[sisco]

Ok this is my first Pontiac car but I was looking on the net for some paint ideas for the Ventura and mine is a 73. The 73s I seen on the net looked different. So I checked my vin and it is 2y 27m3w12293. And my title says 73. The front of the car looks like a 74 Ventura... almost. It has no turn signals in the grill area but they are on the bumper in front. I cant find anything so far that looks like it exactly. Was this special order or something?

[screamingchief]

The '73 venturas could come with either style of front end/grilles,the '74 style "dual large opening" grilles for '73 front ends used a different grille pattern than the '74 grilles use,the '74 grille is honeycomb while the '73 large opening grille uses an egg-crate pattern grille.

IIRC the large opening split grille was optional on the custom & sprint trim levels in '73,and all the standard trim level cars got the "4 mail-slot" grilles from the earlier year model cars.

A good example of this is the car used in the movie the Seven ups with Roy Scheider,many mistakenly think that car is a '74 because of the grilles in that car,but the car is indeed a '73 if you look close enough.

The real giveaway is that film was made in '73...

HTH.

[sisco]

This is a great site. You all are very knowlegeable and helpful. I do appreciate you sharing you expertise with me. Thanks

[My2nd73Sprint]

Originally Posted by sisco

Ok this is my first Pontiac car but I was looking on the net for some paint ideas for the Ventura and mine is a 73. The 73s I seen on the net looked different. So I checked my vin and it is 2y 27m3w12293. And my title says 73. The front of the car looks like a 74 Ventura... almost. It has no turn signals in the grill area but they are on the bumper in front. I cant find anything so far that looks like it exactly. Was this special order or something?

1973 common model Venturas (non-Sprint models) had 4-PIECE SPLIT GRILLES.

1973 Sprint models have a ONE-YEAR only FIBERGLASS 2-piece grille. "Pontiac" nameplate sets inside the driver's side grille inlet (lower-outboard side).

Some things that made a '73 Sprint a Sprint was the grille, dual outside bullet mirrors, sporty steering wheel, decal package. (W53 option on the papers).

Contrary to popular fads, NONE of the 1973 Venturas came stock with hood scoops.

ALL 1974 Ventura models (Sprint/non-Sprint/GTO) came with a 2-piece grille which was METAL and HAD A MORE PRONOUNCED BEAK than the 1973 Sprint grille. "Pontiac" nameplate sets OUTSIDE & ABOVE the driver's side grille intake.

The GTO version had turn signals in the grille slots. Contrary to popular fads, there were no GTO letters inside the grille, only a GTO decal above the passenger-side inlet. Contrary to popular fads, the only Pontiac X-body made in 1974 that would have come stock with a hood scoop was the GTO.

Honeycomb-style grilles for '74, while '73's had a checkerboard-style grille.

'73s & '74s also had different style front bumpers & front turn lamp locations.

The Ventura on The Seven Ups has a 1973 Sprint grille. Beak is less
pronounced.

Notice the beak at: http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...es/SEVEN5e.jpg

Questions:

Is the beak on your car pointy? Is the front clip fiberglass or metal? This would only determine what year the grille is and not necessarily the model version.

The only way you will be able to tell if your car is a '73 Ventura or an authentic '73 Ventura Sprint is to send away to PHS and get the documentation. On there, it will show if it was ordered with the W53 Sprint option.

And yes, there are pics out there of '73 Venturas w/4-piece split grilles sporting Sprint decals as well as '73 Venturas w/all the Sprint options & no decals (like in the Seven Ups). Only way to tell what exactly your car was when it left Willow Run (?), is to get the documentation.

A good example of a common-model 1973 Ventura...
http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...rigcdom-pf.jpg

A good example of a 1973 Ventura Sprint...
http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...intADSHOTm.jpg

A good example of a 1974 Ventura, Sprint, & GTO (note the different front bumper/turn signal location & the BIG BEAK)....
http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur.../74vlarry2.jpg

http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...eSPRINT-50.jpg

http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...s/gtotxi-1.JPG[

[Colin]

I will agree with the above post. I have both a '73 and a '74. The '73 does indeed have a fiberglass nose while the '74 is steel. Personally I think the beak on the fiberglass one looks better.

[BILTIT]

That should be a sticky! Nice job 73sprint!

[My2nd73Sprint]

1973 Sprint

On the order sheet, the 2-piece fiberglass grille isn't listed anywhere with it's own separate code, UPC, or offered as an option for non-Sprint ordered Ventura models. It's only listed as part of the Sprint option. Of course that doesn't mean a Sprint grille didn't find it's way onto a non-Sprint somewhere someway.

Some historical pics are hard to explain other than dealerships may have stuck Sprint decals on cars that didn't sport the Sprint options & weren't Sprints off the line (probably allowing them to increase the sale price on a less expensive base model???)... http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...rs-sprint2.jpg

Originally Posted by BILTIT

That should be a sticky!

What's a sticky?

[455Grandville]

I like the 73's front end better, but its not like Venturas are growing on trees these days....

[BILTIT]

Honestly, i like the 74's much better than the 73's, JMO. I went to look at a winch for my truck yesterday and what else does he have there, a 74 ventura in great shape. He wanted 4000, too much.

[screamingchief]

Well,as I stated above,I believe the big opening '73 glass nose front end option was tied in some way to both the custom trim level package,as well as being tied directly to the sprint option,not just to the sprint option,and it seemes pretty obvious the standard trim levels got the mail slot front end.

I have seen '73 four door venturas in the wrecking yards in the past here while hunting parts for my '73 & '74 2 door venturas,and at least two of those 4 door cars came with the glass '73 "big opening" fiberglass nose and grilles,and those grilles were not blacked out as is supposed to be the case with the sprint packages,these grilles were plain argent,I am 100% sure those 4 door cars were wearing the original sheetmetal and front ends.

So based on the fact that you could not get the sprint package on a 4 door,consider that you certainly could get the custom trim level on a 4 door,and that would fully explain this whole situation.

So it makes perfect sense to me that for some odd reason the glass front end could also be had on a few non-sprint optioned cars,say for instance when the custom trim level was selected for certain '73 venturas,this also would fully explain the 2 door cars that are mentioned as available "sans sprint stripes/designation" but with all the other sprint hardware,because if you look at a lot of that literature,most all the hardware that came on the sprints,also came on the custom trim level venturas too.

This may also explain the custom trim level cars with the four slot front end and stripes,yet were not full on sprints either,seems to me it was a toss-up what front end some of those cars came with.

The custom trim cars also got a seperate body designation too,according to my PHS docs the third digit in the sequence is Z vs. Y for the standard trim level cars.

"standard" 2 door hatch backs = 2XY17
"standard" 2 door coupe = 2XY27

"custom" 2 door hatch backs = 2XZ17
"custom 2 door coupe = 2XZ27

"standard" 4 door coupe = 2XY69
"custom" 4 door coupe = 2XZ69

My '73 ventura was a standard trim level hatch back (2XY17),it had the mail slot front grilles.

HTH.

[My2nd73Sprint]

The 2-piece fiberglass grille is not listed as part of the Ventura Custom package regardless if some Customs may have ended up wearing it.

Whereas the Ventura Customs & Sprints may share a few different cosmetic details, apparently the 2-piece fiberglass grille was not meant to be one of them. Even IPB's identify the 2-piece as belonging to the "Sprint option".

The only thing that makes a Sprint a bonafide Sprint is the W53 code on the sheets. Regardless of what's on it. Regardless of what grille I see on a car, if the PHS documentation confirms a Sprint, it's a Sprint. If it's a non-Sprint Ventura Custom with the Sprint grille, to me, it's a Ventura Custom with the wrong grille whether the factory put it on or not. Historical paperwork only shows the fiberglass grille related to the Sprint option.

Originally Posted by screamingchief

So based on the fact that you could not get the sprint package on a 4 door,consider that you certainly could get the custom trim level on a 4 door,and that would fully explain this whole situation.

That is speculation. Another hypothetical explanation could be, that the line ran out of the 4-slot grilles for the 4-doors, so started sticking the Sprint grilles on the 4-door cars. As I've found out on this site before, debating speculation is pointless, and PHS documentation rules the roost.

Originally Posted by screamingchief

So any '73 cars wearing the glass "big opening grille" nose in will likely be built using the custom trim level (Z) body designation,regardless of the sprint option being selected or not,if you selected the sprint option you likely got the custom trim level as part of that package whether you wanted it or not,as you just do not see any '73 ventura sprints with the "standard" car mail slot grilles/front ends,at least I have'nt seen any yet.

My current Ventura is a "standard" Y model , sports the 2-slot grille & PHS docs verify the Sprint option.

[screamingchief]

My current Ventura is a "standard" Y model & PHS docs verify the Sprint option.

OK,my bad,that was indeed speculation,and I dont doubt I could have been wrong on that point,I can live with that,and I will correct/edit that comment.

Me,I'm done splitting hairs over this subject,melodrama like that above does nothing for me.

But ask me there is still plenty of "grey area" to be cleared up on this subject,and this is'nt the way to clear any of that up.

[My2nd73Sprint]

...only pointing out I've found no refs that the '73 2-slot grille was specific to/available to the Z-model, or the "Sprint grille" was a Ventura Custom grille put on a Sprint. All refs I've found connect the '73 2-slot fiberglass grille to the Sprint option.

sisco, the thread starter; his VIN indicates '73. The grille described is either the '73 "Sprint grille", or '74 grille which went on all '74's. If he wants to know what he has, he can get PHS docs. He doesn't have a "Z" model, so if docs show no Sprint pkg, he has a std model with a grille that must've been changed between '73 & now. If he has a documented Sprint, he'll be happy knowing book value on his car increased a measly 5%.

The Seven Ups.... stripes may have been removed for the movie, as the Ventura in Moving Violation has a Sprint grille, but no stripe, no side emblems at all, only the nameplate in the grille & on the decklid. Many times movie production crews remove anything showing make or model. I had to buy all new emblems on one of my other cars which was in a movie. I'm assuming they do that so they don't infringe on trademarks.

The Seven Ups car carries the "Custom" nameplate, has all the appearances of the Sprint minus the decal, BUT wears the body side moldings from the Y95 Body Protection Group. Maybe stripes weren't recommended w/ body side moldings. However, here is a link to a '74 with both. http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...DaltonMick.jpg
Only the owner would know if it's a documented Sprint, but it sure does look special wearing both the stripe & moldings. The moldings aren't full length though like in Seven Ups.
http://www.pontiacventura.com/ventur...es/SEVEN6e.jpg

Factually, Pontiac dealerships carried booklets showing stripe colors available for Sprints, and accessory brochures listed recommended stripe color/body color combos. Some colors didn't have recommendations. Maybe some buyers went against recommendations. Maybe if a salesman recommended not to get the protection pkg along with the stripe, buyer's listened. Maybe some didn't.

Here's more scanned info for sisco regarding the special '73 grille. Also, a scan of 3 films I have but my special projector won't play them. I'm hoping to gain more insight from them, as they have "fresh off-the-line" '73 Venturas enjoying the pavement... At least what I can tell from the few frames I did get to see.

[Kyflier]

While you guys are spliting hairs on this, anybody have a set of grills for 71?

[diggy]

I just picked up a 73 ventura. 14000 orig mile. It has the "sprint nose". It does not have any other designations though. I'm not sure there is any rhyme nor reason to the nose on these things.

[Keith Vrabec]

Had a 73 Custom with sprint grille, sport mirrors, regular wheel, no stripes. PA car since new, even had AIR pump on it. Wierd car, but neat with 4 sp.

Saw a 4 door inthe yard a few years ago with the sprint grille too. Was obvoiusly the original grille, can't remeber if it was a custom or not.

Car really ran well and handled well with ADDCO bars front and rear, 3.42 gear with Saginaw trans, disc brakes and 225 tires.

[chicagoland]

i grew up in Chicago, and near a big Poncho dealer. Venturas were popular new cars for city drivers and I remember seeing more plain Venturas with Sprint grilles [as the 7-ups car] in summer of 73. I kept thinking "dont they have the 4 slot grille?"

Mid year changes are common, and the theory about 'running out of 4 slot grilles' could be true. But also, so could theory that buyer demand made Pontiac offer the 'Sprint' grilles outside of Sprint package mid year. Only PHD would know for sure.

[goldbird*12.82]

i have a 1973 ventura Sprint

[chicagoland]

After checking, yeah, the Sprints came with the open grilles in '73. Just the Ventura in the "Seven-Ups" had no Sprint decals on it.

[jack matyas]

Bought the '73 Ventura (pictured below) 2dr.Custom hatch new and never knew more than one grille came with them .Converted the car to a '74 later on ....still have all the old parts someplace --I'll have to look ...........