1958 Pontiac Safari Abandoned in the Desert Morphs Into Stunning Restomod

But the Nomad wasn't the only stylish and luxurious grocery-getter available at the time. Pontiac produced a divisional counterpart called the Safari. Introduced in 1955 on the same A-body chassis as the Nomad, the Safari shared its exterior sheet metal with the Chieftain. However, Pontiac considered it part of the Star Chief series due to the shorter wheelbase. Its official designation was the Star Chief Custom Safari.

Pontiac's flagship station wagon, the Safari, was also the company's most expensive car. And unlike the Nomad, which was restricted to the two-door body style, the first-generation Safari was also available as a four-door in 1957 (the Transcontinental).

The nameplate remained in use until 1989, but the two-door version was dropped in 1958. That's when Pontiac began offering Safari variants of both the Chieftain and the Star Chief. While not quite as desirable as the first-gen version, the 1958 Safari is just as rare, with only 2,905 units made.

However, as is the case with most 1950s grocery-getters, the 1958 Safari is a more common sight in junkyards than on public roads. The black example you see here is one of the lucky ones that got rescued before it was too late.

Found in the desert landscape of Wyoming, this Safari was brought back to life by the folks over at MetalWorks Speed Shop. But they didn't opt to restore it to its original specifications. Instead, they went with a restomod setup combining the Safari's traditional features with modern elements.

The first thing that catches the eye is how low this wagon rides. In addition to the lowered suspension, the builder also went with modern, low-profile tires wrapped around multi-spoke wheels. And needless to say, it's a look that suits this four-door wagon quite nicely.

The grocery-getter looks rather familiar inside the cabin, but the two-tone dashboard now houses modern gauges. On the other hand, the upholstery and the trunk section appear to be true to factory specifications. And I have to say I'm glad they didn't swap the front bench seat for buckets, like most builders do. I love bench seats in 1950s wagons.

Not surprisingly, the engine bay looks quite different from stock. But don't let all the extra chrome and the super-clean bits fool you; this Pocho still relies on its original 370-cubic-inch (6.0-liter) V8 engine. But of course, the tri-power EFI system sitting on top takes the mill beyond its factory rating.

There's no information on how much oomph goes to the rear wheels in this configuration, but we're probably talking about more than 400 horsepower. For reference, the original 370 V8 generated 255 to 310 horsepower depending on whether it had a four-barrel carb or fuel injection.

All told, this Safari is more than capable of hauling its own weight, and I bet it would be a fun rig at the drag strip, too. And while I prefer all-original restorations to restomods, I would definitely park this grocery-getter in my front lawn.