This is the flagship of the Oldsmobile line-up. The most luxurious and highest optioned Oldsmobile that was available. The Starfire is a glorious car with exquisite styling. I love them! I have a hunch you do too.
This particular car has enjoyed a great life. It was built at the Arlington, TX plant, which is a suburb of Dallas. It was sold at W.O Bankston Olds, in Dallas to B.D. Ferrantello. He drove it two years and sold it to Joe Norfleet of Garland, TX (another Dallas suburb) and Joe drove it until 1975.
The new owner in 1975 was 19 year old William Furnell. Bill grew up loving his Father’s Oldsmobiles. He was fond of the big 98’s and especially the Starfire, which was built on the 98 platform.
Bill is an Oldsmobile aficionado. He has owned dozens of them. At one time, he owned 13 Starfires! He has scrounged old dealerships and swap meets his entire adult life, looking for parts, brochures and memorabilia. Bill cherished this Starfire and gave it the greatest care possible. I purchased this car from Bill Furnell.
This car has been driven a total of 120,000 miles. It is very, very original. Most of the paint is original and in nice condition, showing some age, wear, touch-ups and dings. The glass, chrome, trim are all original. The interior is mostly original. The bucket seats were recovered and the headliner was replaced. Even the trunk is original and in great condition. There is no rust on this car. Never has been. This is a great looking Starfire.
The 394 Rocket V8 starts and runs great. It has not been overhauled and does not need to be. Bill is very particular about service intervals, adding lead substitute to the Premium gasoline and making necessary repairs. He has serviced the HydraMatic, yet it has not needed to be rebuilt. Over the years, he has utilized genuine GM parts to replace the generator, waterpump, and A/C compressor. Recently the front end was completely rebuilt and new springs and shocks were installed. The brakes and exhaust were recently replaced. The hoses and belts were new last summer. We just installed a brand new set of J78-14 Goodyear Super Cushion tires. This is the correct size to match the original 9.00-14 that resides in the trunk.
If you know these cars, you realize the engine is 10.5 to 1 compression with a special camshaft. They even had special carburetor specifications for the Starfire. The Starfire is a high performance luxury automobile. The engine is rated at 345 horsepower and 440 foot pounds of torque. It is imperative that premium gasoline is used.
All Starfires have power steering and brakes, as well as bucket seats, center console, tachometer and integrated floor mats. This car has 3.42 rear end gears, power seats, power windows, tinted glass, outside mirror, Deluxe wheel discs, vacuum operated deck lid, speed safety sentinel, Wonderbar AM radio and air conditioning. It is finished in Provincial White with a Wedgewood Mist roof. The upholstery is Blue. The trunk is also upholstered in blue and contains the correct jack, wrench and spare. There are three sets of keys, including the original set.
This car also comes with the Original Owner’s Manual, Warranty Booklet with Protecto-plate, dealer brochures, Service Manual and plenty of maintenance records. Even the registration receipts were kept and are neatly placed in the glovebox.
All lights and gauges function properly. All features work properly with exception of the windshield wipers. The motor will need to be replaced if you choose to drive in the rain. The Air Condition system was just fitted to accept 134a Freon. It has not been charged yet, but it holds vacuum and the compressor is brand new.
I love Starfires. As an Oldsmobile man, it just doesn’t get any better. It was wonderful to find this great original car that has spent its entire life receiving great care in the Dallas, TX community.
