Imagine it is 1971 and you walk on to the Pontiac lot and pass by a Lucerne Blue Trans Am, a Cameo White HO455 GTO and spot a red Ventura II with hub cabs and bench seat. Well that apparently happened to some self controlled and responsible buyer. I would not have made it past the 335 hp Trans Am! This 1972 Pontiac Ventura II is located in Denver, North Carolina. It is a little rough and listed for sale here on eBay. The Ventura is listed at a Buy It Now Price of $6.499 and there are 7 days remaining in the listing. The seller has a Make An Offer option also.
The seller does not state what engine is in the car but in 1971 a buyer had the option of a 250 cubic inch inline 6 cylinder engine or a 307 cubic inch V8 engine which were both Chevrolet engines. The Pontiac 350 cubic inch V8 engine was offered as an option starting in 1972. The Ventura was first introduced in 1960 as a full size higher priced model. In 1971, Pontiac placed the Ventura name on the all new X body platform and called it the Ventura II. The “II” suffix was discontinued in 1972 and the name was changed in 1978 to the Phoenix.
The black interior looks pretty spartan especially with the ill-fitting seat cover on the bench seat. The V8 engine is backed by a column shifted automatic transmission. The car does not have many options except for air conditioning, power steering and power brakes. In 1974, Pontiac moved the GTO option to the Ventura model from the LeMans. The Ventura II is said to run well by the seller but the brakes are going to need to be replaced or restored.
The vinyl top looks good in this picture but the seller says the roof is rotted and will need to be replaced. This is in addition to the paint is wearing through in several places. The car has rust in the lower panels including quarter panels and rockers. The trunk pan and floor board on the driver side are also said to be rotted. I am not sure the seller is going to get anything close to the asking price but I hope the car can be saved.
Roy Scheider liked his.
Until he made it an instant convertible. lol
Yeah exactly! No longer interested in it.
What Mitch said. Otherwise this is a $100 car.
Seems expensive for what it is.
When I was shopping for .the Nova I am working on now, the price’s were to say the least, enlightening : ) Chevelle’s little brother brings a good price, even when the tin worm has wreaked havoc with its body. The fact that this car is not in boxes or looks like it was parked next to the Titanic, it will do well. I am not sure how it stacks up next to the Nova, as far as demand, but I would bring this little gem home and make it nice again, just because its a variety piece and deserves a good home. My .02 ……
my neighbor had a 73 with a pontiac motor a/c and floor shifter she sold it while i was on vacation and at the time of being 16 would have snag it but was late to the fire
That person never had a chance to scope out the Trans Am’s nor the GTO’s on the lot before some slick-talking salesman unloaded this Red Jewel on them back in the day
I always loved the looks of these even knowing they were clones of the Nova. The front end made the whole thing. No finesse to the tail lights though. Like Ford using two Pinto/Maverick lamps on each side of the Mercury Bobcat.
‘The V8 engine is backed by a column shifted automatic transmission. The car does not have many options except for air conditioning, power steering and power brakes.’
That was fully loaded back in ’71, especially for a compact car. Auto, air PS, PB, likely whitewalls…
Plus vinyl top, exterior side trim…
In the early ’60s compacts with radio, heater and whitewalls were considered “nicely equipped”.
My Dad had a ’72 with the 350 and any other added extra available. He liked the fold down rear seat to carry all his outsized stuff that he needed to restore the old ’30s wooden cruiser he had at the Daytona ship yard. We went to help him one week and I was the chosen one to get supplies as needed. That car was a rip to drive with all that power.