Six-Passenger Starship - 1961 Ford Starliner

You sit somewhat low in a 1961 Ford Galaxie Starliner. The seats are a touch shallow and your legs stretch out before you. The driving position seems to suit the car's rakish lines, however, which puts you in the role of potential astronaut rather than mundane commuter. From the broad grille to the ribbed stone guards and the afterburner taillamps, the big Ford seems eager to gobble up miles on the brand-new and growing interstate system of its youth—or potentially to ferry First Class passengers on interstellar vacations.

Ford styling in 1961 said spaceship, but Ford's marketing said sports cars—which is the phrase most used for performance-oriented vehicles before the muscle car era. One brochure illustrated a Starliner parked at the power boat races. The big rooster tails implied speed, and the car's fashionably dressed owners were clearly people who appreciated power and handling. That same brochure says the 300-hp V-8 and Cruise-O-Matic transmission are the "going combination" for Starliner buyers.

Gear selector offers three positions in the Cruise-O-Matic and allows manual shifting. Drivers in 1961 found the seating position somewhat awkward, but modern drivers feel at home. Broad pedal controls "truck-size" 11-inch power drum brakes.

The 1961 Ford full-size cars were heavily refined versions of the 1960 models (see page 28), with fresh styling from the beltline down and a smattering of other new features: self-adjusting brakes, sealed lubrication in many of the chassis components, and a 30,000-mile warranty.

The Starliner wasn't just the hardtop body, however. Other features included vinyl and pleated nylon "shimmer" fabric on the seats and doors, reverse lamps, C-pillar star ornaments, color-keyed carpet, an electric clock, and bright trim on the drip rails. The standard engine was the Mileage Maker six-cylinder, the basic design of which dated back to 1952, but like other automakers at the time, Ford pushed its V-8s: the standard 292-cu.in. Y-block and the "Special" V-8s from the FE series, the 352-cu.in. and the new 390-cu.in. These FE engines were the latest in a family that dated back to 1958, but with a bigger bore and longer stroke than previous iterations.

The 390 V-8 came from the factory with four-barrel carburetion and in three different power ratings. The basic version produced 300 hp and 427 lb-ft of torque, and Ford recommended pairing this engine with a 2.91 axle ratio. For police duty, Ford produced a 330-hp version of this engine, but did not market it to the public. At the top of the heap was a 375-hp version with solid lifters and other performance attributes that made it good for competition, but less user-friendly on the street. Interestingly, all three 390s produced 427 lb-ft of torque, just at different engine speeds.

In addition to the factory-installed engines, the dealer offered a triple-carburetor intake to boost the 375-hp engine's rating to 401 hp. It's this latter engine most commonly associated with 1961 Fords today. The solid-lifter engines were available only with manual transmissions—standard or overdrive. The 300-hp 390 could be ordered with the well-respected Cruise-O-Matic.

Ford took what proved to be the conventional route with its automatic transmissions in the 1950s, continually upgrading its Fordomatic and eventually introducing the Cruise- O-Matic for applications with more torque, like the 300-hp 390 in our feature car, owned by Lester Edwards of Harmony, North Carolina. The Cruise-O-Matic is a three-speed, torque-convertor transmission that can be shifted manually for maximum acceleration if the driver is so inclined. Simply start the car with the gearshift in the "Lo" position to take advantage of first gear. Floor the accelerator and blast away to 30 mph or more, then shift momentarily into drive and then back to low, which will hold the car in second gear until ready for third—then shift into drive once more.

Of course, for most of us, letting the Cruise-O-Matic shift itself is just fine. The shifts aren't jarring, and the kick-down for passing works quickly. The torque of the 390, which is 38-cu.in. larger than the 300-hp 352 of 1960, hurries it along smartly. It provides its best acceleration between 20 and 60 mph, likely thanks to the fairly shallow gears in the rear axle.

Spacious Ford interiors of the early '60s can be quite beautiful. Starliner features vinyl upholstery with pleated shimmer nylon inserts. Shimmer comes courtesy of silver Mylar threads.

One place where you'll want to slow down, however, is in the curves. While Ford boasted "Wide-Tread Design," apparently with Pontiac in mind, and claimed handling to be "smoothly precise," allowing the Starliner to "cling tenaciously to the road…hold tight in curves…corner flat and true…" and "handle with sports-car ease," that's not quite the story that plays out behind the wheel.

Typically for full-size American cars of this era, the suspension is tuned to impart comfort, not handling. Automotive journalists of the time often lamented that earlier Fords had been sprightly handlers and the new Fords were not—but magazine writers have always been a particular bunch and not necessarily in lockstep with the buying public on such points.

The Galaxie utilizes coil springs up front and leaf springs in the back. The 1961 full-size chassis, while essentially the same as 1960, had some tweaks. One of them is a thinner main leaf in the rear springs, which in theory imparts a softer ride, though it was not considered a noticeable improvement at the time and came at the further expense of handling. Throwing the Ford into a tight maneuver will result in perceptible body lean and squealing tires if still equipped with the original-specification 8.00 x 14 bias-ply tires (non-air conditioned cars received 7.50 x 14 tires). The radials fitted to our feature car improve things in that regard.

One place where the soft suspension works to the Starliner's benefit is in low speed driving over rough surfaces. Pick up speed or hit a really rough stretch of road, though, and things deteriorate again, with the body seeming to roll from side to side of its own accord. Perhaps call it a boulevard ride, because even on smooth roads, as the speed increases, one encounters a certain floating sensation that does not inspire as much confidence as a firmer suspension. Still, the overall road manners are not alarming, and a 1961 Galaxie is quite content at freeway speeds.

Another area where the overly cushy nature of early '60s cars rears its head (and Ford is far from alone in this) is in the steering. The bulk of full-size cars, especially when equipped with big-block V-8s, practically mandated power steering for most owners. The trouble is that it tends to be excessively boosted and somewhat numb—fine for ordinary driving, but less than ideal for spirited jaunts or emergency maneuvering.

The steering situation becomes particularly noticeable on winding roads—what ought to be fun is hampered by a lack of confidence that the car is doing what the driver intends. The handling is actually better than it seems, but too much of the feedback is masked by the power assist. Conversely, when maneuvering at low speeds the boost helps, but the steering ratio could be better. With 4.5 turns lock-to-lock there's lots of spinning the wheel to get things where you want them.

The picture is somewhat rosier when it comes to the brakes. While all drum systems can suffer from fade if overheated, the 11-inch "truck-size" standard brakes on the Galaxie were appropriately scaled to the car. For severe-use situations, Ford offered heavy-duty drums and linings, and, of course, the modern aftermarket offers disc conversions for the supremely cautious. Power assist had long been a part of the option list and many Starliners are so equipped, including our feature car—which also retains its single-reservoir master cylinder. The latter is hardly a worry as long as the brake lines are regularly inspected and kept in good condition.

Driving any car of the early '60s requires regular maintenance, just as when it was new. It will also expose one to the little idiosyncrasies of their operation. Our feature car is fitted with air conditioning hung under the dash, but on milder days, one can fine tune the window openings with the vent windows. On a Chevrolet, that operation uses a second, smaller hand crank. Ford took the simpler approach with a hook that serves both to secure the window when not in use and as a convenient handle for adjustment.

Stopping for gas is a common occurrence with a 390-cu.in. V-8 (10 to 14 mpg was typical—fi ne for its era, but somewhat excessive by modern standards) and the Galaxie makes it easy thanks to a centrally mounted fuel filler. Pull up to either side of the pump and you're ready to go—no peering at the fuel gauge to remember where the filler is located.

The only disadvantages to this system are a slight loss of depth in the trunk area and having the fuel tank at the extreme rear of the car, where it is somewhat more vulnerable in a crash. Incidentally, Ford took the time to locate the spare tire well forward in the trunk, placing it out of the way for cargo, luggage, or the chairs and cooler you're taking to cruise night. Altogether, there's nearly 30 cubic feet of trunk space—Ford touted it as "vacation volume."

FE-series V-8s came in two displacements and five horsepower ratings—up to 401 hp with dealer-installed six-barrel carburetion. Feature car's 300-hp 390, paired with the Cruise-O-Matic, was Ford's recommendation in the Starliner for ideal fun-to-civility ratio. Note the air conditioning compressor, and the distinctive Ford expansion tank.

Another place where there is plenty of room is inside. Although trimmed down from the gargantuan 1960 models, the '61 Fords gave up no interior space. Four people fit comfortably, and there are actually seating positions for six—though you'll be glad for the column shifter if you have a middle passenger up front. It's no flight of fancy to contemplate putting three kids in the back, plus Mom and Dad up front, for a cross-country jaunt.

Road trip, drive to the store, car show, or Sunday drive, a 1961 Starliner is a great window back to Ford in transition. It combines daring styling, proven and rugged mechanicals, and high-quality materials to create a car that is both wonderful to own and fun to drive.

Racing cachet and retro futurism: Starliner's slippery fastback roof was missed by stock-car racers when it was discontinued for 1962. Stars on C-pillar were exclusive to this body style.

1961 FORD GALAXIE STARLINER

SPECIFICATIONS

PRICE

BASE PRICE $2,713

OPTIONS Thunderbird 390 Special V-8; Cruise-O-Matic transmission; air conditioning; two-tone paint; power brakes; power steering

ENGINE

TYPE Ford FE OHV V-8; cast-iron block and cylinder heads

DISPLACEMENT 390-cu.in.

BORE X STROKE 4.05 x 3.78 inches

COMPRESSION RATIO 9.6:1

HORSEPOWER @ RPM 300 @ 4,600

TORQUE @ RPM 427 lb-ft @ 2,800

VALVETRAIN Hydraulic

MAIN BEARINGS Five

FUEL SYSTEM Autolite 4100 four-barrel carburetor; mechanical pump

LUBRICATION SYSTEM Pressure, gear-type pump

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12-volt, breaker point ignition system; generator

EXHAUST SYSTEM Single exhaust

TRANSMISSION

TYPE Ford Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission

RATIOS 1st 2.40:1

2nd 1.47:1

3rd 1:1

DIFFERENTIAL

TYPE Ford 9-inch hypoid, semi-floating type

GEAR RATIO 2.91:1

STEERING

TYPE Recirculating ball, power assist

RATIO OVERALL 18:1

TURNING CIRCLE 41.2 feet

BRAKES

TYPE Hydraulic, drums, power assist

FRONT 11 x 2.5-inch

REAR 11 x 2.25-inch

CHASSIS & BODY

CONSTRUCTION Steel body, separate steel frame with five crossmembers

BODY STYLE Two-door hardtop

LAYOUT Front engine, rear-wheel drive

SUSPENSION

FRONT Coil springs, shock absorbers

REAR Solid axle; semi-elliptical leaf springs, tubular shock absorbers

WHEELS & TIRES

WHEELS Steel with full wheel covers

FRONT/REAR 14 x 5.5 inches

TIRES Narrow-whitewall radials

FRONT/REAR 225/75R14 (original 8.00 x 14)

WEIGHTS & MEASURES

WHEELBASE 119.0 inches

OVERALL LENGTH 209.9 inches

OVERALL WIDTH 79.9 inches

OVERALL HEIGHT 55.0 inches

FRONT TRACK 61.00 inches

REAR TRACK 60.00 inches

SHIPPING WEIGHT 3,723 pounds

CAPACITIES

CRANKCASE 5 quarts (6 quarts with filter)

COOLING SYSTEM 20.4 quarts

FUEL TANK 20.1 gallons

CALCULATED DATA

BHP PER CU.IN. 0.769

WEIGHT PER BHP 12.41 pounds

WEIGHT PER CU.IN. 9.55 pounds

PRODUCTION

STARLINER 29,669

PROS & CONS

+ Highly distinctive style

+ Plenty of horsepower

+ Smooth shifting transmission

– Too '50s for some, too '60s for others

– Somewhat numb power steering

– Soft suspension compromises handling

WHAT TO PAY

LOW

$10,000 – $15,000

AVERAGE

$25,000 – $40,000

HIGH

$55,000 – $65,000

CLUB CORNER

FORD GALAXIE CLUB OF AMERICA

P.O. Box 429

Valley Springs, AR 72682

870-743-9757

www.galaxieclub.com

Dues: $40/year

Membership: 2,100

ANTIQUE AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF AMERICA

161 Museum Drive

Hershey, PA 17033

717-566-7100

www.aaca.org

Dues: $40/year

Membership: 60,000