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Aris Pappas is a man who knows what he likes. For that matter even as a teenager he knew what he liked. A teenage Pappas could not afford a new car, so he and his friends would watch the new crop of cars drive by with each boy selecting the car of his dreams. Most of his friends drooled over the latest muscle cars.
Pappas, however, was enraptured by Oldsmobile’s Starfire model. To him the style of that Olds superseded anything else auto manufacturers had to offer. But that was then and this is now.
Pappas and his close knit group of friends went their separate ways, but stayed in touch and occasionally would gather for a reunion of sorts. One day in May, 2013, Pappas was surprised to receive a telephone call from one of his boyhood fiends who now lived in California.
Recalling Pappas’ attraction in the old days to Oldsmobile Starfires the call was to inform Pappas that he had found a good 1962 model for sale in Massachusetts and the friend was willing to go in half to purchase the car.
Pappas leaped at the chance on the word of his longtime friend. The purchase was arranged sight-unseen, as was transportation, and the Starfire was soon on the back of a truck heading to the Virginia home of Pappas. He witnessed the unloading of the Oldsmobile from the truck and was virtually transformed to his teenage years upon seeing the 1962 Starfire. Over time Pappas has arranged to buy out the other half of the car from his childhood friend.
The Starfire coupe shared the same roofline as the rest of the General Motors offerings that year, but to the eye of Pappas it looked better on an Oldsmobile. A coat of Garnet Mist exterior paint is accented by outrageous bright work along the flanks of the lengthy car.
Once the super size 17-foot, 10-inch-long Starfire was safely in the hands of Pappas he gave it a thorough once over. He found the car wasn’t in show quality condition but that did not matter; he didn’t want a show car. He wanted a car exactly what he got: a solid car with baby moon hubcaps and blue dots in the four taillights. Even the trunk interior is upholstered. The spare tire is positioned horizontally on top of the rear axle hump.
in the trunk.
A four-barrel carburetor sits atop the 394-cubic-inch V-8 engine that seems to only be happy consuming premium gasoline in order to deliver 345-horsepower. The capacity of the gasoline tank is 20 gallons while the cooling system keeps the temperature under control with 20.25 quarts of coolant.
The 77.9-inch width and 55.6-inch high dimensions of the spacious interior provide comfort while rolling on the 123-inch wheelbase. On either side of the console on the front floor is a bucket seat. The console houses the floor shift lever.
Inside the luxurious Starfire are power steering and power brakes, uncommon features on cars of that era.
With no intention of appealing to the local football teams colors, Pappas is often accused of having a car that is upholstered in the burgundy and gold of the nearby Washington Redskins.
“It’s not a competition car,” he says, “It’s my car.”