Mostly original Starfire with one older repaint. Beautiful interior with bucket seats and console. Nicely optioned with power windows, power seat, cruise control, and more. Powerful 394 cubic inch V8. Pretty convertible that drives like only a survivor can.
We like cars that have never been taken apart, even if they're a little scruffy around the edges. Regardless of how good your restoration shop might be, they're still not as good as the factory at putting cars together. As a result, cars like this handsome 1963 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible have an intangible feeling of quality that's tough to restore back into a car. We believe the car has never been apart and aside from a repaint in the original Regal Mist perhaps 25 years ago, it remains almost entirely original. That means the doors swing closed with a solid-sounding THUNK rather than a loose rattle and the car feels substantial going down the road. The paint has an appropriate shine that isn't like today's modern urethanes, and the distinctive Starfire trim along the flanks remains in excellent condition. Be sure to note the peak that runs from nose to tail and is trimmed in bright stainless trim, which gives the Olds appropriate top-of-the-line looks and the remaining brightwork remains in very good original condition. Details like the taillight lenses show a little fading, but they're not cracked or damaged and all the original emblems are in great condition. This is still a very handsome car!
The white bucket seat interior remains in fantastic condition. We gave it a good cleaning but otherwise it needed nothing to look this good. We believe the seat covers were replaced at some point, and they remain bright and the cushions underneath are firm and all-day comfortable. The clean, simple dash houses instruments that monitor the basics, with a factory tach down on the center console. You'll note this car is equipped with power windows, a remote mirror, power driver's seat, tilt steering column, and cruise control, and everything works except the cruise, clock, and tachometer. It's luxurious but sporting with buckets and a center console, and provides the kind of grown-up performance for which Olds was famous in the 1960s. The AM/FM radio was state-of-the-art in 1963, particularly with the reverb, which is controlled by a switch under the dash hood. The white power convertible top folds itself into position with the touch of a button and the original boot is included, although it seems to have shrunk a bit in the intervening years. You also get a massive trunk with correct mats and a full-sized spare tire assembly.
Oldsmobile's potent 394 cubic inch “Rocket” V8 advertises “Ultra High Compression” on the air cleaner, and it certainly delivers the muscle to make this big ragtop feel energetic. It's nicely dressed in correct red engine enamel with chrome air cleaner and valve covers, just to add some under-hood appeal—Oldsmobile designers know that their sporting Starfire would attract performance-minded buyers. It starts easily, idles nicely, and has the kind of smoothness that you usually only find in original cars. On the road, it pulls with enthusiasm from a deep well of torque, which is really this engine's calling card. The 3-speed automatic transmission clicks through the gears unobtrusively and with 3.42 gears out back, it feels punchy around town but settles down for highway cruises. The underside is obviously unrestored but look at the ultra-clean floors with no rot or patches—not so easy to find in a ragtop of this vintage. The rest is a combination of surface scale and dried dirt, as this car seems to have lived its life down south. The ride is Oldsmobile smooth and it looks right on big H78-14 whitewall tires that should probably be replaced if you're planning long trips.
This is not a show car, but given Starfire values, it isn't priced like one, either. Instead, it's a cool cruiser that has a low-key demeanor and asks for very little in return for a great driving experience. The Starfire will always draw attention given its flashy look, but the guy behind the wheel will always have the best time of all. Just get in and start having fun. Call today!
Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
