Pontiac "Star Chief" Safari

'55 Station Wagon with Style!

  • Pontiac revised the entire line
  • Styling changes were very contemporary
  • A resto-mod example

The entire line was completely revised

1955 was a big year for the Pontiac Motor Division as the entire line was completely revised, featuring a new chassis, fresh bodies plus an all-new Strato-Streak V-8 engine which came as standard equipment. The new line was launched on October 4, 1954, and the body styling changes were very contemporary.

"Pontiac creates an entirely new type of car combining Catalina smartness and station wagon utility."  

A "Panoramic" wraparound windshield, twin "Silver Streak" hood trim pieces, a large grille incorporating split front bumpers, plus "eyebrows" located over the headlamps.  On the back of the car, twin chrome streaks were mounted on top of the rear-most section of the quarter panels. All Pontiacs for '55 came with a two-tone paint treatment.  Besides the standard line of 122-inch wheelbase Pontiacs, called Chieftain, there were up-level premium-priced "Star Chief" models that rode on 127-inch wheelbases and featured 11-inch frame extensions on the rear.

The Safari was considered part of the up-level Star Chief line, three-star emblems were fitted to the front fenders and doors. The aftermarket wheels and black wall tires provide a certain street rod look as compared to the standard full wheel covers and wide-whites as factory fitted, also the standard rearview mirrors were updated with billet aluminum pieces.  

Safaris are few and far between these days

Amber orange-colored Indian head hood ornament of the Chieftain was an option for 1955, the famous mascot that was attached to the fronts of Pontiacs came from the 18th century Indian Chief Pontiac from which the town in Michigan was named where the automobiles were manufactured.   
Created for the 1954 General Motors Motorama car show circuit, the "Nomad" was based on the standard Chevrolet station wagon frame with Corvette styling front, rear, and sides, along with the attractive hardtop-themed sport roof. This was the inspiration for the production-based 1955 Chevrolet Nomad and 1955 Pontiac Safari.  

Pontiac's new engine was sized at 287.2 cubic-inches, and delivered 180 horsepower This new powerplant was the first V8 engine from PMD since the year 1932 when they had a flathead V8 engine design that was adapted from a 1931 Oakland. That first V8 however was only used for one year, inline eights were used from 1933-1954. In addition, GM cars for 1955 debuted 12-volt electrical systems along with tubeless tires.  

A 300-hp Chevrolet crate engine was the chosen power plant to replace the original and it's fitted with a 6-rib serpentine 75 -inch belt system is up front in conjunction with the high-mounted A/C compressor and late-model alternator. An Edelbrock induction aluminum intake manifold and650-cfm carburetor was added and atop sits a Spectre dual air filter aluminum housing.  

The use of a Chevrolet engine in a Pontiac might seem a bit "unfaithful" to serious Pontiac enthusiasts, however, the builder reminds observers that back in the 1955, the Canadian Laurentian and Pathfinder Pontiacs (manufactured in Oshawa, Ontario) actually did come equipped with the Chevrolet 265-cid V8 engine as optional equipment an upgrade from inline-six. The firewall was smoothed over and detailed and is much cleaner sans the fitting of the brake master cylinder.    
Hooker block-hugger headers are used and funnel into a custom 2 1/4-inch exhaust system with low-restriction oval mufflers.
What made the unique wagon roof different in appearance was the hardtop-styled front window frames, slanted B-pillars, and wrap-a-round rear side glass, with the tailgate treatment of the Nomad dream car including seven chrome vertical accent strips.
The wheels are American Racing Torque Thrust II  polished with spinners, and the front disc brake conversion came from a mid-70s Chevrolet A-Body.  
Classic luggage matches the era of the car, and when the rear seat is folded down it provides over six feet of flat cargo space.  
The Chevrolet Nomad and Pontiac Safari featured the same slanted B-pillar and curved side glass and shown here are two of the nine transverse grooves of the "fluted roof" design, which were themed from a one-time planned Harley Earl telescoping roof section of stainless steel that was found to be too costly for production.  
Billet aluminum wiper arms were added to give the car a more contemporary flavor.    
The Safari has a unique combination as it incorporated the Chevrolet Nomad shell rearward the cowl.

The side trim used created an illusion of "forward motion" with the angles being the same with the diagonal door chrome and that of the B-pillar. This Pontiac version of the special 2-door wagon was fitted with a frame that measured 176.5-inches in length, as opposed to the other Star Chief models that were 7-inches longer, all in the rear overhang. Also, when comparing it to the 115-inch wheelbase Nomad the Safari has five more inches of wheelbase added to the car at the front wheels ,and the rear wheels are located two inches farther back to the rear.

The "Safari" side script was done in a stylish font and placed large on the upper doors, identifying the special model to those that may not have noticed the very unique roofline! Pontiac Styling Studio Chief Paul W. Gillan was the man who came up with the "Safari" name.
Pontiacs featured V8 engines and to help prove that point these premium gold-hue identification emblems were adorned to the rear-most section of the quarter-panels.  
When the dashboard was revised the standard heater controls were replaced with this Vintage Air control module, taking up a smaller space than the original.   

The interior featured a reworked dashboard with a Pioneer sound system with AM/FM CD with hidden four-speaker layout and Dakota Digital round gauges in a custom cluster, Vintage Air A/C / heater controls plus a three-spoke Banjo steering wheel by Grant. Rather than retain the 1955Pontiac interior pieces a custom upholstery job was done using grey tweed material and deep-pile carpeting. A dry-cell battery is located in the extreme rear of the spare tire well.              

The color was applied along with a pearl hue from the original factory turquoise blue and white colors. With the specific modifications on the wagon, it's a great representation of an ultra-rare mid-1950s classic combined with tasteful modern enhancements, with nothing being taken away from the original lines and flavor.

One of the most popular things that car the owner hears when he takes the prized Poncho out to shows and it's never trailered, always driven, is that most people are not aware that that the Pontiac Division offered a version of the Nomad during 1955-57, and that the Pontiac differ greatly from the more popular Nomad.

1955 Safaris are few and far between these days as only 3760 were built, making survivors a rare sight today

 This resto-mod has been restored back to original in most respects, however leaving specific areas open to modernization to incorporate updates to reflect the times.

Pontiac "Star Chief" Safari

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