Resto-mod 1954 Pontiac convertible

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Pontiac
The Pontiac convertible retains its yards of chrome trim

The Pick of the Day exemplifies exactly what is meant by a resto-mod, a 1954 Pontiac Star Chief convertible in original style and trim, albeit slightly lowered and fitted with modern drivetrain, brakes and steering so that it can be driven with the comfort and reliability of a new car.

No, it won’t win any awards for originality, and Pontiac purists might look askance, but the concept here is that you can have your cool old car and drive it, too. 

Pontiac
A modern drivetrain and other components have been installed

The Pontiac has been “finished in Light Blue paint with excellent chrome, glass, stainless and premium black canvas power convertible top with Dark Blue vinyl boot,” according to the Eugene, Oregon, dealer advertising the convertible on ClassicCars.com

But the car also is “very comfortable to drive with Dark Blue vinyl interior, tilt steering column, and one-of-a-kind custom steering wheel,” the dealer notes. “Runs perfect and is quiet and efficient with the 5.3 Vortec LS V8 engine and electronic overdrive automatic transmission. Drives like a dream with power disc brakes and power steering.”

“This is a perfect cruise-night, date-night, out-on-the-town night car!” the dealer adds.  And one that won’t strand you on the side of the road.

Pontiac
The body looks straight and well-painted

There are several trains of thought on the way this car is presented: the ’54 Pontiac is a wonderful vintage car that should have been restored to original; this lovely convertible deserved to be updated for modern driving chores; or, it could be made into a groovy custom street rod with all the trimmings.

I tend to favor Door No. 2, which is what’s been done here.  I drive my old cars regularly, and this one could be taken out any time for a road trip without worry, and in appropriately vintage style.  All-original restoration would have turned it into a garage queen, and street rodding would have changed it into something altogether different.

Pontiac
A custom steering wheel has been added to the factory dashboard

Naturally, any one of these three options would be correct, depending on your taste and outlook, and what you intend to do with the car. 

This resto-mod looks like it was built properly with the right components, and is fairly priced at $39,900. 

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day

 

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Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

6 COMMENTS

    • "There are several trains of thought on the way this car is presented: the ’54 Pontiac is a wonderful vintage car that should have been restored to original; this lovely convertible deserved to be updated for modern driving chores; or, it could be made into a groovy custom street rod with all the trimmings. " Yeah, what he said. I disagree with the other commenter saying it "might be worth 20k", since a stock decent one would cost at least that much. I would, however, return it to standard ride height, but it’s a great cruise night/touring car.

      • I would love to cruise that car to a drive in…..I don’t know how many are still in operation, but there is one near my house in Sacramento California……a 4 screener if you can believe it! Guess I’ll just have to dream.

  1. Nice job! well done, best of both worlds. May be priced on high side(have to start somewhere) ? But owner probably has invested a LOT more? Good luck, should make someone very happy.

  2. This car is a resto-mod for a reason. I don’t know why it was not restored, but a lot of times a car doesn’t have the original drive train, sometimes it has too much work and cost to be worth restoring it to original and sometimes the owner is just tired of it being unusable in today’s traffic and on modern roads.
    He may still have the original drive train and also can replace the lowered springs if, and when, he decides to make it factory perfect again.
    Until you get the full story, don’t talk badly about other people. And, even then, if you can’t speak well of someone, keep your mouth closed. It may just come back to haunt you.

  3. Beautiful! nice resto for modern highway usage. Super rare cars–total production a mystery as Pontiac must have purged records, but likely not more than 3-4 % of total production (using Buick and Olds numbers for guidance). Longer wheelbase and tail section (11 inches longer than Chieftain) remind me of same vintage Cadillacs with long tail section-just as handsome as a car can be (more handsome, in my view, than the much touted 1955 with a V-8.)

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