The Pontiac GTO was the leader of the pack when it came to 1960s muscle cars. But demand for the genre was declining by the end of the decade, and most of them faded away as the 1970s wore on. 1974 was the last year for the storied GTO, and it was a one-year-only iteration of the Ventura compact (rather than the LeMans intermediate). The seller has one with a transplanted 400 cubic inch V8 and needs some cosmetic TLC. Located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this Poncho is available here on eBay, where the opening bid of $10,000 has yet to be cast (and there’s no reserve).
This GTO rode on the Ventura platform, which was the same as the Chevy Nova. A Pontiac 350 cubic inch V8 was standard, but the one in this car is gone, and a 400 has been substituted. No mention is made of any upgrades other than Ram Air induction, but new parts include the carburetor, brakes, and some suspension pieces. A front-end alignment is needed due to the latter, and the gauges will need to be hooked up. The car runs well, but the odometer reading of 21,000 miles is likely optimistic.
Most of the ’74 GTOs we’ve seen here on Barn Finds have been red in color. This one is white with minimal rust and a red interior to contrast the exterior. Aftermarket wheels have been added to complement the ‘70s muscle look. We suspect a respray of the white may be needed, but if you only plan to use the car occasionally, will things suffice as they sit?
We’re told this GTO originated in Florida, where it was garage-kept much of the time. I always thought this version of the GTO was overlooked because it departed from its original design. But the Ventura version is lighter and, when new, this GTO should have at least performed as well as a Chevy Nova SS. Just over 7,000 of these were produced before Pontiac threw in the towel.
Little GT,,Little GT,,,( music skipping and fading), it only shows to go, what can happen in 10 years. I happen to like this car, only because I liked the “Nova” types, and it does still resemble what a GTO was all about, big V8 in a small car, but it was clear, time was running out, and was a different world. Obviously, to me, it’s 121K, but not in a bad way. Someone drove this regularly, just not in winter, thank goodness. It’s a great find, I do believe a car like this will endure the future specifically because of those 3 letters, G,T and O. Not because they know what a ’64 GTO actually meant, but if interested in this car, they at least know a GTO meant something special, and it was.
First, I want to address the constant complaint that “this isn’t a real GTO”. Well folks, by 1974, the world was a different place, and we were starting to realize that unshackled power comes at a cost. The Ventura GTO was a great compromise. Novas with larger engines from the same era appeal to all but the muscle car snobs, and there’s no reason these shouldn’t as well.
That said, this particular model (outside of needing a good cleaning…. why don’t sellers clean their cars?) has its issues. It appears that the passenger door and the hood don’t line up. (There are no shots of the driver’s side door.) However, since there is no reserve, if one could get it for a little over $10k, it’s not a bad buy.
The only thing that would keep me from buying it is the red, white and blue color scheme. It wasn’t even 1976 yet, and this annoying marketing scheme was already in full swing. This car in black would look awesome.
I like these type of GTO. I knew someone who had one. Black on black modified 350 4 speed 3:73 gears. It was very fast and loud.. This one should have gotten detail and clean up on the inside. I always believe if your selling your ride presentation makes all the difference on selling. That carpet is disgusting. 10 mins to vacuum. I guess people don’t care. It’s a shame the AC was rip out. It’s going to cost some coin to replace. Well good luck to the next owner. 🇺🇸🐻