Oldsmobile Starfire

Description

This is one cool car even in the heat of the hottest summer. Oldsmobile produced the Starfire from 1961 through 1965, bolstering its top line coverage of the market with an offering in the personal luxury category. An excellent example of the craftsmanship prevalent in that era, this Starfire is one of only 2,410 convertibles produced in 1964, and was the most expensive Oldsmobile produced that year. It came fully loaded with all the bells and whistles, such as power brakes, steering, windows, and convertible top and represented the finest luxury Oldsmobile could provide. A 300 mile road trip this past summer was a breeze as the scenery flew by and we drove in comfort. Locomotion courtesy of the most powerful Oldsmobile engine at the time. The engine bay houses a 394 cubic inch, four barrel engine, producing 345 horsepower, exhausted through two tailpipes located under the back bumper, that provide a very satisfying growl as the Hydramatic transmission pushes the car down the freeway with effortless ease.

Originally purchased by a family in Lincoln, Nebraska, this car appears to have spent its life in the Midwest. It is in excellent condition overall, with shiny chrome and a beautiful color of deep, almost metallic, blue-green in a period correct Aqua Poly Mist. The previous owner told me that this is not the original paint, but it is a high quality update. The seats are almost in perfect condition and I hope the photos testify to that. There aren’t any nicks, scratches or dings on the glossy paint.

The power top works seamlessly and both it and the convertible cover are in excellent condition. The cover appears to be the original. The power windows and wing vents operate smoothly, although the driver’s window needs an occasional assist and the driver’s wing vent does not work electrically. The glass is all intact, free of any cracks or pock marks. The radio works and broadcasts through both the front and the rear speakers. The antenna does not retract when the power button is pressed.

I included photos detailing the shortcomings of the vehicle. On both the inside of the driver and passenger door panels, there is fraying at the bottom front and rear. Additionally, the front armrests show signs of cracking, which are depicted as well. The armrests in the back are in very good to excellent condition.There is a brushed aluminum panel across the rear of the car. It has some pitting that I hope are visible in the photos. The same phenomena appears on some of the brushed aluminum pieces in the interior, more specifically, on the center console between the driver and passenger, as well as the panel that stretches across the dashboard underneath the brow. The rear bumper has a number of dents in it from a prior owner hooking up a trailer to the rear of the car. I included a number of photos to show the extent of those dents. Finally, there is some corrosion on the rear bumper above the exhaust pipe on the port side.

There are non OEM seat belts for both the front seats, but none in the back. I have not yet gotten the mechanical cruise control to work, although it is amazing to think that Oldsmobile was attempting to incorporate that into their designs over 50 years ago.

I have a clear title in hand and this car is ready to be enjoyed and driven anywhere. I pulled it out of my garage into the beautiful weather and sunshine to take the photos of this hot Starfire on a cool autumn day.

This car would easily rate a #3 “Good” on Hagerty and is close to a #2 “Excellent”. I assume the mileage depicted on the odometer has turned over, but I cannot verify that. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have. Additional pictures available as eBay only allows me to post 24.

Thanks for looking!