Parked Since ’72: 1955 Pontiac Star Chief

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This 1955 Pontiac Star Chief has been parked since 1972 and has a claimed 89,000 genuine miles on the odometer. The owner has decided that the time has come to sell the old classic, so has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. Barn Finder Ikey H spotted the Star Chief for us, so thank you for that Ikey. The Star Chief is located in Union City, California, and the owner has set a sale price of $8,000 for this 1950s classic.

The photos that the owner supplies makes it pretty hard to determine the condition of the car, and he also isn’t particularly forthcoming with information in the text of the listing. However, what we can see doesn’t look too bad. The 1955 Star Chief was available in a mind-bending number of color combinations. By the time that you considered colors for the upper body, lower body, and wheels, we’re talking about at least 65 combinations. I’m pretty sure that the lower body is finished in Turquoise Blue Metallic, while the upper body is finished in Valley Green. The paint is looking tired in the photos, but it would be interesting to see how it would come up with a good buff and polish. The majority of the chrome and trim looks good, although some items such as the bumpers will need to be restored, as the plating is showing quite a bit of pitting.

The interior of the Star Chief appears to be nicely preserved, and it appears that it is another area of the car that would respond well to a thorough clean. The Valley Green paint on the dash seems to have held up better than its counterpart on the outside of the car, while the upholstery looks to be free of major tears or problems. This is a Star Chief that hasn’t been highly optioned because window operation is manual and there is no air conditioning, but it has been fitted with the optional, seven-valve radio. There isn’t much information on the mechanical state of the Pontiac, but if it is original, it should be fitted with the 287ci V8 engine and Hydra-Matic transmission. The V8 was a new feature for the 1955 model year and replaced the brand’s venerable straight-eight. This new engine provided the 1955 Star Chief with a significant performance boost over the 1954 model. The new engine produced 180hp, where the 1954 model had to make do with a mere 122hp.

In 1955, the Star Chief was Pontiac’s premium offering, and for Pontiac, it was a sales success, with 199,000 cars being sold across the entire range. This is a car that shows some promise, and if it checks out okay following a personal inspection, it could be a great project car.

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Comments

  1. Gaspumpchas

    2 PICS of the outside, 5 of the gut? Clean it off so you can see what color it is?? SMFH. Could be a nice poncho. Good luck hunting…

    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 3
  2. Fin Guy

    Has the 1963 issue black plates. Very early 63. Verry nice Pontiac.

    Like 1
  3. kuzspike

    I’d like to have it, just for that hood ornament.
    Especially if it lights up!

    Like 0
  4. SC/RAMBLER

    Kuzspike the hood ornament did not lite up. I personally still prefer the 56 Chieftain. My Dad bought one in mid 60s had maybe 45000 miles but ran on 7cylinders he put in new rings bearings rope rear main seal ( which was a real pain with engine still in the car) even after all that it still had a skip. The upper body was white and lower was a lavender or some sort of purple. Nice looking car had the 316\ 317 v8 never got it running right. Car was sold after Dad passed on 1982.

    Like 1
    • George

      This ornament is in fact capable of illuminating, the all chrome base ornament was not.

      Like 1
  5. Kenneth Carney

    OMG!!! Looks like Joe Heilman’s ’56 Chieftan sedan! Joe and Dottie Heilman
    went to my church in the late ’60’s and early ’70!s. The Chieftan was Joe’s work
    car and Dottie drove a ’66 Ford Country Sedan wagon. Before they got the wagon, Dottie drove the Chieftan and complained that it broke down a lot and that frustrated her to no end. With Joe working long hours, I often did any small
    repairs for them to keep the old car running ’till Joe bought the wagon for Dottie
    in late ’69 or so. Been almost 50 years now, and I still see Joe’s car most every
    time I see a car like this one. There was also a green ’55 like this one running
    around town too. It wasn’t as nice as Joe’s but it ran like a Swiss watch! Thanks
    for all the memories.

    Like 9
  6. AndyinMA

    Yes but did it run when parked?

    Like 3
  7. Guggie 13

    My grandfarther had a 56 this same color and his indian did lite up and he also had the power antenna , nice car !

    Like 0
  8. RoughDiamond

    One of my favorite body styles in the GM design era. I hate to think how much mice poop the new owner will encounter during the restoration.

    Here is a great read on the Pontiac Indian Chief Head Hood Ornaments. Warning! Have your magnifiers handy and a beverage of choice to sip on as it might take you a while to read it.

    https://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/CUNY-Graduate-Center/PDF/Art%20History/Mona%20Hadler/Hadler_HoodOrnaments.pdf

    Like 2
    • George Oyama

      Export the CUNY document as a PDF and view it in Adobe Reader at 100% or larger and you’ll have no eyestrain.

      Like 1
  9. John P

    This seems like a fantastic deal..

    Like 0
  10. Maestro1

    One of my favorite body designs from Pontiac. I don’t think the color combination is accurate and the seat cover is definately not. All of which doesn’t matter. I’m close to this car (in hours)
    but I have no room and I have two projects underway now. Somebody jump on this car. After you put your hands on it and look at its bones.

    Like 1
  11. JimmyinTEXAS

    Nice looking old car. If the bottom is anywhere as nice as the top, wow!

    Like 0
    • Del

      This looks good on top.

      But this is 8 grand for another non runner.

      And no pics of engine or bottom.

      He will have to take a lot less. His lack of interest shows.

      Like 2
  12. Bob McK

    I just sold a 56 red and white, nicely restored for $13K. The engine ran like a raped ape. The only thing it needed was the engine compartment detailed. So, 8 K seems like a lot for this one.

    Like 1
  13. Miguel

    If the car ran maybe I could see the 8G asking price, but after sitting for so long, no thanks.

    Like 0
  14. TimM

    It’s got potential

    Like 0
  15. Milton Kulak II

    $4.000 cash delivered to my home in Daytona beach fla

    Like 0

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