Pontiac took its name from Chief Pontiac, a one-time leader of the Ottawa tribe. Conversely, today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Ventura is chiefly Chevy Nova. It’s up to you however, to decide if this custom coupe’s price is chiefly a no-go.
Yesterday’s Toyota Startlet Doublemint Twins didn’t win any favors for their combined fifteen grand price tag. In fact, their 68% Crack Pipe loss proved that, just like in poker, a pair is usually a poor hand to hold.
When it came to the lucrative mid-size market in the ‘70s, GM stacked the deck in its favor, offering up a slew of models across the company’s multiple brands. Of course, GM’s ace in the hole was Chevy’s everyman Nova, and it was upon that base that today’s 1972 Pontiac Ventura was originally badge-engineered. This one has been heavily customized and branded as a GTO so you’ll want to decide if its extensive modifications make it king, or a joker.
Based on the X-body platform introduced as the Nova, the 1971 Pontiac Ventura II offered both the arrowhead brand's traditional split grille and Pontiac engines. This custom job goes back to the Bow Tie well for its engine, a 1995 LT1 V8. Behind that sits a T-56 6-speed gearbox also late from a Chevy Camaro.
That big mill has been renewed within and without, as has the rest of the car. The ad notes a litany of updated and renewed parts, and for all intents and purposes it’s pretty much like a new car.
There have been however, a number of choices made in its rebirth that, while likely eliciting an oh yeah, come to daddy from its builder, might not be everyone’s cup of GTO.
Let’s start with that first bit. This 1972 Ventura has been branded with that venerated Pontiac name in numerous places. Now, there was a time when the X-platform did carry the Goat name, for a single model year in 1974. The ‘72 GTO was of course based on the larger A-body LeMans. That’s perhaps no biggie in your book, and truth be told the seller isn’t laying claim to this car being anything other than an amalgamation of models and cool brand names.
To that end, it has a Camaro front valance, a ‘73 Ventura schnoz, and a Nova rear panel with accompanying Chevy lamps. In between all that it's all Ventura, which actually means pure, uncut Nova. That’s not a bad thing as this generation of X-body was - and is - a damn-fine looking machine.
This one, in death’s soul black over unequally sized Ridler 695s, is especially clean, and the mods made are reasonably unobtrusive if you appreciate a factory look. Inside, there’s a pair of leather-wrapped thrones from a 2004 GTO along with that donar’s individual back seats standing in for the previous bench.
There doesn’t seem to be a nut or bolt on this car that hasn’t been made to stand tall before the man and prove its worth or get scrapped. By the list of parts replaced, upgraded or renewed, it appears the adjudicator of its creation was, in no uncertain terms, a pretty strict mofo.
The question for today of course is whether or not this Venturanovamaragto is worth its seller's requested $25,990. What do you think about this custom car for that much cash, is that a deal for so many cars all rolled into one? Or, is this a Pontiac whose price gives you a heart attack?
You decide!
Norfolk Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Roger for the hookup!
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