In the heart of the Salinas Valley, just east of sunny Monterey, California, a 1963 1/2 Ford Galaxie 500XL Fastback drove off the lot at the local Ford, dealer, destined to become a cherished family heirloom. Hazel Fors, its proud new owner, drove the rocketship-inspired beauty home, unaware that she would create a legacy that lingers on to this day. Little did she know, that decades later, the car would morph into a restomod version of its former self, and christened “The Crow.”
The Galaxie, optioned with a big-block 390cid V8 engine and a three-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission, was a powerhouse of its day, embodying the spirit of Ford’s “Total Performance” era. With afterburner taillights and a low-slung body, it was one of the hottest cars on the market.
Hazel’s joyride was cut short when she passed away in 1977, leaving the Galaxie to family members, who stored it in a garage in Fresno, California. For decades, the car sat idle, a silent witness to the passage of time and the changing world around it. Like most forgotten cars, it became a resting place for boxes and other detritus from around the house.
Fast forward to 2018, and Hazel’s son, Richard, and grandson Dale, both law enforcement veterans, decided it was time to breathe new life into the old Blue Oval sled. Their initial goal was modest: to get the Galaxie running as a daily driver. However, as they delved into the project, it quickly became a full-blown restoration. The car was stripped down to its bare chassis, with the body sent to a shop and the engine and chassis farmed out to a mechanic.
The journey was not without its hurdles. The mechanic entrusted with the engine and chassis began selling off car parts, prompting Dale to liberate the Galaxie and bring it back to his home turf.
Overwhelmed by the enormity of reassembling the car, Richard and Dale contacted Total Performance Motorsports, in Salinas, California. Owned and operated by Aaron Cushman, he’s one of the West Coast’s premier builders and brought a deep understanding of auto restoration, racing, and Ford history to the project. Aaron had a waiting list, but eventually, he found a spot for the car and the restoration began.
And the beat goes on. Austin Fors is the latest generation to take flight in “The Crow”
Even though the previous shop performed some work, most had to be redone. Aaron said, “The Fors brought the car to me in 2019. The previous work was okay, but we thought it would be easier to achieve our objective with the car starting from scratch,” Aaron continued, “I had an idea for the build, and Richard and Dale got on board with the approach. I proposed building the car as an homage to the Golden Era of Ford Total Performance by adding a touch of Holman Moody race car flavoring to the mix.”
Photo – Ford Motor Company
For our younger readers, Total Performance was a Ford ad campaign in the sixties, backed up by major global racing wins (LeMans, NASCAR, Formula One, and CART). It was a magical era for Ford and has never been surpassed in the brand’s history.
Holman Moody, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, was a third-party skunkworks that built the race cars for Ford during the Total Performance era. They are still in business today, and Aaron used their authentic parts to revive the Galaxie.
To start the project off right, Aaron started with a beefed-up factory frame. From there, he added a laundry list of heavy-hitting hardware, stroked the motor to 410cid, and added old-school hardware and modern technology.
He installed aluminum heads, forged pistons, a roller valvetrain, a Powermaster high amp alternator, and a March front accessory drive. A Holley Sniper fuel injection system cleverly disguised as a dual quad carburetor crowns the engine. An original Holman Moody air cleaner is the cherry on the sundae.
Aaron contacted Lee Holman, the grandson of the founder Ralph Holman and he supplied authentic parts, some off his personal car. Keeping the big mill cool is a custom Matson custom radiator. The big-block FE Ford now makes a healthy 525 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. It exhales through a set of custom Sanderson headers and stainless steel exhaust. Power is transferred to a Currie 9-inch rear end via a TCI C6 automatic transmission.
The running gear employs a mix of the best in the business. It’s mostly stock front suspension up front with a triangulated, four-bar suspension in the rear. “The Crow” rides on Shockwave shocks all the way around with a RideTech air management system to get the car into the weeds.
Custom Schott wheels, 18s up front, 20s in the rear, were custom spec’d for “The Crow.” With a retro Halibrand vibe, they’re finished in a Cerakoat paint used for firearm finishes. Aaron tells us, “Schott came through for us. The wheels are great and compliment the car perfectly.” The wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot rubber with big 14-inch Wilwood brakes stuffed inside the barrels for maximum braking power.
The Crow is a big car and getting the body laser straight was no small task. Aaron told us, “All of our builds are sent out to Precision Paint in Salinas, California and they did a terrific job getting the body and finish perfect.” Most early sixties cars were heavily doused with bight trim and The Crow was no exception. The bumpers were smoothed and all the anodized trim was straightened and chromed by Sherm’s Plating.
A NOS rear valance between the taillights was massaged and sent out to Harry’s Auto Signs in Hollister, California, and was returned in better than new, show condition. Harry’s also finished the side spear trim paint as well. Little details like custom-made, single-color rocket ship taillights seem insignificant, but all add up in the final look.
Inside, the interior looks old school but is a skillful blend of yesteryear and cutting-edge tech. The cabin retains only the back seat and a portion of the console from the original car.
Chris at Plante Interiors out of Santa Rosa, California stitched up the interior. The front seats are custom-made and finished in black leather to echo the factory pattern. Little details make a big splash. Aaron found OEM bullet interior jewelry and had them chrome plated and added them to the interior. German square weave carpet and a wool headliner take the old workaday Dearborn finishes to the next level.
The car was fitted with power windows and Aaron cleverly converted the window cranks to actuators. The console is heavily modified with leather trim and a four-speed shifter surround. Classic Instruments handled the gauges and added Holman Moody logos to the faces.
True to old-school racing, the car has no air conditioning and radio and heater delete, with factory blank plates. The car has a Focal Bluetooth stereo system nicely hidden out of sight and supplies a powerful blast of music. Lastly, the steering wheel was reduced in diameter and modified to accept the NOS horn button.
“The Crow,” debuted at the 2021 SEMA Show. It was later showcased at the Sacramento Autorama 2021 with its interior completed, earning accolades and admiration. The car continued to garner awards, including Best in Hardtop/Sedan class at GNRS 2022, and top ten in the SEMA 2022 Battle of the Builders. It also received the Top 12 award at the Goodguys Del Mar Builder Choice Award in 2023 and Best in Class Hardtop/Sedan at Sacramento in both 2022 and 2023.
Dale recounts a special moment with his family and the Galaxie, “I’ll never forget when the car was revealed to us. We were all there, Dad, his wife Barbara, his sons, and grandchildren. Dad’s smile told the whole story as he saw the car brought back to life with his family surrounding him.” Aaron was there too and he told us, “It was the first time the family saw what I had envisioned when we embarked on the journey that would become “The Crow.” The look on their faces was worth all the hard work.”
Left to right – Aaron Cushman, Dale Fors, and Richard Fors
The story of “The Crow” is a story of family, legacy, and the bond between a father and son. For patriarch Richard, the completion of the Galaxie is a tangible connection to his late mother and a link back to a once-forgotten chapter of his life.
During the restoration, the guys found a tube of Hazel’s crimson-red lipstick that had been lost for years. It remains with the car today, tucked away inside the console. These days, Richard, Dale, and grandson Austin are enjoying the car and making new memories with heavenly Hazel tagging along for the ride.
Photography – Dave Cruikshank
