This Ebay find 1963 Pontiac Catalina Safari station wagon started as a family’s vacation car to drive between Chicago and their Estes Park, Colorado vacation home. Nicely optioned, the Catalina featured a 267HP 389 V8, automatic transmission, factory air, and six passenger seating. Comfort, convenience and nice performance for a highway driver.

When the new owner, a Pontiac performance enthusiast purchased the car with just 36,000 miles in 2005, he saw an opportunity to turn this well preserved Pontiac into a performer that would look like it came right out of the factory.  A period correct Borg-Warner floor shift manual transmission was added as well as a numbers correct four barrel intake manifold with a Carter AFB carburetor. A dual exhaust replaced the factory single exhaust and Pontiac 8 lug wheels were added completing the performance transformation.

With all the mechanical upgrades, a real nice touch is the conversion to bucket seats from the factory bench seats. A donor Pontiac supplied the seats but the material from the original bench seat was used resulting in a perfect match with the rest of the original material.

We really like this one. There are plenty of restomod wagons out there so it’s nice to see the period correct mods on this one.

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Update 2/17/2012: Car sold for $6,200

Found on Ebay at no reserve is this 1983 Pontiac Bonneville station wagon with just 66,003 original miles. One of the ways to determine a vehicles originality is by looking at elements of a car that in normal use wear quickly. Take a close look at this Bonneville and you can still see the original “Chieftain Pontiac” and “Unleaded Fuel Only” stickers. Normally these start to peel and fade after just a few years of normal wear but they still look new in the pictures.

A few more clues about the car can be seen when we take a look at the vehicle history report. The report reveals that the car has spent it’s entire life in the wealthy Chicago suburb of Winnetka. Chieftain Pontiac was a Pontiac dealer based in Winnetka so the dealer sticker on the liftgate makes sense. Normally a Chicago area car from this era is a victim of the harsh winters within a decade, but I suspect that this car was used exclusively for weekend getaways and vacations. The wagon must have eventually been retired to the garage as the history report reveals it has only been driven 1,000 miles since 2000.

Powered by a 305 V8, the heavally optioned Bonneville is said to run and drive perfectly. With borderline collectable appeal it may not quite be in the daily driver category but it would make a great weekend driver.

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Update 12/22/2012: Car sold for $22,400

Woodie restorations are always a challenge, and this 1947 Pontiac Streamliner station wagon found on Ebay is a perfect opportunity for someone with the time and patience to bring this wagon back to it’s previous glory. After being in the same family and used as a Sunday driver since the 1970′s the car had been retired to a barn about ten years ago.

The car is not running, but it does look very complete. Despite the worn condition of the extensively used wood, the seller states that the wood does not appear to have any rotting. Rust has begun to creep into the fenders due to its barn storage. The leather roof is also described as having some mold that the seller believes can be removed.

Not for the faint of heart, this restoration project will be a ‘project of pride’ for the next owner.

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Update: The Pontiac sold for $38,500

Right out of a Nevada museum where it has spent the past 20 years is this beautiful top of the line 1959 Pontiac Bonneville Safari. This rare and desirable wagon was originally purchased in California and except for one repaint is completely original. The seller has paperwork going back to day one documenting the purchase and maintenance of the car. Found on Ebay and just 61,311 miles from new, the options include a 389, 300hp V8, Hydramatic automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes.

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Purchased in California from the family who had owned it since 1978, this clean Bonneville wagon found on Ebay has been stripped to bare metal and repainted in the original Yorktown Blue. The engine has been tuned and detailed and according to the sellers description runs decent with no leaks or smoke. Powered by a 4Bbl 389, the options include factory air (not working), power brakes and steering and tinted glass. The interior could use some work including new seat covers, but overall this is a very nice and desirable early 60′s Pontiac wagon.

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With the just concluded Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Here are a few of the more interesting station wagons that crossed the block.

1962 Rambler Cross Country  $13,200

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O.K.  so it has a transplanted Chevy engine but it that doesn’t bother you this is a very nice Chieftain wagon. Not an all out woodie, but it does have a nice amount of wood ornamentation without the maintenance.  Found on Hemmings and priced at $22,500, the seller calls the car “absolutely mint” with a nice interior and no rust anywhere.  The engine is a 305 Chevy and the car has been upgraded to 12 volts. He even says he will throw in a 60′s era surfboard and water skis.

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The cousin of the Chevy Nomad and just as beautiful the Pontiac Safari was a shining example of of the all new GM fleet for 1955. This Pontiac Safari found on Collector Car Ads and priced at $45,999 was just the 27th built out of the 3,760 produced that year. Everything on this car has been rebuilt with high quality including the 287 engine.

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Found on Ebay with a buy it now price of $39,900, this Chieftain wagon looks like a real head turner. Perfect for a trip to the beach or a country drive, the roomy wagon comes with an in-line 8 with plenty of torque and a 4 speed hydra-matic automatic transmission. Given the rarity of this car and the cost it would take to restore one if you could find one, the $39,900 asking price seems fair.

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