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Ford Muscle Cars of 1966 And the Beat Goes On
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Not wanting to upset the applecart of success enjoyed in 1965, Ford wisely decided to make major changes in only two of the five individual 1966 series, which now included 49 different models. These changes resulted in higher sales figures for the full-size Ford line-up; a gigantic jump in sales for the all new Fairlane models; lower emphasis on the Falcon line, which was completely restyled for 1966; and continued astronomical sales for the fabulously successful Mustang models.
The federal government had begun mandating emissions controls on 1963 models, but it was in 1966 that “Big Brother” really began meddling in the automotive industry. As a result of federal requirements, standard equipment on all new 1966 models included front and rear seatbelts, windshield washers, back-up lights, padded instrument panels and sun visors, four-way emergency flashers, and outside rear view mirrors on the driver’s side. These features improved the safety factor built into the cars and, unfortunately, are about the last time the government used any common sense in its mandating of safety features.
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Galaxies On the NASCAR trail, the big Galaxies only competed for half the season, and withdrew completely when NASCAR once again banned the SOHC 427-powered cars, insisting they weren’ t true production cars. Ford appealed the decision but the fact that Chrysler had introduced the Street Hemi at the beginning of 1966, served to strengthen NASCAR’s case. The sanctioning body finally gave in to Ford, but with the stipulation that the SOHC cars would be penalized one pound per cubic inch, requiring a weight of 4,427 pounds for an SOHC-powered Galaxie, as opposed to 4,000 pounds for the competition. Obviously, this blatant discrimination was too much for Ford officials to swallow, and their withdrawal from 1966 NASCAR competition began. When Ford did return to racing in late 1966, it was not with the big Galaxies, but with the all-new 427- powered Fairlanes and Comets. With very few exceptions, 1966 was the last year the big Galaxies would see duty on the stock car tracks.
If the performance factor for the 1966 full-size Fords was being lessened on the track, it was far from over on the streets. Air conditioning and more power-robbing options were becoming more popular by 1966, and it was determined an engine larger than the 390 was needed for “general usage.” The mighty 427s were still around (in both four-barrel and dual four-barrel configurations once again) but they were about as far from a “general usage” engines as possible.
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With the increasing popularity of air conditioning, production of the beautiful convertible models began decreasing, with just 27,454 Galaxie 500s and only 6,360 XLs produced in 1966.
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Using proven components, Ford developed the new Thunderbird 7-Litre 428ci V-8 engine. This is where things get confusing, as the new 428 actually had a calculated displacement of 427 cubic inches! Not coincidentally, seven liters (427 cubic inches) was the displacement limit imposed by NASCAR. The “427” had an actual calculated displacement of 425 cubic inch, but Oldsmobile already had a “425” in its stables, and Ford certainly didn’t want to play second fiddle to Oldsmobile. In an era when displacement and high output, real or implied, was everything, Ford decided to take it to the limit, and called the 425-cubic-inch racing engine a “427.” Just to keep the public from becoming as confused you are now, Ford decided to call the new engine a “428,” and emphasize the fact that it was available in any full-size Ford or Thunderbird, with either manual or automatic transmission in Fords, unlike the 427, which was not available in station wagons or Thunderbirds. Ford may not have consciously wanted you to confuse the 427 and 428 engines but it didn’t want to make it too clear which was which, either. As a result, the 427 was called the “7 Litre Cobra High Performance V-8,” and the 428 was referred to officially as the “Thunderbird 7 Litre four-barrel V-8.” Clear as mud, right? That’s just what Ford wanted!
As in 1963 with the Galaxie Sportroof, Ford wanted a model to showcase the new 428 engine, and the Galaxie 500 “7 Litre” models were created. Basically a Galaxie 500XL hardtop or convertible loaded with options as standard equipment, the 7 Litres were nearly $500 more expensive than an identically equipped XL and, as a result, were not terribly successful, with only 11,073 being sold.
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The Galaxie 500 7-Litre was Ford’s final attempt at building a full-size performance model.
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The entire full-size Ford line-up bore a striking resemblance to the previous year, even though nearly every body line had been changed. Where the 1965 models featured razor sharp lines, the 1966 carried more rounded lines. By using the 1965 basic body shell with new quarter-panel skins, front fenders and grille, a new character had been created. Obviously, a great deal of tooling costs had been saved for 1966, with nearly every part of certain 1966 models being interchangeable with the 1965 counterpart, especially in the station wagons. The important exception is the two-door hardtop, with the only interchangeable parts being the hoods, doors, windshields and front side windows. Every other body panel had been changed enough to render interchanging impossible.
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The 7-Litre models shared interior components with the XL, with the addition of the simulated woodgrain steering wheel used in Fairlane and Mustang GT models. This particular interior is in one of just two 427 7-Litre convertibles, and includes every option available with the 427 engine.
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Ranking near the top of the Ford lineup, the 7-Litres shared the die-cast grille with the XL, LTD, and Country Squire models. The 7-Litres also featured a unique body-side pinstripe, available in red, white, or black.
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An all-new grille was featured up front, and included two sets of three thin, horizontal bars between two, heavy, horizontal bars. The two individual horizontal grille sets were separated by a space that included the parking lights/turn signals at each end of the grille. The rear wheel well had been opened up to fully expose the rear wheel, and was the only major change from the 1965 side profile on all cars but the two-door hardtop. On the hardtop models, the rear of the top featured a slightly concave contoured rear window, which flowed into the trunk lid, as opposed to the abrupt top/body intersection on the 1965 models. At the rear, the rectangular tail light assemblies used on the 1965 models had been replaced with a square assembly on the new models. Unlike 1965, all 1966 models used the same taillights.
All full-size Fords continued to use the same chassis as in 1965, and featured a 119-inch wheelbase and overall length of 210 inches, with weights from 3,333 pounds for a six-cylinder equipped Custom two-door sedan, up to 4,062 pounds for a V-8-equipped, nine-passenger four-door Country Squire station wagon.
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Quality and quietness remained the main advertising focal points for 1966, and even the base Custom series featured such niceties as color-keyed nylon and rayon carpeting, chrome windshield and rear window moldings, armrests on all doors with ashtrays in the rear, chrome horn ring on the color-keyed steering wheel, an ashtray with cigarette lighter in the instrument panel, a foot-operated parking brake and the suspended accelerator pedal, first introduced in 1965.
The Custom 500 remained the upper model of the base Custom series and included all the standard Custom features, plus a single chrome strip, which ran along the body side. The red, white and blue Ford crest was positioned at the front of this chrome strip. Also included in the Custom 500 line-up was a rear deck molding across the back of the trunk lid, including the “FORD” name, in chrome block letters surrounded by black, chrome drip rail moldings, and the model identification on the back of the quarter-panel, with “CUSTOM” in script and “500” in block letters on a black block. Custom 500 interiors were slightly upgraded and included two-tone door panels with a small horizontal chrome strip just above the armrests.
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The Galaxie 500 was the base trim level of the intermediate Galaxie line-up and included all the Custom 500 standard features plus a chrome hood ornament with “floating” Ford crest, a ribbed rocker panel molding with black stripes, bright (Ford’s designation for polished aluminum or stainless steel) wheel well openings, bright side window moldings, and two bright strips across the back of the trunk lid, with FORD, in block letters, located between the two strips. Inside, Galaxie 500s featured the addition of a self-regulating electric clock, ashtray and glove box light, paddle type door handles located in larger arm rests with bright inserts, woodgrain inserts in the lower instrument cluster pod, a textured appliqué on the lower portion of the instrument panel, a Galaxie 500 plaque on the glove box door, and bright front seat back and side shields. Seating surfaces were upholstered in “Olympia” broadcloth or vinyl materials. An interesting feature only used on the hardtop and convertibles was the interior rear view mirror, which was bonded to the windshield instead of being suspended from the upper windshield trim panel. Convertibles featured only the vinyl interiors.
As in the past few years, the Galaxie 500XL was the sporty version of the Galaxie 500 line-up, and included all the standard features of the Galaxie 500s plus a special die cast grille, full wheel covers, a chrome spear on either side of the XL medallion on the back of the trunk, a full length hood ornament, a large ornament resembling an elongated star on the front of the front fender, rear quarter-panel molding that duplicated the rocker panel molding, and Galaxie 500XL designations on the quarter-panel. The interior featured redesigned front bucket seats with vinyl upholstery material and full-length console, which included a storage compartment and floor mounted shifter; more elaborate door panels, including a bright insert with a woodgrained emblem in the center of the insert; courtesy/warning lights in the lower portion of the doors; bright trim on the foot pedals; full-length woodgrained appliqué on the lower portion of the instrument panel; and the XL designation on the glove box door. XL models featured the 200- horsepower289 2V Challenger V-8 as standard equipment.
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The Galaxie 500 7 Litre was chosen to be the series flagship for Ford’s new 428ci V-8 engine, and included all the equipment standard on XL models, in addition to the C-6 Dual Range automatic transmission, wheel covers that simulated “mag” wheels, and “7 Litre” emblems on the driver’s side of the upper grille section, on the front of the front fenders, in the center of the trunk lid, and on the glove box cover. Also, all 7 Litres featured front disc brakes, an nonsilenced, open-element air cleaner and a special low-restriction dual exhaust system that featured two glass packed mufflers and two glass packed resonators. The top-loader four-speed manual transmission was a no-cost option for those buyers who liked to row, and the 427 was the only engine option. Reportedly, only 38 7 Litres were sold with the 427 engine (only two were convertibles), and approximately 20 percent received the four-speed transmission. All 7 Litres utilized a 9 3/8-inch ring gear in the differential, in both open and Equa-Loc configurations. Due to the relatively high prices of 7 Litre models, only 8,807 hardtops and 2,368 convertibles were manufactured in 1966.
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The open-element air cleaner assembly is the only difference in the 428 used in 7-Litre models and those used in all other full-size Fords. In the much lighter Custom 2-dr body, this engine proved to be a very lively performer, especially when equipped with the 4-speed manual transmission.
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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Super '60s Fords - The Inside Story of the Most Powerful Fords Ever Built by John Smith
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In the ‘50s, Detroit built cars with style in mind . . . but as the ‘60s arrived, a younger group of car buyers had another thing in mind: Performance! Ford Motor Company met that demand with some of the fastest and most powerful cars on the street. In this book, John Smith covers the entire Ford performance story in the ‘60s, -- and not just Mustangs and Cobras, but Galaxies, Torinos, Falcons, Fairlanes, Shelbys, Mavericks, and every other Ford that got extra horsepower stuffed under its hood in this fast-moving decade. Models are covered year by year, from the Supercharged T-birds of 1957 to the last gasp of the muscle car era in 1973, and everything in between. Performance engines and stats are listed for each year, and an informative appendix includes information on deciphering VIN tags and parts codes. With 200 black and white and more than 100 outstanding color photos, this book has the images and information that Ford fans want on their favorite performance models, from supercharged Y-blocks to Boss 429s.
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Click below to view sample pages from each chapter.
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Chap. 1 -1957 The Foundation Chap. 2 -1958 352 Big Block Chap. 3 -1959 High Style Chap. 4 -1960 New Ideas Chap. 5 -1961 Back to Tradition Chap. 6 -1962 Legends Chap. 7 -1963 Fast Backs Chap. 8 -1964 The First Mustang Chap. 9 -1965 Big Changes Chap. 10 -1966 Beat Goes On Chap. 11 -1967 Changing Guard Chap. 12 -1968 428 Cobra Jet Chap. 13 -1969 Boss 302 & 429 Chap. 14 -1970 429CJ & SCJ Chap. 15 -1971 Last of Breed Chap. 16 -1972 - 73 End of Era
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This is without a doubt one of the best books about Ford muscle cars ever written!
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Soft bound 8-1/2 x 11 160+ pages 200 b/w photos 100+ color photos Item #SA25 Price: $22.95
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a book any Ford enthusiast will enjoy to read over and over. Read the sample pages to learn more.
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Ford Galaxie & LTD Gold Portfolio 1960-1976
Ford's large cars have always proved popular. 1965 was the year of the restyle, but the mosts important fact was the 427 engine. The Galaxie 500XL was for those who wanted a sports car and the LTD was built for luxury. By the early seventies the big cars were still grabbing a large part of Ford's sales. This book is a collection of contemporary road and comparison tests, specification and technical data, driver's reports, long-term tests and new model introduction articles. Models covered include Starliner, Town Sedan, 500, 500XL, Fastback, Convertible, LTD, LTD 428, LTD 429, LTD 390, Ford XL, Brougham, Wagon, Landau, LTD Town Car.
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Price: $
29.95
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Ford Torino Performance Portfolio 1968-1974
This book is a collection of road and comparison tests, performance data, full specifications, model introductions articles, historical information and restoration advice. The 34 articles in this book are sourced from Car and Driver, Car Craft, Car Life, Cars, Circle Track, Classic American, Ford Motor Company, Motor Trend, and others. Articles include: 'Ram Air Cobra restoration', 'A tale of two Torinos, NASCAR Torino verses Torino Cobra Jet 428, The Brute from Ford's Snake Pit - Cobra Jet 429, Ford's Torino GT - 351, and many more.
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Price: $
22.95
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Ford Thunderbird Performance Portfolio 1964-1976
The Ford Thunderbird was continually changing and reinvented over the years to meet the ever changing needs of the American public. This book contains a collection of road and comparison tests, model introduction articles, performance data, consumer analysis reports, touring reviews, design and specification data, technical study and history for the 1964 to 1976 Thunderbird including convertible, Sedan, and Landau. This is a great book and one that any Thunderbird owner or enthusiast will love. Softbound, 8 x 10.5-inches, 140 pages and over 250 b/w photos.
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Price: $
22.95
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Payment, Shipping & Sales
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