By John Coyle

Editor

Gorgeous cars are one thing—but I’m a sucker for a good story. And fortunately, I didn’t have compromise on either of those elements when it came time to write up this week’s Amoco Ultimate Favorite. I mean, this Starliner Coupe is an absolute knockout, and the story? Well, you can read that for yourself:

"In 2005 the US Post Office issued a series of stamps of American SportsCars of the 1950s. In the series was a 1953 Studebaker StarlinerCoupe—the same car that my parents had when I was a kid (we had the ’54 model). I had not even seen one in decades and just seeing it onthe stamp made me smile. To my amazement, when I did an internetsearch, many popped up—everything from rust buckets to show cars.Having recently lost both of my parents, the nostalgic tug was toogreat. I searched until I found this beauty and have spent the lastyear restoring it."

If you haven’t already checked out the Amoco Ultimate Your Car Is Worth It Photo Contest, you definitely should! Who knows? You might even win something!

By Jen Dunnaway

Editor

I love stock-looking restos that are hiding some serious performance, like this ’61 Ford Starliner, packing a 427 SOHC "Cammer" engine that’ll make 622 hp and 533 lb ft of torque. Such a refined-looking ride: I loved the open hardtop body style, the huge expanse of rear glass, and the fully-intact factory chrome trim. But the stock body conceals a fully fabbed Art Morrison chassis with adjustable coil-overs front and rear. The interior, including the thin-shell bucket seats, is out of a ’64 Galaxie—and the dash, with its amazing red-face gauges, is from a ’63 Mercury Monterey. With mods borrowed from cars that are close in both age and family tree, and a V8 available over the counter from Ford in the 60′s (after being developed for its racing program), the "Camliner" seems deceptively well-behaved. You’d be surprised to find out it’s not just your grandpa’s sunny-day cruiser. More pics after the jump.

Continue reading "Sleeper Starliner at SEMA" »

I’m not sure I’d ever do this paint job on one of my own cars—it’s a little too arts-n-crafty for me—but the result on this 1960 Starliner has a pretty serious wow-factor. Check out the whole process over at the H.A.M.B., then click here to witness the application of a metalic electric blue midcoat to some of the lace panels. I can’t wait to see this car when it’s done!