I am a huge fan of Oldsmobiles, Starfires in particular. And for some odd reason, 1963 is my favorite year for the Starfire. Personally, I am not a convertible fan. But most people are.
As a lover of Oldsmobiles, I am a member of the Oldsmobile Club of America. I subscribe to the Journey With Olds magazine. That is where I discovered this car.
Unfortunately, it was located in a remote North Dakota town that is over 700 miles from here. But after quite a bit of communication with the owners, it was obvious that I needed to make the journey and purchase the car. I was confident that they were good people.
These folks were second generation owners of the local Oldsmobile Dealership. They discovered this car on Ebay in 2001. It was being sold to benefit charity. It had been a one family owned car until then. It was sold new in Tacoma, WA. Only a couple years after that it moved with its family to Topeka, KS. That is where Denny and Karen went to get the car after they won the Ebay auction.
The entire story became well known. They were interviewed by three TV stations as well as newspaper reporters upon arrival in Topeka. Within a year, the story was featured in the Journey With Olds magazine. Certainly a car of this stature has been well known in North Dakota. Denny and Karen enjoyed traveling with car clubs and to shows in the Midwest. They accumulated approximately 4000 miles during their 19 years of ownership.
When they purchased the car, it was mostly original. While it had only been driven 83,000 miles in 38 years, it needed to be refreshed. Denny utilized his connections in the automobile industry to source new leather to reupholster the front seats. He had the Starfire repainted in 2002. A new convertible top was installed at the same time. The bumpers were replated. They enjoyed the car for 15 years, then decided to catch up on the mechanicals.
The transmission was rebuilt in 2015. The top pump and lines were replaced in 2017. The steering system was rebuilt in 2018. In addition, the famous Oldsmobile lifter clatter was eliminated by replacing the cam shaft, lifters, timing set and rocker arms. During 2019, the radiator was sent out to be cleaned, recored and repainted. All receipts are with the car.
This car displays the same color scheme that it was born with. Provincial White paint, white convertible top and Heather Mist interior. All manuals are present and the Protect-o-Plate is in the slot of the glove box lid. There are two sets of keys.
The 394 Rocket V8 starts and runs like a champ. The Roto Hydramatic transmission shifts crisply and properly. The power steering and brakes work perfectly. This car has nice options like tilt steering, power windows, power driver’s seat and power top. It has a pushbutton radio and dual exhaust. The power seat and horn are not functioning.
The Heathermist interior is quite stately. The front seats were reupholstered and look wonderful. Otherwise, the rest of the interior is original. It all looks great. There is a bit of checking in the leather at the top of the rear seat. The arm rests have been recovered. The original padded top boot is in remarkable condition with minimal flaws. The trunk was reupholstered and looks great.
This car has never been rusty. It was repainted due to tired paint. It still looks great, but is not perfect. There are a few chips that have been touched up.
The original hubcaps are like new. The clips have been replaced and work properly. We just installed a brand new set of HR-14 Diamond Back tires. They are as close as we could get in both size and appearance. They look fantastic.
This Starfire Convertible is in wonderful condition. It has never been driven on salted roads and has been used sparingly. About the time that is was starting to show its age, it came into the care of Denny and Karen. They offered it the love it deserved.
Denny and Karen had been seeking a car like this because they enjoyed their honeymoon in a 1963 Oldsmobile Starfire Convertible in White with Heathermist interior. So you can tell they were motivated to offer this car great love and care.
I was fortunate to have made new friends due to my long trip to purchase this car. I am confident that you are going to make a new friend to a beautiful 1963 Starfire Convertible.
