Anytime an auto is given a proper name, it’s a good indicator that the owner feels a very special bond, with this being more like part of the family instead of just another car. With that being said, meet Sandy, a 1987 Pontiac Safari station wagon who’s made her home in Longwood, Florida. She can be found here on eBay, where 3 bids have taken the no-reserve auction up to $3,500 so far. The seller has owned this full-size woody wagon for more than 20 years, and assures us she’s been properly maintained plus gets more attention than his restored Trans Am and Corvette combined!
While perusing the listing, I have to agree with the seller’s claim that he is the kind of person you want to buy a car from, as it’s obviously a truthful statement when the owner says he’s had a long and loving history with this vehicle. The Pontiac had just under 100,000 miles when he bought it in 2003, with a total of 168,000 accumulated at present. The exterior was pretty much the same then as is now, with one improvement being the replacement of both plastic bumper fillers, which are notorious for crumbling and becoming eyesores.
Some work was also done on the plastic wood decals, which I’m guessing could have been on the driver’s side, as the appearance is still uniform on the passenger side with the side moldings still in place and matching. The driver’s half is more of a mismatch, with the fender’s grain looking a bit different than the rest and the only area with the side molding intact, so the material on the 2 doors and quarter panel may be what received the attention. The paint is also a bit faded, but despite all of this, I think it still looks acceptable on the outside, and I’d do little except get behind the wheel and enjoy driving this nostalgic wagon!
The interior still appears inviting when you step in, with new carpeting and a fresh headliner installed during the owner’s tenure, along with an aftermarket Stereo. That’s one of the most aesthetically pleasing dash mats I’ve seen, which the seller says was custom-fitted. Even if the future owner removed it, the dash still looks OK underneath, with only a few hairline cracks around the defroster vents that have been glued. More positive news inside is that there’s a third-row seat, plus this one’s thought to have just about every other available option.
If there’s a downside, it’s the underpowered engine, a small V8 said to be of the 305 variety. The seller states a rebuilt engine was installed at 116k miles, but is upfront that you won’t be winning any races while driving Sandy. However, some better news is that almost everything is mentioned to be working as designed mechanically, plus the transmission was also overhauled at the 134k mark. This 1987 Pontiac Safari isn’t perfect, but with the high level of maintenance and care it’s gotten, this one seems like a decent candidate if you’re in the market for a vintage station wagon. What are your thoughts here?
These are really cool. I think the engine is a 307 Olds V8 and earlier versions of this platform like my uncles Buick, came with a 403 small block Olds so this would be a bolt in for those needing more torque for towing.
A smooth and quiet ride. A full frame so it can tow some decent size trailers with a frame receiver. Best of enjoyment for the lucky new owner!
It’s an Olds motor. The oil fill tube up front is the only thing that you can see of the motor. I hope it’s the 307 instead of the pig 260.
It’s definitely a 307. Not only was the 260 gone long before 1987, it was never offered in B-body wagons, or even in coupes and sedans that I can recall. It was a small and mid-size car engine.
260 Olds V8s were available in B-body sedans and coupes early in the model run. I worked for a small fleet and rental operation and Oldsmobile was our staple brand. Our ‘78 fleet was mostly 2&4 door Cutlass’s, most with the awful 231 V6. We had a few Cutlass with the 260 V8, they weren’t any faster than the 231 cars, but were a helluva lot smoother. We had fewer Delta 88 sedans but most had the 260 V8, somehow a few snuck in with 350 4 barrels. The 350 cars felt like drag cars compared to the 260 but I will say the 260, with a THM and a 2.41 axle would freeway cruise nicely and memory serves get about 22-23 mpg doing so. 350s were considerably thirstier. A few years ago I came across a ‘77 Cutlass coupe with a 260 and a factory 5 speed manual. Probably a close to 30 mpg car if you could avoid thrashing the 260 to get it moving
The 307 is actually pretty torquey for their size,and were all 4bbl.s, so there is potential for a little more.
We’ve been over this and over this, while both spellings are considered correct, for the most part, “Woodie” is the car, and “Woody”, is a person, short for Woodrow. Let’s hope it still looks like this after the hurricane. Blew pretty hard down there,,
I bought a Parisienne wagon brand new in 1985 and drove it for 17 years. Absolutely loved that car. She earned the name Old Bessie and it was well deserved!
I have a Woodey for this car!
Ever since I missed on a solid cranberry with matching velour interior 80 k car for 2500.
The 260 in the olds omega was a tirlit but what did you expect.
I think I would opt for a 403, before the 305.
307 was the biggest option available at that point
The rear axle on the wagons is about 4 inches wider than the 2 and 4 doors. The rear doors bulge out to accommodate the wider rear clip of the wagon. All wagons have the 11′ brakes as standard.