1961 Starliner - Labor of Love

Zach & Brenda Straits’
1961 Starliner - Labor of Love
Staunton, Virgina
Ford FE engine runs strong. The interior is a custom red cloth and black vinyl design based off the
Information on Zach & Brenda Straits
1960 Starliner. The paint is base coat clear coat
1961 Ford Starliner
Zach & Brenda’s recently finished 1961 Ford Dupont in the original monte carlo color. The finish
Galaxie Starliner has been a labor of love. They first
saw this Starliner stored in a barn fifteen years ago,
but the owner refused to sell it. With only 29,669
Starliners produced in 1961, the search to find a
suitable restoration project wasn’t easy. After hunting for five years, they received a call from a friend
who said his cousin had recently acquired a Starliner
and it was for sale. Zach called and to his surprise it
was the same car from the barn that they had tried to
buy five years before. The car had a lot of dents and
must have been in a hail storm or two; but it had very
little rust and the floor and trunk pans where in great
shape. They got it road- worthy to find any mechanical issues and started accumulating parts including
bumper chroming by Born Again Classics for a complete home built, frame off restoration.
Eight years and tons of hard work later, the
Starliner is better than new. The Starliner was completed in a “retro mod” style with 1970 era accessories. The 390 cubic inch, 401 horsepower, 3 deuce,
quality and attention to detail
earned Zach & Brenda the
Timberland Pro Home Built
Heaven Award at the 2009
Goodguys Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, and the Detroit Speed Builders Choice
Award at the 2009 Goodguys Southeastern Nationals in Charlotte, NC. The
Best Muscle car at the 2009
East Coast Indoor Nationals
in Maryland and was honored with a First Place Best
Restored 58-65 and ISCA
Best Street Machine Award
at the 2010 Detroit Autorama. Best Engine Compartment at the 2011 Motorama
in Harrisburg, PA. Best ReGalaxie
19
Gazette
stored Car at the 2011 Northeast Rod & Custom
Show in Philadelphia, PA. Best of the Best Classic
Car at the 2011 NHRA Hot Rod Reunion in Bowling Green, KY. The Starliner was the feature car
at the Carlisle Ford Nationals 50th anniversary of
the 1961 Starliner and has been invited to be a
feature car at the 2011 NHRA US Nationals in Indianapolis, IN, Labor Day weekend
and
competing
against 9 other
cars for the 2011
Bob
Daniels
Award of Excellence. The Starliner was also
selected to be
one on the Galaxies on display
at a 2011 special
event at the Nascar Hall of Fame
in Charlotte, NC.
The Starliner also won
the 2009 National
Timberland Pro
Home Built Heaven Award. Check
out this link for
more
details.
http://www.goodguys.com/news/
newsStoryaspx?newsid=1456
Ford TV did a You Tube Video at the 2009 All Ford
Nationals in Carlisle Pa. Check out http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=_y-4EtB5R4w
And Chuck Hanson with Holley TV did a feature
on the car at the 2011 NHRA Hot Rod Reunion
in Bowling Green, Va Check out. http://www.holleytv.com/featured_landing.php?reset=true
Several pictures are also posted on this link. http://
www.fotothing.com/zstraits
Zach and Brenda have started a registry
for 1961 Starliners. Contact them at [email protected] or check out their website
at www.starlinerconnection.com or “The Starliner
Connection” on Facebook for more information.
Galaxie
Zach & Brenda Straits
717 Selma Blvd, Staunton, Va. 24401
Cell 540-294-8601
E_mail [email protected]
22
Gazette
Galaxie
23
Gazette