From 1955 to 1989, Pontiac produced and sold a line of station wagons called the Safari. One of the last of these, a 1989, has turned up in a tip thanks to PRA4SNW. It’s currently in Las Vegas, and it can be yours for $10,000, or less if you’re persuasive. You can check it out in the meantime here on craigslist.
What will you be getting? A 1989 wagon with a two-way opening tailgate, those extra seats in what was called the “way in the back” in my house growing up, and a very period-GM crushed velour interior done in the fawn brown seen on so many cars of the period, no matter the exterior color. In this case, the top coat is a shiny white complemented by plastic sticker wood grain. That motif is also inside the car in the form of plastic wood veneer panels in the dash and doors.
Do you want it yet? How about when you find out that a prior owner put $60,000 into a restoration? No, honest. There really is somebody that stupid out there, apparently. The car was done in Rhode Island at Xtreme Restorations. Might add a middle name there. How about “Overcharge”? The car looks nice, but not factory. Check out under the hood. Whose idea was the air filter? Why wasn’t that coolant tank (or whatever it is) replaced with new? Why are the hood springs rusty? And what’s that—you say the engine is “brand new” from Blueprint Crates/Summit Racing? Do those cost a lot, because non-original is non-original, no matter how well the new mill runs.
The claims made for this car border on funny. Consider this (paraphrase): “Car has been garaged kept since I bought her in April.” Oh no, really? You mean the prior 30-plus years don’t matter, but now the car is being protected. How good of you, Mr. High End Collector. Too bad you’re selling because you have to. How much are you into the car for, anyway? And while we’re being nosey, could you let us know what the car looks like underneath, maybe take a wheel off and show us the brakes? Then we’d like some narrative about the paint. Is it original? Hardly likely given that restoration bill. Well, what’s underneath the finish? Any body repair? Rust repair? Why is that rocker panel uneven looking? Lots of questions here, few answers, on a car that’s probably worth close to what’s being asked but nowhere close to the $60K the last guy (fool) supposedly dumped into it. Good thing he’s now a step removed from the picture.
Okay, while I like the car, I don’t think it’s the authors call to say someone is stupid for the amount ALLEGEDLY spent. I’d expect a bit more professionalism. Leave the crude remarks to a doofus like me.
2nd, it’s Vegas, BS capitol of the world, as nice a guy as Rick Harrison may be, that show is all Hollywood scripted, and don’t you believe a word. Same here. In a kinder tone, it does seem odd for someone to spend that kind of money on a mere station wagon, that may or may not gain steam again. However,,this site( among others) clearly spells out what kind of people are out there, the automotive part, the tip of the iceberg, and $50 grand in the shorts, what’s all the fuss?
Free speech Howard.It’s the Author’s job to tell a story as they feel. I loved the article for the honesty, and sometimes the truth hurts a lot of sensitive folks. I liked it, and I felt the same way.
In a town known for fleecing people this one takes the cake.
Free speech also protects Howard’s right to air his displeasure. While we’re at it, who are you to say what the author’s job is? This piece is an editorial, not an article.
Free speech has nothing to do with it. This is a private forum. The owner can say anything, or ban anyone he likes (or dislikes).
Stupid was the exact word that first came to my mind when I spotted this one.
A word to the author Brian K, seek help please this car may not be your thing so keep your hostility & negatvity to yugos or renaults or any garbage car but to the one who chose to restore it I have to give them praise why? Only because these pontiacs seem more rare than their gm cousins from chevy, oldsmobile and buick. Brian I will bet that maybe you haven’t thought before you typed where maybe this car had some sentimental value to the person who restored it. It would also be fun to bring to a Radwood type car show.
Not to worry, he has a permit
*Pulls out a piece of paper Ron Swanson style saying “I can do what I want”
-Brian K*
I think Brian K could use some anger management training. Although I have no desire to add to his negativity, I will point out that the woodgrain should be a much lighter shade.
I agree. The writing is out of character for Barn Finds.
In addition, this Pontiac should have silver C-pillar trim panels and those wheels were long gone from the Pontiac lineup by ‘89. I would have expected more for such a sum spent on restoration.
I applied to Barnfinds once… no dice 🎲
I’m with the others here, this was a garbage writeup by someone who has no business being involved in automotive “journalism”. Back to clickbait youtube videos with you, son.
Also, this car has been covered here before, very recently.
Gotta agree with the writer on this one, somebody was stupid here. Did they really spend $60,000 on this thing? On what? And why bother restoring whatever the cost, it’s a car from the 80s, it wasn’t anything to write home about when it was new. I got an idea, since it’s in Vegas, park it on Main Street, put one of those giant slot machines next to it, and give all the vagrants a free spin for a chance to win this highly collectable classic, that way it’ll go to a good home. Or be somebody’s home lol
Personally I would love this one. I’ve always been a station wagon guy and with the cash thrown at this, and you can pick it up for 10k. Why not? Super clean and more Hap. Tint the windows and put a big stereo in it and wah-lah. The perfect daily driver. And it’s not far from me. Would be nice to own this one this weekend. Even better… The wife and I were thinking Vegas would be a nice break. As all the stars line up. 🤔🙂
Not hap. HP.(Horsepower)
The “stupid” remark was a bit much but sellers’ claims often do deserve a touch of cynicism. This is especially true when the seller uses terms such as ‘original’, ‘restored’ and ‘low mileage.’
Wow, just Wow! As I read all this I’m reminded that everyone has an opinion, and they are all different, but, let’s simmer down, look at the car, if you don’t like it, OK, if you don’t like the write-up, OK, but come on, have a cup of coffee, press on, play with the dog, and check out another vehicle
Forest Gump explained this best.
Here’s my thoughts on this. If someone wanted to spend $60K on a car that isn’t worth anywhere near that, that was their business. So what if it’s not all original and numbers matching? Why should you or I care?
If someone else can get it for around $10K, great. Then enjoy it. Take it to events, take it on trips, whatever. Reminds me of an article I read in some Mopar magazine some years back. Someone spent over $120K restoring a 1972 Plymouth Valiant 4 Dr with a slant 6. Why, because he could afford it and wanted to prove a point. Not sure what the point was except that anything could be restored if you are willing to spend the money.
I hope someone enjoys and appreciates the money someone else spent on this one. Personally I like it and I like Pontiacs.
As a relative told my mother in law one day, “take a pill”.
This site is too much fun, and although I am not in the market for anyting, I learn a lot of stuff that will never do me any good.
Keep up the good stuff.
Just too snarky of a review for a craigslist car.
Who’s to say that the car wasn’t family owned and had sentimental value and that’s why the original owner spent 60000 on restoration if I had stupid money laying around and had one of my family’s cars I’d waste it on restoring it lol that being said other than the few flaws with certain things it does look nice for the year lol 😂
I love that wagon, but how many vehicles does an 82 year old single guy need. I already have three but that doesn’t keep me from wanting a lot of the vehicles I see here on BF. Most of us car guys are now, or have been at one time or other a fool, so I don’t criticize the person for over-spending on this restoration. Sixty K might be pocket change for them and they might have some reason that we don’t know about for wanting to get it done. Someone will be getting a nice wagon for $10 K, maybe even less.
I would love to know what my old Snap-On “Brick” would tell me when hooked to the OBD1 port . I do see close to $10k in value here . If it could be delivered to my driveway in South Central Pennsylvania for the asking price I would be very tempted . I’ve seen more spent on worse subjects . The author has stooped below 7’th grade locker room antics in this write up and I think the author needs relieved of his duties . JMHO .
Boy, Brian K got under the skin of quite few guys here. Well, he has the guts to tell the truth. I am a retired Hemmings Motor News editor and left due in part to anal people who complained about one or two words in an article. One old fart with a Packard demanded I be fired for what I wrote about his car. Truth be told,Brian K got a little carried away, but who in their right mind would dump $60,000 into a 1989 Pontiac? In my 35 year career writing about cars, I saw many cases where people spent untold amounts of money on a vehicle restoration, knowing full well they would not make money when and if they sold it. They did it because they liked the vehicle. And what they do with their money is nobody else’s business. I like this wagon, grew up in big Pontiac wagons in the early 60s, but I wouldn’t spend that kind of money. Does seem fishy the current owner is dumping it for $10,000. Vegas is full of BS, Went there once with Hemmings for SEMA. Never going back. Not my cup of tea. On a personal note, I bought a 1973 Corvette in 2015, because I wanted it, not because I wanted to make money, like most people today. I spent more than $10,000 on a mechanical restoration, much of what I did myself with a close friend. I have driven many Corvettes since getting involved with them in 1976, owned a 71 big block coupe. People say oh, a 73, a complete pile of crap, not a bumper car. Well, for those uniformed people, the 73 is a much better DRIVING car than any 68 to 72 model. My 50 year old 73 rides and handles better than my 71 did 46 years ago. No stupid vacuum wiper door, no coolant dripping on the ground due to recovery tank, quieter inside and God forbid, in the event of a crash, steel beams inside the doors. Starts, runs and drives perfectly on 90 octane ethanol free. Most people who own old Corvettes never drive them except a few blocks to a car show. I climbed in mine this past August and drove more than 400 miles to Corvettes at Carlisle with not even a hiccup. As a former reporter, I am very observant and did not see any other C3s during the entire trip. Just much newer C6s, 7s and 8s. What are you afraid of bug splatter? People today treat old cars like VanGoghs or some other other piece of art. It’s a car. If you like it, buy it. Life is too short to get your shorts in a knot about what someone says about your car. At the end of the day, it’s still just a car.
For that kind of money you would think the dash would look brand new. It looks worn.
This same car was listed on classiccars.com for $52,000 in O’Fallon, Illinois (although sold through “Gateway Classic Cars of Philadelphia”? Seems awfully fishy to me.) Same pictures in the ad.
https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1573026/1989-pontiac-safari-for-sale-in-o-fallon-illinois-62269
The engine professionally installed is 10K.
It’s a bargain if you want a sleeper.
60K to make it pretty. That’s nothing if you are laundering drug money, lol.
One night in April the keys change hands over a flush draw gone bust, and our new owner just wants cash to hit the tables again.
If it’s true we will never know because the story about what happened in Vegas to this wagon will stay in Vegas. 😊
Hey there, I was the guy who posted the ad. I sold her for $7500 to two wagon collectors in Arizona who were really great guys, and actually frequent the board here on barn finds.
I should preface this by saying I got completely scammed when I purchased the wagon, and way overpaid on it ($23k) because I really love these old malaise era wagons. I’m 25, don’t really know what to look for, and tend to be a tad too trusting that someone is telling the truth in regards to what they’re selling. As the two gentlemen who bought the car pointed out, the original seller lied about it having a frame off restoration. It did have a 350ci crate from Blueprint, but with the amount of cosmetic rust, there was no way it was installed within the last two years. There was also a fair amount of surface rust on the bottom which I didn’t realize doesn’t happen over the course of just a few years. The chrome trim around the windows was also spotted and heavily faded. Everything I posted in the ad was what I’d been told when I purchased her, and didn’t realize was false until the two collectors laid it out for me. Had I known that it was not a frame off restoration (or that the “restoration” was little more than an engine swap, repainting, and new vinyl woodgrain) I wouldn’t have advertised it as such.
To make a long story short, I got scammed when I bought the car, and the two buyers basically spent about an hour and a half explaining everything. They’re lifelong car guys, and they kindly offered to look over any classic auto purchases I might consider in the future to let me know whether or not I’m being fleeced, which I greatly appreciate.
With all of that being said, I only chose to sell the car because I’m a mechatronics engineer, and rely on contracts for work. This year had been an absolute dud for me, with my last project ending in April. I had moved to Vegas because of seven upcoming projects on the West Coast and South West, and Vegas was a good central hub for all of them. Unfortunately, every single project was either cancelled or delayed indefinitely. I ended up burning out my savings waiting for a contract, until I eventually received an eviction notice. I had to sell the car so that I could rent a U-Haul to get back to Maryland to stay with family until I can rectify my financial situation.
Were it not for that, I wouldn’t have chosen to sell the Safari, because if nothing else, it reminds me of the ’77 Grand Prix LJ I helped my dad restore when I was twelve (or more accurately, got yelled at because I was holding the flashlight incorrectly.) He passed away in 2020, and the Safari to some extent felt like a way I could still be connected to him. Fortunately, the two collectors are a good home for her. They intend to give her an actual restoration, and told me they’d send me photos throughout the process. After seeing some of the other wagons in their possession, I’m really excited to see what they do with her.