Do any of you have vehicles that have been in storage for years or even decades? I hate to admit that I do. The seller says that this 1977 Pontiac Ventura hasn’t been regularly driven since 1998. This project Pontiac is located in Tinley Park, Illinois, just southwest of Chicago. The seller has it posted on Craigslist with a $4,500 or best offer asking price.
The Ventura was obviously based on the X-Body Chevrolet Nova and they were offered between 1971 and 1977 in three different body styles. This one appears to have been painted at some point, and they went over the side window trim. That’s always.. interesting.. to see that. It’ll need some medium-duty work to bring the body back again.
The seller has it priced right in-between NADA’s low retail and average retail values. I would automatically think that a car that has basically been stored for two decades would be closer to a low retail value, especially one with rust work to do on it.
With only one interior photo it’s hard to tell what condition it’s in, but as always, I would plan accordingly. Just keep a running total as you’re adding up the parts and pieces that you’ll need to restore this car, or restomod it, or whatever the next owner has in mind.
This dusty engine is, according to the seller, a rebuilt 1979 Pontiac Firebird 301 cubic-inch V8. The most horsepower from a 1979 Firebird 301 would have been 150 hp so unless it’s been tweaked somehow that isn’t a lot, but it sounds cool to say that you have a Firebird engine. It does run but it’ll need “gone through” as they say in 2018 so add some shipping charges to that running total on your project car list. What are your thoughts on this ’77 Ventura? What is it worth as it sits here?
Interesting idea, but why would someone put a 301 in when a 400/455 would have made more sense, performance-wise (says the guy who owned a ’77 Skylark hatch with a factory-fitted chevy LM1 350)..? (Ah, the questions of Yesterday’s Youth… ;-) )
I agree, before I started reading I was expecting a 350 or 400. A 301? Meh!
Most common reasons, lack of money and youth. Perhaps someone they knew pulled the 301 out for that 400/455.
At least they kept it Pontiac? (trying to stay positive about the grenade under the hood.)
Perhaps a good starting point for the next owner IF the price is right, BIG if.
Wow. What a tease. “Firebird V8 Power” turns out to be a wimpy 301.
I Guess size matter’s LOL !
I would be embarrassed to tell anyone that I was running a 301. Anything can fit in this engine bay, Pontiac 350, 400 or 455. There is a fellow in the Greater Toronto Area running a 500 cubic inch Cadillac engine in his. You can’t tell it from factory at first glance.
What about a 230(or 250) strait 6 in a ’69 camaro RS? lol
I never EVER even seen one, & wonder how many they made. Yes that was a possible combination!
(or how many ’69s with a 6 that has optional 4 wheel disc brakes!)
I bet the total of ’69 camaros made like above were less than the # of ’69 ZL1’s made. I seen a handful of ’67 & ’68 RS’s with 230 or 250, but never a ’69 – anyone here ever seen the latter?
It’s odd a ’67 RS with the 6 has a mean blacked out hidden headlite grill with grandmas motor under the hood.
While a non rs zl1 has you know what under the hood, but looks like grandmas’ car! lol
It looks cool, especially with the dog dish hub caps, but in reality the owner is asking too much. It’s a 1977 Pontiac Ventura, not exactly what would normally be considered at the top of everyone’s wish list. Why would someone pay $4,500 for a car that need some rust repair (which means paint work too), interior and engine work. Then throw in brake work and tires for good measure. In the end you still have a car with an undesirable 301, which would ultimately get changed out for something bigger. I think someone would be better off starting with a similar year V6 Ventura, something that has less problems for the same amount of money or less.
Steve R
So many cars on here that I have had and sold for 500 or $800 that are in the same shape as what I had …now commanding $4000 to $40,000…,I bet a lot of people like me are kicking themselves
I wouldn’t say kicking myself.
I more look at the people paying these high prices and thinking what chumps they are.
The cars are no better than they were before, especially the late ’70s and ’80s cars.
Money seems to have lost all value which is odd when people complain about how they are making the same as years ago.
Anyone else notice the driver’s door panel? “Omega” as in Oldsmobile. Guess they all fit the same.
Pontiac 301’s we’re basic, nondescript V8’s of the day. They had junky, rubber connecting rods that would stretch or bend easily too. There was the turbo engine that went in Trans Am later on. Still, no fun goodies really we’re available if memory serves. This was, however, an option. I had a roommate in college who’s girlfriend had this engine in her 77. Back then, 150 would push it down the road at 55 mph just fine. Nova got a 305 Chevrolet, not sure what a Buick or Oldsmobile had.
$4500 for a rust belt rust bucket? $500-$700 all day long. Salt was never kind to these cars.
$4,500??? SERIOUSLY????
I wonder if he kept a straight face when he listed it. 😂😂😂
Some people think their old car is worth it’s weight in gold. I don’t get that, either. This one has potential, but it ain’t worth more than $1500, considering what it needs, and that tiny, weak 301 engine. I wonder if the dreaming seller, who apparently dreams he’ll retire on the sale of this car, has the AC compressor.
I had a 77 ventura 4dr. dark green with a 350 V8 All I can say is “sleeper”
I got a 78 Le Manns(Malibu w/Pontiac nose) at a GoodWill auction 5yrs ago for $1500. Clean original paint & interior 2dr i think i would take his price for. 77k on the clock. At best, i think $2500 for it. The console is a big plus. Yank the 301 and drop a 403 in. Nice little sleeper
I have an all original 1978 monte Carlo landau. Its has the 305 with a th 350. Blue on blue. Completely stock down to the hubcaps vacuum lines and peers manual. It just sits in the barn at my cousins in northern Vermont.
Let’s see : puny engine that needs to be rebuilt..check
Rusty body that need repair and a paint job…check
Interior which needs a lot of help…check
Probably needs brakes and gas tank and fuel lines…check
Tires are probably too old to safely use…check
Exhaust system probably questionable….check
Any mouse damage to wiring?
If you got it for $1 and put about 8 or 10 thousand in it you could probably sell it for about 8 thousand.
After blowing up two 301’s in my 78′ Gran Prix, I moved up to a Pontiac 400 with 6X heads, cammed up, headers, 750 Holley, shift kit, and other mods. One hell of a sleeper. Blew away a lot of 5.0 mustang’s, Trans Ams, etc. 301 is garbage to modify. 400 – 455 are a different story.
I own three Ventura’s. A 74,75 and a 76. The header panel is the most expensive piece so I would probably only give $1200
My dad bought a silver with red interior Chevy 305. Actually for a 4 door color combo looked nice. Had red pin stripe
Quarter window moldings were painted from the factory on lower trim levels. I’d be more concerned about the Omega door panel. Perhaps its just the door card from an Olds and the previous owner went cheap at the Pull-A-Part?
Too much Dinera
And dinero!.
I think i would take $4500 for this 78 Pontiac LeManns i got from the GoodWill auction 5yrs ago. Pic from 1st drive out to dinner. Been baried in corner of garage ever since. To me its a Malibu with a Pontiac nose
In the mid 70s my buddies dad bought him a 69 Camaro, 250 six bucket seats console automatic. The car was blue with white interior. Of course we all made fun of he did but actually it wasn’t to bad. The car was in beautiful condition, would love to have it today. One day he was parked off the road a bit, sitting on a bench, I pulled up, he seemed bumbed out. He’d hit a bump and his bong fell off the console and broke. Wish I had a time machine.
301 has a poor reputation. Any other Pontiac engine would be fantastic.
IF this were the same year Seville, with a 350, it might be worth that kind of money….. OPG might have the trim & upholstery bits to redo the cosmetic stuff on this one, or one might need to use the Nova bits – same basic car. IF the body & subframes are relatively OK ( doubtful on a car from Illinois ) an LS swap would probably make the most sense for a resto-mod, or you could do it cheaper using SBC 350 bits, and trade the savings for less horsepower. An o/d trans would be an nice touch -McCleod makes a manual 5spd that is about the same size as a Muncie 4 spd if an automatic is not on the menu.
The Camaro could be had with a three on the tree and also bench seat and auto on the column on 71
The fit of the driver’s door is not good.
Could it have taken a shunt at one point ?
I think the Buick featured today would be a better choice for almost the same money.
The 301 was the basis for the Iron Duke. Good grief, what’s wrong with you people ? /sarc
https://autoweek.com/article/car-life/cut-down-engine-week-gm-iron-duke
I don’t agree with a respray purely on the evidence of the window trim. Chrome was an option and judging by the poverty caps and lack of vinyl landau roof that this Ventura was a base model stripper. I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but it looks like the console and probably the rest of the interior were pulled from an Oldsmobile as evidenced by what appears to be an, “Omega” script on the driver’s door card. I know Oldsmobile’s X bodies were badged as Omegas in this era. I even remember Chevrolet had a 9C1 police package for the Nova in the ‘meh’ car era.
I had a 1977 Ventura with a 301 V8 back in the mid-80s when I was in high school. It was a hand me down from my parents, who bought it new. The 301 was part of an option package for the Ventura in 1977, and it came with a 2bbl Rochester carb. In the day, when GM was packing everything with the Iron Duke, it was not a terrible engine.