'60 Ford Starliner

[espo]

Trying to recreate a car that appeared in neighbor's driveway in the summer of 1960. Started with an AMT Starliner Custom kit, the one with the blue car on the front.  The engine is based on the kits parts, and I have no way of knowing what was in the real car, but it sounded like it could have been this. 

[FoMoCo66]

Nice engine!

[LennyB]

Better watch out. There’s a guy working on a ‘63 Tasca Galaxie might try to swipe that engine.

[customline]

 

10 hours ago, LennyB said:

Better watch out. There’s a guy working on a ‘63 Tasca Galaxie might try to swipe that engine.

Just the intake, Lenny ?.....Nah, I already got one glued on. But the kit engine you have there, David, is most likely a 352. Look closely at the decals sheet for little round decals that fit on the non-chrome rocker covers. I guessing your kit may have chrome THUNDERBIRD covers which would make it a 390 and with the dual quads maybe a 406? Your neighbor probably didn't want a gas guzzler after the recent recession. Unless he was like us ?

 

Edited May 12, 2024 by customline

[customline]

Nope....I'm all wet on this?....I just looked it up.  Your neighbor could not have anything bigger than a 352 in his Starliner.  The 390 was available for '61. Now I'm really curious ?.

[David G.]

That's a great looking engine David.

I built one of AMT's Starliner kits some time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's one of their better kits.

David G. 

[espo]

3 hours ago, customline said:

Nope....I'm all wet on this?....I just looked it up.  Your neighbor could not have anything bigger than a 352 in his Starliner.  The 390 was available for '61. Now I'm really curious ?.

Hi Jim, Thank you for your interest. You're correct about the engine decals. They are in the stock kit as I checked one in my stash. The Custom kit only has a few license plate decals for whatever reason. As for the engine I also think you're correct based on my old Motor's Auto Repair Manuel dated 1962. The specs listed show the top engine for the '60 model year was a 352 cu in single four barrel and 300 hp. In 1961 Ford offered 3 different horsepower rated 390s. All had a single 4 barrel with 300, 330, and 375 hp. They also offered a three two carb setup rated at 401 hp. 1962 was the year that the Blue Oval got really serious with big inch motors as the Mopar's and GM were sort embarrassing them in the NHRA. They still had the 390 with a four barrel and even a three two setup with 375 and 401 hp listed. This is when the 406 arrived with a 385 hp four barrel and a 405 hp duel four-barrel engine. This was a point in time when all the manufacturers started lying about their hp ratings to get and advantage in different drag classes. The 427 cu in engine arrived for 1963 and everything was changing on almost a daily basis. I try to do a little research on models I'm building and use these old manuals from my early years working on cars to reify firing orders and other things I'm not sure about. Again, thank you for your interest and appreciate your knowledge of the subject. 

[espo]

Got the interior painted. Used Tamiya Matt Black for the vinyl portion of the seat and a dusting of Metallic Gold over the cloth portions of the seats and doors. The chrome is done with a Gundam Marker. Little final clean up and detailing before assembly. 

[LennyB]

David, is that really metallic gold on the cloth? It looks really good but more like silver from where I'm sitting.

[Zippi]

Nothing like creating something from memory.  Looking good.

[Brutalform]

Off to a great start, David. Now you got me thinking about a Starliner build. I must have at least 10 bodies and interiors left over after robbing the chassis from them for other builds. 

[customline]

Upholstery looks fantastic, Dave. Dash too. Got a color for it yet?

[David G.]

The upholstery looks great! That gold on the cloth inserts looks absolutely perfect!

David G.

[espo]

20 hours ago, LennyB said:

David, is that really metallic gold on the cloth? It looks really good but more like silver from where I'm sitting.

Hi Len, What I used was Testors/ Rust-Oleum Extreme Lacquer called Pure Gold #1846T. This is sort of a metal flake like color with a lot of mini partials that reflect the light. I agree with how it looks in the pictures, but in person it does have a more gold tone too it. I sprayed the seats and door panels at arm's length in very short bursts. The factory seats on the Starliners were beautifully done with multicolored materials.   

[espo]

13 hours ago, Brutalform said:

Off to a great start, David. Now you got me thinking about a Starliner build. I must have at least 10 bodies and interiors left over after robbing the chassis from them for other builds. 

These kits really are well done, and I haven't encountered any fitment issues yet. The Custom version which is what I'm building has the engine option of 3-twos or 2-fours along with some nice factory type cast iron tube headers. The only exhaust provided is a set of side pipes and no OEM mufflers. No big deal as I'm sure you have more than a few options to make your own exhaust.   

[espo]

12 hours ago, customline said:

Upholstery looks fantastic, Dave. Dash too. Got a color for it yet?

Hi Jim. Ya I'm trying to match the original car and it was black with a gold metallic in the stripe along the sides of the roof. I'm on my second paint job since I picked up the wrong black paint the first time, it was for remote control cars that are painted on the inside. You will notice any future builds will look like they have black undercoating, can't let it go to waste. I'll be polishing it here in the next day or two when I'm sure it is good and dry and then start the chrome foil, and this thing has a lot of that. Thanks for your interest. 

[customline]

2 hours ago, espo said:

Hi Jim. Ya I'm trying to match the original car and it was black with a gold metallic in the stripe along the sides of the roof. I'm on my second paint job since I picked up the wrong black paint the first time, it was for remote control cars that are painted on the inside. You will notice any future builds will look like they have black undercoating, can't let it go to waste. I'll be polishing it here in the next day or two when I'm sure it is good and dry and then start the chrome foil, and this thing has a lot of that. Thanks for your interest. 

I wondered what's different about that stuff. Why is Lexan any different? It's still a paintable surface. And why not regular paint on Lexan....it's over my head. ? forget it, I don't wanna know.

[Danno]

31 minutes ago, customline said:

I wondered what's different about that stuff. Why is Lexan any different? It's still a paintable surface. And why not regular paint on Lexan....it's over my head. ? forget it, I don't wanna know.

More flexible to handle all those crashes and tumbles on the slot track without scattering tiny paint flakes everywhere.

Oops. Sorry. Didn't notice that you didn't want to know.  So, just pretend you didn't read the above. ?

[Danno]

Just now, Danno said:

The paint for lexan bodies is more flexible to handle all those crashes and tumbles on the slot track without scattering tiny paint flakes everywhere.

Oops. Sorry. Didn't notice that you didn't want to know.  So, just pretend you didn't read the above. ?

 

[Danno]

Oops. Oops. Pretend I didn't say that twice twice. 

[customline]

11 minutes ago, Danno said:

More flexible to handle all those crashes and tumbles on the slot track without scattering tiny paint flakes everywhere.

Oops. Sorry. Didn't notice that you didn't want to know.  So, just pretend you didn't read the above. ?

Ohhhhh.....I thought maybe it was some chemical incompatibility issue. The up-side...for me?.....I could not care less. I crashed my last slot car around 1965 ?....but thanks for helping me not give a ?. (OK, that was uncalled for, sorry?)

Edit: this is what happens when I drink ?

Edited May 13, 2024 by customline

[LennyB]

28 minutes ago, customline said:

 this is what happens when I drink ?

Jim, now we have talked about this. ?

 

Happens every time wifey goes out and leaves you home alone.?

[espo]

2 hours ago, Danno said:

More flexible to handle all those crashes and tumbles on the slot track without scattering tiny paint flakes everywhere.

Oops. Sorry. Didn't notice that you didn't want to know.  So, just pretend you didn't read the above. ?

3 hours ago, customline said:

I wondered what's different about that stuff. Why is Lexan any different? It's still a paintable surface. And why not regular paint on Lexan....it's over my head. ? forget it, I don't wanna know.

The paint issue started with a new can of black paint, and I didn't think to inspect to verify it was the correct black since it was in the correct place on the sales rack. The PS-5 black made me think that we might start getting Tamiya's new paints. Turns out this is a paint designed to be used on Polycarbonate bodies. Talked to someone familiar with this type of paint and was told it would never turn out shinny. They were correct on that, and it has a pebbly finish as well. So now I have a can of black paint that looks like undercoating. 

[customline]

1 hour ago, espo said:

The paint issue started with a new can of black paint, and I didn't think to inspect to verify it was the correct black since it was in the correct place on the sales rack. The PS-5 black made me think that we might start getting Tamiya's new paints. Turns out this is a paint designed to be used on Polycarbonate bodies. Talked to someone familiar with this type of paint and was told it would never turn out shinny. They were correct on that, and it has a pebbly finish as well. So now I have a can of black paint that looks like undercoating. 

 

3 hours ago, LennyB said:

Jim, now we have talked about this. ?

 

Happens every time wifey goes out and leaves you home alone.?

Did I tell you that? I don't remember....I must have blacked out ?

[customline]

1 hour ago, espo said:

The paint issue started with a new can of black paint, and I didn't think to inspect to verify it was the correct black since it was in the correct place on the sales rack. The PS-5 black made me think that we might start getting Tamiya's new paints. Turns out this is a paint designed to be used on Polycarbonate bodies. Talked to someone familiar with this type of paint and was told it would never turn out shinny. They were correct on that, and it has a pebbly finish as well. So now I have a can of black paint that looks like undercoating. 

Sound like a case of "orange lump" to me. Talk to "Speedshift" ?