Shortly thereafter, D’Agostino purchased a nearly restored 1951 Mercury, but found it too nice to customize, so he simply completed the restoration and sold the car, clearing space for the purchase of another 1951 Mercury. D’Agostino developed an even greater fascination for the restyling art after viewing George Lucas’s iconic American Graffiti in 1973. Over the intervening years, his very fertile imagination and true reverence for the legends of the restyling art have resulted in a multitude of beautiful customs that emphasize and retain the best original design elements of each car with tasteful accents, creating a unique statement every time.ĭ’Agostino was already a seasoned competitor on the West Coast ISCA show-car circuit by the early 1970s with his brand-new 1970 Pontiac Grand Prix, which took Best Custom honors at the Grand National Roadster Show, followed by a much more radical 1972 Buick Riviera. Wheelbase: 113"Īs customs go, it is hard to improve on a sleek 1961 Ford Thunderbird coupe with its build orchestrated by John D’Agostino, who has been instrumental in reviving the art of customizing since he rose to prominence in the 1970s. in V8 engine, single four-barrel carburetor, three-speed Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission, independent front suspension and live rear axle with Air Ride front and rear, and four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. Candy Red paint with golden scallops finishes the car perfectly.ģ00 bhp, 390 cu. Custom hood hides 390 cubic V8 that is mated to a single 4-barrel carb and 3-speed automatic transmission. Interior was also tastefully modified: dashboard features aircraft instrument panel, “waterfall” console and nice white vinyl upholstery. It runs on a set of chrome plated wire wheels with wide whitewall tires – one more trademark of Mr D’Agostino. Headlamps got European style and were housed in mesh, the custom grille features bullet-shaped mesh.
The car was built in 1997 and it beautifully renders D’Agostino’s customizing style and traditions.Įven though Firestar looks very smooth and “light” it actually hides much of custom work: the roof was chopped, taillights were nicely modified, rear fender peaks were redesigned to echo high-canted fenders from 1857 Thunderbird.
John D’Agostino, who is very well known customizer, used his extraordinary imagination and skills to customize this custom ’61 Thunderbird Coupe “Firestar”.
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