Let's start 2008's first update with a sure-fire favorite, a 74 GTO in Buccaneer Red. This beauty belongs to Adam Womack, who drops us a line:
"Thanks for a great website! I was browsing through the 'New Rides for November 2007', and found the picture submitted by Dalton Mick from the Mid-America Pontiac Uprising ( http://www.pontiacventura.com/new_rides-fall07_files/dalton100_0778.jpg )
"This is actually my car (I appreciate the kind evaluation from Dalton!). I previously submitted some pictures to you (a few years ago, listed under page 10 of the 1974 GTOs)...
"The car was completed in October 2005 (except for the A/C, which I now have on). Attached are a few updated pictures. I also changed the location of my website (was www.onetrak.com/1974gto), and is now www.members.cox.net/1974gto Thanks, Adam Womack ( 1974gto@cox.net )
Nice find, Terry!
"Hello! I have to say I love this site. I have owned a few GTO's over the years, but never a 74. I remember when they came out. Everyone seemed to hate them. I thought they were sharp. I loved the shaker hood. The last GTO I owned was 26 yrs ago.
"Thinking I couldn't afford one at today's prices, I went looking for a Ventura. Why not? I always liked that style, and since they weren't that popular maybe I could find one cheap. While shopping online I saw an ad for a 74 Ventura with a 350, 4 barrel, and 4 speed. OK, you have my attention.
"When I opened the file and saw the pics, I instantly knew what it was. I drove 2 hrs to see the car and after another 2 hrs of haggling, it was mine and loaded on the trailer. Originally it was Buccaneer Red with a white interior. It was a drag car for many years. Someone along the way changed the interior to all black. I will change everything back to factory colors.
"Out of all the Goats I've ever owned THIS one gets the most attention!! Funny, the GTO no one seemed to want is now a quite a rarity! I hope you will add these pics to your site. Sincerely, Terry Smith ( jcajsmith@sbcglobal.net )"
"My name is Steve and this is my 72 Ventura. The motor is a 455 with flat top Ross pistons, H beam rods , stock crank, #13 heads that I ported myself. I run a Crane solid flat tappet cam 276 284@ .050 608 lift and the cam is ground on a 106 centerline. I run a 3.42 gear in the rearend and THM 350 trans with a 4800 TCI 8" converter. I shift at 6100 rpm and the best Qtr mile time is 10.28 @ 130. On a 150 shot of NOS the car went 9.48 @ 143. The tires are Phoenix 28.5 -9 -15. This car runs the Summit E.T bracket series and makes around 300 plus runs a year at race tracks in the west. ( slcalddrag@comcast.net )"
Intended
as a classic car for a son who didn't want to buy it, it was Mom who fell in
love with this 75,000 mile original. She writes:
"Have been a fan
of your website for awhile now, ever since I acquired my sweet baby. She is
a 1977 Firethorn Red Pontiac Phoenix with a 305ci V8 engine. Everything
inside and outside is original right down to the factory sport hubcaps
(except for the Cherry Bomb muffler I couldn't resist). Planning on doing
some upgrading in the engine compartment and exhaust system as well as a new
paint job.
"She can usually be seen at the local cars shows in Lake County, Florida. Keep up the good work since this is one of the few sites I can go to and view other gorgeous Phoenix cars. Cindy Barks ( barkse@yahoo.com )"
"Attached are a couple of pictures of a 73 Ventura I just bought. This 73 is a 250ci L6 model with a 3spd manual. It has 24k original miles. It had been owned by an old lady who only drove it several miles to work while she was still working during the 1970's. The paint is now new and the wheels are obviously not stock. It runs well as is, and I have no plans to do a V8 swap at this point. I'll likely only upgrade the intake, carburetor, and headers to make it a nice ride. I've enjoyed looking at all of the cars on your site. Regards, Chris Moon"
"Hi, I own www.sousacycle.com in Turlock CA. Saw your site, just bought this 73 from an old lady. 90,000 org miles, 350 v8, 2bbl, no rust, org blue CA tags . Original paint faded but I buffed it out (been detail guy 35 years)... if you like post it, thanks Joe Sousa ( joe@sousacycle.com )" This clean survivor is still wearing its Pontiac wheel covers, too.
Again
from the internet archives,
some memorable rides...
***
(R) Navy man Eric Walker ( walkere@lhd3.navy.mil ) forwards this pic of his '74, which seems to have picked up a touch of color on the rims this time around. " It is back in Alabama now with my parents again. Keep in touch, Eric."
Technically a project car, but this car has
such a bad-ass vibe the way it sits, I hope it never gets painted! Hot
Rod magazine hinted at a "NASCAR for the street" look a while back, but I'll
bet this dude was working on it well before then...check it out!!! -Ro
"Here are some pic's of my "76". I've had the car for 14yrs. The car has a GM 350 crate engine, Edelbrock rpm-air gap, Edelbrock 650, MSD 6 al.distributor and coil. Headman headers with Flowmaster "44" mufflers and nascar-inspired exhaust. An aluminum radiator and a trans cooler control the heat. A stock turbo 350 with a 2.56 rearend make up the drivetrain.
"The suspension has Energy
Suspension front to back, a sway bar from a late 70's Z-28 and Lakewood traction
bars out back. The front was lowered 2". The combo works great, to the shock of
many import and a few Vette owners. I drive it between 400-3,000 miles on a
weekly basis for my work. Makes it hard to do major work on, will send pics as
work gets done.
"For those who want to customize, "69" Camaro dash parts can interchange, pad cluster (minor mods),
glove box, and ash tray. The hood and
cowl panels
match except for the center and with minimal work will match. Rear end
and springs bolt directly in. How many times have you heard nice Nova, or
how will
T/A parts fit your Nova. Well now you can add "69" Camaro parts to
those
comments. E-mail questions to
j4m98@aol.com
"
<Skylark fenders!
"Mine is a1975 Ventura, but I have changed things a little.
It has a 350 Chevy engine with Victor Jr intake, Trick Flow heads, a
750 mechanical secondary Holley, Comp Cams 292 magnum cam, Comp pro magnum
1.6 roller rocker arms. With a power glide transmission with a ptc 4500
stall and 4.86:1 gears, it has run a best of 7.38 seconds @ 92 mph (eighth
mile) at Atmore Dragway in Atmore, Alabama. I also run 4.11 gears, with the 4.11 gears the car has run a best
of 7.49 seconds @ 90mph. According to friends who have cars that run like
mine, on all increments it should be a mid-eleven second quarter mile car.
John"
(L) Duffy's got a '74, and was understandably a bit creeped-out when he saw his car appearing in a recent "X-Body Sighting" pic, but was a good sport and sent another photo along with the following details. "(It has a) 1974 Rocket 350, Edelbrock performance package; cam, manifold, AFB 650, roller timing set, lightweight fan, aftermarket dual exhaust. TH350 soon to be beefed up. Future plans include Edelbrock aluminum heads and a rear gear treatment. 74500 original miles."
(R) The '71 Ventura was out of the Seattle craigslist, and has been repainted, but we can still clearly see that it was originally a Sprint model (or inherited a trunk lid).
(L) "This is my 1974 Omega, it has the original (rebuilt) 350 Rocket/Quadrajet, 4-Speed , 3:43 Posi, and I have owned this car for over 20 years . It was purchased in El Paso TX in 1996. Gary Podany, Charleroi PA. 1974omega@comcast.net "
(R) Has anyone gotten the right look with a spoiler on the 71-74 body style? I think the jury may still be out, but what do you think?
FUN LETTER Dept.
"Tonight as
I was leaving work, I decided to check the oil in my Omega. As I had the hood
open 2 teenagers on bikes rode up and asked what was wrong with her. I told them
'just checking the oil'. One noticed my chrome air cleaner and asked ' is
it a hemi?' I went on to explain.......
jdmercman@aol.com " Patience is a virtue :-)
It's actually his son's car, but it's probably Dad's name on the title
anyway at this point...either way, this looks like an awesome first car!
"We just purchased this car on ebay, as a project for my son and I. He is 13
now and looking to build a classic car for when he starts driving - he does
not want an import! We plan on rebuilding the motor & trans, it needs a new
trunk pan as well as suspension and interior work.
"We're not looking to build a show car so it is a good starter (especially considering it is an OH car), and will give my son and I a lot of time together. We came across your site looking for Ventura information and parts, and thought we'd send you some pics of the car as it is now. Great Site! Jay Turner ( jdog133@hotmail.com )"
"Just wanted to say thank you for your web site. I bought Kathy's 71 Ventura on Friday . On Sunday we arrived at its new home in Illinois. It ran flawless for 2000 miles in 2 days. Here are our pics from our trip home. I own three 1967 Firebird convertibles, and this is my first muscle car that's not a bird. It will be my 14 year old's first car in 2 years. He loves Novas, but I showed him the Venturas and he fell in love with the Ponchos. We drive our cars and the Ventura will go on the Hot Rod Power tour, this will be our 9th year. J.R"
"Here are some pics of my 74 GTO... it has the original motor and 4 speed. I
live in Vienna Ohio, and if it wasn't for my friend Diz Dean and his well-known 74
GTO, mine might not be on the road... getting to know him has made me
want this car finished even more. Sincerely, Scott Mezzapeso
smezzapeso@yahoo.com "
We Have "Mission Creep"...
"Site looks to be gaining in size. Just wanted to send a
few pics of the engine -it's finally done !!!
"As you know, when a person goes changing one little
thing, it opens up a HUGE Can of Worms !!! Instead of building the top end
of the original 350, it is now a balanced and blueprinted 400. Nothing went
smoothly, one thing led to another, so this is what $12,000+ looks like -
not including pics of the built 200 R4 tranny, the 81 Firebird Console, the
Hurst His and Hers Shifter, the Fully Reclining Bucket Seats, the Tilt
Column and all the Mods needed to make everything work. Definitely a Royal
Pain !!! My Next Pontiac, if there ever is one, will have a Chevy 502/572
Ready to Run Crate Motor !!!! Best Wishes in the New Year !!! Jim Hintz"
You've seen Jim's great-looking red '73 Ventura elsewhere on the site.
"CAN I USE PICTURES FROM PONTIACVENTURA.COM ON MY OWN SITE, OR SHARE THEM WITH FRIENDS, WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT COPYRIGHT ISSUES?"
99% of the time, you're free to use the photos you find on this site. The 'pontiacventura.com' name is added as a way to promote the site thru sharing the photos with fellow hobbyists, and to take a little credit for all the extra work that goes into processing the photos for internet publication. Whenever I can, I credit the car owner, photographer, or website source and would ask the same favor in return if you use these photos on your own site. If you want to use a photo that has the photographer's own copyright, or is obviously from another publication, I'd recommend you seek the original source's permission.
"Eve and Steve park mainly under the eaves..."
"Here are our two 1973 Buick Apollo's. The green one "Eve" which is my wife's, has a 350 2bbl, all stock, but will be getting performance upgrades pretty soon.
"The silver one "Steve" which is mine, had a Chevy 350 in it and an overdrive trans but all of that came out and it is currently just a rolling chassis. Future plans include adding a Oldsmobile 350 and a 400 trans out of a Delta 88 since i got them for free. Please add my cars and pics to your wonderful site, thanks!
"Ps- I think the green one might already be on there along with my green 75 Olds Omega F85. Parrish and Kelly Lewis ( Camaro808@yahoo.com or yourcarisslower@yahoo.com )"
"It has the original Pontiac 350 2bbl. 27,000 original miles. Since the body is in great shape to begin playing with, my wife and I are going to find a shaker hood and rebuild the motor to ride faster. We are also going to upgrade the interior with modern conveniences. There have been quite a few people in my town drool over the shape of it and constantly call it a (ugh) NOVA. Your site has my attention and I will return often. Dan Kelley Fulton, KY"
Can't wait to see a shaker on a 4 door! Good luck to you, Dan!
X-Bodies
FAR from HOME
This is a photo of his project car, a 1977
Omega. It's difficult to find parts to restore it, and not easy
because he only has simple tools available to work on it. But he
believes it is not impossible to restore the car. He'd really
appreciate any kind of maintenance manual for the car (even a Nova manual
would help, in my opinion -Ro). He says folks shy away from these
legendary cars, because of the gas, oil and maintenance expenses, but he
loves this car!
He actually writes with very understandable English, so don't be shy about
helping him out if you can.
*******************
We've
seen Iranian-built 4-door Buicks on the site before (see our Archives), so
it was quite a surprise to see a 2-door. Shahryar Zand (
ozgaal@yahoo.com ) shares a few photos of his 1975 Buick Skylark,
which he has named "Booyook" (a person's name in Farsi). Shahryar
tells us:
"(The car) is American... although there are many Iranian-made
Buick Skylark 4 door, Chevy Nova 4 door, and Cadillac Seville sedans here. They
were produced between 1979 and 1986 and a few later, by IRAN
GM (PARS KHODRO company) and they were the best quality cars ever assembled
in Iran ... nowadays cuz of increasing petrol prices some of owners don't
take
care of them anymore & they become abandoned and in bad
condition...but many more still stand strong and nice. Here there's many
American car lovers."
Based upon car show photos sent to me by other correspondents from the Islamic Republic, there's a large fan base for vintage American Iron in Iran.
(R) Nope, I didn't alter the picture to look like
a painting, that's how it came in...
"Just
thought I'd share my Ventura with your web site, one of the few left in
Ontario Canada area because of local circle track racing taking all the cars
and changing them to racers. It's a 1977 2dr, sports a 350SBC, auto,
owned for 10 years, (my first car, and wife likes it enough to let me keep
it) featured in Pontiac Enthusiast magazine last year under Readers Rides.
Clayton ( clayton_leonard01121@yahoo.ca
)" Congratulations on the magazine feature!
"Hi, found your website, looks good. I recently purchased a '71 Ventura II with 60,000 original miles on it and NO RUST. NONE. Car came from Fresno, CA. Just thought I'd share. Matt. ( mechanic116@yahoo.com )"
Got some cool non-Nova X-body photos?
Your pics are welcome, just email them to
pontiacv@pontiacventura.com
(jpg file format preferred)
We DO accept pics of the '77-'79 Nova Rally and '74 Spirit of
America, because they are cool and pretty rare, too.
