This weekend my father brought home a car we have wanted for over 25 years. This 60 Ventura was a street racer and local drag car from Chester, Pa. Unfortunately, the car sat under a tree for 35 years waiting to be resurrected so nature has not been kind. It needs rockers, doors, floor work and front clip. The car is amazing when you look at it. Heater has been removed, dual quads, headers like you have never seen, Mallory electronic ignition, shifter with reverse lockout, line lock, giant fuel pump in the trunk, 4:88's cheater slicks on chrome reverse tow bars still on the front, and 61-62 SD heads so far is what we have found. Plans are to build the car as a tribute to Big Jim and race as he would have and did on the streets in the 60's. The car only has 20,000 miles. Hopefully we will be successful. Anyone with '60 Pontiac body parts for sale please contact me. Enjoy Larry
Thats for "short-shifting"...LoL VERY cool car. I'd love to have that. Came close to owning one 30 years ago (NOT as well endowed enginewise!) but it wasn't "cool" at the time due to the size. Proves you should go with your gut feelings instead of listening to the naysayers... Thats a BEAST.
That is the reverse lockout. I used to go to this guys house in one of my dad's Pontiacs when I was a kid and go nuts over this car and listen to the stories. My father met him at Geno's in Chester in 67 or 68. A man drove up in a 67 GTO and walked in and ordered food. All of a sudden, Jim walks in and says, "Who owns that new GTO out there?" The guy said that he did. Jim asked..."Is it fast?" The guy said yeah it's fast. Jim then said "I got a $100 that says my black Pontiac out there can beat you." The car was a bad*** ride. I know the car was well into the low 12's and possible high 11's back in the day. I hope we can get it going. I am sure we won't make this years Beaver Springs with Larry but hopefully sometime. We are hoping that the ladder bars that he raced with are in the ba*****t. We still have loads of stuff, including trophies, to get out. It si pretty emotional seeing it at my dad's house. I never thought it would happen.It is liek a clone to the 66 Catalina he has...black with red interior, power antennae, and monster motor. The car is actually one a 712 that was built with a 4 speed and most of them went to Nascar. I am excited. Just hope to find some parts for it. Larry Larry
PONTIAC VENTURA 1960 211 Augusta 10/21/2006 To find out why we can tell you about our car inventory, but NOT specific parts, click here. http://www.pullapart.com/Default.aspx
Wow Larry! That thing is awesome! I can't wait to see that in person. Congrats on the score, you and your dad will have some fun with that one for sure
Thanks Joe. It needs a ton of work. The numbers and codes for the car have been really good so far. Larry
Freakin cool! Love it! I know a guy running one of these right now. If you want I'll put you in touch with him.
You can see them peaking out behind the rear wheel. Because of the x-frame, they dump out there and down the car near the side. He even made his own header mufflers out of cherry bombs for it.
Is it the little guy with the black one? We met him at Cecil County and got his information. I need parts bad. I need a pair of chrome reverse for the back also. Larry
Hello Larry. Phil sent me a link to this site. What you have is indeed cool. When I found Arapaho(my 60) it looked in about the same shape..maybe worse. At least you have a complete car to work with,mine had no power train ! I inquired about getting it repaired but a divorce hit me and it sat another 10 years...buy then I deemed it hopeless and just clone the Arapaho. You will find sheet meat panels are very hard to get. Try to save what you can. There was a guy in Canada selling fibergl*** fenders on Ebay a while back. I don't have much in the way of body parts but let me know if I can help..I love the 60's...BIRTH OF THE SUPER DUTY PONTIACS....!! It was also the first year for the 4 speed (mid-year option) & 8 lug wheels! On the other hand some of the 60 Chevy stuff will work on the Pontiac..just not body panels or suspension parts. I'll send my email address in a PM.. I do remember talking to you and your Dad by the way.. Check out the air out on my last outing to Cecil. Headers came off my car. They are 1960 issue Headman Tri-Y fendewll dump deal. The "little" stub was where you connected up with the stock exhaust system...these were NOS when I installed them 4 years ago. Take care Troy Tribby/aka: 60man
Just noticed that your headers are 4 tube !! They are not Headman's. Might be Stahl or Jardines. How's the hood ? Forgot that I do have a extra hood. + NOS front apron pan and core support top piece.. I also have some chrome reverse rims but I think they are sold..have to find out along with matching front rims.
Sorry Troy - if I jumped the gun there. But it was after I read your email. Figured I'd do it in case you forgot. LOL 11's will be tough Kustom Chief. That thing weighs a ton! Troy is is in the 11's (deep into the 11's!) but he has put a lot of bucks into his 60!! Listen to what advice he gives you!! Phil
NO PROBLEM PHIL...I just didn't look before I leaped !! yeah..11's will be tough with a period correct motor,even with a 4 speed...I do know . My friend Ken Davis with the 60 Hot Chief #1 only runs 13.10's with his 4 speed Ventura using modified 389 power. Got love a 4 speed car though...right Phil ? Thanks for the kind words. I'm looking forward to seeing your "G***er" GTO.. I noticed theat jalopy race at the Beaver to.. I may go as Flashback Friday at the Beaver is the same week end as NORWALK !! ...Damn it.. Troy
Cool car Larry, My neighbor has a '60 Bonneville 2 dr hardtop that is built as a custom cruiser. I'll check with him to see if he has any extra parts lying around.
Reverse lock out if my memory is correct was actually a Hurst 3 sp shifter(similar to compe***on plus,but only 2 arms on the bottom side) and the "short shifter" on its own pivot and hooked to only the reverse lever on the trans. With the main shifter was in nuetral you'd engage the short one for reverse. The"word" back then was the 3 sp shifter had more spring bias to the 3-4 side and a better gate for bangin 3rd. At a time when a good p*** was much more dependant on the driver, Linda Vaughn would have come in second in a popularity contest behind Hurst's shifter doctor. OK maybe a close second but I haven't seen a manufacturer rebuilding shifters at the track in ages.
I need pretty much a whole front. I need 2 chrome reverse for the rear. the front will stay 8-lug. the apron pan is rusted. I will have my father call you this week. Larry
LOL - I love 4 spds but they don't love me! LOL! Pontiacs have gobs of torque and they love eating them stick transmissions! I even blew a brand new Supercase Muncie at the line once. 5000 rpm dumps are wicked! I learned you gotta ride them a little off the line then mash it. Plus try and use your line loc by creeping up to the line with it partially engaged thereby taking any backlash out of them. At least everything will be tight when you launch. My buddy who owns the body shop where the G***er is says there aint no way in Hell that the car will be ready this year. he's probably right. I may beef up my red 65's rear to see if that holds just so I have something to race. Oh yeah, not only standard trans are easy to blow, so are rear ends!!!! LOL! I blew a few of those over the last few years as well. I'm probably going to camp this year at Norwalk again Troy. Same thing at Beaver springs.
This is odd. I thought I had one of the only black 60 pontiacs with factory 4-speeds that was street raced hard! Mines not as modified as yours, but runs a factory tri-power and a bonneville. I'll try to dig up some pics becuase right now its burried in a storage building. Great find, and I love those headers!
You need to dig the car back up and get it back on the road Those big old cars surprised a lot people. But ...guess I'll settle for some pictures..
Phil..What Beaver Springs Event? Norwalk & Flashback Friday at the Beaver are the same week end ! Are you talking about the York US 30 Musclecar Madness deal.on July 15th ?? I will probably get there on the 14th...and camp..Beaver is cool !!! Whoops didn't mean to hi-jack this thread...Sorry. Troy
Hey! have you figured out what motor it is yet? 389 or 421? bithcin either way. I have a small stash of 8 lug stuff, and I have a 64 grand prix parts car if you need any suspension stuff for the front. that thing is kick ***. Just a thought- but if those headers are wasted, Ames is making the Cast iron headerds again (not long brances-the headers have 2 exhaust openings on eash manifold. Pricey, but super cool.) H.R.H. may have a line on some sheetmetal if you need it-he's been working on his bonnie for a while now and I seem to recall him being bummed at finding a ventura instead of a bonnie somewhere. I also have a spare set of 62's if one of yours is broken.
The Jalopy Journal
