I am SOOO JEALOUS!! my parents had a 73' when I was 9yrs old - I loved that wagon. We didn't have power door locks either but, had power everything otherwise. Loved it when my folks would let me go out and start the car to warm it up in New England winters - I often played with the clamshell then :) Congrats!!! The Grand Safari is very hard to find.....
This made me remember watching the opening credits of Hill Street Blues as a child. The rain and the headlights just transport me to those police cars. It had this eerie sense to me as a child --in Europe no-one had cars of that style or size.
Great wagon. Too add more appeal to your trim you can order Pontiac emblems for your back tailgate. You can find them on ebaymotors. LOL he said Cockpit 5:30
late to this vid...congrats on the acquisition and hope you still own it. I have a '75 Grand Ville convertible with the same interior as this wagon...I bought it because of the unique GM scissor top on the '71-'75 full size ragtops (and '76 Eldo)...a clamshell is definitely on my list of acquisitions as well, due to that cool tailgate and rear styling of these wagons...equal in engineering and just as cool as the scissor top convertible. Despite everyone jumping on the 'malaise' meme for the mid 70's - and there were def production quality issues - the engineering on these pre-downsized cars was pretty top notch.
Just picked up a 1972 Grand Safari from my local CL. Fairly nice 95,000 mile car. Third seat, cruise control, pretty much power everything. Gotta LOVE a clamshell!!!!
That is easy rust to take care of, you found a great family truckster. Do us guys that grew up in the early 70's a favor, restore it and let that baby roll the highway. One of my greatest memories was sitting in the way back of my friends Impala wagon, with the rear facing seat. Great Pontiac.
this awesome . glade you saved this one, i found this on CL last fall. but you must have seen her first, great job, cant wait to watch her restoration.
Hi Lynol/Pal... I love your 76 Grand Safari... I currently own a mint condition, Maroon with Wood, 76 Caprice Estate Wagon, red interior... I took my test on a clamshell wagon and have owned these cars my whole life.... Our original one was a 1976 Grand Safari, 455-4 Barrel, Cream yellow with Woodgrain, Buckskin (tan) interior, and Key Colored RallyII wheels. It had every available option, including cornering lamps and interior door courtesy lights. I passed my first driving test on that car and Drove that car to Montclair State college in New Jersey for 4 years and drove it more than anyone in my family... Eventually my parents put it in my name (it became mine) and I drove that car into the 90s... I never put a dent or scratch on it and it was undercoated, always garaged, kept in mint Condition and heavily waxed. Eventually & Stupidly I sold the car in 1993. (didn't think of keeping it as a classic) I missed it so much and looked for another but instead found a beautiful 76 Caprice Estate.... I noticed a New Jersey plate on your car. I live in the Northwest mountains of New Jersey in a town called Sparta and a reservation called Lake Mohawk. I saw your other video about your 76 Catalina Safari. It's so amazing that you got the two blue cars. I loved your demonstration of the folding rear seats. Man, You were so thorough, and that demonstration was right on!! When you said..."pretty nifty"... I had to laugh... I always use that term. We had the nine passenger also... (both my cars had/have nine passenger, power T-gate) Im surprised your Grand Safari didnt. Growing up, my friends and I had so much fun with our 76 Grand Safari...my friends used to call it the "Lynch Express" and the "Lynch bus" because of the 455 motor, and because the third seat was usually in the upright position...I have a lot of fun with my Caprice Estate Wagon nowadays also...How is your Grand Safari doing? Did you finish the engine yet?? Are you going to work on the body?? What's going on with the 76 Catalina Safari?? Anyway, Thanks for the videos. I really enjoyed them and you seem like a really nice/cool guy. Have a good day!! Kevin
Hey Man Came across this video again and I guess you never responded. I guess you post and not respond? Oh boy does this bring back memories. I love seeing the interior again with those cool things on the door handles and the Large square buttons on the seatbacks. I have the original booklet that you have also and it's in mint condition so I took it out and was looking at it. Oh well I hope you still have your GSW and you appreciate it. Merry Christmas from Saint Augustine Florida. I still live in northwest NJ mountains but only from April through November. Enjoy your cars in good health... Grand Safari Brother!!
Grand safari Top of the line from Pontiac although some options are omitted " gate" weird but it was the 70s. Great job with this vid young man thank you
I had a '76 Grand Safari with all the toys back in the '80's. Mine had the 455 cid. I thought the 455 was the only available engine for this top of the line model. The Catalina Safari had the 400 as its standard power plant.
Ah, the new style with the rectangular headlights, lol. If you don't already know, the interior door slopes provide comfortable accommodation. Check the pedal wear to get a comparison judgement for the mileage.
Family had one, didn't have power windows or am/fm, was yellow in color. Had positrack rear end and was a great snow car. Wish we could have somehow kept it. If I could somehow still have it I'd pull off the fake wood panelling. Nothing wrong with them if you took care. Got good milage too as I recall.
My recollection of seeing these in demo derbies - the back end folded down & dragged on the course, causing the elimination of the car. These didn't do well.
That car is amazing. I've always loved the clam shell wagons. And that interior is in incredible shape. But you may want to replace those tires. 25 year old tires from a car that was just sitting around can be dangerous. They dry out and crack
@Black Buick That's crazy and dangerous. Idk why people ignore a brake grind accompanying a squeal. I love Camaros. I had 2 Z28's and will always miss them. They grip dry road so well that maybe you didn't know Chevrolet originally was going to name it The Grabber! ✌
@Black Buick Oof. Cigar ashes and smoke residue, yikes. I stopped smoking in my vehicles about 7 years ago. Got tired of the extra cleaning. I don't let anyone smoke in them either 😀
This is crazy... but as soon as you said, "Just got it yesterday" at 0:58, I thought to myself, "He sounds like he's from New Jersey." I looked back at the license plate, and sure enough I was right! (I'm from California, by the way.)
Hell, I thought only the lowly Chevys had the solenoid tailgates instead of the power-driven ones. But yeah, you'd think with power windows & locks and tilt-wheel they would have ordered the power tailgate...
I know we in America often exclaimed, "What the hell is that?", even when these were new. Over the top big and bulky. Must have been quite a sensation there.
I like it. I have to mention though, do you know about the tailgate window weather seals and rear side window channels? They're... Not a cheap fix if I heard it right. I'm sure it's all still possible to work with though.
I say you have a 21.000 mile car by the look's. It's to clean for 121.000 the rust is normal for it's age. My 1975 Catalina is clean for 46.900 miles and sitting outside for 10 years but not that clean. Was it garaged.
that's longer than my dads 1980 bonneville he bought new. my sister in law had a mercury sable wagon, couldn't see backing up - fender benders over & over.
These wagons in Canada are worth at least $50.000.00 and since Canada has lots of gasoline should not be a problem filling up the big 40 gallon gas tank
All clamshell wagons have 22 gallon fuel tanks. Because room was needed to hide away the clamshell tailgate, all of the fuel tanks had to be upright in the side wall behind the quarter panel on the driver side.... because of this the tanks were only 22 gallons, where the sedans and Coupes had 25 gallon tanks underneath the rear center part of the car. The access on the wagons was from a door in the left rear quarter panel. The access on the sedans and coupes was from behind the license plate. I grew up with a 71 Catalina and a 76 Grand Safari. I currently on a 76 Caprice estate.
@Black Buick very cool. My good friend in high school had a 73 Impala wagon. It was completely loaded with the 454 motor. His father was a Chevy man and wanted a Caprice but could not get one without wood (and did not want the wood paneling) It was a really nice light green color.... Occasionally when I had to sit in the third seat of our 76 Grand Safari, I would always selfishly choose the passenger side because I did not want to be sitting arm and arm with that gas tank....Lol
@Black Buick I never did ride in a 60s regular cab Chevy pickup but would love to, gas tank and all!!! In 1976 I was fifteen but learned to drive the Grand Safari, the following year. I wouldn't worry too much about the gas tanks nowadays, but I remember as a teenager, sitting in the driver side of the third seat while we were filling up at the gas station and not loving it...lol
That's beautiful vehicle paint is good condition and seats never rust leather seats blue color V8 they don't make those anymore found them buy here pay here extra careful advice is take a friend or church organization happy new year 2020
