The grille, bumper, and core support are missing in the intro photo because the big FE was yanked for a rebuild while we worked on the makeover, but it was a running, driving car when found.
On day one of our Weekend Makeover, we wrapped up the lettering and exterior on our ’60 Starliner. For day two, the mission was to get it NASCAR low and take care of handling ills. The engine was tired, but not nearly as worn-out as the suspension. The ’Liner was sketchy at all speeds to say the least, and the squashy springs had us feeling like we might drag the door handles if we dared even a mildly aggressive turn. We don’t mind saving the bodywork for later, but we can’t hold our heads up proudly and cruise a Starliner that looks like an old NASCAR racer if it still drives like a derelict.
We can't think of a single company that has really put thought and effort into creating a full performance suspension solution for full-frame '60s Fords except RideTech—and they didn't cut corners either. We opted for the Level 2 system that includes upgraded aluminum adjustable shocks, as well as the RidePro e3 fully programmable electronic control system. Both upgrades will not only improve ride quality, but also provide more adjustment and quick tunability for more aggressive driving.
Up on the lift, it was immediately obvious that we needed to replace pretty much every suspension component to get the driveability up to par. Also, to complete our NASCAR look we needed to drop the ride height a few inches. Of course real racers never needed to worry about ground clearance, but since real-world cruising was on our minds we didn’t want to be stuck with a stance that looked terrific but had us dragging the underbody or pipes going in and out of driveways. Lucky for us, RideTech loves the big Fords too and has developed a complete, near bolt-in suspension solution that will give us the all-important low stance without commitment, excellent ride quality, and even handling performance.
