Words: Turnkey Industries Photos: Deven Solanki
If Josh Waldie’s 1960 Galaxie were a person, it would be the type that you’d be reluctant to take home to meet your parents. Sure, you know it’s going to give you a good time, but it’s the automotive equivalent of a grungy, tattooed up, high school drop out with a bunch of facial piercings. Just like its human equivalent, it’s a little bit loud, a little bit anti-social, and has a bit of a drinking problem, but Josh wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s not so much the perfect car to take the family out for a quiet weekend jaunt, but more a car that you can load up with the lads and still fry the tyres on command. And of course what it may lack in perfect paint work, it more than makes up for in style.
Josh found the Galaxie on Craigslist while he and some mates were sitting at Auckland Airport waiting for a flight to California. The plan for the trip, besides having some fun with the lads, was to buy some cool shit to bring back home. The patinated Galaxie clearly fitted the bill, even if it wasn’t supercharged at the time. Josh tells us how it all went down. “The car looked perfect for what I was looking for, and it was at a price I couldn’t resist. We landed in San Francisco, I got in contact with him [the owner] and arranged a viewing. He was based in Carmichael, California. So we made the journey down and as soon as I saw it and heard the dirty old 460 start for the first time, that was it… take my money.”
That was purchase number one sorted, and transport for the rest of the trip too, as the lads all piled in and used it for the next few weeks around Cali. Of course, when in the States on a trip like this, it’s easy to get sucked into the car culture, and of course the shit talk with the lads… it was perhaps a combination of those things that led Josh to realise the car needed a blower out the bonnet.
The plus side of having this realisation while they were over there was that they could simply head down to BDS Blower Shop and get one, along with the supporting bits and pieces required. That discussion with the BDS team led to a billet-cased 8/71 being supplied along with a pair of 450cfm carbs.
The only other thing needed was to work out how to fit the blower bits and a couple of old 500cc motocross bikes the boys had bought into the car before sending the whole lot home.
As expected for a car of this age, even after spending the majority of its life in Nevada, it needed the front floor pans and the boot pan replaced before it could go through compliance. However, once through the car was sent straight down to see Stretch at Kati Fab to fit the billet hood protrusion. Even though Josh describes the 460ci engine as having been built by a hillbilly drag nut as a naturally aspirated combo, they decided to leave the internals untouched. The engine had seen some love over the years, having been fitted with Cobra Jet rods and a set of cast pistons. As the old owner drag raced the car, he had also fitted a Lunatai cam and a set of D3VE A2A heads with stainless valves, so the car was far from being a slouch even as purchased. Soon Stretch had the old manifold off and the new BDS manifold and blower set-up fitted. Opting to not throw the rods through the block, boost is kept at a relatively tame 8psi. The ignition system was upgraded to match with an MSD 6AL2 ignition system and MSD distributor along with Top Gun leads. The exhaust side was a bit more complicated, and to allow the combo to breathe, Stretch fabricated a pair of 2-inch stainless headers that would be linked to a twin 3-inch exhaust system. Of course, there were a few other bits and pieces needed too, such as a new fuel system, but all in all it was a relatively straightforward and drama-free process. Even the car’s C6 transmission was left untouched, a decision helped by the fact it had a 2200rpm stall converter fitted. The rear end wasn’t quite as straight forward, as the main ask was that the car could turn the tyres when loaded with passengers. For this, the original diff head was binned for a TruTrack and the axles replaced with Strange items.
While playing with the diff, a couple of inches were lobbed off the axle tubes to allow some wider feet to be fitted to the rear. Choosing wheels for a car like this is never easy, but Josh had a clear view that whatever he chose needed to give the car a tough look. The 15×10-inch Weld Drag V Series that he chose did exactly that when wrapped in fat 295/50R15 rubber. Rather than opt for the same style up front, Josh went for taller, but narrower 18×8-inch Weld Lagunas and wrapped them with 235/40R18 tread.
While the car’s patina was its key selling point, he soon found out the downside of the all natural look — the difficulty matching it. With the supercharger in place, the bonnet needed a serious sized hole to be cut in it, but with the cars being so rare, as a one year only shape, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead Josh took a fibreglass mold of the original hood and had DKL Fabrication build a metal frame to suit. This was then taken to Steve Levine, the only painter up to the task of making faux patina on fibreglass look like real patina on aged steel. He’s done a damn fine job too, as Josh has had a few purists have a go at him for chopping up the ‘genuine’ hood. Of course, Josh is all for the banter, and winding up the purists is all part of the fun.
As the previous owner had taken care of the suspension, the only task remaining was to sort the brakes. Having big wheels and drums is one of Josh’s pet hates, so he soon sourced a set of massive Wilwoods to go up front. Measuring in at 12-inches, the discs are clamped by six-piston callipers, while slightly smaller 10-inch discs are paired with four-piston callipers on the rear.
The interior remains pretty much stock — a big wide bench seat up front and room for all the lads in the rear and a tiki dancer on the dash. There’s no need for a stereo system with all the shit yarns and banter that get chucked about and, of course, that glorious blower whine mixed with the odd tyre squeal.
While it may not be the car that you use to impress the future in-laws or to try and win show trophies, it’s the perfect all round booze cruiser and is more than capable of the tyre frying antics that Josh was looking for. While the finish may be imperfect, we’d say the car is perfectly imperfect. Who gives a shit about what the potential in-laws think…
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This article originally appeared in NZV8 issue 218
SPEC LIST
Vehicle: 1960 Ford Galaxie
Engine: 460ci big block Ford, cast pistons, D3VE A2A heads, Cobra Jet rods, Lunatai cam, stainless valves, ported heads, 450cfm BDS carbs, BDS intake manifold, billet case 8/71 BDS supercharger, Aeroflow fuel pump, MSD 6AL2 ignition, MSD distributor, Top Gun leads, 3-inch stainless exhaust, AdrenalinR mufflers, custom stainless headers, custom radiator, trans cooler, 2×12-inch electric fans
Driveline: Ford C6 transmission, 2200rpm stall converter, 9-inch diff, TruTrack centre, Strange axles
Suspension: Rancho shocks, lowering blocks, aftermarket front springs
Brakes: Wilwood master cylinder, 6-piston Wilwood front calipers, 12-inch discs, 4-piston Wilwood rear callipers, 10-inch discs
Wheels/tyres: 18×8-inch Weld Laguna front wheels, 15×10-inch Weld Drag V Series rear wheels, 235/40R18 and 295/50R15 tyres
Exterior: Custom bonnet, matte clear paint
Interior: Aftermarket gauges
Performance: Yep, goes okay…
Driver: Josh Waldie
Occupation: Farmer
Age: 34
Previously owned cars: 1960 Chev C10, Nissan Skyline, Nissan Laurel
Dream car: ??
Why the Galaxie? Unique one year only shape, badass patina
Build time: Two years
Length of ownership: Five years
Josh thanks: Stretch at Katifab, Chopper at Chopper’s Auto Body Shop, DKM Fabrication, Steve Levine