Before 1971, the last time Pontiac fielded a compact car was in 1963. The Tempest was upgraded to mid-size status in 1964, leaving a void in the Pontiac lineup compared to Chevrolet. Since Chevy had so much success with the Nova, Pontiac got their version of it in 1971 and dubbed it the Ventura II. The front clip was different, as were the taillights, so it otherwise looked very much like a Nova at first glance. The seller has owned this nice example for 10 years and has made some custom touches. Located in Brunswick, Ohio, this copper rocket is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $15,900. Thanks for the tip, JDC!
Pontiac had used the Ventura nameplate on a full-size car as recently as 1970, so adding the II to the name was easy. After 1972, the II was dropped, and later in the decade, the compact would be renamed Phoenix. Production numbers for the Ventura were light compared to the Nova: 48,484 units in 1971 vs. 194,878, but enough for Pontiac to appeal to more buyers. In 1971, only Chevy engines were used in the Ventura II; in 1972, a Pontiac 350 cubic inch V8 was added to the mix.
No mention is made if the 350 V8 or the TH-350 automatic transmission in this car is numbers-matching. The bronze paint was redone at some point and is a shade off from the factory color. Rather than applying the rally stripe with vinyl for easy removal, it was painted on when the rest of the car was sprayed. The interior is original and looks good except that the aftermarket front seat cover hides a tear.
In the decade the seller has owned this good-running Pontiac, the following have been done: the car has been lowered two inches, the factory A/C was removed, but the compressor survives, a new carburetor was added, and some hoses and other apparatus were replaced. The front tires are newer, as is the water pump and oil pan. The engine was resealed and repainted nine years ago. The car now has front disc brakes where drums once resided. A car cover and spare parts are included in the sale. If you like this generation of the Chevy Nova, you’re bound to like this Poncho!
Nice looking Ventura !!
Love the size of these cars too Dennis 👍
Always been a fan off all 4 versions…my preference is Omega or an Apollo.
I like the nose and tailight treatments on the Pontiacs. Actually Olds and Buick too. They did a nice job on this one.
A 1972 Ventura of this exact color was my first car. Fortunately, I didn’t have the tacky stripes or ugly wheels. But then, mine had rust on the front fenders that this one doesn’t!!
It’s still one of my favorite cars I ever owned.
Nice find JDC 👍
I like this Ventura. I usually don’t like pimp wheels on a classic car, but they seem to work here…
Looks like a nice car! but that weird stripe would have to go
The stripes (including on the hood) and the wheels!
Nice that it still has a Pontiac engine in it!
lose the stripe and the wheels and fix the a/c.
Nice looking Ventura, and I love the color! Stripes kinda polarize potential buyers, but I sorta like ’em. I almost painted my 74 Nova this color, but settled on Marina Blue instead. Looking at these pictures, I think I may have made a mistake!
I see an A/C suitcase but no compressor. Front seat is probably a mess, but all-in-all it looks like a neat car to put a few bucks into and enjoy. GLWTA!
For that price the A/C should be functional and have proper front seat upholstery.
Picky, Picky, Picky, LOL! Seriously, it wouldn’t take much to get the front seat reupholstered and resurrect the factory A/C, which might be a negotiating point when talking price. Knock a few bucks off of the price to cover the cost of the new seat covers and restoring the A/C to working order. Just Sayin’!
P.S. If you don’t like the front bench seat, a pair of factory bucket seats and a console would give you the look of an SS, with a floor shifter in place of the column shifter this one has!
Agree. More times then not you can always knock the price down with regards to the A/C and the seat if you are interested in buying this car.
I just left my local auto A/C expert about 15 minutes ago. Talked about rejuvenating the factory A/C in my 74 Nova. He said after A/Cs been disconnected for a while the POA valve won’t work and they are ungettable. Without it the A/C won’t work.
Hello Vintage Air or Classic Auto Air? They have complete kits that include everything you need and are fully compatible with the modern R-134a refrigerants. About $2200. Here are the links:
https://www.classicautoair.com/
https://vintageair.com/
While the Pontiac Ventura may not be listed specifically, I’m 99% sure that a system for a 1972 Chevy Nova would be identical.
Compressor brackets likely aren’t the same, but I bet everything else fits!
True, The Pontiac 350 is a different animal from a Chevy 350, but fortunately, both aftermarket air companies make brackets for both the Chevy and Pontiac 350, for the GTO, Firebird, etc. You just specify what engine you have in the car and they will sell you the correct bracket for your application. Easy, Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!
Unless you’ve got a Studebaker!
The Pontiac 350 in these was a nice driving car. We had one (a Sprint option car) in loaner car service at the dealership. It was such a nice driving car that many employees (myself included) used it for trips. It racked up 30k in no time.