By 1977 things were on the wane for the fantastically long lasting Pontiac V8 engine. The mill that had begin life in the late 1950s had weathered the storms of the muscle car era in multiple sizes ranging from 326ci all the way up to 455ci and along the way, the 400ci version seemed to be the sweet spot for the brand. Many thousands of muscle cars were powered by that engine along with double or triple that number of passenger cars with more tame 2bbl or low compression, smaller cammed version of the 4bbl motor. 1979 would be the last year for the 400 under the hood of a Pontiac before the brand went with “corporate” power like most everyone under the General Motors banner. Outside of the sadness of that info, 1977 was a good year for General Motors because they introduced one of their most successful chassis designs ever, the downsized B-body. Awarded by everyone under the sun, the robustly built package would sustain itself until 1996. This 1977 Pontiac Grand Safari wagon was one of the early examples of the 1977 downsize of GM’s big cars and we think this one is awesome as all get out.
This car had to have been owned by old people or at least someone with OCD because it is perfect in almost every way. Yes it lacks a radio but other than that every piece of factory hardware is present, the interior is mint as hell, the outside of the thing is virtually perfect, and the simulated woodgrain is even in great shape. It is like this car was sealed in a bubble and recently released for sale.
Think we’re dumb for suggesting that it could be a family hot rod? Think about this thing on a set of narrowed Rallys up front and widened Rallys out back, a 455 with aluminum heads, some nice guts, and a touch of boost backed with either a turbo 400 or a T56. A roll bar would be needed for the 10.99 elapsed times we’d want to make sure that we’d qualify for Drag Week’s Street Machine Eliminator but that could be designed cleanly so passengers would still fit in the back. We’d not touch the exterior at all. Perhaps we’d have a blower coming through the hood but that would be it, promise.
Perhaps working on the factory 400 would be enough to get us started. Head swap, compression, some pistons, rods, and a cam would get us in the rumbling direction straight away. If it is wrong to love this thing, we don’t want to be right.
Check out the images below and then hit the link to see the eBay ad –
eBay ad link: 1977 Pontiac Grand Safari wagon would be a perfect family hot rod
I had no idea the downsized B-bodies ever got the Pontiac mill. Very cool find.
First of all, before any of the LS junkies get on board I’d put a tri-power set up off a GTO on that 400. Then I’d get rid of that hideous artificial wood grain vinyl that plagued American station wagons for decades and paint it gloss black. A two inch lowering job would round it all off especially if those stock wheels were kept.
Looks like they went wild with the Armor All on the faux wood paneling!
Why is it the really nice, well preserved survivors, always have a green interior? I hate green interiors. I’d LS it!