Though Roland Tittle remembers a few of these 1960 Ford Starliners from his senior year in high school (his best friend had one, too), the hot rodder looked all over the western United States (from California to Utah) before finding the right one to build, or so he thought. He says it was misrepresented on eBay and he knew the jig was up when he found street signs riveted in place under the Bondo! Undeterred, Roland continued with the rebirth of his Starliner, which took a little more than a year to complete after he dropped the car off at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff for a total rebuild.
Hot Rods & Custom Stuff modified the chassis to accommodate the Mustang II sub-frame with independent front suspension and a power rack-and-pinion setup. Airbags from RideTech are on each corner, as are 12-inch Wilwood drilled and slotted disc brakes and Bilstein shocks. Out back a Ford 9-inch (assembled with a 3.73:1 ratio and 31-spline axles) was installed with a four-link and Panhard bar.
A 427SR engine was assembled...
A 427SR engine was assembled at the Roush factory in Livonia, MI. Roush says, “If you like torque like a freight train . . .” and we believe it. It delivers 480 hp and a maximum 515 lb-ft of torque. They start with a Dart four-bolt main block and add Wiseco 4.125-inch pistons and a forged 4-inch 4340 steel crankshaft along with a moderate Roush camshaft. Up top an Edelbrock Performer RPM dual-plane manifold supports a single Holley 770-cfm carb. Spark is delivered via MSD parts, the engine heat is removed with an aluminum Be Cool radiator, and the C6 transmission (assembled by Gearstar) is modified with an overdrive from Gear Vendors. The well-detailed V-8 becomes the focal point of the engine bay after the firewall and wheelwells were smoothed out.
Though the basic lines of...
Though the basic lines of the exterior haven’t been altered that much, you can’t say that about the interior. Starting with Lizard Skin and Dynamat insulation, Armando’s Custom Upholstery then added the leather to the door panels and the Glide Engineering bucket seats and custom rear bench. The Recaro steering wheel bolts to a Flaming River column, and Auto Meter Nexus digital gauges were installed behind a black anodized chunk of machined billet aluminum. In the flowing center console is the Alpine stereo head unit, which works in tandem with the Kicker amplifier and the Boston Acoustic speakers. The air conditioning came from Vintage Air, and the Painless Performance kit made wiring easy.
Though the basic lines of...
Though the basic lines of the exterior haven’t been altered that much, you can’t say that about the interior. Starting with Lizard Skin and Dynamat insulation, Armando’s Custom Upholstery then added the leather to the door panels and the Glide Engineering bucket seats and custom rear bench. The Recaro steering wheel bolts to a Flaming River column, and Auto Meter Nexus digital gauges were installed behind a black anodized chunk of machined billet aluminum. In the flowing center console is the Alpine stereo head unit, which works in tandem with the Kicker amplifier and the Boston Acoustic speakers. The air conditioning came from Vintage Air, and the Painless Performance kit made wiring easy.
Hot Rods & Custom Stuff perfected...
Hot Rods & Custom Stuff perfected the body before spraying it with PPG paint. Escondido Plating was tapped for the shiny stuff, of which there is a fair amount still left on the car both inside and out.
EVOD 18x8 and 18x9 wheels...
EVOD 18x8 and 18x9 wheels are wrapped in low-profile Nitto rubber. Slick and smooth after the door handles and miscellaneous trim pieces were shaved and the bumpers (attached with hidden bolts) were narrowed and brought in close to the body.
EVOD 18x8 and 18x9 wheels...
EVOD 18x8 and 18x9 wheels are wrapped in low-profile Nitto rubber. Slick and smooth after the door handles and miscellaneous trim pieces were shaved and the bumpers (attached with hidden bolts) were narrowed and brought in close to the body.