CHIEF AMONG US

JOHNSON'S HOT ROD SHOPS NAILS THE RESTORATION OF THIS CLASSIC CRUISER.

- TODD RYDEN © ANDREW LINK

On today’s hot-rodding landscape, station wagons are not just accepted but embraced as a fun alternative to a standard coupe or sedan. Not too long ago, though, most longroof cars were relegated to being parts donors for their more desirable two-door counterparts. Wagons were designed to be used hard and put away wet, which generally meant being picked apart in a junkyard before a final trip to the crusher at the end of their lives.

There are a few exceptions to the rule, namely the sporty two-door wagons of the Tri-Five era that rolled out of the Chevrolet and Pontiac divisions of GM. Those wagons, the Chevy Nomad and the Pontiac Safari, are set apart by their sporty two-door design, with a touch of extra bling. At the time, their expensive sticker prices resulted in low sales—it seems the world wasn't ready for a luxury station wagon just yet—but these longroofs have always held their own in the world of hot-rodding.

Doug Kenny and his wife, Debbie, are serious enthusiasts with an impressive collection of street rods and historic race cars. One car Doug hadn't built was a classic station wagon. A few years ago, he caught the wagon bug and found himself online searching for the right one. The first to catch his eye was a Buick Caballero—a rare, pillarless four-door wagon—but when that deal fell through, he came across a '57 Pontiac Safari Star Chief in Oregon.