Unique 1962 Ford Galaxie Country Squire Wagon

Kodie’s 6L Powered ’62 Ford Galaxie Country Squire

Investing time and money on building a custom vehicle can be somewhat of a slippery slope. Depending on the vehicle and its condition, that investment can be doomed from the start—financially speaking, anyway. Practicality also comes into play as a make or break factor at the end of the day. As long as there is a good time and sense of accomplishment at the center of the project, however, there can still be a great deal of success to be had with it. There is a balance to be met, and that balance is different for each and every one of us—especially if family life can benefit greatly from putting together a custom tailored ride.

Recently, we were lucky enough to catch up with Kodie Paxton, and her husband William “BJ” Boden from Temperance, Michigan. Both are definitely not newcomers to custom automotive culture, as they own and operate their own shop called Acme Gas and Oil. BJ has been in the scene a long time now, and he has a couple absolute killer builds (both Fords) to his credit. One is a slammed and show-worthy ’84 Bronco II that is hard to forget once you’ve seen it. The other is also low, a cool-as-hell ’85 Ranger that also boasts custom paint, a full interior and a whole lot more.

While both of BJ’s previous builds share a similar mid-1980’s vintage along with heavy street truck styling cues, there is one glaring difference that sets them starkly apart—the Cummins 4BT turbo-powered engine underneath the Ranger’s hood. While the Bronco’s 1949 Ford Flathead V8 is an amazing piece of machinery in its own right, the Ranger’s power plant does pique our interest a tad bit more. This does happen to be a diesel-centric publication, after all.

Another similarity the Bronco and Ranger share is Kodie’s love for both of them. When the time came for the two to take on yet another project vehicle, they placed their growing family at the heart of the build and found something that they can all enjoy and fit inside comfortably at the same time. The vehicle they chose is a step away from their previous two, but it’s just as cool. BJ picked up a 1962 Ford Galaxie Country Squire wagon as a surprise for Kodie, and boy, she was surprised to see it for the first time parked in their shop. The plan was to give the car the full treatment, which included running with another truly stellar engine specimen, which has become somewhat of a requirement for any of BJ’s builds.

With some help from Kill Devil Diesel (KDD)  in Poplar Branch, North Carolina, BJ was able to lock down a 2006 6.0L Ford Powerstroke that was fully loaded with KDD’s own machine work and components. A ton of other performance parts, including two very special additions, were also added to the lineup.

Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, Kodie and BJ wanted to make sure that we get one thing clear. The two Borg Warner turbochargers featured on the Powerstroke are in fact a compound turbo setup and not a twin turbo configuration. The difference is notable, as the first turbo in line feeds the other with boosted air in a compound layout instead of the two turbos operating independently in a twin scenario. Mistaking the two, or just assuming that two turbochargers naturally translates to twin turbos is an honest oversight for those not in tune with it all, but a little bit of explanation does go a long way.

A fully built 1997 Dodge NV4500 transmission from SuperStick was ordered and put into place to take full advantage of the 900hp at the rear wheels as well as the 1700 ft-lbs of torque that the Powerstroke produces. That substantial amount of power would soon be a blast to experience once the rest of the wagon project evolved.

The next phase of the build would be one of the most transformative for the Country Squire. With the expertise that BJ has with custom chassis systems, a full one-off frame was put together for the wagon using 2×3 and 2×4 square tubing throughout. Since BJ’s forte with severely lowered suspension setups is well proven and documented in his previous builds, he was fully motivated to follow suit with this project. A combination of Air Lift air bags, a 3H air management system, and dual Viair 444C compressors were plumbed to create a fully adjustable ride height. QA1 adjustable shocks have been put into place to promote ideal ride quality, and a hand-built IRS system was created to round off the custom chassis highlights. It’s a shame that this chassis is hidden underneath the car, because it really is a work of purpose-built automotive art.

To set off the wagon’s newfound low-slung chassis just right, Kodie and BJ selected a one-off set of 20×9 and 20×11 Detroit Steel Ambassador wheels that were wrapped in Nitto NT555 G2 performance rubber. To bring the car to a controlled halt, PowerStop front and Wilwood rear braking components were bolted up and finished off with steel braided lines.

Natural patina is a sacred thing among the classic vehicle crowd. It’s almost like embracing the ‘wisdom’ that gray hair brings. When the wagon found its way to Kodie and BJ, it had quite a bit of rust along the top portions of the doors and the entire hood that they weren’t interested in painting over. These worn portions were encapsulated in layers of clear coat to preserve the patina look while ensuring it doesn’t turn into any real damage to the metal down the road.

Custom paint was still as important in this build as saving the patina was, so Detroit Chris “The Mad Professor,” Mike Kluczynski, and James Rivers helped out by applying the custom candy paint that BJ mixed to the roof and along both sides of the car. Shannon Best at Best Built Customs applied airbrushed wood grain graphics to the sides, and Todd Hanson at Hanson Graphix then stepped in to pinstripe the hell out of the wagon to add some old school flavor.

Don Steinman joined the project by fabricating a custom floor pan in order to lay down wood flooring inside of the wagon—definitely a cool alternative to rolling out replacement carpet. Pete’s Auto Upholstery and Trim in Taylor, MI reupholstered a set of 2006 Lincoln MKZ bucket seats, along with a factory rear bench, center console and door panels too. The dash was painted and pinstriped to match the wagon’s exterior, a fresh set of Dakota Digital gauges were wired in, and a Mooneyes steering wheel was mounted to fully upgrade the entire command center.

Kodie and BJ started ripping into the wagon at the start of 2019 and finished it up at the tail end of 2021—not bad considering the struggle of getting parts in hand during this prime time portion of the pandemic lockdown. Every penny and minute spent whipping the car into shape has been well worth the effort, since the Galaxie is now a means for creating unforgettable memories together with their children. A wagon by nature has always been thought of as a vessel for promoting wholesome family values since their release decades ago. This is what motivated BJ to grab one for his wife and kids, but of course he couldn’t imagine doing it any differently than how it came out.

1962 Ford Galaxie Country Squire Wagon

Owner

Kodie Paxton
Temperance, MI

Engine & Drivetrain

• Shop: Kill Devil Diesel, Poplar Branch, NC
• 2006 6.0L Ford Powerstroke 8-cyl
• Custom motor mounts
• Carrillo rods
• Billet oil pump
• Modified stock oil pan
• Kill Devil Diesel Stage 3 camshaft, pistons and pushrods
• Griffin radiator and cooling fans
• 140-amp alternator
• Aluminum cylinder heads
• Jesel lifters and adjustable rockers
• Custom ODAWGS Diesel S3R intake manifold
• Mishimoto intercooler
• Borg Warner SX-E 364/73 .83 turbocharger compounded w/ SX-E480/96 1.3
• Smoothed comp and exhaust housings
• 69 psi boost
• FASS 220 lift pump
• RCD Performance Thumper II injection pump
• WDI 8mm hybrid injectors
• SCT X4 programmer tuned by Blessed Performance, Gillette, WY
• BD Power exhaust manifolds
• 5-inch exhaust diameter hand pressed to oval
• Straight pipe, side exit
• 1997 NV4500 transmission by SuperStick Transmission
• South Bend dual disc clutch
• Hurst shifter
• 16-gallon aluminum fuel cell
• (2) XS Power batteries

Chassis & Suspension

• 100% custom chassis by William “BJ” Boden
• 2×3 and 2×4 square tube frame
• All joints CNC cut radius corners
• Flaming River rack and pinion
• Air Lift Dominator D2600 front/rear air bags and 3H air management system
• 2 Viair 444C compressors
• QA1 adjustable front and rear shocks
• Hand-built IRS w/8-lug Dutchman aluminum center section

Wheels, Tires & Brakes

• 20×9 and 20×11 Detroit Steel 0ne-off Ambassador wheels
• 245/35ZR20 and 285/30ZR20 Nitto NT555 G2 tires
• Front PowerStop brakes w/ electric power assist, rear inboard brakes

Body & Paint

• Custom candy purple mixed by BJ, matte clear over natural patina
• Paint by Chris “The Mad Professor,” Mike Kluczynski, James Rivers
• Wood grain graphics by Shannon Best at Best Built Customs
• Pinstriping by Todd Hanson at Hanson Graphix
• Custom floor pan and firewall by BJ

Interior & Stereo

• Shop: Pete’s Auto Upholstery and Trim, Taylor, MI
• Front 2006 Lincoln MKZ bucket seats, rear factory bench seat
• Wood floor by Don Steinman
• Paint matched dashboard
• Dakota Digital gauges
• Glowshift gauge pods and gauges
• Custom fiberglass console
• Mooneyes steering wheel
• RetroSound head unit
• PRV Audio 6.5-inch speakers and 32mm tweeters
• Skar Audio subwoofer
• Patina painted FLO air tanks