Anybody have a line on '65 Starfire exhaust tips? I found a guy that's willing to part some off of a car in his Craigslist ad, http://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/cto/5238079409.html, but he wants $400 for the pair, and I don't have any idea the condition...

What do you think?

 

Considering NOS or a good used pair are your only options...


Get good pictures and look close for rust/burn thru. Then offer him $200 and tell him the rubber seals have to be part of the deal. You may get lucky and this one had the side exhaust bypassed early in life, but in the rust belt salt spray could still have destroyed the tips.


That poor Starfire hurt my eyes when I looked at the pics. Pretty obvious this yahoo doesn't know anything about these cars. "Similar to a Cutlass"- give me an effin' break. The only similarity is they're both Oldsmobiles.

 

I have a couple of sets not sure if they would be exceptable, also I know one set has the rubber gaskets. That set is in decent shape, would have to look at them to be more specific

 

@rocketraider - Thanks for the reply, and advice. You weren't kidding on the Chicago Craigslist guy. He was so firm on his prices I expected the tips would be in decent shape. He finally sent pics and they were all but dissolved with rust. At least he sent pics first...

@Bob5973 - I'm definitely interested. I'm not looking for concourse quality, but it is a frame-off resto, so I'm looking for reasonable quality pieces. Please send some pics and an asking price...

Again, thanks guys. Sure is nice to have a pool of experience to help guide me on this build.

 

Early or late car? Asking because of the chambered exhaust which was discontinued about halfway thru the model year.


www.sweetthundermi.com can make the chambered headpipe sections for you (they used to STOCK 64-5 Starfire chambers in the two correct diameters till the business changed hands), and rear resonators aren't terribly hard to find, but the chambered exhaust front resonators are near unobtainium.


But, part of what makes a Starfire a Starfire, along with all the other Starfire-only stuff they have.

 

I will have to locate them and I will take some pics, this will take me a couple of days, I know for a fact that they are not rusted out and are in pretty good shape.


I also own two starfire convertibles, one which is an older restoration and the other one I have just as a backup, which could become a parts car.


As far as price goes I know that I would need $400.00 for the pair plus freight. They are very hard to come by.

 

Have not heard from you if the price is acceptable, are you still interested?
Please advise.

 

@Bob5973 - Sorry for the delay. I'm willing to consider at that price, depending on condition. Please post photos, and we can go from there... Thanks for taking the time.

@rocketraider - It's a late build date (11C). I'm under the impression that the late build date is also the reason this car doesn't have the cutouts for the exhaust tips. That, or somebody covered them up along the way. Regardless, they are just too cool to pass up on this convertible. Already not a true resto anyway, as it's a '66 powertrain in there.

 

I have tried loading pics. , no luck, not sure if I am doing it right. Are you still looking, I know they are tough to come by. The ones that I have are in good shape, just a little hole on the round end pipe which could be easily welded. The chrome parts are in good condition.


They are still available if you are still looking.


Maybe a phone call would be appropriate.


My number : 508- 873- 8684


Please call if still interested.

 

11C is early. 3rd week November 1965. Slightly more than 5000 jobs went out with the chambers before they eliminated them. So your car could have very well (and probably did) come with chambered exhaust.


You're saying the exhaust ports in the diecast fender trim are blanked off?

 

@Bob5973 - I'll try to make the time to give you a call at some point soon, hopefully tomorrow. Thanks for making an effort with the photos.

@rocketraider - Not the cast metal trim; the sheet metal of the fender behind the trim does not have a cutout for the tips to pass through.

Is late November of '65 considered an early build for the'65 model year? I don't doubt I missing something here, but that seems counter-intuitive to me... ☺ Considering that this build will be "in the style of original" without the correct powertrain, is the chambered exhaust worth the expense and effort? I sadly admit that I've never heard (or even seen, for that matter) a complete Starfire. This project kinda chose me, and I'm learning blind in many cases.

 

Model year changeover and production started in late August or early September, so 9-10-11-12 are early build cars. Likewise 5-6-7 (May-June-July) are considered late build cars for the model year.


Sounds like your Starfire has had its quarters replaced at some time in the last 50 years.

If there's a 1966 engine in it it's still a 425 albeit with B heads and a QuadraJet. Your call whether to duplicate the chambered pipe exhaust. A buddy has a 66 and he's considering putting it on that with just the rear resonators.

 

Here's the right side anyway:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-65-1965...FWQjFI&vxp=mtr

It can be tough when looking for paired items to decide whether to buy just the one side, only to never find the other for sale separately. But in my experience, playing the odds may be worth it. Happened with me when I was looking for NOS headlight bezels for my '65 Jetstar I (same as Starfire); I found the driver's side, then kept on finding driver's side pieces...took 3 years, but I finally found the other side. You just have to live long enough!