A Galaxie out of this world
Alberta judge fully restored rare 1966 7-litre Ford ragtop
If you are outside Edmonton’s law courts on a fair-weather day, you may see a yellow classic Ford convertible heading into the parking lot — driven by the associate chief justice of Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench, John D. Rooke.
Justice Rooke first drove his 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 XL 7.0-litre convertible when it was just one year old. Coming home from his first year in law school, there was a big surprise. His father, Dan, a farmer-turned-auto parts salesman, had something special.
The springtime yellow factory muscle car with Ford’s newly minted 345-horsepower 428-cubic-inch V8 had been sold in Regina and came with luxury items such as power windows and a six-way adjustable driver’s seat. The first owner paid $3,600 for the yellow convertible with its sporty bucket seat interior and black folding top.
The 7.0-litre — at a $500 premium — is a rare breed of muscle car offering both high performance and comfort. Ford featured the 7.0-litre in its advertising with the caption “Either the quickest quiet car or the quietest quick car.” In 1966, Ford made 11,073 of the 7.0-litre cars — 2,368 of them droptops.
According to the International 7-Litre Registry website, 656 of these cars are known to exist today, with convertibles accounting for 220.
Dan Rooke loved cars and was a major participant in Regina’s Antique Auto Association, restoring dozens of collector cars. He worked for an auto-parts store across the street from the Ford dealership and he had found out the first owner of the fancy 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible needed to sell it.
He bought it for $3,000 and told his son he could repay him after he began his law practice. John loved the convertible and drove it through his law school years.
It was his honeymoon car on a trip to Vancouver and back through Edmonton when he married Gayle in 1969. They drove it to Saskatoon for his third year of law school, pulling a small trailer containing all their possessions.
He became a lawyer at age 22, and would become a judge at 43. John and Gayle drove the Ford convertible through his early years as a litigation lawyer in Calgary. The young couple took many vacation trips in it, including to the west coast and into the Alberta foothills.
By the 1980s, the Ford convertible was showing its age, with serious body and frame rust, plus other issues. The car ended up at the family cabin in B.C.’s Windermere Valley and stored for 25 years.
Finally, John launched a professional off-frame rotisserie restoration with an engine rebuild, upholstery refurbish and new convertible top and is pleased with the result.
He drives the car from late spring until the end of summer, when it’s stored for the winter. “I just enjoy it and drive it around town,” he says, adding he may offer to drive it in the next Calgary Stampede parade.