http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac...307390110.html

 

Man I would love to have this car. It is the perfect color combo and the stainless looks pretty good. A black 62 Starfire is one of my bucket list cars. This looks to be a very restorable car.

 

Then go for it! This listing has so many things going for it.

The price is pretty reasonable for (what should be) a rust free body, and it certainly looks like a complete car.

A/C is rare in this vintage and it looks intact and complete. After looking closer, they may not be Hurst wheels, probably Flag or one of the similar designs.

It's got front and rear bumpers, they usually are rotted through and/or badly tweaked. The side aluminum looks complete and good in the shots. The glass looks fine.

If I was better friends with my checkbook right now, it would be in my yard by the end of the week.

Again, go for it!

 

If it's on your "bucket list" this may be the best shot at finding a solid one. Find out more about it and go from there. Good luck

 

I wish guys. I don't have a place to do it. It is time to redo my 72 Cutlass convertible and I have a 57 Chevy in storage that I is probably going to turn into a retirement project. Thanks for the encouragement but this one will probably always be on the bucket list. This one would be the prefect car though.

 

Ya, I hear you. I too have more stuff on my bucket list than time left. One has to stay optimistic! Ken

 

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A/C is rare in this vintage and it looks intact and complete. s[/QUOTE]

Factory Air was prevalent in Texas by the early 60's on most full size GM cars so its kind of a regional thing that Wisconsin missed out on.

Henry

 

What is this guy talking about "kept running out of brake fluid"?

Why does he then seem to imply that means the machining job wasn't done correctly?

It's creating excessive vacuum, is that what he's intimating? And pulling it through the vacuum booster/Master Cylinder?

I don't think I understand what he's describing - but I'd like to.

 

While this is a cool car...not very cheap to restore. If one did not do body and paint themselves, you could easliy spend $10,000 on paint alone even with a stright body. Not to mention interior, dash pad rebuilding of everything and a/c system. I don't see someone being ahead vs buying a nice driver for $20-35k. This is how so many projects get shelved. "oh honey its a deal and so cheap" and then they need to find parts....then its pushed in a corner. Wheels are cool though.

 

Yes, $7k to me is a bit high but it's probably a starting price. I too am confused about the brake fluid issue. It doesn't matter what you restore it's still going to cost around $10-15k to make a very nice driver if you do the work yourself.

 

When the bladder in the brake booster goes the vacuum from the engine will suck the brake peddle down and suck the brake fluid out the end of the master cylinder emptying the reservoir. The engine will draw the oil into the intake manifold and burn it, I found out the hard way in my 63.
Steve

 

so it needs rings and valve seals as a result of burning brake fluid, is that correct?

i am unfamiliar with the '63 power brake design. The damage you describe seems like it couldn't happen in an ~1970s-later GM power brake design (which i am familiar with).

perhaps the PB design was changed for just this reason? is there already something online that describes why this '63 design sucks (hah!) ?

thanks

BrianA

 

Of course not. It's smoking, because it's burning up the brake fluid. Or, if he's a coniving shyster, he might have replaced a good vaccuum booster with one which has a cracked diaphragm, in order to conceal hardened intake valve seals or varnished rings.
In any event, he really should pump up those tires and shut that hood, if he wants a reasonably quick sell

 

But... they are only flat on the bottom. They just need to be flipped over.