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Hello all,
John here. I just purchased a beautiful 1965 Starfire convertible from a gentlemen in New Hampshire, and currently waiting for it to be picked up and transported to Texas. Car is pretty much a survivor. Has the original top, original interior and has had one respray. Doesn't look like a wrench has ever been on the engine. The Odo turned over to 70K while I was up there driving it. Car is claimed to be a third owner car. Unfortunately no provenance was passed forward. The only thing I have is a Oldsmobile parts catalog from the previous owner from 2006.. Current owner bought it two years ago and is selling it to do repairs on his house. I think had I not had so much invested in going out there, he would have backed out. I did find contact information for the previous owner on the ad where my seller bought it from. He emailed me to tell me the car was sold, but that was it. After buying the car, I again emailed him and pleaded for more information....Nothing...Only thing I have is a picture of him and his wife, standing by the car when my seller picked it up. Car was made in Linden, NJ and until two years ago lived in Connecticut it's entire life in a garage. I tend to believe that because the potmetal chrome is nearly perfect whereas most you see is badly pitted. The dash looks like brand new and the steering wheel is flawless. Only thing regrettably it's missing is AC.
The car drove beautiful but had a couple of issues. One, the right front brake grabs so it feels like they need to be adjusted. Once they are both engaged the car stops on a dime (as much as a car this size can stop) and it has a slight drivability which i guess I should post in the engine forum. Car is white with a bright red interior that is beautiful. Minimal wear. Original carpet with the sewn in Starfire mats. Black top which is original but needs to be replaced. Plan is having a Haartz cloth top in red put on to match the interior. Even have the original boot. Only non-original thing, it has the three blade knockoff spinner wire hubcaps (from 1966 I think) and the original ones were the two but frankly, I prefer the three blade! I want to put the N93 magnesium wheel cover package on it but that's a big dream. I'll try to upload a picture of her.
Cheers everyone!
John in Bastrop, Texas
I am so excited to once again own a vintage Oldsmobile, but it's been so long I'm quite rusty. I first need to learn about oils and proper fuel to run it on.
Congrats and welcome from another Texan, beautiful car. I'd pull all the wheels and inspect the brakes, pulling is usually bad/leaking wheel cylinders.
Congrats and welcome from another Texan, beautiful car. I'd pull all the wheels and inspect the brakes, pulling is usually bad/leaking wheel cylinders.
Thanks Eric, Nice Cutlass! We had a 2005 Mustang GT convertible, that was what we sold to buy this Olds.
The PO told me that he had the wheel cylinder on that wheel replaced and that he didn't adjust it correctly but you're right, something like brakes is important to make sure is good. Been a long time since I've worked on a car you have to take the wheel bearings out to get the drum off. On the Starfire facebook page, one of the guys posted a company out of California that makes a complete disc brake conversion for this car which has the power booster, dual master, rotors, calipers, hoses, brackets, etc. He said they run just under 1K..Boy that sounds like a tempting upgrade..This will never be a points car, so safety is more concern for me. Specially in Texas traffic! Already totaled one car on IH35 coming from N. Texas back home. Right in Waco, looking up at the new Stadium coming down that hill. We were car #5 in a 15 car pileup. After that I can't even fathom taking this car on IH35, even though I've been talking to a guy up in your territory about putting Vintage Air in it.
Thanks Charlie,
Yes I started looking at posts and saw nothing for the big cars and was disappointed so glad to be pointed to the thread. Would be awesome if the owner of the site would create a forum section for the big cars.
I asked the PO what he used for gas, he burns unleaded premium with a lead substitute but no octane booster. Must be why she pinged at full throttle. I bought a bottle of the lead sub and a bottle of Lucas octane booster to add to the premium unleaded. Hoping she runs good on that.
Your car is basically a cruiser, while disc brakes sound attractive they aren't necessary. Power drum brakes stop very well with the exception of going through deep water, you have to ride the pedal to dry them a bit. I still have drum brakes on mine, they stop on a dime, and give change back. A/C is attractive but since I'm really the only one that rides in mine, its not bad as long as the car is moving.
They have a huge car show in Bastrop every year although I've never been.
Valvoline VR1 racing oil 10w30 would be fine for your car. It has a great friction pkg for these old engines. Fuel octane rating basically applies to the engine, not the car size, I would use nothing but 93. You don't need the additives.
Your car is basically a cruiser, while disc brakes sound attractive they aren't necessary. Power drum brakes stop very well with the exception of going through deep water, you have to ride the pedal to dry them a bit. I still have drum brakes on mine, they stop on a dime, and give change back. A/C is attractive but since I'm really the only one that rides in mine, its not bad as long as the car is moving.
They have a huge car show in Bastrop every year although I've never been.
My first car was a 1966 Delta 88. I do recall it stopped pretty well, unless I was jacking around and got them hot but this baby's got 370 HP! :-)
Yes, that is the Veteran's car show. That is the Bastrop Area Cruisers that puts that on and we belong to that club. That event is a big deal. That is planned all year long and makes a lot of money for veteran orgs and people come from all over the place. You should come, it really is awesome and Bastrop is a cool little historic town if you've never been. Most people don't know this, but it's the second oldest city in Texas and was almost the state capital. It's fun to cruise the streets and look at the historical mansions.
Wecome. Be advised disc brakes will likely require 15 inch rims to clear. Also be advised the N93 wheel covers require a special rim that can be difficult to find.
Wecome. Be advised disc brakes will likely require 15 inch rims to clear. Also be advised the N93 wheel covers require a special rim that can be difficult to find.
Good point on the 15" wheels. Yeah, i've learned about the special wheels. You can get the covers all day long on Ebay, but the wheels are hard to find. Either I'm going to have to do it as Johnny Cash sang "On piece at a time" or just enjoy the wires! :-)
...Also be advised the N93 wheel covers require a special rim that can be difficult to find...
Understatement of the century...
There are three different centers for those wheels also. Two for 64 and one for 65.
For a cruiser and esp if you decide to go disc brakes, use 71-72 Delta SSIV Polycast wheels. They are VERY similar in appearance to the N93 (you'll find Olds liked that 8-vent wheel design a lot), and are 5x5 bolt pattern 15x6 so will work well using a 215-75R15 tire which, unlike the correct diameter 225-75R14 or 9.00-14 repro tire, is still fairly easy to find and affordable.
There are three different centers for those wheels also. Two for 64 and one for 65.
For a cruiser and esp if you decide to go disc brakes, use 71-72 Delta SSIV Polycast wheels. They are VERY similar in appearance to the N93 (you'll find Olds liked that 8-vent wheel design a lot), and are 5x5 bolt pattern 15x6 so will work well using a 215-75R15 tire which, unlike the correct diameter 225-75R14 or 9.00-14 repro tire, is still fairly easy to find and affordable.
Yes I've actually seen a picture of a red 65 Starfire with those and it did look nice. Question, putting larger wheels/tire on it will change the speedo if they are taller. I know normally that entails putting a different gear on the transmission end. This car if memory serves me right, the speedo goes to the left front wheel. Is it even possible to recalibrate them, or does the 15" wheel with this tire have the same or close circumference?
First off, beautiful car, and congrats on the purchase.
A couple of quick comments.
Originally Posted by jonjonbear
Car is claimed to be a third owner car. Unfortunately no provenance was passed forward. The only thing I have is a Oldsmobile parts catalog from the previous owner from 2006.. Current owner bought it two years ago and is selling it to do repairs on his house. I think had I not had so much invested in going out there, he would have backed out. I did find contact information for the previous owner on the ad where my seller bought it from. He emailed me to tell me the car was sold, but that was it. After buying the car, I again emailed him and pleaded for more information....Nothing
I wouldn't be too upset about this as it's the most normal situation. I have owned five old Oldsmobiles in my time, and I had information going back to the beginning for only one of them as I bought if from the family of the original purchaser. For the other four, including the two I own now, the prior owner information I have only goes back so far. My reaction to this is, so what? Does it really matter? Yes, it would be great to know the car's history starting from day one and everything that's ever been done to it, but what really matters is the car itself and what's it like today. Your car is beautiful. Enjoy it, and don't obsess about finding prior owners. After this much time, it's very possible and even likely that the original purchaser is dead. It also may be the case that they value their privacy and don't want to be contacted by someone who just bought a car that they owned 50 years ago. For all they know, you want to sue them for something.
Originally Posted by jonjonbear
Only thing regrettably it's missing is AC.
Why is this a regret? It's a convertible! Think of the times in which it was sold new. Yes, in 2018, and maybe even in 1985 or 1975, people buying a convertible might have also bought air-conditioning, but not necessarily. In the early 1960s, A/C was still considered very much a luxury that could add 10% or more to the price of a car, and many people felt that anyone who also put air-conditioning in their convertible probably needed to have their heads examined. Don't judge the car's equipment by the standards of today. Judge it by the standards of the time.
First off, beautiful car, and congrats on the purchase.
A couple of quick comments.
I wouldn't be too upset about this as it's the most normal situation. I have owned five old Oldsmobiles in my time, and I had information going back to the beginning for only one of them as I bought if from the family of the original purchaser. For the other four, including the two I own now, the prior owner information I have only goes back so far. My reaction to this is, so what? Does it really matter? Yes, it would be great to know the car's history starting from day one and everything that's ever been done to it, but what really matters is the car itself and what's it like today. Your car is beautiful. Enjoy it, and don't obsess about finding prior owners. After this much time, it's very possible and even likely that the original purchaser is dead. It also may be the case that they value their privacy and don't want to be contacted by someone who just bought a car that they owned 50 years ago. For all they know, you want to sue them for something.
Why is this a regret? It's a convertible! Think of the times in which it was sold new. Yes, in 2018, and maybe even in 1985 or 1975, people buying a convertible might have also bought air-conditioning, but not necessarily. In the early 1960s, A/C was still considered very much a luxury that could add 10% or more to the price of a car, and many people felt that anyone who also put air-conditioning in their convertible probably needed to have their heads examined. Don't judge the car's equipment by the standards of today. Judge it by the standards of the time.
Yes you're right about the ownership history, but it's always nice to have. Indeed it's been well loved to be kept in this shape all these years and amazing the original interior has held up as well as it has. Only bad/worn spot is on the upper outer drivers seat where the outer colored finish is cracking through to the leather but it has not split. Rest of it looks awesome..As for the AC, I LIVE IN TEXAS! :-)
There would likely be times we would be taking it to a car show or event elsewhere in the state and in mid-summer, it's just too hot and humid here. We're going to see how it goes, and if we need it that much we can have Vintage Air put a system in. But that's way down the list! :-
Probably the first major thing it will get is a new cloth top in red to match the interior. It has a black top now that really doesn't do much for the car. I'll attach a picture with the top up. Original top but does have some small tears where it connects to the body in the back. I've attached a picture of the identical car with a red top.
Last edited by jonjonbear; May 14th, 2018 at 12:14 PM.
Welcome to the party, big yacht ownership and convertible life! You and I have cruisers, non-A/C cars that love premium gas and don't have disc brakes. There are worse things in life.
I have found my 394 runs great on ethanol-free mid grade but that might be hard to find in oil-rich Texas. Find a red cloth top to match your seats will be difficult and if the car is as nice as your photos, you might want to consider going back with the color coded top. I think black looks very rich against that white finish. Just my $0.02
Enjoy your new car and post photos of your life impact with it!
Welcome to the party, big yacht ownership and convertible life! You and I have cruisers, non-A/C cars that love premium gas and don't have disc brakes. There are worse things in life.
I have found my 394 runs great on ethanol-free mid grade but that might be hard to find in oil-rich Texas. Find a red cloth top to match your seats will be difficult and if the car is as nice as your photos, you might want to consider going back with the color coded top. I think black looks very rich against that white finish. Just my $0.02
Enjoy your new car and post photos of your life impact with it!
Wow that sure is a beauty. Love the '64. My grandparents had a 1963 Starfire in that saddle color. Amazing car it was. Love the colors of your car. All original colors? Boy I really wanted a red one, but this one was just too nice to turn down. Can't wait to see it offloaded here and get it snug in it's spot in the garage (which will be wall-to-wall Oldsmobile)
I'm going to have to hunt around and see what gas is available. I figure at worse, I can use top tier gas, premium with some Lucas octane boost and lead substitute. The seller told me he runs premium with the lead sub, but no octane booster and it did ping at full throttle.
Thanks for the note and Welcome. Glad I found this group!
I don't think you'll have any speedometer cal issues using a 15" wheel as you'll find that a 215/75-15 series tire will be just about same diameter as the older 225/75-14 or 8.50-14. Convertible originally used 9.00-14 but bias tires were/are taller than any modern radial constructed tire.
Trouble is any big 14 or 15 inch tire is getting hard to find. Most are for light trucks and SUVs. I had a hell of a time finding 225/75R15 whitewall passenger tires for my 83 Custom Cruiser wagon 2 years ago. Ended up with Chinese-made which I wasn't crazy about but sometimes you have to play the hand you're dealt.
Wow that sure is a beauty. Love the '64. My grandparents had a 1963 Starfire in that saddle color. Amazing car it was. Love the colors of your car. All original colors? Thanks for the note and Welcome. Glad I found this group!
Cashmere Beige and Saddle. All original. 33000 miles. She's a blue haired lady. It's a long story.
I don't think you'll have any speedometer cal issues using a 15" wheel as you'll find that a 215/75-15 series tire will be just about same diameter as the older 225/75-14 or 8.50-14. Convertible originally used 9.00-14 but bias tires were/are taller than any modern radial constructed tire.
Trouble is any big 14 or 15 inch tire is getting hard to find. Most are for light trucks and SUVs. I had a hell of a time finding 225/75R15 whitewall passenger tires for my 83 Custom Cruiser wagon 2 years ago. Ended up with Chinese-made which I wasn't crazy about but sometimes you have to play the hand you're dealt.
Thanks, good to know. I know the fella's on the Starfire Facebook page said you can't buy the tires for this car anymore unless you go through Coker and they're 200 bucks a pop..I forgot to look to see what size is on it now.
Welcome John from another Texan. You have a very nice car. You need to hook up with Bill Szelag who is in the Bastrop Area Cruisers. Bill is the guy that is the backbone of the Veterans Show in November. There is a pretty good contingent of us from the North Texas Oldsmobile Club that come down every year for that show and usually win the club participation award. I have been the last three years and it is one of my favorite shows. Bill is an Olds guy and actually retired from Oldsmobile. Great guy. I have American Classic Radials from Coker on my 54 and am very happy with them. Good luck with your car and I look forward to seeing you in November.
Welcome John from another Texan. You have a very nice car. You need to hook up with Bill Szelag who is in the Bastrop Area Cruisers. Bill is the guy that is the backbone of the Veterans Show in November. There is a pretty good contingent of us from the North Texas Oldsmobile Club that come down every year for that show and usually win the club participation award. I have been the last three years and it is one of my favorite shows. Bill is an Olds guy and actually retired from Oldsmobile. Great guy. I have American Classic Radials from Coker on my 54 and am very happy with them. Good luck with your car and I look forward to seeing you in November.
That's funny..Bill and Mary are our neighbors. We've known them for years. I about cried when he sold his 442 so I told him we needed to buy an Oldsmobile to keep the balance. Unfortunately a lot of the guys are selling their vintage cars and buying newer Corvettes. Bill has been with me through this whole process. It's a great club. Best club I've ever belonged to. Maybe the Starfire will be there next year!
Thought you might like to see a pic of my 1965 dynamic, same color combo as your car. I added the red top and N93 wheels as you mentioned. Good luck with the search for a set of N93's, I found them right here on this site, they are out there. Good luck with the car, enjoy!
Thought you might like to see a pic of my 1965 dynamic, same color combo as your car. I added the red top and N93 wheels as you mentioned. Good luck with the search for a set of N93's, I found them right here on this site, they are out there. Good luck with the car, enjoy!
Wow that is beautiful! Those wheel covers look like new! What kind of top is that? I couldn't tell if it was vinyl or cloth. That's about the color I was thinking of. Where did your top come from?
Thanks, the top is vinyl, Haartz, firethorn red. with glass back window. My installer got it from Electron top. I'm very happy with it, I think it goes well with the interior which is vinyl also.
Thanks, the top is vinyl, Haartz, firethorn red. with glass back window. My installer got it from Electron top. I'm very happy with it, I think it goes well with the interior which is vinyl also.
Awesome. Beautiful color. I think we might put the Haartz cloth top on like we did our Mustang. Looked really nice.
Thanks, good to know. I know the fella's on the Starfire Facebook page said you can't buy the tires for this car anymore unless you go through Coker and they're 200 bucks a pop..I forgot to look to see what size is on it now.
Cheers,
John
I've been fooling with Starfires since 1974. Not to diss them, but most of the Facebook bunch are relative tyros to Starfire. And that includes the OCA 1965 Starfire advisor.
If you have not checked this site out its great for brake alternatives, keeping the stock look with great stopping power, keeping you and your passengers safe. https://www.porterfield-brakes.com/c...Full+Race.html
May 14th, 2018, 07:50 AM
Understatement of the century...
