The East Coast Hot Rod Garage Took this 1961 Ford Starliner from Restoration to Custom Rod
You don’t typically go to a steakhouse looking for sushi, or to the pub when you’re hungry for ice cream. When a business has a specialty, you’re wise to lean into it. So, when Meade Baldwin took his 1961 Ford Starliner to East Coast Hot Rod Garage for an OE-style restoration, he should have known the rebuild would change course and result in the bitchin’ custom rod you see here.
Meade has had a long relationship with the team at East Coast Hot Rod Garage, so it’s entirely possible he subconsciously wanted a modified cruiser all along. Either way, the Starliner project – which started as an empty shell needing quarter panels and floors – soon began taking shape as a clean and subtle modern custom.
The car’s low, aggressive stance was the first thing to get dialed in. It was accomplished using a stock frame modified by Dale Rhodes using RideTech front and rear suspension components, a Strange 9-inch rearend, Wilwood disc brakes front and rear, and Billet Specialties 18×8- and 20×10-inch wheels wrapped in Nitto 245/45/18 and 295/35/20 tires.
It’s tough to beat a supercharged 5.0-liter Coyote engine for modern Ford power, so the East Coast Hot Rod Garage team fitted a 750-horsepower 2018 version of the engine into the 1961 Ford Starliner chassis. They built custom covers for it to create an understated under-hood appearance and added Stainless Specialties headers leading to a 3-inch exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. It’s cooled by a Ron Davis radiator and backed by a Lokar-shifted 4R70 transmission.
Dale Rhodes and Manny Romero tended to the necessary metal repair and subtle custom mods, which included shaved emblems and handles, filled seams, and deleted tail panel trim. The bumpers were also smoothed, reshaped, tucked closer to the body, and plated by Jon Wright’s Custom Chrome. East Coast Hot Rod Garage’s Jason Lester gets credit for the bodywork and fresh PPG Wimbledon White finish.
There was a lot more metal movement inside, where a ’56 Ford dash was modified to fit, filled with Dakota Digital gauges, and fitted with a Flaming River tilt column and cut-down Starliner wheel. A custom console is flanked by custom T-Bird-style bucket seats stitched by Dean Alexander using blue Moore and Giles leather and vintage fabric, with a custom package tray finishing the rear. Vintage Air keeps things cool and an American Autowire harness keeps things connected.
With a clean, cohesive look that leaves many admirers wondering exactly what and how much has been altered, Meade’s smooth 1961 Ford Starliner has achieved that enviable balance of custom cool, enduring style, and modern performance. See, sometimes it’s a good thing to change your mind!
Photos by Damon Lee
