MARCH 2023: A TWENTY-SOMETHING CAR GUY WHO OWNS A 1968 FORD GALAXIE 500 TELLS HIS STORY

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MyStarCollectorCar spotted a young guy with an unusual set of wheels at a car show last summer and immediately knew we had to find out why a 20-something guy would own a 55-year-old car.

Tanner Maetche was the proud new owner of a 1968 Ford Galaxie 500 fastback that was old enough to be his dad if the car was human.

Jim Sutherland

Most car guys in Tanner’s age group are interested in tuner cars that were likely built in the 21st century-and not in a car built during the dawn of the Nixon presidential era, a year before the first manned moon landing and Woodstock. However, Tanner has always been a big fan of vintage cars from the 1960s, largely because his grandfather owned a 1968 Ford Fairlane 2-door fastback and loved the car.

Tanner’s grandfather had serious seller’s remorse when he let the ’68 Ford Fairlane go, so Tanner recalled how his granddad has mentioned “I never should have let that car go” many times over the years. The connection between Tanner’s grandfather and his long-lost Ford fastback was a highly influential factor for Tanner during his long search for a similar Ford from the late Sixties.

Ford guys will know that a 1968 Ford Fairlane was an intermediate-sized car while a Ford Galaxie was a full-sized vehicle, but the two cars share a common Ford family lineage, and all Sixties cars seem large to younger generations of car guys.

As mentioned, Tanner was a brand-new owner when we spotted his ’68 Ford Galaxie 500 last summer, but he was thrilled to become the next owner of the stylish fastback and enjoy the fact his car had a one-family legacy until he bought it. Additionally, the Galaxie was stored inside over the years.

Tanner’s flagship Ford from a bygone era has plenty of performance under its hood because Tanner wanted Sixties-era muscle to move the Galaxie 500 down the road when called upon, so his car still has its factory 390 cubic-inch big block to handle that action. Tanner added the car’s big engine has undergone a rebuild and can deliver plenty of horses when he needs them.

The Ford also has it original 3-speed automatic transmission hooked up to its factory rear end, along with its factory front disc/ rear drum brake system to whoa up the big Ford when the situation warrants it.

Other creature comforts include power steering, power brakes, and power windows to make road trips safer and more comfortable when Tanner readies the ’68 Ford for longer trips. However, it did not take long for Tanner to introduce his grandfather to the car shortly after Tanner bought it- mainly because Tanner wanted to gauge his grandad’s reaction to the car. For the record, the car was a big hit with Tanner’s grandfather.

Tanner has a solid game plan for the car. He wants to preserve its originality while entertaining thoughts of a period-correct color change, either Ford red or blue, but we at MyStarCollectorCar already know this retro car has a bright future with him.  

Jim Sutherland

BY: Jim Sutherland

Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section. 

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