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For Sale: 1961 Pontiac Safari in Arlington, Texas

Vehicle Description

1961 Pontiac Tempest Safari Station Wagon

The Tempest was introduced back in 1960s and production continued until 1970 before it stopped and then was reintroduced in 1987. It was built on the, new for the time, unibody Y platform. Cars like these are the connection point between the more finned boxed bodys of the 50s and the muscle cars of the late 60s. You can really start to see design styles transform when you look at cars of these early 60s era. The first generation of Tempest spanned from 1961 to 1963 and was Pontiacs answer to the Corvair. They initially wanted to produce basically a clone of the Corvair but tapped on John Z DeLoreans shoulder to go ahead and come up with a new design. He took the initial concept car design and built on it to create what would become the Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1961. They had 2 door coupes, a convertible, a 4 door sedan and the much less common 4 door station wagon like the car you see here. Known as the Safari Wagon these cars took the new Tempest look but incorporated tons of interior and storage space. People that lived through the time may have viewed them as the boring family car but nowadays Station Wagons have made quite the comback and actually have a large following all their own. This cool Tempest is a nice survivor car that has been kept as original as possible throughout it's life. It is believed to have had only 2 previous owners with the most recent owning the car from 1980 to 2014. The body, drivtrain, interior....well everything really is all factory. In fact, the car was even filmed by the Discover Channel in 2018 and used as an example of what defines a true survivor. The body on the car is straight and the fit of the panels indicate it hasn't been in any previous wrecks. It does have patina and the White paint is fading but depending on what your plans are for the car this may be a great feature for you. Don't let that patina fool you because this isn't some totally run down project car. While it certainly would be an excellent car for a restoration it is also a pretty cool history piece as is. We know a lot of guys who would get a car like this and refuse to do anything to it and tell you not only does it have some patina but that patina is PERFECT! The stainless is all there and it also comes with a second NOS front bumper. The glass is in excellent shape and all the original date coded glass. There is something really special about walking up to a car like this and realizing even the glass on it was touched by those factory workers almost 60 years ago now. It rides on 15" steel wheels with small hub caps and the extra spare is still there as well. A new set of 4 radial black wall 195-65x15 tires were installed because this thing should be taken out and driven, not hidden away somewhere in a barn!

Not only was this Tempest the introduction of a new body style design but Pontiac packed in a ton of other unique features that actually make it one of the more rare cars out there. With the way the drivetrain was built it is certainly a conversation piece and we guarantee even some of the old school hotrodders out there will get stumped when looking at it closely. The power in this car comes from a 195 ci 3.2 L straight 4 motor known as the "Trophy 4". Why the Trophy 4 you ask? The explanation is surprisingly straight forward as the motor was named because it is derived from the right cylinder bank of Pontiacs 389 "Trophy 8" engine. If that wasn't enough they fitted them with a Rochester 4 barrel carburetor and backed the motor up with a 3 speed and rear mounted transaxle! Talk about unique! Tell your friends you are cruising around in a Safari wagon with a 4cylinder and 4 barrel and they will probably think you are making things up or just have no knowledge of cars. Well you can prove them wrong because that is exactly what is in this car and it's all original. We were so intrigued by the configuration we actually called up some members of the Pontiac-Oakland Club International to make sure there wasn't something we were missing. Everyone we talked to remarked that was how they were built and that you just don't see these cars around any more. So the car is sure to be a hit a shows where it is most likely if not always going to be the only one there. If uniqueness alone isn't enough to get your interest then consider how obvious it is that the previous owners didn't neglect the mechanical side of their station wagon either. The car runs great! The current owner regularly drives it around town and has tested it out of town completing 950 miles with no issues. The car has had a few things changed out over time but these are fairly small items done to insure it is still road worthy. This includes a 2 core radiator, thermostat, temperature sending unit, the tires, new brakes, 2 new shocks and a rebuild on the carburetor. That is all relatively minor things that are pretty unavoidable in any car that gets driven for this many years.

The interior would potentially need some upholstery work depending on your goals but the bones are all there and the rear seat is still nicely covered. It has the front/rear bench seat, all of the standard hardware like the window cranks/door handles, and all of the original dash components like the gauges and push button AM radio. The headlights, turn signals, and license plate light all work. Even the dome light is still working!

Our business is old cars so we obviously love getting the opportunity to check out some of the more unique cars ever made. Cars like this are important parts of the timeline as you see design and mechanical changes that took us from the first motored vehicles to the modern cars you see every day. This car has a ton of potential and being a survivor makes it really special. It falls in that middle ground of being a great car to restore but also being one that is super cool just as it is. We will leave the future goals for the car up to you but there is no doubting it has potential. It is a car that deserves a good home and someone that will keep it in on the road for many years to come.

Make this Safari Wagon yours for $12,500.00!

NOW REDUCED DOWN TO $8,600.00!

https://youtu.be/60VBzbmfXCw

Vehicle Details

  • 1961 Pontiac Safari
  • Listing ID: CC-1344070
  • Price: $8,600
  • Location:Arlington, Texas
  • Year:1961
  • Make:Pontiac
  • Model:Safari
  • Exterior Color:Tan
  • Transmission:Manual
  • Odometer:35621
  • Stock Number:2015
  • VIN:161P51106
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