Greetings from outside Detroit

Just Stumbled on this site, Long Time Wagon driver, currently own 4 GM wagons, 2 Drivable 78 Impala, and 78 Sunbird Safari, and 2 long term progects 71 Lemans Safari, and a 73 Lemans Safari Factory 4-speed Wagon.

I only have 1 old shot of the Sunbird Wagon on this HD. I hope to be able to add to the Longroof knowledge!!!!

1978 Impala, mostly Stock, 350 4bbl, T-350, 3.08 open

1978 Sunbird Safari, 231 Buick V-6 with Ported High Port Heads, Stock short block, holly 4bbl intake and a Q-jet from a 252 Buick V-6. Hooker headers, duel exhaust, 200R4 trans with shift kit, 3.73 Posi

1973 Lemans Safari, 400 4bbl Pontiac, duel exaust, M-20 4-seed trans, 3.23 Posi.

1971 Lemans Safari 455 4bbl Pontiac, 200R4, 273 10 bolt.

Welcome to the madness! The Sunbird is a pretty rare one. Looks to have more in common with the Vega than the Sunbird coupe and hatchbacks. The latter shared lots with the Monza, Skyhawk and Starfire. Nice collection there.

Thanks for the kind words, and yes they didn't make to many RWD Sunbird Wagons, and yes they are basicly a slightly updated Pontiac Astre Wagon that they made in 75-77 for the US market (73-77 in Canada) When they stopped making Vega's and Astre's in 77 they kept the wagon body style in production for 78 & 79 and renamed them Monza and Sunbird wagons. About the only real change from a 77 Astre to a 78 Sunbird wagon was the badges, and the availability of the 231 V-6, and if ordered with a automatic a T-350 in place of the M-200 3-speed trans. I like it as it is a nice driving car. And you definatly do not see very many.

Welcome aboard, cammerjeff!
Glad to see another familiar name!

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

Welcome. Haven't seen a Sunbird in yeaaaars. I always thought they were sporty when I was a kid.

Thanks I usually do not hear kind words about the little Pontiac, I was pleasantly suprised by how well it rides and drives when I first bought it. The 76 and later cars actually have a Torque arm rear suspension with a panhard bar like 3rd and 4th gen F-bodies. It really helps the handling.
And I didn't know that because of the Delux interior my car has the same seats as a Firebird with the base interior. And that the Astre's and Sunbirds received the Quick ratio steering box that came standard on the Trans Ams. It just needed more power and a rear gear change to be a suprisingly fun street car!!!!

Here are some recent pic's of out 2 road worthy Wagons, just happened that they are both 78's The largest and Smallest models sold that year![img][/img][img][/img][img][/img]

Nice collection Jeff. Would like to see a few pictures of the Lemans wagons. Good to see the "boxy" wagon section growing. Bring over your friends

It was just a few years ago, when this site was started. It took a while to get it rolling, but it's humming along nice now. I can see that with the boxy section.

Tom C.

Since I'm on my mod-suggestions, here's a couple more. On my friend's '78 Impala we painted the grey-painted plastic grill and bumper grills satin black, and also blacked-out around the headlights, in the bucket area. Left the outer edges all chrome, just painted the recesssed area black, and MAN it looked sharp and MEAN once done.

We also replaced the stock chrome door mirrors with body-color factory "bullet" mirrors from a 79 Caprice, same style your Sunbird wagon has. Made a huge improvement in the looks of the car.

And just to throw it out there, that car would look outstanding with GM Rally wheels on it. That was the best mod we did to my buddies '78 Impala, and I also added those to my '86 Caprice sedan. They just look so "right" on these cars, it's amazing to me GM did not make them a factory option back in the day.

Keep the updates coming!

-Mike

Thanks Mike,

You have to keep in mind that I am an Middle aged ex Woodward Ave Street Racer, and up here we never built Showy cars, Clean and Sharp, but we never advertised what we had. And I still am in that "understated" frame of mind. In other words I build Sleepers.

And normally I would agree with most of what you have said, about the mirrors and the grill and head light bezels. But for some reason I like the stock look of this car.

As for the Chevy Rally wheels, my wife hates them, and I cant stress how much she HATES them!!!! It actually took me quite some time to find 15X7 5 on 5 steel wheels, and finding the correct looking dog dish's (from a late 80's S-10 Pick up) so they are staying.

I don;t mind the suggestion though, feel free to keep them coming.