1961 Ford Sunliner

[rick60]

I just finished this project and would like to share some photos of the process. It is a '61 Ford Sunliner. It is a solid car that had been painted red twice in the past. It was white from the factory. i stripped the car to bare metal, straightened the numerous small dents and repainted it. All of the stainless was straightened and polished. A new top and ABC interior kit was installed. All of the interior metal was stripped and repainted. The dash panel was removed, disassembled and refurbished. The dash pad was dyed the original color. The engine compartment was restored to look as it did when the car left the factory. All wire looms were removed cleaned and re taped. Over the last 2 years and 9 months countless hours of labor were put into this project in order to make it look as it did in 1961. Enjoy the photos

[rick60]

More 1961 Ford pictures.

[rick60]

Additional pictures.

[rick60]

Another group of pictures

[rick60]

Continuation of pictures

[rick60]

Another set of pictures

[rick60]

The last set of pictures

[keiser31]

Beautiful work!! You should be very proud to have done such a sweet restoration.

[TexRiv_63]

Very nice job on a beautiful car.

[unimogjohn]

Wow! She looks great! Thanks for all the pictures of your work. You should be a very proud papa. You sure will enjoy her, summer is here, and keep that top down. Great job.

[First Born]

OUTSTANDING!! Will stand out from thr rest!!

Ben

[Scotts_DG8]

Great restoration. I know I would be very proud to cruise down the road in it as I imagine that you are every time you get behind the wheel. Now you get the payback for all your hard work. Enjoy the ride. Scott...

[rick60]

Thanks for all of the positive comments. I won't be cruising in this car. It belongs to my brother. I had the enjoyment of working on the car. He had the pleasure of paying for all of the parts and supplies. It added up to quite a lot of money. One quart of red Centari enamel for the interior was $101! A lot of helpful information was obtained from members of the AACA by reading this web site. I'm thankful they are willing to share their knowledge for the benefit of others.

[unimogjohn]

Rick, cannot stop now. What is next?

[rick60]

I own a 1960 Sunliner that I painted 12 years ago. I plan on replacing the interior. I purchased an ABC kit 12 years ago. The blue vinyl was not the correct color. I contacted the new owners of ABC. They went to extreme measures to locate the correct material. I ordered a new kit. It will be ready this fall. My car is equipped with a 1971 360 cu. in. short block. I've obtained a '60 352 that is now at the machine shop. It will be installed this fall when the car is stored for the winter. My goal is to make my '60 look as it did when it left the show room.

[pacerman]

I'm impressed with the work too. Congratulations on lots of individual jobs well done that added up to a great outcome. I know your brother will be very happy cruising in that car. I appreciate the fact that you avoided going overboard with acessories and left it like it would have appeared at the dealership...no fender skirts, cats eyes, etc.

[real61ss]

Beautiful!!!! I bet you experenced what I have when doing a complete restoration.... there are times when you think this thing is never going to be finished but when it's done it's worth every minute and every penny!!!
Thanks for sharing....'61 is my favorite year

[TexRiv_63]

I own a 1960 Sunliner that I painted 12 years ago. I plan on replacing the interior. I purchased an ABC kit 12 years ago. The blue vinyl was not the correct color. I contacted the new owners of ABC. They went to extreme measures to locate the correct material. I ordered a new kit. It will be ready this fall. My car is equipped with a 1971 360 cu. in. short block. I've obtained a '60 352 that is now at the machine shop. It will be installed this fall when the car is stored for the winter. My goal is to make my '60 look as it did when it left the show room.

Rick,

My father had a '60 from new and I owned one used years later, it is one of my favorite one-year-only cars. Keep us posted when you get into it!

[danielhenry31]

Great wonderful work I have ever seen!The car looks superb with the stylish design and color.
I m looking for such a car to buy.

[mikhett]

GREAT JOB!Rick.Im restoring a 1962 ford galaxie xl from the ground up .Ive been at it for 3yrs now almost done.It will be painted corinthian white(original color).Did you paint yours in base/clear or single stage? Thanks Mike

[rick60]

The car was painted with CENTARI acrylic enamel. It is a Dupont product. A local expert on early '60s Fords told me that the paint looks like the baked enamel that Ford used when these cars were new. It is a single stage paint. Be sure to wear a fresh air respirator if you decide to use Centari. Isocyanite can be harmful.

[Seldenguy]

Hi Rick-- I'm having trouble finding correct carpeting for my '61 Sunliner.Where did you locate a supplier for yours? When the top was done were you able to get the side rail snaps on the installation? You restoration skills are great and both you and your brother can be proud of the job. Congratulations ---Bob

[rick60]

AUTO CUSTOM CARPETS INC is the name of the company. 800 633 2358 ACC: your authority for custom automotive carpet, floor mats, and more This is the information on the box. I think my brother ordered from another supplier. I'm waiting for my brother to provide that information so I can order carpet for my '60. They will need to know if the front floor is flat or has footwells. When I positioned the top pad to install the snap the pad did not form to the top bows causing the top not to lay flat. I omitted the snaps. This was an aftermarket top produced in the '60s. it may not be exactly the same as the original. The original top was not on the car when my brother purchased it.

[rick60]

The web site for the carpet is: auto-interior.com Your '61 is considered a "fairlane convertible", not a Sunliner.