1963 Galaxie 500 - Galaxie 500 XL

I have a 1963 Galaxie 500, not the XL.

This is my question :

What are the major differences ? The bodys are exactly the same right ?

I have :
Bench seats
Column shift
352
2 barrel carb
C4 trans

XL :
Bucket seats
Center console shifter
390
4barrel carb
C6 trans

The reason i ask this is, I hate the column shift and i want bucket seats. I want the center console and im probably gonna put a 390 in there.

Should I just find an XL ? , i think it kinda makes sense
It has everything i need and want

Any opinions on this matter ??????

Is it easy to convert from the column to the center console ?
If i did all these things , would I eventually have all the XL options, would i have converted it to an XL or is there other things i cant change ?

Thanks

L
[addsig]

xl's didn't have to have all that. You could get 260-289-352-390-406-427 engines. Cruse-o or 4-speed. Not that hard to do. Just have to find a donor car.

I don't know much about the 63s more familiar with the 64s but XLs might have different door handles and door panels plus the rear seat might have a speaker in it also. The exterior chrome might be a tiny bit different or have chrome/stainless where the regular doesn't.
If you got all the linkage for the floor shifter I dont' think it would be that difficult. That's including the lever on the tranny itself which will have to be changed also. And either change columns or remove the handle of the existing one.

Deb

The XL has a bigger and curvier package tray, has the fancy red white and blue "belt buckle" in the back near the trunk key/fuel door area. I'm not sure if the trunk on the regular '63 has the trunk edgers or not - I'd never seen the trunk gutters covered before my '63 XL. Yeah, you probably have the cast iron Cruise-O unless somewhere somebody swapped a c4 or c6 in. Other differences are fairly minor- the steering wheel has an 'XL centerpiece, and other little trim variations. You could very easily make an XL clone if you wanted to - I did it once with my old '65 Galaxie (and then I sold it).

sean
[addsig]