[Wareagle]

Originally Posted by Steve Barcak

I have always liked the 74 GTO and have a hatchback in my collection. It is far from my favorite year but, it is still a great little car. I consider it an improvement over the '73.
Remember that Martin Caserio was in charge of Pontiac at the time. He was very antiperformance.

Yes its amazing that they snuck in the SD-455

[goatwgn]

Originally Posted by The Boss

If we only wanted to drive cars that were accepted, we'd be driving Chevy's.

[Sirrotica]

Since there has been a bunch of people that have shown interest in 74 GTOs on this thread, here's a 74 GTO race car from up around the Norwalk area. Not perfect, but pretty reasonably priced.............

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/4316768311.html

[rexs73gto]

WOW thats kinda rough.

[PONTIAC-ONE]

Originally Posted by Steve Barcak

I have always liked the 74 GTO and have a hatchback in my collection. It is far from my favorite year but, it is still a great little car. I consider it an improvement over the '73.
Remember that Martin Caserio was in charge of Pontiac at the time. He was very antiperformance.

Hmmm, makes you wonder why GM appoints someone "anti-performance" to their "performance" division.

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by Steve Barcak

I consider it an improvement over the '73.

I couldn't disagree with you more. The only thing even remotely endearing about the '74 was the functional shaker. Other than that, it was a cheap, bland little car.

[Bob with the 66]

I like the 73 and the 74 models, they were just like all the GTO's made, a statement of the times.

And in the 60's and 70's society were changing very quickly.

Hmm, really no different today if you think about it. (lol...)

[Alvin]

1974 GTOs - I like them...like most other Pontiac Engine motivated Pontiacs.

Ironies below, check the FACTORY performance of these...

For example:

Unique to the '74 GTO was a functional Trans Am-style Shaker scoop that allowed the engine to draw cooler air from the base of the windshield under full-throttle conditions. Although it was last functional on the Trans Am during the '72 model year, operation was restored for the GTO in 1974.

Under the GTO's hood was a 200hp, 350ci engine that was capable of running a standing quarter-mile in the mid-to-high 15s at a speed around 88 mph. While not staggering by today's performance standards, consider that just a year later, a 455-powered Trans Am offered the same horsepower and was producing performance numbers similar to those from the 350-powered GTO
Read more: http://www.highperformancepontiac.co...#ixzz2t79fcwJM

The Can Am package may have been short-lived, but it made a very big impact in the collectible Pontiac hobby. Aside from the Trans Am and Formula, this was the sportiest car offered by Pontiac in the late '70s. It also followed the credo of the musclecar-a big engine in an intermediate car.

Read more: http://www.highperformancepontiac.co...#ixzz2t7EBHUWz

A review of the new mid-year Le Mans Sport Coupe option--costing $1,214--in the May 1977 issue of Motor Trend said, "The Can Am is the ideal car for the person who likes the Firebird Trans Am or Formula but needs extra space. It provides good handling and steering response with a pleasant, firm, but never jarring, ride." The same article listed a 0-60 performance time of 10 seconds, with a quarter-mile time of 17 seconds at 84 mph. Okay, it's not a Judge, but considering the time frame, the Cam Am was a screamer, all things being relative. In comparison, a mid-size 1975 Pontiac equipped with the 455 V-8 turned the same 0-60 10-second time.
http://www.hemmings.com/mus/stories/...feature16.html

We own a '73 Grand Am that IIRC the nose and design was to have been the '72 GTO...but a pesky UAW GM strike killed that. I can tell you even though we love our GA it is heavy compared to our '67 & '69 GTOs and '78 & '79 TAs. Take a look at the parts books and the subframe '74 GTO is same as 2nd Gen TAs... etc. Each to their own.

[Sirrotica]

74 GTO sub frame is the same as first Gen F bodies. The second gen F body sub frame didn't appear in the X cars until 75.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

74 GTO sub frame is the same as first Gen F bodies. The second gen F body sub frame didn't appear in the X cars until 75.

Even better IMO.

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by Alvin

1974 GTOs - I like them...like most other Pontiac Engine motivated Pontiacs.

Ironies below, check the FACTORY performance of these...

For example:





We own a '73 Grand Am that IIRC the nose and design was to have been the '72 GTO...but a pesky UAW GM strike killed that. I can tell you even though we love our GA it is heavy compared to our '67 & '69 GTOs and '78 & '79 TAs. Take a look at the parts books and the subframe '74 GTO is same as 2nd Gen TAs... etc. Each to their own.

What does the performance of a factory stock Can Am have anything to do with this discussion???

[Alvin]

Everything.

[geeteeohguy]

In my opinion, the '74 kind of went back to the roots of the first GTO, the '64. Smaller, lighter, not embellished with excessive overhang and weight. A true basic musclecar. I've never owned one, but have always liked them.

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

In my opinion, the '74 kind of went back to the roots of the first GTO, the '64. Smaller, lighter, not embellished with excessive power, overhang and weight. A true basic musclecar. I've never owned one, but have always liked them.

There, fixed it for ya.
Sure their ok now, kind of like a Gremlin is ok.
Would I own one, sure, just cause their old cars. Probably would not own it for long though.

[74gto]

Originally Posted by Bob with the 66

I like the 73 and the 74 models, they were just like all the GTO's made, a statement of the times.

And in the 60's and 70's society were changing very quickly.

Hmm, really no different today if you think about it. (lol...)

Sure Bob, you're just saying that because you know someone who owns a Nova,oops, I mean 74 GTO

[Alvin]

Props to the Shaffer's '74 GTO making May 2014 HPP issue article All-GM Nats (see pg31):

This beautifully restored Sunstorm Yellow '74 Ventura GTO has only 69,000 miles on the odometer.
It's owned by Kevin and Karen Schaffer and was a standout amongst the invited cars in building T."

[71SportRagtop]

Here's what I think:

The masses see the Musclecar era as ranging from 1964-1972. After 72 there isn't much to boast about performance wise from ALL the major manufacturers. Sure you have the oddballs like the 73/74 SD T/A's, and the Smokey and the Bandit T/A which was known more for it's movie role and less for performance. Other than them tell me of a really well known performance car from 72-up to the 5.0 Mustang in the mid 80's? I can't really think of one.

The 73 and 74 GTO's suffered from GM's shift away from performance. The HP ratings, the lack of marketing, ect. Honestly, I NEVER cared for the look of ANY of the GM A bodies after 72. It's just my opinion but I think all of them are just butt ugly (sorry 73 guys but it's just my opinion). So if I was faced with the option of owning either a 73 or 74, I'd grab the 74 every day of the week.

I think that the 74 is a cool little car. Granted it's not a 69 Ram Air III but it looks kind of cool with the shaker scoop and I love the fact that it could still be had with a 4 speed. What I think is really cool is that you could pull out that weak 200HP 350 and drop a healthy 455 into it's place and build yourself a nice little sleeper.

[77 Canamman]

Originally Posted by 71SportRagtop

Here's what I think:

The masses see the Musclecar era as ranging from 1964-1972. After 72 there isn't much to boast about performance wise from ALL the major manufacturers. Sure you have the oddballs like the 73/74 SD T/A's, and the Smokey and the Bandit T/A which was known more for it's movie role and less for performance. Other than them tell me of a really well known performance car from 72-up to the 5.0 Mustang in the mid 80's? I can't really think of one.

The 73 and 74 GTO's suffered from GM's shift away from performance. The HP ratings, the lack of marketing, ect. Honestly, I NEVER cared for the look of ANY of the GM A bodies after 72. It's just my opinion but I think all of them are just butt ugly (sorry 73 guys but it's just my opinion). So if I was faced with the option of owning either a 73 or 74, I'd grab the 74 every day of the week. .

It's the uninformed, like you, in this hobby that make it very aggravating at times. The '73 Buick Gran Sport Stage One was a hot runner, and the 455 GTO in '73 still performed well, clocking high 14's all day long. The 442 L77 455 4 speed ran excellent too. The 5.0's were a boxy joke out of the box, as were everything from the 80's except the GN or GNX.

Too bad there isn't a Supra in your future...

[John V.]

I was 17 when the '73 GM A bodies came out. I remember being VERY disappointed, thought they were just ugly, not just the Pontiacs. The '68-'72 body style had grown long in the tooth, but it was still far shapelier/sexier than the '73s.

I bought my first GTO, a '64 convert later in '73. Was not a Pontiac guy until that point.

I don't know if I ever saw a '73 GTO when they were new.

Compare that to the first 2nd gen TA I ever saw, a couple years earlier. It blew me away, love at first sight.

By the time the '74 GTO came out, I was gaga over everything GTO. I liked the concept. It was promoted as returning to the GTO roots, but one thing not mentioned so far, it was more AFFORDABLE than recent GTOs. That had a big appeal to me as a young guy with no money. That shaker was sexy, a bit of the TA in a more affordable new car. I liked it a lot.

I've never owned one or even been in one, but liked them from the start.

The '73 came to grow on me as the years passed. Also never been in one. But I came to appreciate its attributes, learned of its superior handling vs. the previous generation. As power was on the decline, Pontiac found other ways to enhance the driving experience. Nobody had a more driver/enthusiast appealing cockpit than Pontiac.

For a couple years in the late '70s, I owned a '73 TA and would still choose a '73 TA today over a '73 or '74 GTO. The 2nd gen Firebirds just were flat out more appealing to me than the '73 up A body.

I also hated the bumpers on the '74-'78 'birds. Made the cars look much less aggressive than the '70-'73 styling. That was a result of Fed bumper regs. The '74 GTO bumpers were bulky and unappealing too. I understood it, just didn't like it when either car was new.

I definitely consider the '73 & '74 GTO as "real" GTOs.

But I also agree that Pontiac was seeing the handwriting on the wall. They had a winner in the 2nd gen TA, the GTO sales figures showed that there was little interest in that model anymore. The TA became the cash cow.

Story goes that they killed the '75 GTO because they weren't going to be allowed to put a Pontiac engine in it. But if they had offered it, I'm not so sure it would have sold well. The TA sales figures were taking off. And the new for '75 X body struck me as a then 19 yo much like the '73 A body had, it was an ugly styling replacement for the '68-'74 X body.

I'm sure I would have embraced a '75 GTO as "real". But I was not unhappy that it was not produced.

Kinda like the Beatles, the GTO flamed brightly for not too many years. Part of the appeal is that it only existed for that short time. I don't consider the '73 or '74 to be dogs, but had they kept producing a GTO, I'm sure Pontiac would have come up with some real dogs to carry the GTO badge. Glad that didn't happen.

I don't consider the '04-'06 GTOs to be part of the same legacy. I always thought they were great cars, great bang for the buck. Just felt they had no direct connection to the '64-'74 GTOs. And the most unfortunate thing was Lutz's dumb move to name them GTO. The Monaro did not need the GTO nameplate and it obviously had a polarizing effect within the Pontiac hobby. It was totally unnecessary. I think the Monaro would have enjoyed much broader appeal among Pontiac enthusiasts had they come up with a unique name for it. They could still have marketed it as a natural evolution to Pontiac's performance history, including the original GTOs, but should have given it a unique nameplate. Something like, "In the beginning, there was the GTO, a car that spawned an entirely new musclecar genre. Today, Pontiac introduces the G-Force coupe, a new legend is born. Pontiac, the excitement continues." That would have worked a lot better in my book.

['ol Pinion head]

Have to agree with Mr Lightfoot (77 CanAmman) on the '73 Stage1 Centurys. There were 3 of them in my area & all would show many a late 60's-70's performance car their taillights. It got even better when their owners started sending those money orders off on Kenne Bell mods

Never was very impressed with the performance of the same year ('73) 455 equipped 442's or 455 equipped GrandAm's or GP's. The Olds crowd had their swivel buckets & 442 decals & that was about it... Pontiac was trying to bring us a European roadcar with the GrandAm, & mainly succeeded in prospective buyers on the lot wanting to squeeze its nose. Can remember the GrandAm's intro well & as a result, in our family there was a new GrandPrix on the driveway... unfortunately, it was also mired in mediocrity. While the '73 Pontiac performance A-bodys handled well, I'm very happy they were not introduced as '72 models. If that were the case, there would have been no 72 455HO LeMans, no '72 WW5 GTO's, no WW4 cars, & no 400 4spd '72 post LeMans.

'74 GTO's, have always liked them built up as racecars or modifed as fast street-strip cars. As stockers, can understand why they haven't taken off with the hardcore Pontiac fans.