World's Nicest Pontiac Panel Delivery. California Car. Frame-off restoration.

Description

Look through our inventory, and you’ll find only two cars that rival the quality of the work on this stunning 1951 Pontiac Eight sedan delivery: one costs $1.8 million, and the other costs more than half a million. THAT’s how nice this car is, and we have absolutely no qualms about calling this the finest 1951 Pontiac sedan delivery on the planet.

Many of you may not have even known that Pontiac was in the commercial vehicle business as late as 1951, and the sedan delivery is a pretty rare beast: only 1822 were built that year. All sedan delivery models were Streamliners, and could be ordered in Standard or, as in the case of our feature car, Deluxe trim. Six and eight cylinder engines were available, with the eight being more popular overall, but less popular with sedan delivery buyers, who apparently favored thrift over speed. 1951 was also Pontiac’s 25th anniversary, and while some folks might try to pass cars off as “Anniversary” models, the truth is, back then nobody really paid much attention to special badging and faux collector status.

The restoration on this lovely sedan delivery is only a few years old, and it is an incredibly solid California car. Finished in code 5101 St. Clair Blue, which is a correct 1951 Pontiac color (the original color was code 5107 Palmetto Green), the truck is in concours condition throughout. Having lived most of its life in California, we can find no trace of rust repairs or evidence of previous accident damage anywhere on the truck, and the restoration work was done to the very highest standards. If this truck ever worked for a living, that was a long, long time ago. I'm guessing its job was delivering pillows or feathers, because it's immaculate. The bodywork is laser-straight and painted with modern 2-stage urethane, so it does have a brilliant shine that isn't totally correct, but on the upside, it'll look this good practically forever. The Streamliner models also got plenty of chrome, all of which has been restored to concours levels, including the massive grille and bumpers, delicate 'Pontiac Eight' script, and speed lines on the hood and rear door. There's a Deluxe indian head hood ornament that is just amazing, and yes, it does light up with the headlights. This truck is also loaded with every option you could get, plus a few aftermarket goodies, including fender skirts, dual spotlights with mirrors, dual taillights with back-up lamps, and a visor.

The interior was reupholstered to original specifications with correct gray vinyl on the seats and door panels. I'm guessing that a rubber floor mat was standard equipment, but perhaps Deluxe models like this one came with the same carpeting the production cars got, I can't find a source that can confirm or deny this. At any rate, it's just as nice inside as it is outside, with fully rebuilt gauges that all work properly, an AM radio that comes in loud and clear, a heater that will roast a turkey, and impressive attention to detail. The steering wheel is excellent and I’m guessing that the 83,096 miles shown on the rebuilt speedometer are authentic. All the chrome has been fully restored inside as well, including the heater/defroster controls, the radio grille, and the beautiful badge on the glovebox. Note details like the correct accessory fuse box under the dash, the Guide headlight viewer (mandatory with the large exterior visor), and dash-mounted compass. The only non-authentic component is the cigarette lighter itself, which appears to be from a late-model, but until you find a correct one, it’ll have to do—I suspect they are made of unobtainium. In back, there's battleship linoleum on the floor, a taut healiner, and some kind of cardboard-based material protecting the side walls, all of it very correct-looking. There's also a full-sized matching spare under a trap door in the rear.

Pontiac’s smooth, reliable, and utterly indestructible 268 cubic inch straight-eight got a compression boost in 1950 and was unchanged in ’51, making 120 horsepower with the same creamy smoothness usually reserved for luxury cars. The engine bay is highly detailed for show, and uses correct finishes and hardware throughout, even going so far as to leave the exhaust manifold uncoated so it would look exactly like it must have on the showroom floor a few weeks after being assembled. Pontiac Green paint on the block has the right degree of gloss, proper cad-plated head nuts have been used, and the wiring is 100% new and correct. The only notable deviations from original specification are a sheetmetal heat shield under the carburetor and modern rivets used to hold the body tag in place. Note that it also includes an optional windshield washer system that’s fully functional and a firewall-mounted trouble light.

Paired with a 4-speed Hydramatic transmission, this Poncho is a fantastic highway cruiser, thanks to the standard 3.63 rear gears used in automatic-equipped cars. The transmission has been recently serviced by the experts at Capaldi Enterprises, and shifts properly today. The chassis is as well-finished as the rest of the car, offering similar levels of detailing and correct colors. A reproduction exhaust system gives it an appropriate muted rumble that sounds luxuriously powerful, and it glides along on the original suspension fortified with new shock absorbers that are the only notable non-original component. Five original steel wheels have been finished to match the body and then fitted with trim rings, hub caps, and correctly-sized 7.10-15 BFGoodrich Silvertown wide whitewall tires.

Documentation includes an original owner’s manual which reminds us that driving these cars is an enjoyable experience, not mere transportation.

A beautiful, rare, and downright useful hobby car that can compete at the highest levels and remains a pleasure to drive. If you’re a Pontiac fan, it could be the centerpiece of the finest collection, and what business couldn’t benefit from having their name on its sides? Restorations of this quality are six-figure enterprises, and even if you could find another you couldn’t get it to this level for the asking price. True #1 condition cars are rare finds, and someone loved this one enough to make it nearly perfect. Give us a call today!