Photo: eBay User: ehnisz530
We're sure a fair few car enthusiasts who love 60s American boats believe they have the precise history of every vehicle made between 1960 and 70. If you're one of these people, we're sorry to have thrown a monkey wrench into proceedings. Because the Ford Starliner was a car most still around back then have even forgotten about.
In fairness, we're sure a lot of gearheads weren't exactly aware of the Starliner's existence either. The model was sold for one single model year overlapping between 1960 and 1961, and it's been confined to the pages of history ever since. It was actually an eBay listing via a 76-year-old retiree out of Rescue, California, that reminded us of its brief tenure.
Based on the Galaxie line of full-sized Fords and with a name borrowed from a contemporary piston-engined airliner from Lockheed, the Starliner was the flagship of the full-sized Ford lineup. Most of the 100,000 or so Starliners built between 1960 and 1961 sport a 292 cubic inch (4.8-liter) V8 engine. Of that original production run, only a handful still remain.
But this one is not one of them. Along with a handful of upgraded models, it features a 352 cubic inch (5.76-liter) V8. With the optional four-barrel carburetor, some have reported power figures as high as 300 horsepower at the crankshaft. It's a muscle car touch that predates the original GTO by a few years at least.
Elsewhere, most everything on this automobile, save for the shocks, power steering control valve, and a few other items are all original here. The interior is also omitted from this group, as the new owner is going to have to put a new one, since there's not much left in there. The current owner says fitting a dual exhaust would be a great addition as well, we have to agree 100% there.
The level of work required to get this ultra-rare Ford Starliner back into showroom condition is probably beyond that of most DIY gurus. But for a skilled tradesman with a little time on their hands, it could be a very fun and potentially profitable little weekend project. At $14,000 out the door, it's a deal we'd consider for sure.
Based on the Galaxie line of full-sized Fords and with a name borrowed from a contemporary piston-engined airliner from Lockheed, the Starliner was the flagship of the full-sized Ford lineup. Most of the 100,000 or so Starliners built between 1960 and 1961 sport a 292 cubic inch (4.8-liter) V8 engine. Of that original production run, only a handful still remain.
But this one is not one of them. Along with a handful of upgraded models, it features a 352 cubic inch (5.76-liter) V8. With the optional four-barrel carburetor, some have reported power figures as high as 300 horsepower at the crankshaft. It's a muscle car touch that predates the original GTO by a few years at least.
Elsewhere, most everything on this automobile, save for the shocks, power steering control valve, and a few other items are all original here. The interior is also omitted from this group, as the new owner is going to have to put a new one, since there's not much left in there. The current owner says fitting a dual exhaust would be a great addition as well, we have to agree 100% there.
The level of work required to get this ultra-rare Ford Starliner back into showroom condition is probably beyond that of most DIY gurus. But for a skilled tradesman with a little time on their hands, it could be a very fun and potentially profitable little weekend project. At $14,000 out the door, it's a deal we'd consider for sure.
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