front suspension was tightened and caster and camber adjustments were performed in July 2025.

The cabin houses front bucket seats and a rear bench upholstered in red pleated vinyl. Interior appointments include a center console, a padded instrument panel, a locking glovebox, and seatbelts.

The three-spoke steering wheel features a chrome horn ring and fronts a horizontal 120-mph speedometer and gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 38k miles, approximately 500 of which were added under current ownership, though it is believed to be inaccurate, and total mileage is unknown.

The installed FE dual-quad V8 was rebuilt fewer than 500 miles ago by Barry Rabotnick of Survival Motorsports and is equipped with medium-riser heads. The rebuild included machining and honing the block, welding and machining the heads, a valve job, a replacement steel crankshaft, performance pistons and rings, a COMP Cams camshaft, and balancing and blueprinting. While the engine was out, Detroit Hot Rod refinished, rewired, and replumbed the engine compartment. Additional work included installation of a fuel rail, replacement fluids, a fuel line, and a temperature sender as well as installation and tuning of the replacement Holley dual-carburetor setup. Dynamometer results from March 2025 show a peak output of 427.45 horsepower and 476.83 lb-ft of torque.

The Ford FE engine block carries a casting date code that appears to read “5J27,” which would correspond to September 27, 1965. The block also displays a DIF mark for Dearborn Iron Foundry, along with a C5AE casting number consistent with a 1965-era Ford FE casting. The identification areas on the block appear to have been machined, and no additional engine number or suffix is visible. The seller is unsure of the engine’s exact displacement, and build records and communications are displayed in the gallery.

The removed factory carburetors and some engine components are included as displayed in the gallery. The original carburetors require resealing.

Power is routed to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. A SPEC clutch was installed while the engine was out.

Decoding the data plate reveals the following production information:

• Body: 63C – Galaxie 500XL two-door hardtop fastback
• Color: J –  Rangoon Red paint
• Trim: 85 –   Red vinyl
• Date: 10D –  April 10th build date
• DSO: 21 – Atlanta district sales office
• Axle: 5 – 3.50:1 conventional axle
• Trans: 5 – Four-speed manual transmission