My 57 Pontiac Safari: "From RUST to GLORY"

Some of you mat have seen the nice article Ryan posted about my cars on the JJ about a year ago, and the lead image had me leaning on a 1957 Pontiac Custom Safari I had just purchased: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=860

Its been a long road, but the Safari is finally turning into a nice car. Just to catch you up to speed, she started out as a filthy rusty, non-running project I reluctantly bought last Spring as a "cheap" family fun wagon. Once I got the car home and tallied all the missing rare parts and extensive rust repair needed, that smile on my face quickly faded...









Here's the motor:


The first step was for my Dad and I to get it running (new carb, alternator, water pump), dual exhaust, disc brakes on the front, lowered 3" with everything rebuilt.

Motor after some love:


With the motor & chassis dialed up it was time to address the real issue: rust inside and out. This car must have sat in a damp field with the windows rolled up tight for 30+ years. It was basically a parts car to someone, with the liftgate, headliner bows and misc. electrical items stripped off.

First stop was my buddy Matt Seret of Seret Customs. He fabbed new floor pans, fixed the rotted tailgate, rusted out spare well, hole in the roof, and shaved the door handles & fender trim. The list is much longer, but you get the idea-- He got her solid!

At this point I realized she was nice enough to paint, and my idea of the "budget beater" with patina was out the window.... So off to Rolfe Brittain's shop, LUX, where every lick of remaining rusty trim and stripped-screw molding was extracted from the car. That took a week alone! Of course, more rust was found hiding in every possible corner. Once addressed, the inside was POR 15 treated and the body was sealed, primed, and painted in the Limefire and Seacreast green you see here. Lots of pearl added to the top, spear and dash. 80% of the chrome and trim on the car was badly pitted or rusted and plating has been extensive & expensive!

I just got the mildly customized seats back, and I'm trying to finish getting it bolted together for Paso Maria in a few weeks! I took the new photos yesterday, so you can see missing side trim, the front bumper isn't all the way, and no glass yet.

Here's some before and afters:












And my Liberace interior:




Santa Maria is the goal. She's come a LONG way, eh?

 

Wow! Hell of a transformation! That is beautiful!!!

 

wow... just wow... that thing is awesome. a thing of beauty even...

 

How long did this all take? The car is beautiful man.

 

Can't say I much care for the Cad air cleaner, but then I'm a little bias toward the little one (about 8 or 10 inch diameter) that sat on one side of the fuel injection doghouse on my red car (Cordoba Red, Kenya Ivory top and insert). Car looks fantastic by the way, makes me wonder why I didn't keep mine.

If those seats are the original ones, the car must be very early production. Body number (date the body, not the date the car, was manufactured) is found on the firewall tag containing paint info. Back when I was researching these cars to restore mine (I had three at the time, one had the stars on the seat backs, two didn't), I found something stating Pontiac removed the stars from the seats early in the model year because of customer complaints.

 

I enjoyed seeing Matt work his skills on your wagon... I often go by his shop just to see what he's working on, and it motivates me to get busy on my own wagon.

 

Incredible! nice job, can't wait to see it finished

 

one word
wow
that is a thing of beauty
great job man

 

Dude, That car is bitchen !

 

wow i love what you did with it

 

I'm e-mailing this link to a friend with a 57 StarChief. He's been wanting to go with a tu-tone green.
Your wagon looks just great.

 

Stars were indeed only on early production models. Legend has is that a Pontiac Exec's wife snagged her sweater on a star and raised cane till they were deleted. I have an early brochure with the stars and a later one with the same photo, but the stars have been airbrushed out.

I thought they were rare and cool enough to keep, but I had them "pulled in" to the seat a bit to prevent snagging/ poking.

Thanks to everyone for the kind words about the wagon-- I'm proud of 'er.
And total restoration time has been about 4 months!

 

Lookin' great! I wish I could have an interior done up like that ...

What're you running for exhaust? How's it sound?

 

I just picked up on the "dip" being painted to match the rest of the roof when you repainted it. I did the same thing on mine. Matter of fact, it seems like most that have been repainted have the "dip" painted. Probably not true, but it seems like it, at least it's different from a Nomad that way. Nice to see the Pontiac motor "spruced up" a bit, too, instead of something foreign in there (SBC?).

My Transcontinental was the same pain scheme as your 2 door and my early production 2 door (body #17, probably pre-production) was Silver Beige with a Charcoal Grey top and insert. If you're reading a little envy here, you're right, because much as I'd like one again, while being able to afford one might possible, these were not cheap cars and the restoration costs are probably not for the faint of heart.

I'm just going to have stick to "Plan A" and "make do" by putting the injection on a 421 block I've been hoarding for a while now (since 1969), slapping my vintage 71 Hurst SuperShifter on a Muncie 4 speed to go behind, and using it in a 29 A on shortened AA rails.

 

Color choice is perfect. That was a pretty ambitious undertaking but having watched you on other projects, I was sure it would turn out sweet. Good job by all involved.
GV

 

JB.....awesome work on the wagon. KNUX!

 

Running dual Smitty glasspack's and they'll be run through the bumper tips at some point.
Nice sound, a bit quiet w/ slight rumble.

I've got to say the stock Pontiac 347 has some good punch. I stuck an Edelbrock carb on it and gave it a tune up and its got PLENTY of power.

 

Looks bitchin! My stepdad from way back when had a '56 Nomad that was a solid shade of green that looks pretty damn close to your darker color.

I hope you can get the car to the show, I would like to see it in person...

Oh yea, is green the 'standard' engine color for Pontiacs, like CHevy Orange and Ford Blue? My motor in my '55 is that same shade of green, but I can't recall ever seeing another green Pontiac motor... or hell ANY motor except for maybe in a tractor or something.

 

awesome.

 

looking good.. is that the original color?

 

Yup-- Thats the Pontiac Green they used up through 57/ 58. When the 389 came out, Pontiac went to a light blue for many years. You can get the paint from Bill Hirsch Supplies.

jay

http://www.hirschauto.com/prodinfo.asp?number=EEA-SPRAY&variation=PON BLU GN

 

great job that car is beauty

 

That green is the standard engine colour Pontiac used 55 though 58, only exception was the fuel injected 57 Bonnevilles which were painted their own shade of blue.

 

BEAUTIFUL!!!! Gives me an incentive to get mine running again.

 

Wow, looking great!

 

Damn Jay, that is incredible !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait to see it in the flesh.

PM me about Sparky's and Thursday please.

BB

 

That is F'n awsome! Congratulations to all of you. The 347's can make some good power...I had one years ago, and it beat a 352 Ford like there was no tomorrow! Enough of that, that will start another issue. Again, congrats...one hell of a nice ride.

 

perfect

 

Very nice, it came a long way with a lot of work. Great Job.