Whoever buys this 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire has learned a lesson that I never have: When you buy an old car, buy one where someone else has already done the hard work. It costs about the same in the long run. Most of the cars I buy have problems—perhaps a dead miss, oil leaks, worn suspension components, clutch chatter, and/or any number of maladies that I have to enter in my “to do” notebook by the time I’ve driven it the first hundred miles. Not this car. The seller says that the Oldsmobile has had a “recent mechanical refurbishment,” and that “it drives like a dream on the highway.” Refreshing. Our reliable Barn Finder Curvette found it here on Hemmings.com in Grants Pass, Oregon, and with a couple days left on the auction, the high bid is currently $16,000 (and has not met the reserve).
The Starfire itself was the sporty “console and buckets” full-size Oldsmobile. Introduced as a convertible in 1961, the line expanded to include a hardtop in 1962, and sales were brisk: 41,988 (hardtops and convertibles combined). The standard engine was Oldsmobile’s best, a 394-cubic-inch Rocket V8 packing 345 horsepower. All Oldsmobiles from 1961 to 1964 used the Roto Hydra-matic transmission (also known as the “Slim Jim”), and they didn’t (and don’t) have the best reputation; however, the seller says that this example has “no performance or operational issues.” It does have power steering and power brakes, and the following work has recently been completed:
- Rebuilt carburetor and new fuel pump in 2024
- New points, condenser, and rotor in 2022
- Rebuilt generator and new voltage regulator
- Recored radiator, new thermostat and water pump
- New hoses, fuel lines, and belts in 2022
- New shocks, front suspension bushings, and ball joints in 2022
- New tires in 2023
The sporty GM full-size hardtops were just as splashy on the inside as they were on the outside. Complementing the Starfire’s dramatic “satin-finish aluminum panel” that decorated the exterior were woodgrained interior accents, in addition to bucket seats, a console, and a floor shifter. It appears that this Oldsmobile has power windows and a power seat, and “numerous repairs have been made to the interior electrical and vacuum-actuated features.”
The interior is not perfect, with “light to moderate wear throughout.” Notice the tachometer on the console—it was standard equipment on the Starfire. Someone has added some auxiliary gauges directly above the tach, and it appears that the dash has been covered with a carpet-like cover, which is sometimes used to cover cracks or simply to protect the factory dash pad.
The car has been repainted in factory two-tone Provincial White over a very pretty Wedgewood Mist. The advertisement mentions a “blemish” on the left front fender, and this is it. I was personally expecting worse, a good sign regarding the car’s overall condition.
Can you imagine pulling up in your subdivision in this Starfire 64 years ago, back when it was brand new? The new owner must have looked like they’d hit the jackpot, and I’ll bet that the new owner will feel the same way. And they shouldn’t have a long “to-do” list, either.
When i was a kid my Grandfather had the same car in a convertible white with a red interior. I would sit in that car while it was in the garage pretending i was driving for what seemed like hours. This is one of the nicest cars Oldsmobile and GM ever produced and brings back so many great memories. Great write up Aaron and yet again another great find by Curvette.
OMG: No fuzzy dice!!
Oh, I don’t know, I wake up screaming from my dreams, and a ’62 Starfire is never in them. Incredible car, just think what you could have had in 1962. This was a pricey car, top of the line at $4100 BUCKS( the convertible $600 more) When a ’62 Grand Prix was about $3800. Or, they could have waited for that new Buick they’ve been talking about, the ’63 Riviera cost about $4300. And that was just GM. It’s tough to place an era on “personal” luxury cars, but by golly, this car sure helped. They don’t get any nicer than this.