GM’s colonnade intermediates (1973-1977) always stir some debate. Many dislike them when compared to the uber-popular 1968-1972 predecessor while others sing their praises – and they did have some, operationally speaking. All four, the Chevrolet Chevelle, Pontiac LeMans, Oldsmobile Cutlass, and Buick Century offered station wagons but they get scant coverage, at least compared to wagons like Ford’s Country Squire or Chevrolet’s Impala/Kingswood. Let’s change that and today, review a last-year 1977 Pontiac LeMans Safari. It’s located in Las Vegas, Nevada and is available, here on craigslist for $18,500. Thanks to Pat L for this tip!
Here’s what the seller tells us, “Very nice, original mileage, just rebuilt engine“. OK, that’s not a lot to go on. This is an 89K mile example and it still shows well. The finish, which appears to be Glacier Blue – a GM fav, still has a decent shine and isn’t giving any indication of fade, oxidization, surface rust, etc. There’s no evidence of crash damage or parking lot mayhem either while the massive five MPH front rammer still gleams and shows as unrammed. One place where I think Pontiac, along with its three cousins, missed on styling is the rear. The bumper-mounted slit taillights and the unadorned expanse of tailgate is just a bland, ugly going away statement, IMO. Always a hit, however, are Pontiac’s Rally II wheels, they perk up everything that they’re attached to, even a station wagon.
While we know about the rebuilt engine, we don’t know what it is or how it runs. A 135 net HP 301 CI Pontiac V8 was standard equipment but a Pontiac or Oldsmobile 350 CI V8 (likely for California use only) and a Pontiac 400 or Oldsmobile 403 V8 were options. This one is definitely not an Olds engine so it’s either the big or small Poncho. It’s wearing both an aftermarket aluminum intake manifold and a four-barrel carburetor but that doesn’t narrow things down so further inquiry will be needed. In ’77, a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic automatic gearbox was the only game in town.
Inside looks OK though I imagine the dash pad is somewhat done-in and that’s the reason for the topper. The far driver’s side of the pad, which is visible sticking out under the pad looks a bit chewed upon, further bolstering my supposition. The cargo compartment is in gently used condition but the side panels appear to be black instead of a matching blue – could be the photographic lighting too. Regardless, the environment doesn’t appear to have experienced any heavy lifting.
Pontiac produced a bit over 15K LeMans Safari station wagons in ’77 of which 10K were this trim level – not a big production hit. And that may be the reason they’re not spotted often, 45 years after the fact. I’ve always been on the fence with the Colonnades, probably more a detractor than an enthusiast and that’s due to my dealership experience working on them. But as suggested earlier, they have their qualities in braking, handling, and stopping and if you’re interested in combining those attributes with hauling capability, here you go. You could do a lot worse, right?
🎸 🎵 Let’s go surfin’ now
Everybody’s learning how
Come on and safari with me
(Come on and safari with)
Early in the morning we’ll be startin’ out
Some honeys will be coming along
We’re loading up our woody
With our boards inside
And headin’ out singing our song 🏄♂️ 🎶
How many of these were given away on daytime game shows back in the 70’s? Seems like every “Grand Prize Winner Today” won a Pontiac Safari Station wagon.
Times must’ve been better in the 70’s than I thought. I must be a little younger than you because when I was a kid in the eighties and home sick from school, it seemed Bob Barker gave away 5 Chevettes a week.
Remember Barkers Beauties 💅
There was a nighttime version of The Price Is Right in the 1970s, and the prizes were much more valuable.
I remember once they had a Showcase Showdown with TWO NEW CADILLACS!!!! (they were Cimarrons)
The tailgate is ready to tell anyone following you that you’ve been to Wall Drug, Wisconsin Dells, Disneyland, etc.
Price seems optimistic, but I’m willing to be proven (proved?) wrong. Definitely a more comfortable driving experience and more practical than most stuff out there
I drove a 2005 ford explorer awd for 8 canadian winters and loved it , it was a comfortable tank !my bad habit of wearing running shoes all the time made me look pretty stupid stepping out during winter storms …
I would need a bag to cover my head to drive in this bloated jalopy , i never liked these
49-state cars could have a Pontiac 301, a Pontiac 350, or a Pontiac 400. California cars could have an Olds 350 or an Olds 403.
Personally I think the tail light treatment on these Colonnade wagons is a very clean design and a clever way to make room for a wide tailgate – what bothers me more is the refrigerator handle found on it. I’m thinking GM had some production facility wardrobes renovated and then reached out to their locker supplier with ‘hey, can you get us like another 100k handles like these…?’
Too funny….
I think that most buyers of station wagons went all in and bought the full size version of their favorite brand to haul around the family. Also to pull the boat or camper around. Smaller families and the cost conscious bought smaller wagons. Nice looking Poncho.
I dont know about that, especially after the 73 gas crisis. These wagons and their GM siblings were everywhere , and are a pretty good size car too for a mid size offering. Like most wagons of the time, they were abused, and if they didnt end up in a demo derby (I’m guilty of that) their engines ended up in a coupe of some kind and if a Chevy, their front clips got used for replacements for stock cars
Or you could turn it into a proper sleeper.
https://youtu.be/HJNW-79ZSCs
Call me crazy, but I’ve always loved these wagons. Back in the mid 80’s, they were readily available at decent prices, although admittedly hard to find in unrusted condition where I grew up on Long Island. Those rear quarter panels were the first thing to fall prey to the salted winter roads. But in those days, some resourceful used car dealers made a handsome business of going to Florida, buying up cars like this one, and transporting them back north to sell. I can still remember seeing car carriers full of colonnade coupes, sedans, and wagons on the LIE en route to the used car lots on the Island. I had sooo many opportunities to score some really nice ones too. A 77 Malibu Classic wagon, minus the wood grain but otherwise fully loaded, including the full instrumentation. A couple of 77 Vista Cruisers, one 77 from NC, another 76 from Florida, both fully adorned including Superstock mags. Even a Buick Century wagon on a new car dealers lot in Hempstead NY, a low mileage local trade that had somehow escaped being rusted to pieces at 10 years old. If I knew then what I know now, I would have bought one of them and held it indefinitely. But what mid 20’s guy wants to be seen driving a station wagon? Didn’t bother me none, but I succumbed to the laughter and ridicule of friends and family whenever I expressed my desire to own one!
I shouldn’t complain though. My 74 Cutlass Supreme coupe, a 33,000 mile survivor, has definitely helped me stop kicking myself for passing up so many of those opportunities. But if I had the money and the space, I’d still love to grab a colonnade wagon if a nice one ever becomes available closer to home.
Aah, the folly of youth…
the colonnade design I think gets a bad rap since they were over shadowed with those big old chrome railroad ties for bumpers. IMO an otherwise great looking body design. Just toss tuck those ridiculous bumpers in somehow. With what the customizers out there can do these days I’m surprised it isn’t getting done for owners or people who like one of these bodies.
I’m biased since I tend to both like the Colonnades and these wagon bumpers with their flush tail lights – but there shouldn’t be much hassle to make an alternative solution at least if you dislike the lights. A Colonnade Elky rear bumper should swap right in with little or no mods, actually it was what the ’73 Chevelle SS wagon came with from the factory
https://barnfinds.com/factory-ss-454-wagon-1973-chevelle/
Anyone in need if inspiration should check out Holley’s ’74 Malibu wagon in lovely 70s brown and cream… not exactly a dull family hauler…
https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/holleys-1974-chevelle-wagon-10-second-turbo-test-bed?galleryimageid=cbe51557-d159-44ac-9ca3-7db903bc0eeb
I thought 77’s had the headlights separated by a running light?
my 76 Grand Prix had the headlights together like this
never mind I just realized this is a Lemans, not the same…duh I need a nap.
Nice car….drop $10K out of the price. $18 is fantasy land.
My dad ordered one of these as a company car. White with wood paneling and a red interior with bucket seats, console shifter, and and 8 track player! It was a very sharp looking car inside and out. The only disappointment is that he didn’t spring for the Pontiac rally wheels and got boring old hubcaps instead. It had a 400 engine, and when I was finally old enough to drive it, I could easily smoke the tires!!
Love these wagons. Circa 1987 my father bought a 1974 LeMans Safari wagon (same platform as this one) for $500 from a work colleague. It needed some mechanical work and they guy was not willing to sink any money into a 14-year old car. Dad fixed what needed to be fixed, and that was the car I had on campus for my senior year of college. Sure, not the coolest ride–until it was 2am and everyone wanted to go into town for munchies at the Nautilis Diner.
Beautiful looking wagon. Although I was too young to drive a car at the time, I remember cars like this. Although my parents never drove GM cars, my other older family members (grandparents, aunt and uncles, etc.) have driven GM cars of this vintage. My uncle Mike and aunt Neenee drove a Monte Carlo.