1959 pontiac safari wagon rescue effort.!!

Hello fellow members and vistors to this site , My name is AL FREITAG owner of rusty retro rods. My brother Fred and I are tired of seeing these classics getting crushed or left to die on someones land.
So as of jan.1.2011 we started inquiring about certian cars that had been on our minds for the past year or two and LET ME tell you something ,TIMING IS EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!
The day after my brother got the 1961 rambler 220 wagon for free , we went and asked about this 1959 pontiac catilina safari wagon, that had been on my mind for a year and a half. But before we did ,we went to check out rusty 1976 volvo wagon (for sale $500). Thank god we talk with the owner of the volvo for about half and hour ,and then we left to go find the safari.
Right as we pulled up Mrs.Neumann and her brother Sam were just getting in to they're toyota . I kindly asked her about sellin the '59 which i thought was not ever gonna be for sale but to my suprise , she said it was.
At that point i was in a state of shock , but quikly got myself together
as sam fred and me look over the car .
The condition of this car on a scale of 1 to 10 is a easy 2,it all original and complete but the interior was destroyed from a bunch of cats that she had years ago BUT MAINLY it has SO MUCH RUST ,I cant belive this cali car .I found out later why.....the pasture where it was sittin since 1991 gets flood when it rains a lot .She showed us a pic for 2004 when the car had water half way up the body but she said it actully got as high as the base of the windows.....O my god ,this poor car

Honestly any person with a half a brain would either (A) walk away for this pile of rust and cat **** (B) part it out and make a few grand off the trim, glass , drivetrain and whatever else is good or (c) they simple drive past it like every body else and never notice it.
But My brother and me are 5150 and love old cars so we had to save this beast from a certian end in a junkyard.

My goal for this car is to get in driving condition with fresh susp., steering and brakes. then were gonna rebuild the entire drivetrain. then we need to put in some new floors front to back and the finally redo the interior.
Im not worried about the body right now because there so much rust I'll must likely need to find a parts car( if you have one let me know) from the desert down south or fabricate all the new panels...

keep an eye out for my new threads as get this rust bucket on the road again pics coming soon .
Thanks ,AL FREITAG. Rusty Retro Rods

 

to the wagon train, boys. I can't tell much from those small and dark pix, but, from your description, you have a LOT more energy than I do! It sounds like a wagon that has been exposed to the things you describe would not be able to be saved. Kudos to you for trying to bring that wagon back and I sure hope you are successful. The world needs more dedicated car guys like you!

 

, it does sound like a huge undertaking. Drag it out and post some better pics. Hope it's not to far gone.

 

Well, you do have your work cut out for you there, but if your heart is in you'll do just fine...might take a while and you might be bald from pulling your hair out but you'll look some sharp in that cool looking wagon. Best of luck

 

Al...i get it

it is what it is ...am i right?....sometimes ya just gotta say...wth...and do it

man...look forward to its reincarnation

 

Would love to see that beast on the road again. i have always wanted a Pontiac wagon (powered by a beefy 455 of course lol)

 

Boyz. NorCal Iron shouldn't be that bad, GET AFTER IT Love them cute Lil' "Twin Finz" too

 

thanks for all the feedback guys !
The reason why this car is so bad is cause it was sitting in a pasture that get very wet when it rains and this car has been flooded to the bottom of the windows.
the body is not that bad and the frame is solid ,but the floors are gone .
im think bout selling the stock 389 and hydramatic , but the rebuild kits are alot cheaper than i thought so im thinkin twice about that ....
This will be more of a rusty retro cruiser than a resto queen.
I plan on leaving the body how it is ,and only cruise it this summer like that til i can get the body media blasted to see what left ..
Anyway ALL YOUR ADVICE IS WANTED

 

SAVE IT!!! Pontiac wagons are the best!!! PLUS you see them so rarely!!! I love a good wagon. The only thing is the parts for interior and cosmetic are going to be a pain. I have a 1962 Catalina Wagon and those parts are not easy to come by. Engine and suspension stuff no sweat.

Post more pictures!!!

Dave

 

I saw the pics and just LAUGHED! Thats what we in the rust belt have to deal with a regular basis. That car is going to be so beautiful when its done. This is rusty:

 

Yah, And them bullet holez ain't them paste on onez eitherThey come NO EXTRA CHARGE

 

For some reason, my intro thread hasn't been posted yet due to it needing approved first. But all my other posts are coming through smoothly. In it, I have questions about the trim I salvaged off that car. It got taken to the great junkyard in the sky. The stripped 90s cars in the background like the blue Caddy went with it. I believe they either sold or parted out the 1970 Impala.

 

Looks like absolutely anything that could possibly be used has been stripped off that 60 Dodge. Thats a good thing cause that Dodge can't be saved.

 

A shame, too....that Dodge is one of my favorite styles from Virgil.

 

Well, the wet coast depending where you are and if they get parked in the "Rain Forest" can do just as much damage. This picture is from Valdes Island witch is one of the many tiny islands close to me. I've found jems abandoned over the years and alot like this pic also.....