The Starfire nameplate returned to the Oldsmobile fold in mid-1961 as a grand touring automobile. And only as a convertible for that model year. The lineup was expanded the following year, making the 1,500 or so built in 1961 rarer to acquire today. This example looks to have been sitting for some time and is not complete, at least per the photos provided. And it was the first GM car to have a floor shifter in the console for an automatic (or so we understand). Located now in Newfield, New York, this ragtop project is available here on craigslist for $10,000.
Oldsmobile used the Super 88 and Dynamic 88 platform to house the revived 1961 Starfire. It was the GM division’s most expensive product and came with everything you could imagine, including leather bucket seats, an automatic transmission, and a “Sky-Rocket” 394 cubic inch V8 that was good for 330 hp. The console even featured a tachometer to keep track of how the engine was performing. The side body panels were adorned with brushed aluminum to add to the car’s special nature.
The seller says 7,800 of these convertibles were built, but that’s far more optimistic than other sources. We’d bet this Oldsmobile has an interesting story, but the seller either doesn’t know or share it. The overall condition is rated as “fair,” and the seller says the body and frame are solid, despite its being under wraps for what may be many years. And are any of the missing parts still around anywhere?
This machine has 59,000 miles according to the seller. That sounds rather premature for the Starfire to have been put out to pasture. If you were to restore this Oldsmobile, chances are you’d be the only person in your circle to have one. But at what cost? A bravo goes to Barn Finder “Zen” for the cool tip!
I never saw one of these. Would love to see it completed.
Great looking dash and console. Love the upside down fins and taillights.
What a potential Gem !
“The seller says 7,800 of these convertibles were built, but that’s far more optimistic than other sources.”
What other sources? Wikipedia has production at 1,500 but I’m not seeing where they got that number from. “Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980” (published in 1993) has it at 7,600 while more recently the 7,800 figure has turned up, but that could be a typo. Seems like production was around 7k-plus units. 1,500 seems much too low.
7804 were produced, 1500ish sold in 1961, it was a mid year release. We are the “Starfire Brothers, saving Starfires since 1983” if you buy this car and need parts(bumper) we got 2 warehouses. Maine and Florida. And 2 currently for sale!!
Had a ’62 and loved mine. It was a 2-door hardtop painted ice blue
with a leather and brocade interior. Dunno if it was factory or not, but mine had the 394 with
tri power on it and man, was that thing fast! A ballistic barge if you
will. One day,, the linkage got hung up somehow and the throttle stuck wide open! So there we were, my friend and I, flying down Route 66 at well over
120+ MPH wondering very quickly what to do when it occurred to us to just shut it off and coast to the side of the road.
I called my Dad, told him what happened and he came out to lend a hand. Come.to find out that an errant piece of carpet caused the linkage to stick in the
wide open position much like the
problems that Toyota had with
some of their sedans in 2009-2010. And once it was fixed, it never happened again. But all fun things must come to an end
and I sold the car to a kid I knew in school for a grand or so. I still
had my ’66 Cadillac, the ’52 Chevy
I bought for $10, a ’66 Chevy Caprice with a 396 4-speed in it,
and the ’50 Packard limousine I’d
just bought from a friend for $250 just before the 1971 summer tour. We got the Packard serviced while I was on a
2-week vacation before I went out
to Vegas with Duke Babb on the last part of that tour before I started my Junior year in highschool. And the Olds? Sold it to a guy I knew the first day of
class. His folks liked the fact that it was a big, well mannered
car that ran well. His Dad wrote me a check for $1,100 with no
objections at all. So yeah, these
were very special cars that endeared themselves to their owners. And what happened to
the rest of the cars I had that summer? That’s another story for
another time.
I’ll take my 1961 Buick Invicta convertible with the 401 nail head, thank you very much. White, black top, red interior.
Oldsmobile always had great looking dashboards and steering wheels. Buick gave them a run for the money with their adjustable mirror dash.
I’m with you, Angel regarding the ’61 Invicta. In ~1970, I had a ’61 Buick, though a LeSabre, and a coupe, not a convertible. The smoothness of the Dynaflow and the vast power behind it made it a remarkable ride. Almost six decades later, I still miss it. As for Oldsmobiles, I liked them too. When I was 16, I worked for a fellow who had a gorgeous ’62 Starfire–black with a red gut. He’d routinely let me drive it to retrieve items for the business. Impressive car and very, very fast.
I hope they have a lot more Windex than that on hand, because they’re going to need it for those windows! (LOL)
It has a Thermoquad on it
The standard catalog of Oldsmobile 1897- 1997 by John Chevedden and Ron Kawalke ,states that the production total on these is 7,800.
This is one Olds that caught my attention. Never knew about this combo existing. I’d gamble to clean and piece this one together.
Another lazy seller! Clean it up and you might get 1/2 of what you’re asking.
on this year as well as the 62’s,, the rear jack pads located on the frame right before the rear wheels, they tend to rot out,,,ihave had two they both were rot out,, one seller stuffed the rot with body filler,,so,, be aware,
At 10 large and in “fair” condition, it’s really not for sale yet. The seller still has a crush on it.
not many of these left for sure. there are a lot of unknows here as in the motor and what parts they have. in person inspection would be needed and they need to come off the 10k quite a bit.
Newfield NY is a suburb of Ithaca NY, right in the heart of the Central New York salt use area.. First I would want some history on where this car has lived.. Then a good underside inspection. Even though it may be a low production vehicle I think his price is overly optimistic for the amount of work needed to get this car roadworthy.
Interesting how the shape of the gauges became the shape of the taillights the following year.
How long has it been sitting with the air cleaner in the trunk allowing for critters to get in the engine? Might be worth it but probably going to have to do a engine teardown.
I was just beginning to take note of cars when Detroit began to mount gear selectors on the floors of certain models. I and my teenage crowd mocked the decision, calling the levers “do-nothing sticks.”
the current teenagers want Nothing to Do with these sticks
Indeed, they wouldn’t know what to do with them!
That Buick sounds like a really nice car Angel 😇. That concave
rear end was very distinctive and
with those pointy front fenders, it
made the car look like an arrow
as it went down the road. The closest I ever came to owning one was a 1/25 scale promo car
by AMT with friction drive. And my ’62 LeSabre ragtop, now that
was a sharp car. Used to take great delight having my Mom or
my older sister drive me down to
Champaign Illinois to tape the Marvin Lee Show in ’72. That was during my Senior year in highschool. We’d leave early in the morning, have breakfast at this little diner we knew, and drove to TV station and recorded the show. Afterwards, we’d go home and I’d either rest or do my
homework, meet up with my friends, pile into my Packard, and
go play a one nighter somewhere.
Boy, what good times we had! The sound of WSM on the radio,
the ladies we met, the music we made, makes me wanna do it all
over again like this fella I saw on
The Twilight Zone where he was able to go back to his home town
and relive his life again. Great times, overpriced Oldsmobile, and time for me to find the Bucs
game if possible. Will write you
later Angel 😇 💋
Huh?
@Kevin James
We talk to each other on here, Kevin. They won’t allow us to exchange email addresses so we can talk offline or give us a chat room so we talk back and forth here at the Barn.
I had a ’61 triple blue convertible in ’65. I still consider it the best ride ever and I’ve owned a few good ones including ’63 Chev SS convertible which I bought off the showroom floor for I think $ 2700.00.
My dad had a 61 Starfire, powder blue with grey leather seats, and lots of brushed stainless steel. Growing up in a small Kansas town in the 60’s, and your old man has the coolest car.😉
That appears to be a Carter Thermoquad carburetor instead of a Rochester 4GC carburetor sitting on top of the engine.
It could be a stunning car restored, but finding specific trim parts would be a challenge. The rear bumper is also likely to be a tough find. The carburetor is a Carter Thermoquad, not an OEM unit.They were available in 1969 at speed shops and other sources. Chrysler used these on several cars around 70 or 71.
It deserves a meticulous factory spec resto. No straying.
Thanks Angel 😇. It must be his
first time here at the barn. Welcome Kevin, you’ll get used to
us the more times you stop by, sit
a spell, and just say howdy! That’s what we do here. We talk to each other, comment on the stuff we see here, and swap stories– of which I’m guilty of telling waaay too many up here, but we’re all the friends here and the folks out there are used to me
doing that and I’m glad they tolerate me for that. Lost my wife
to a stroke nearly 25 years ago and now it’s just me. So stopping
by here every day keeps me in touch with all my friends here. Now, as for this car, get it running,
make it safe, and just enjoy it for
what it is. And yes Angel 😇, after seeing this car, I’ve been having that dream about cruising
with a very special young lady again.
No worries, Ken.
Sorry for your loss.
I’m starting to be more aware of ‘the Regulars’ here.
Yeah Kevin. This isn’t Queens and you’re not king…
Just kidding because I love that old show with The Grandpa in the basement and the Hulk for a neighbor too.
Welcome to the site! This car was one sweet ride in it’s day.
GLWS
Looks like a Carter Thermo Quad carb to me. If so they were most common in MOPARs starting around 1971, but also in a smattering of other cars thereafter, plus aftermarket. :-) Terry J
Don’t forget that Oldsmobile used a perimeter ladder frame vs the notorious “X” frame used by Chevy, Cadillac and Buick thus providing a strong smooth riding platform. The ultra high compression engine was no joke either. This would be a fun and exciting car for someone with the talent to put it together. Best of success to the lucky winner
Good luck finding that wild rear bumper – in any condition.
@Bob Washburne
Not the best shape but usable