SUBSCRIBE TO THE
MAGAZINE NOW
Facebook-f Instagram

Weekly Motor Fix: Galaxie watching made easy

1 March, 2016

 


As Americarna is one of the largest events for American vehicles in New Zealand, there’s never any shortage of jaw-dropping vehicles on display. We came across this exquisitely restored ’67 Galaxie while it was parked up at Onemana. 

The third-generation Galaxie is a handsome vehicle from the factory — those stacked headlights and expansive grille make for a seriously good-looking face. 


This one’s more than just sharp lines and good looks, though — a set of 15-inch Billet Specialties wheels look right at home under the big Galaxie body, and the fitment is about perfect. These don’t look like they were just grabbed off the shelf, and it’s always refreshing to see instances where people buy wheels ‘for’ their car, rather than just buy wheels. 

Chrome-finish Wilwood calipers also peer out from between the Billet Specialties spokes, hinting that there may be a few horses under the hood that need reining in. 

Flanking those rad front wheels is a hint as to what resides beneath the Galaxie’s long bonnet, which unfortunately remained closed during our five minutes with the car. The 390 badge is a bit of a no-brainer — implying it’s a 390ci FE V8 powering the beast. In a world where 572ci engines can be bought off the shelf, it’s sometimes easy to forget that 390 cubes is still a hell of a lot. Could the ‘Double Trouble’ decal be hinting at a dual-quad (twin four-barrel carbs) set-up? We don’t know, but speculating is always fun. 

A look under the rear shows that this car hasn’t been given a quick blow over with a paint gun either. The chances of it having been subject to a body-off rebuild are pretty high — you don’t just refinish your diff, fuel tank, and undercarriage for a laugh. 

Inside, it’s no less impressive. The upholstery looks spot-on, and while there are hints of a banging sound system, no plastic Japanese head unit is readily visible. We’d go so far as to hazard a guess that the factory-looking stereo is actually a modern reproduction, designed to look the part. And it’s nice to see the factory tiller, tying everything together perfectly. Was it kept for easy visibility of that oh-so-subtly hidden tacho? 

This Galaxie is no magazine cover car, but it’s a beautifully finished example that we’d be ecstatic about having the keys to. You don’t need 1000hp, or a 20-layer paint job, or a crazy customized interior — having a beautifully finished cruiser is more than enough, especially if you know it’s been done right, and will get you wherever you want to take it.   

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.

A diamond in the rough

24 June, 2025

Two years ago, Lew finished a thorough restoration and the impressive ute has taken on a new life and colour. Lew plays down the amount of effort required but, despite his protestations, I suspect he put a lot of time into the project. A few unwanted tenants were evicted along the way.
“It didn’t take me long. There had been mice living in the firewall, which had caused a bit of damage. It apparently broke down and was pushed into a shed. It was 20 years to the day when I pulled it out and it sat in my other shed for 3 years before I started on it. That’s why it’s in such good order — it’s been kept in a shed for so long and still is.”