A Star is Reborn: 1960 Ford Starliner

By Eric Anderson

In an attempt to take and solidify the lead in the brewing horsepower race of the 1960s, Ford introduced the Starliner, with their 352-inch Super V-8 boasting 360-horsepower.

Known by many as the first real Chevy-killer, Ford was working hard to establish themselves as a true contender in the high performance market. With the help of the revolutionary redesign of the '60 Ford Starliner combined with the availability of the 360-horse V-8, "Ford" and "high performance" began to fit together better in the same sentence.

Widely thought to be the fertilizer that led to the rapid growth of the seed known as Chevrolet's 409-inch powerplants in the early '60s, the 352-powered Starliner holds a great place in high performance automotive history. As a common choice of racers of the day, the '60 Starliner could frequently be found lined up next to a similar year Chevy, preparing to show the Chev its taillights, at stoplights around the country.

In keeping with his Detroit heritage, NSMC Member Al Rose of Canton, Michigan, wanted a car that represented the area and the era it reigned. In his quest to find the right car, Al traveled to Columbus, Ohio, for an all-Ford swap meet. It was at that show, where Al fell in love with what was to be his car of choice, a 1960 Ford Starliner hardtop.

Originally, a Colorado car, it ended up in Ohio, as Al described it, as "a neglected old car, in need of paint, real bad." Al was up to the challenge! He bought the car in running condition, with an interior that he describes as "trashed," with seat covers used to hide the greatly worn original seats.

Over a period of about 1-year, beginning in February 2004, Al, in his home garage and with some help from a few of his friends, transformed the Starliner into an enhanced version of what it once was - a street cruiser that wasn't the least bit shy of an occasional race. With that goal in mind, Al began the total disassembly of the car.

To get the results he was looking for, Al had the body media blasted while he detailed and painted the stock frame. To help prepare the car and its need for paint, Al performed all of the bodywork, resulting in a laser-straight body. To highlight and show off his hard work and the resulting glass-smooth body panels, Al chose to paint the car using PPG base coat/clear coat, two-tone, Black and Platinum, all of which he sprayed in his home garage!

Using the original 352-inch V-8 as a healthy starting point, Al incorporated a few Ford FE parts into the mix, leading to an even more potent combination. The stock 352's displacement was increased to a healthy 396-inches with the help of a 390 FE crank and rods.

The Ford rods help motivate Ford flattop pistons up and down the cylinder bores, which contribute to a barely pump gas-friendly 10.6:1 compression ratio. Al called upon Ed Michaels to do some extensive "massaging" to a set of 390 FE heads, which are equipped with 428 Cobra Jet valves, Comp Cam springs, and Ford FE adjustable rocker arms. The valvetrain is put to work with the help of a solid lifter cam from Comp Cams. The mix of 390 FE parts is topped with the original 352-inch valve covers and a Ford 4-barrel manifold. Al estimates, with the addition of 44 cubic inches, better flowing heads, and an upgraded valvetrain, power to be up from the factory rating of 360 horsepower to a tire-torturing 425 horsepower!

Cooling is accomplished using a stock fan and a custom fabricated aluminum radiator, by Jack Shick. All 396 cubic inches are fed by a "Thunder Bolt" style ram-air intake, which pulls air through the factory high-beam headlight holes. The screened openings and the black ducting bring air from the front of the car directly to the air cleaner, with a ram-air effect. Once used, the same air leaves the car through factory Ford cast iron "shorty" headers, which lead to dual 2-1/2-inch pipes and stainless steel mufflers.

Mated to the 396 is a Ford Top-Loader, Hurst shifted, 4-speed transmission, a modification Al was happy to make! The power is held by an 11-inch clutch disc and a 3-finger heavy-duty pressure plate, and is put to the ground through a stock driveshaft, which spins a 3.56:1-geared Ford 9-inch.

The Starliner's rolling stock consists of a set of 17-inch American Racing Torq Thrust wheels wrapped with Continental radials. The front wheels hide Ford Granada power disc brakes while the rear wheels house 11-inch by 2-1/2-inch drum brakes. The 4-corners are regulated by a dual reservoir Corvette master cylinder, which helps stop the Starliner as well as the 396 V-8 gets it moving.

Once inside of the Starliner, you're immediately met with a feeling of times past. To help accomplish that feeling, Al enlisted the services of Sharon St. Pierre, who brought the tattered interior back to life. Completely restored, black vinyl seats with the infamous platinum starburst cloth inserts, can be found covering front and rear bench seats.

Once seated, the stock steel dashboard with body-matching paint scheme catches your eye. Similarly eye-catching are the new old stock gauges, which Al freshened up by repainting the numbers on the speedometer, and the "old style" Moon column-mounted tach, all of which are visible through the Grant 3-spoke "60s style" steering wheel.

To compliment the restofied interior, while continuing to enhance the overall package, Al installed a Vintage Air A/C unit in place of the original heater box, with some fabrication. To maintain the stock '60 appearance, Al managed to keep the original '60 heater controls while finding a way to make them control the new Vintage Air control panel, which is mounted behind the dashboard. To distribute the air in the car, while avoiding aftermarket methods, Al came up with a slick idea. He explains, "Three hide-away A/C vents drop down from the bottom of the dash, with a simple flip of a switch." In keeping with the stock look, Al installed a remote controlled sound system from Secret Audio, which is housed in the trunk. The original radio face was retained in the dash by modifying the stock radio, which allows Al to listen to modern tunes without looking the part.

All of Al's time and hard work have paid off. Before embarking on the yearlong journey of restofying his Starliner, Al set a goal of "making a '60s style street cruiser and racer identical to the cars that filled the streets and parking lots of drive-ins that the Detroit area was known for." By looking at Al's creation, it's safe to say he met, and may have even surpassed, his goal.

All but gone are the days of stoplight drag races, running from the fuzz, and drive-in theatres. However, with the help of passionate enthusiasts like Al Rose, the menacing street machines that once ruled the scene, at cruise locations and at the drag strip, are slowly being brought back to life. A note to the competition: Beware; the Starliner is back!

Note: SuperMotors has a business affiliation with Street Thunder Magazine, which provides street rod and automotive content to SuperMotors.

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