- Seller: Bob P (Contact)
- Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Mileage: 94,000 Shown
- Chassis #: none
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: Pontiac 350 V8
- Transmission: Automatic
UPDATE – The seller has asked us to rerun their auction, but this time with a much lower reserve! Be sure to take another look and cast your bids.
The sedan delivery is just what it sounds like: a delivery vehicle based on a standard sedan or, more accurately, a station wagon without side windows or room for passengers. Almost every manufacturer, including Pontiac, offered a sedan delivery at some point. It’s easy to imagine a small grocery store or town newspaper buying a new one as a practical, efficient vehicle to drop off their goods to households and businesses in their small communities, and there’s a certain quaintness about the whole scene that makes me smile. While I can’t find production numbers for 1950 Pontiacs such as this one, which is being offered as a Barn Finds Auction, it’s safe to say that, given their original intent, there can’t be many that have stood the test of time.
You might have noticed that someone has begun to customize this Pontiac; it has “suicide” doors and a more modern independent front suspension and steering. It comes with a 1953 Pontiac Chieftain parts car, and that Chieftain has a Pontiac 268 cubic-inch straight eight under the hood. Because this rare delivery will need a complete restoration, you can decide to install the Pontiac inline; if that’s not to your taste, the seller has another option.
It’s a Pontiac 350, which comes with the deal. Pontiac people tend to stay “all Pontiac,” but if neither option appeals to you, you can install anything you’d like under the hood. The 350 is a nice, torquey engine with a nearly square stroke-to-bore ratio. Most of them produced 150 to 200 net horsepower, perfectly fine for hauling around a sedan delivery with ease.
The seller has included dozens of pictures of the Pontiac and the parts that will come with it, including the glass (except for one rear flat-panel window) and a pair of bucket seats. There are a couple of areas in the photographs below that show some “Bondo” abuse, but overall, it’s a nice, solid car.
In life, it’s nice to have options. Although there’s no denying that this Sedan Delivery will require a lot of work to get back on the road, there are two roads to take. You could use the Chieftain’s driveline, front suspension, steering, and front door hardware to return the ’50 to stock configuration. You could also continue the path that a previous owner has taken and continue to customize it to suit your taste. Take a look at the pictures below and decide which path is right for you, and place a bid on Barn Finds Auctions.
Okay, who else thought of Neil Young when they read the title?
Neil who? I do know a guy who had a job driving sedan delivery though. He use to deliver miracles and sacred roots, he always kept that job because it was so hard to find. Same dude also said he met a man from Mars and went on a ride in a spaceship. Maybe he got into the miracles and sacred roots?
All I can think of is:
“Bruce Berry was a workin’ man, he used to load that Econoline van.”
Well it’s funny you say Neil Young. Mr. Young is an old Pontiac freak! Several of his cars are in “Bill’s Backyard Cars in Amarillo Texas (all early to mid ’60s cars) . Very different (and useful for vision purposes) to have a “sedan delivery” with the full window treatment. (Stanley Steamer uses that set up in their carpet cleaning vans) And with the “floor riser treatment ” I think this did double duty for a funeral home. Possibly as cadaver duty and flower car. Just a very cool vehicle. I like old Pontiacs anyway. If circumstances were different for me. I would be all over this “putty princess” if the parts car 1/4 panels were a good swap. I can understand the floor risers in the front for a flat floor application. But them being “off’set” makes you wonder the original intent. But, being a “full glass” optioned car. There may have been a “3rd” seat in the right rear corner.
Been a day or since I have seen a dual pattern 350 trans
The ’54 Chevy taillights are an interesting touch. Modified my 54’s lenses the same way by gluing another red lens half in to make a solid red lens. Wonder if they grafted in part of the Chevy fenders to make Chevy piece fit. Rough car but interesting.
What a cool blank slate to build something really cool unfortunately for me they would wind up being a lawn ornament until someone driving by made a reasonable offer
Suicide doors – I’ve
had Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and even Fiats with suicide doors. I’m certain that the only guy who wants suicide doors has never had suicide doors! Unnecessarily dangerous. In this case, the guy appears to have forgotten relocate the handles too.
It does not say rear suicide:
“You might have noticed that someone has begun to customize this Pontiac; it has “suicide” doors ” and the hinges can be re-mounted to factory installation.
A good reason to have the parts car! My Renault 4CV had suicide doors from the factory. Definitely a little body language different to enter and exit.
A rare vehicle to begin with.
You had me until the second paragraph, “suicide rear doors”. Stopped right there.
I’m soooo sorry to see that it had been raped and trashed.
All changes were made by previous owners.
It does not say rear suicide:
“You might have noticed that someone has begun to customize this Pontiac; it has “suicide” doors ”
Half of a Cadillac steering wheel?
I did that 40 some years ago to my 65Cadillac.
I was impressed.
The police and inspection mechanic was not!
The steering wheel from the Chieftain can be installed and many other parts can be used then stripped for $$$$.
“…perfectly fine for hauling around a sedan delivery…” no, the i8 is (if asking me) as in “My fav motor”.
I really like an SD (I’m called Wagonman round here 4 the 50 yrs of ownership/all kinds) so wouldnt have the rear side windows (may B a small one behind passenger’s head for intersection views by pilot). Like them pretty
oem looking too. I’d raise compression, cam it (look at valve geomitry) and may B efi it. Suspension, breaks, etc. Lower an inch or 1.5? Possibly keep the doors this way… It also comes from my fav era of merican wagon (?’42/’59?). I even see this design in the europeans shortly after:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvo_Duett#/media/File:Volvo_PV445.jpg
All changes were made by previous owners.
It does not say rear suicide:
“You might have noticed that someone has begun to customize this Pontiac; it has “suicide” doors ” and the hinges can be re-mounted to factory installation.
The steering wheel from the Chieftain can be installed and many other parts can be used then stripped for $$$$.
It is not a sedan delivery
It was at one time, Pontiac didn’t make a 2dr. wagon in ’54. It looks like those back windows were cut into the side panels after it was made. Looking at the small walkway on the right side of the rear compartment I wonder if this was an Ambulance at one time. Maybe why there is Bondo in the roof. to patch holes from lights and sirens?
I agree!
This not a ’54, it is a ’50 and rear windows not cut in.
I had to dig out some reference books on this one. The photo is out of “Standard Catalog of American Light Duty Trucks” edited by John Gunnell. Very comprehensive book, 2 pages on 1950 Pontiac sedan delivery.
I’ve always had a soft spot (my wife says it’s in my head) for sedan deliverys. I currently have a 1937 Chevy and 1939 Chevy sedan deliverys, and had a 1957 Chevy delivery that I sold. I’ve owned the 1939 since I bought it in 1972 at the age of 16!
This Pontiac was probably converted by a professional car body company like National or Barnette. Standard wheelbase deliverys were often used as small town ambulances or as flower cars orchildren’s hearses.
I hope someone rescues this one!
work cut on this 1.
The car in this ad is not a 1950 but rather appears to be a 1953 with a 1950 grille. I have a 1950 Pontiac Streamliner Tin Woody Station Wagon.
It was advertised as a ’50 and titled by the state of Colorado as a 1950 Pontiac when I bought it. When I transferred the title I gave them a photo of the plate and the seller’s title. They gave me a title stating 1950 Pontiac. This is 75 years old. There have been some modifications over those years. I am posting what the state of Colorado says is a 1950 Pontiac.
Someone’s plaything at a fire dept, perhaps.
For years our neighbor had a 1950 Pontiac SD in Hearse livery in a barn. I wanted it badly but the $1000 asking price was far out of my then teenage hands.
Some years later I did buy a 1954 Chevy SD with about the same amount of rust this Pontiac has.
I spent a large amount of time doing rust repair before I could get to the engine trans suspension…
This looks more like a 3-door station wagon. Sedan deliveries did not have glass three quarters of the way back, instead they had a metal panel where the company who bought one could have their name painted. This car also has custom ’54 Chev tail lights. Stock ones were round and mounted lower.