VERY RARE STARFIRE 'VERT, SAME OWNER FOR 33 YEARS, 394 V8, AUTO, PWR OPTIONS!!

1961 Oldsmobile Starfire Description

The Starfire was the top-of-the-line Oldsmobile in 1961, and available only as a convertible. Performance cars were just coming into their own, and Oldsmobile jumped in with a sporty convertible that packed a muscular 394 cubic inch V8, special trim, and beautiful bucket seats to create a fantastic gentleman's express.Oldsmobiles were all-new in 1961, losing some size and dropping the excesses of the '50s, and instead looking forward to the jet age. The entire car gives the illusion of motion, from the special aluminum panels that sweep across the sides of the car, to the little "winglets" at the lower edge of the rear quarters. Finding one of these in any condition is a rare thing, with only 7800 or so being built, and this one is in ideal condition to drive and enjoy: not perfect, but pretty darned nice. Sharing a chassis with the Dynamic 88 means that mechanical parts are easy to find, but if you don't start with a solid example like this, you can expect your restoration to be a long, slow, painful, and expensive process. The original sheetmetal is quite good, with tight gaps and a wonderful code C Provincial White paint job that suits the big ragtop perfectly. Fender skirts add to the long, low look, and all that specialized chrome and stainless trim remains in very good condition, especially since most of it is in original condition!The Starfire's other claim to fame, besides the trim, was the luxuriously trimmed bucket seat interior as standard equipment. Buckets and a console were still a relatively rare innovation, especially on a full-sized car, but it gives the Starfire a very sporty attitude. In 2004, the seats were neatly retrimmed in blue vinyl with contrasting dark blue carpets, while the door panels are likely nice original pieces. The steering wheel is so slender it almost looks fragile in your hands, and frames a full array of instruments including a tachometer in the center console. As an Olds, it also neatly straddles the luxury/performance line, and carries an AM radio with rear speaker, power windows, and a Safety Sentinel, which sounds an alarm if you exceed a pre-set speed. A black convertible top was fitted in the 80s yet still looks great, and it powers itself up and down with the touch of a switch. You know the trunk is massive, and it's beautifully finished with blue carpets, including a matching cover for the spare tire.Oldsmobile's top engine was the 394 cubic inch Rocket V8 making 330 horsepower in Starfire trim. A "Slim Jim" Model 10 automatic transmission was standard, and an "Anti-Spin" rear end was included as well. The air cleaner advertises "Ultra High Compression" as a kind of warning, although the bright red powerplant is happy to run today on pump gas, so don't let it scare you. Everything has been neatly restored, the engine was rebuilt about 3000 miles ago, and everything from the power steering to the generator works as it should. The floors underneath are shockingly clean, and a set of glasspack-style mufflers give it an appropriate V8 rumble. 14-inch steel wheels with unique wheelcovers offer 205/75/14 whitewall radials, which are quite similar to the narrow white stripe tires this car originally wore.Documented with restoration receipts and factory literature, this is an unusual cruiser that has plenty of performance to remain entertaining. Call today!