Long day...new project for my son
 

Some of you might have seen the earlier thread on the '74 GTO I was poking at. My son continued the hunt for a project car and found a Fernmist Green '74 Ventura earlier in the week that he fell in love with. My wife, who has zero interest in old cars, took a liking to the car too because of it's groovy color combo. This seemed like a rare moment where stars aligned. However, the car was a 9 hour drive away in Portland, Oregon. I had a nice chat with the seller over the phone, and decided to take a day trip up to Portland this weekend to check out the car.

We left the house at 4:30am to catch a 6:50am flight. On the way to the airport, the PHS for the car arrived in my email. Timely! The original plan was to meet the seller mid-morning, check out the car and explore Portland the rest of the day and head back on the 7:50pm flight. Unfortunately while taxing down the runway there was a mechanical issue with the plane that caused a 4 hour delay.

We eventually landed at 1pm and I headed over to get our rental car. Unfortunately the rental company had completely overbooked against their inventory. I was fuming. I found another company that claimed to have cars and made a reservation on my phone. All seemed well until we got to the lot. It was empty and there was a line of 30 very angry people waiting for cars that did not exist.

The clock was ticking. Determined to meet the seller, I got creative and I ended up taking a cab to pick up a ZipCar which rents by the hour. Finally some transportation! We made it to the seller's location around 3:45pm.

We gave the car a thorough inspection and it was as advertised. The 350 2bbl ran surprisingly well for what it is. Interior is very tired and dirty. Some dents and dings on the exterior, but nothing show stopping. Very minimal rust. It's a fairly original car (most plug wires were original date coded!) with 100k miles so it needs a little bit of everything. Kind of oddly ordered with RTS, a/c, p/s, manual drum brakes and an open rear end. It also has a factory block heater.

I couldn't get a read on what my son thought of it as we walked around. In my head, the parts list, work and $$ was growing, but as it turns out, he was inspired. We talk it over and make a deal to buy the car. I have him put his name on the title. I have never seen him so over the moon and beaming with pride.

After we finished up, we had just enough time to turn the rental in and head back to the airport. We got back home to California at 11pm. Whew.

The day started out stressful, but it became one of the best days ever. While he works on and drives my cars, I underestimated how important choosing his own car and having a financial stake in it is to him. He already has so many plans for it. On the way home on the plane he discovered the chase scene in The Seven Ups and had the biggest grin while watching it.

On paper, this was not the most economical purchase considering all the travel and the fact that I have to have the car transported down from Portland. but it was worth every penny. This day will be a memory and a story we share forever.

We'll be hitting you '74 guys up for some parts :D

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725175155

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725174555

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725173806

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725175223

Congrats!


Car looks cool!
Your son looks very happy.


:)

Nice!

Nice ride looks solid. Funny how "wife's" take interest in kids projects. Good find!;)

Oh the color and interior pattern. Wonder if there is an "upolstery duct tape" or iron-on version to band the 2 front-center bench seams.

Engine bay looks great: AC, V8(455 mountain motor ideas), swapt that iron brake cyl for a aluminum from a G-body.), lots of wipe-downs and rattle resprays will make it pop.

Awesome! Congratulations to your son, and you for giving him the bug.

Congrats Ken! His adventure begins!

Groovy seats too

From first glance it looks like you could hire a PDR specialist to smooth out the dents and just buff the paint.

Very cool little Ventura, I can see why your son is so happy to score that beauty.

Have fun with it. :)

Ken, what a great first project car for your son! I have a soft spot in my heart for '74 Ventura's. Here's a '74 Sprint PHS that was ordered like a GTO. Have fun with the car!

Dennis

Very cool. I will never forget picking out my ‘65 Grand Prix with my dad 30 years ago (he has it now). Your son looks extremely happy.

I bet the paint has some life left once you wash all the Oregon off of it! I’ve brought a few paint jobs in that condition back to life. Feel free to DM me for the process.

And I would definitely be recovering those seats with a lime green plaid pattern similar the what the Chevy square body guys do.

I think it will clean up nicely - it's got chips and dings, but nothing major. Curious to hear your process. There's a dent in the rear passenger quarter that will likely pop out. The front end was repainted at some point a long time ago so it's a smidge darker than the rest of the car. There's red under a few of the panels, so there's a story there. No obvious signs damage outside of the front bumper being smushed a little though. We may put the tighter '72 bumpers on it anyway.


The interior is huge for him so we'll definitely be retaining the plaid. I assume we'll have to have the cover made. I ordered some samples from SMS but I've heard they aren't too responsive.

That's a cool car! These things have grown on me. This one's your typical grandma commuter. My wife said it looks like something Carol Brady would've driven. I think my son mostly wants to keep it that way, but we'll be adding a set of Rally IIs and probably do a 4bbl swap since I have those parts sitting around. We were also talking about adding a '74 GTO stripe as he likes '70s car graphics.

I'm surprised at how original the car is. It's worn out, but not messed with. Looks like it was just a regular car that was used and maintained as best they could. The a/c still works! I am concerned the engine may be on the tired side, but I didn't see any substantial blow by or indication it's burning a lot of oil. It runs very smooth and starts instantly. It's been a while since I had something with dirt oil and grease on it. I forgot about that smell of old cooked grease. Check out the original plug wires!

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725209364

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725209387

Looks like a great project....he will always remember it!!

California is the best place for a car named Ventura , that works out nice.
That color doesn't need any stripes or decals , but let him make it whatever he wants .

The hairy hose on the air cleaner would bring some serious coins from 2nd Gen TA restorers.
Pretty sure you can flush mount those bumpers by modifying the mounting.

Adding a posi carrier and desired gears would be a great class project .
Working AC is an easy $1000 value on the car.

Neat car - those early 70's plaid interiors were over the top. I've always liked the chevy truck highlander interiors from that era as well.

If it still has the block heater I'd leave the plug hanging out and tell people it's been converted to electric!

interesting that is where my 74 gto was sold new and it was optioned with a lot of the same stuff. i wish i hadnt sold it.

Ken, Curious to hear which heads it has...46's or 4C's. Being a 2-bbl, it's "supposed" to have press-in studs...but you never know...

Dennis

By 1974 wouldn’t all heads have been built with screw-in studs?

Sticking your finger down in the oil filler cap hole will confirm that pretty easily.

Years back I pulled a few sets of #46 off 350 2bbl engines to resell due to calls wanting them after the headflow test came out in HPP magazine.
They were all screw-in studs , but I don't know if that was luck or not.

I like it!!! Great car for son!!!

Carol Brady....LOL!!!

I’ll let you know when we get it here. The heat riser shroud and hose was still in place (!!) so I couldn’t see the code. The date codes were spot on for the build date so I made the leap that they were original to the car.

Yep, I love it too. I'd have to make that a top notch daily driver ... specially with the working AC. Maybe convert to power brakes if possible.

I assume it's similar to the 72 Nova I had, a great daily driver, replaced the ignition components and it ran like a top, very dependable.

B-man, I think you are right...the switch to screw-in studs for all heads was '73(?). I'm forgetting those details as I get older...

If so, I hope Ken's 350 has the 46's...easy GTO engine conversion. It sure would be a great candidate for some '70 #16's with 78 cc chambers. The 350 doesn't really need to big valve heads for more power, but 1.5 points in compression would certainly help.

Dennis

I had a '72 Nova beater for a while with the 350 2-bbl, TH350 and working AC. It was yellow with a black top and interior. I really liked that car until it rusted apart from all the Michigan winters it went through!

Dennis

There is allot to work with there! Great project. I love that interior. Pontiac V-8 with AC. So many possibilities. No wonder he is all smiles.

All that, plus an 8.5" rear end.

Dennis

I just checked my limited sources and '73 350's (all 2-bbl small valve heads) had pressed in studs while all '74 V8's got the screw-in studs.

Dennis

Same color as my Formula.

Attachment 639310

Plus, disc brakes were standard issue 73 and up...

Well....I re-read post 1, says drum brakes? The big cars and "A" bodies all got standard disc brakes in 73.

The Nova/Ventura group did not?

Great.
All my victims were 74 cars , that's what they were asking for 1974 #46

No , even the 74 GTO docs from the other thread show 4 wheel manual drums as standard.
Power drums were upcharge , power disc further upcharge .
Even bucket seats were extra on those GTO's .

It also appears a choice between cloth or vinyl seats was a no-cost alternate.
But the PHS for this lemon-lime car should tell for sure.

In early 90's I found a clean original 1 owner 74 GTO Black Hatchback 4spd BenchSeat car with that blk/wht plaid interior just like this car. I thought it was some kind of joke somebody put it in there.
But it was all the real deal.
A friend passed on the car because of the interior and he was even specifically looking for a 74 Black 4spd with White interior to match with his 64 GTO.
He didn't like the plaid , and not thrilled about bench.
Car was not priced cheap for the day and time.

I forgot he had already posted the PHS for the new car.

And forgot it had green accent interior.
The GTO I mentioned was tuxedo with checkerboard plaid.
In most opinions now it would be considered pretty snazzy .

We ordered a bunch of stuff for the impending arrival of the car. I’m going to keep him busy!

- Power disc brake conversion kit
- Rear brakes: hose, shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders
- Front suspension bushings.
- Ball joints
- Sway bar end links and bushings.

I was going to get steering components, but they seem to be a little hard to come by. This car also had a rear sway bar on it, but its been removed. The brackets are still there though. I would suspect a rear sway bar should be relatively easy to find.

We’ve been searching for the interior parts. This green seems to be hard to find or maybe not reproduced? The carpet is faded and dirty, and the headliner and package tray are gone so I don’t have a good reference.

Repro carpet and package tray are available in dark green, but the door panels and seats aren’t what I’d call dark green. I don’t see a green headliner available. Anyone know what colors I should be looking for or a reference for the interior combo?

IIRC the mid-seventies Nova X body had a Police Package with a much improved suspension. And I think the early Sevilles came with this same suspension.
And to totally show my ignorance, doesn't the F and X body share suspension design?

Are any of the suspension components shared with a Firebird?

All of them, this ‘74 should have the same subframe as a first-gen Firebird. Rear end and springs should interchange as well.

By 1975 the X-body used the second-gen F-body subframe and suspension.

Nice find...years ago a friend had a very similar car...350 3 speed stick.

Ken, great find. I see Courtesy Motors is still in business in Lewistown, Mt! Wonder if they kept any of the old records. And being from Montana, I can see why the original owner wanted a block heater for the brutal winters and AC for the hot summers! My folks grew up around there.

I did a little cross checking this afternoon and this looks to be correct - at least according to part numbers. I did find some tie rod ends, but availability is not as wide as I expected for as popular as the platform is. Moog doesn't appear to make them anymore.

Looks like the interior is going to be a little bit of a challenge, but that can wait. The first priority is making it safe for him to drive.

Here are a few pics of the underside. It's super solid. Someone used the existing single exhaust crossover and made a dual exhaust system. It actually sounds pretty good.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725330832

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725330892

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725330906

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725330961

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725330826

This was kind of cool. I wanted to take a pic of him with his new car and we replicated a pic of me with '68 when I was his age.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725331566

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725331586


Driver's side headlight looks a little wonky. The fender could be a little tweaked because the trim below it was out of place, the bezel was also on loose. I looked the car over close for Bondo and couldn't find any but it wouldn't surprise me if there's some on the front fenders or passenger door.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725331915

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725331628

Fender to door gaps are pretty bad because the hinges are completely trashed. Way worse than my '68 ever was. Both doors have 1/4" to 3/8" of up/down play. The back corners have been resting on the sill plate and scratched them up. I hope a hinge repair kit can fix it.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725331674

That's awesome! Very cool car, and especially as a first car. In a bit of a way it reminds me of when I got my first car, a 76 Formula 400 4 spd. Sadly, when I got it in 1981, it was not in as good condition as your son's car! LOL. I had a blast with that car and I hope your son does with his too!!

Here is the info on the '74 interior swatches.
Also, the stripe look. Phoenix Graphix has them. https://phoenixgraphix.com/gm/7374spnt.php

Great photos! I'm going to be watching the progress on this one. Really gives me the Jones for something similar.

I'd be turning that into a classic 1970's "Private Detective Car" .. you know the deal, tame looking, blend in with the crowd, but with certain "enhancements" kind of driver. But of course the younger generation might not appreciate that look :)

Welcome to my world.

Black is usually easy to find and/or fix. Other colors, especially the greens, not so much. Even moreso, when it is a single year option only.

Man that green and yellow stripe would already be in order!

As far as the paint goes I suggest the following:

-Wash with dish soap (really scrub the paint clean)
-Clay bar the entire car
-Put Meguires Mirror Glaze on it by hand and let it sit for a while (1-2 hours) then wipe off. It almost feels like this lubricates the paint if that makes sense?
-Use Adam’s brand blue compound with a blue foam buffing pad at high speed, probably go through a few pads. (May need to do this twice).
-Use Adam’s brand white polish with a white foam buffing pad at high speed
-Use Zaino brand show car polish. Put on by hand or low speed buffer. Let sit for 30 min. If you want to use more thank e coat use the ZFX curing additive.
-Spray with Zaino gloss enhancer
-Enjoy your new paint!

Here are some before after pics of the process

Mexican blanket over the bench, color coordinated of course.

455 mild state of tune, totally stock just slip in the 068 cam/lifters new timing set, 60 psi oil pump, dual 2-1/2” exhaust w/Dynomax 17734 14” Super Turbos keeping the log exhaust manifolds. Stock TH350 and converter will play well with this if in decent shape, don’t beat on the transmission by putting a harsh shift kit in there.

Good used 3.08 rear gears factory posi or if getting extravagant new Eaton posi. Of course some slapper bars.

15x6 and 15x7 steel wheels rattle can gloss black with 205/75s and 275/60s. No hubcaps.

Buff the paint.

The kid deserves his first hot rod now while he has no real adult responsibilities, the nit picky restoration can come later.

At his age I had a rough and ready street warrior that was regularly kicking asses and taking names, the best years of my life. :)

Dang, those cars cleaned up nice! I've got most of the stuff on your list. We'll give this a try.

This kind of style doesn't come cheap. $95/yd for the vinly and an eye watering $169/yd for the plaid. I think we'll be rocking the Mexican blanket while he saves up. I ponied up for all the stuff to make the car safe and drivable, appearance is on him. Funnily enough, SMS is about 30 minutes from where the car was in Oregon.

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1725398760

That's a sweet unit...congrats

I had a '74 Ventura Custom 350/auto back in the day...oh the mammories

Ha! I can relate to the Mexican blanket seat cover in my '69 Custom S (the front seat has since been reupholstered).

Dennis