1955 Pontiac Star Chief

1955 Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari for sale on BaT Auctions - ending March 17 (Lot #101,190) | Bring a Trailer

 

Nicely restored. A lot of work went into this one.

 

Yeah it’s a real honey. Can do without the sun shade, but that just me. It’s a really stunning car.

 

This is a sweet poncho! The only thing that leaves me scratching my head is with the extensive restoration why didn't they do the seats back to original pattern?

 

Sweet Poncho for sure. The accountant in me has to wonder what the break even point is for this beauty. Bid to $27,777 with 5 days to go.

 

The accountant in me wonders what a hit the 1998 restoration guy took. In looking at everything that car needed even back in 1998 unless he did a fair amount of the work himself I wonder how far upside down he was when he sold it. Granted cost weren’t as high back then, but I don’t think the market was as hot for these as it is now. Also I think he did it for the love of the car. If he was in it for the money back in 1998 you could find Nomads in that condition too.

 

I agree, until the last few years the Pontiacs were not as collectible by the majority of car guys, everyone wanted a Nomad, and today Nomads still get higher dollars. A person has to like Pontiacs to lay out the amount he did for this restoration IF he didn't do a lot of the work himself. The reason I chose a Safari over a Nomad that was available at the same time, I wanted something more unique, I had a love of '57 Pontiac from an experience as a teenager that to this day hangs on me, but restoring one was and still is a lot of work. I was fortunate that the only thing I had to pay someone else to do was the bodywork and paint and a friend who owned his own shop did that for a very reasonable price in exchange for my assistance with his project, also a '57 Pontiac (Canadian version so disguised Chevy). I had a lot of friends who assisted with the various work as I plowed through it and we made lifelong friendships at the same time.

 

Plus I would think parts are not as plentiful for Pontiac’s. I actually like 50’s Pontiacs for the most part more than Chevrolets. I own a ‘57 Chevy wagon cause I’ve known the owner, and he knew I loved station wagons, and didn’t want some yo-yo putting a 350 crate motor in it, so I feel very fortunate after his 50 year run of ownership he made the steward of his lovely car. 235 6 3 on the tree with overdrive !

 

Great car 60Mercman. Every car lover should have the experience of winding out (just a little) a 1950s straight 6 in 2nd gear. It has been decades since I last had that experience and I can still feel and hear it.

 

Your 57 Chevy wagon is really nice. At 16 I had managed to buy a 57 BelAir 4dr from the original owner who had babied the car but was wanting a new one and mentioned to my father that he was selling it and would I be interested. I picked it up that evening. My plan was to put a 283 and powerglide in it but once I drove it I was fine with the original set up. Eventually my brother ended up with it and he drove it for several years.
At the time I restored my Safari I parted out a 2dr Star Chief hardtop I was intending to restore. When the wagon came along and a nice hardtop became a parts car overnight.

 

It’s funny, I had told the owner some time back that I would be interested in buying the car if he ever sold it, and his wife told me when he was out of the room that he was really pleased I was winding up with it. Unfortunately here probably 60% of the tri-five Chevys have a hole in the hood. I guess when I turn 86 I will want to make sure my cars have the next owners in place. The older I get the less I worry what the car will fetch, but where it’s going to wind up. I’m sure as long as you’ve had your Safari it too is a member of the family.

 

I hear ya! I don’t have biological children and my stepdaughter isn’t interested in cars…(but for some strange reason she loves F1)…she sometimes tries to joke with me and say that as soon as I’m gone she is going to sell all of my cars and I always reply “not if I give them away first!” Even just in my 50’s I get concerned about who will be the next caretaker for them.

 

I think that’s the other thing I’m realizing, all of the “family heirlooms” that my folks and their folks, and I have treasured will probably be on Craigslist by time I assume room temperature. I hear people say all the time. Your kids don’t want your $<|+. Get rid of it and you and your wife take the vacation.

 

My wife and I laid out where we wanted everything we treasure to end up and included that in our wills. The Safari and Airstream will go to a "nephew" who loves them, used them for his wedding photos, was 5 years old when he went for his first ride in the wagon, and he's now 48 and has muscle and collector cars of his own. He comes by it honestly as his father and uncles are car lovers with collector cars. But darn it's tough thinking about not being here to enjoy them. My wife has already asked when we are going to start going for picnics with the wagon again, and I'm adding some shiny things to the Airstream in preparation for summer camping, some of that will include vintage trailer campouts using the Safari to tow.

 

Sold on 3/17/23 for $76,000