Dave Siek

My name is Dave Siek, and I live in Toledo, Ohio. How many people do you know that still own the very first car they ever owned? Well, I'm one of the lucky ones that does - a 1964 Galaxie 500 2-door hardtop. My Dad bought it for me from one of my high school classmates who got the car from his grandmother. The Galaxie was in good condition, but he wanted to buy a Mustang. That was my Junior year in high school, April 1971. I had my temporary license the second half of that year, then I drove it my Senior year. I was working for my Dad on weekends and full time in the summer, and slowly paid him back for the car, a total of $600.

For the next 5-6 years it was my everyday and year-round driver. In Ohio, that's rough on a car! In about 1977 while I was at work, somebody did a hit-and-run on the front end of my car. I was really mad that nobody reported it or saw it happen. But sometimes bad things turn into something good. My insurance covered the accident and I had some extra money put away, so I had the body shop do some extra body work and repaint the sides of the car. It looked so good when I got it back that I decided not to drive it in the winter anymore, so I bought another car and drove the Galaxie only in the spring and summer.

In 1981, I heard about the Performance Ford Club of America and the All-Ford Expo in Columbus, Ohio. I drove the Galaxie to the show and really enjoyed it. I didn't win any awards, but was surprised with the attention I got from the people at the show. My wife and three boys (then 7, 4 and 1-1/2 years old) and I have been to every All-Ford Expo since then. We have been to a lot of car shows since then and enjoy the memories the old Gal brings back for us and all the people at the shows. We were active members of the PFCA Northwest Ohio Region and we helped run the car shows in the Toledo area.

Over the years I have not changed the looks of the car too much. To me, the 1964 Galaxie 500 Sports Hardtop was the best looking body style they made, although I do wish I had the Galaxie 500/XL version. They had the best interior. The car has over 120,000 miles on it, but over the years I've changed the motor twice. The original was a 352-4V which ran well. However, I wanted the car to run faster, so I bought a used 1966 390-4V, which made a difference. Then in about 1981 I got looking for parts and ideas. I found a guy selling a 1968 428 Cobra Jet. We traded some parts and money, and I'm glad I did! The power, torque and streetability of the 428 CJ is great. The transmission was an FMX, now it's a C6. The rear end gear was a 3.25:1 Traction-Lok, now it's a 4.11:1. It's quick, but not so great cruising on the open highway! I also added a tear drop hood scoop to give it the Lightweight Galaxie look, especially since it's white with a red interior. I also stayed with Cragar SS wheels to keep the '60s look. In May of 1990, a friend of mine helped me repaint it and put a reconditioned rear bumper on it. The car looked new again! Next, I needed to freshen up the interior. I had some bucket seats reupholstered for it and I put in some new carpeting. The rest of the interior is still original. I also put in a Hurst floor shifter. The exhaust is 2-1/2" with Flowmaster mufflers. After all that work, it should be good for another 20 or 30 years. I'll never get tired of driving it to car shows and cruise nights. I haven't won a lot of awards or trophies with it, but I still enjoy it. My reward is the reactions and comments from the spectators and participants at the shows.

I joined the Ford Galaxie Club of America about 5 or 6 years ago. So far it seems to be a good group to be associated with. I have found some parts I needed for my car, and I enjoy reading the "Galaxie Gazette". I like seeing the other members' 1964 Galaxies and all the other years of the Galaxie. I'm also a model builder, and I build only Ford-related models, including drag racing, NASCAR, muscle cars and stocks.

1964 Galaxie 500 2-Door Hardtop

VIN 4W66X101100, BODY 63B, COLOR M, TRIM 15, DATE 24J, DSO 33, AXLE 1, TRANS 4

Left click on the thumbnails below to view the full pictures:

Let's see what the VIN and production data tell us...

The VIN of 4W66X101100 decodes as follows:

4 = model year: 1964

W = build plant: Wayne Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan

66 = Body Serial Code: Galaxie 500 2-door hardtop, bench seats (206,996 produced during the 1964 model year)

X = engine: 352 Thunderbird V-8, 352-4V, 250 hp @ 4400 rpm, 352 lb-ft @ 2800 rpm, 9.3:1 compression ratio

101100 = Consecutive Unit Number (CUN): 1,100th Ford car scheduled to be built at the Wayne Assembly Plant during the 1964 model year (Job 1 was CUN 100001)

The production data decode as follows:

BODY 63B = Body Style Code: Galaxie 500 2-door hardtop, bench seats (206,996 produced during the 1964 model year)

COLOR M = exterior paint color: Wimbledon White (white)

TRIM 15 = interior trim color, material and front seat style: red "Chain Weave" pattern cloth cushion inserts and red "Crush" pattern vinyl sides, bolsters, and back, bench seat

DATE 24J = scheduled build date: Tuesday, September 24, 1963

DSO 33 = District Sales Office: car was ordered through the Detroit, Michigan District Sales Office

AXLE 1 = rear axle ratio and type: 3.00:1 non-locking

TRANS 4 = transmission type and shift location: Cruise-O-Matic 3-speed automatic, console shift

Left click on the thumbnails below to read what the Buyer's Digest Of New Car Facts For 1964 had to say about the 1964 Galaxie 500 2-Door Hardtop:

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