Hi,

Not sure where to post this, so I will post it here and in the General forum page.

I attended the Barrett-Jackson auction Palm Beach (it is actually held at the fairgrounds in West Palm). Before I went, I reviewed the listed cars and saw a '61 Starfire, pale blue with factory air.

It never came up for auction, and I received a note from the auction house that they had no record of it.

Does anyone know this car (assumed from this area of South Florida)? I am interested in a '61 Starfire with factory air if anyone knows of one for sale.

Thank-you!

Cheers,

Richard

 

Richard, I moved your thread to the appropriate forum. Did you check Hemmings and Offer Up for the Oldsmobile you remember seeing?

 

Yes, and asked the people from Barrett-Jackson what the story was, but they had no idea.

I will continue to look. What I have seen so far is either ridiculous prices (I currently drive a '66 C-2, so know prices) or cars that are "restored" without any of the correct parts.

SO, I will keep looking. We had one in '61 and I have always loved the car and want one if I can find the right one.

By the way, I keep telling people that this was the ONLY car ever available with a "two-color" convertible top. Do you know of any others?

Thanks for moving my post.

Cheers!

 

Rich you are hoping to come in sideways on one of the most difficult Oldsmobile cars to restore, from a standpoint of parts availability. Much more so then most mid-year corvettes thanks to the aftermarket for those cars, which is in comparison severely limited for these and really any of the big Oldsmobile cars. Bumpers, trim, decorative panels, zinc-die-cast, on and on.

I have parted out some of these same cars which for various reasons were not good restoration candidates at that time. One good frame I had is now under one of my buddies 1961 Dynamic 88 convertible (owned since 1977) which is actually more rare today then a Starfire since many have been hacked in to Starfire lookalikes. The D-88 is a beautiful car if you happen to get a chance at one. Same tail lights as SF with different lenses, etc. D-88 in 1961 had a 2bbl carb I think. Parted these cars absolutely down to the nuts and bolts. If you find one with no engine I have a running 1961 98 engine-trans combo to get a car rolling. The correct Starfire transmission with modified valving etc is vey hard to find if needed and some of the really good cars out there don't have the correct unit. I bought a engine and trans out of a 1961 SF which was wrecked but as it turned out it had a Pontiac transmission but that the breaks, still a good SF engine.

One guy hopefully still around to contact for 1961 SF is Chuck Tuma of Chicago area. His cars are among the very best and he might have a lead for you, if any lead is to be had. Some parts from cars I parted are with him now. I have a 1961 Oldsmobile pick up like a 'flower car' custom job, Chuck supplied me with backup light deletes for it, the only set I ever saw.

The modern adage applies to these cars, try to find one all done or nearly so because trying to find what you need will turn your hair white.

I still have a few things, a excellent 1961 fuel tank I would let go for $300. See? scalpers price parts, the mid year corvettes doesn't sound so bad after all. Good luck - CW

 

Hi,

Thanks very much for your note. With only a few made, I realize this is hard get, but I am in no hurry. My background is with Buick GS cars. I have redone several over the last 45 years and actually ordered (remember those days?) 4 new back in the day. I kept a rare one--one of 81--that was just another GS back then. Well, as I keep telling Corvette people, these guys were not building "collectible classic" cars; they were just trying to meet the week's quota.

I actually have photos of the people on the line. Young guys, plaid short-sleeve shirts, khaki's and ZERO "protection" gear, gloves, etc. One of my favs is the guy putting the badge on the rear. He had a hand drill and just drilled and pushed in the emblem. No template, etc. Just stood there all day, drilling holes in fiberglass with no mask, etc., and pushing in emblems. The EPA would have heart failure today, I am sure.

I have been looking for a few years. What I have noticed is that the correct wheel covers, pleated convertible top boot, and rear area below the trunk lip are the most incorrect parts. Engine compartments seem to be decent, for the most part, but all that is pretty much available or restorable. It is the MISSING parts that are the issue from what I have seen.

Also, as was common in those days, factory A/C was rather rare, so another roadblock. As for a "completed" car, yes. I am retired now and actually DRIVE these cars. I have many trophies from back in the day that anyone is welcome to come by and dust anytime. Nice to have, but those days are over.

Thanks for the recommendation. I will contact him to see what is what. Typically, with C-2 cars, guys know what is for sale before the general public does, so...

As for parts, we seem to have many original used parts that are restorable, and of course, there are aftermarket parts for some things. The interior guy really gets you--1600 for a pair of door panels for example. Anyway, I promise you that Corvette people are WAY crazier than GS people, and they are totally nuts. I say this with love as I have judged and been judged many times, so...

The '61 transmission is a real issue, I realize, and was told that there are rebuild kits for the original one that will fix the various issues that the factory ones had. Funny, I don't remember any issues back then, but I was a child, so...

I will look around and see what there is to see...

Cheers,

Richard