[440Dave]

Hi- Dave here, and I'm the now proud owner of my first pontiac, a '60 ventura 2 dr hardtop. I saw it, loved it, had to have it. Its rust free and mildly customized, and appears to have been a driver all its life. It has a later model 400 in it, and I'm curious to find out what year, advertised compression, etc. Where will I find the casting #s on the block and heads, and then where can I find the engine specs(hopefully on this site somewhere). Its got a 2bbl and runs just fine on pump regular, so its probably a 70s 400 I'm guessing. I know my mopars better than I know my address, but I'm starting from scratch on these ponchos. Don't make me put a 440 in this thing....

[1967Clone]

I think someone is going to tell you that you need to post up pics of your ride before anything else.

[Stuart]

Welcome to the board! Go to the Wallace Racing site at http://www.wallaceracing.com/index.html, and page down a ways. Along the left side of the page are links to where you can figure out the engine codes.

To find them, look on the front of the engine block on the passenger side, right next to the water pump/timing chain cover. It's usually a two or three digit code, like YK or RM4, that sort of thing. There may also be a partial VIN there from the car it came out of originally. Date codes are back by the distributor.

On the Wallace Racing website there are pictures to show you where to look.

[440Dave]

I thought I did, but I don't see 'em. How do I add a photo? Wait, I think I got it..

[TheMonkey]

welcome to the darkside....

<< I saw it, loved it, had to have it. >> that's weird?

<< Don't make me put a 440 in this thing... >> hide and watch.... you'll be amazed at how strong some of these guys been able to get their pontiac motors without getting too fancy. 440 is a cute motor

cool pic, thanks for sharing.

[440Dave]

Hahaha, I'm actually a car guy above all, and can find models I like of pretty much every marque, always loved the 66 and 67 GTOs, I might even go get me one. My 71 Chevy longhorn pickup has towed my broken Cuda home from the track on more than one occasion. My wife to be races demo class in a 74 Pontiac, not sure what cuz its not recognizable anymore, but its got 6 seasons on it in a class where finishing a season with the same car is considered a feat. I've had a few camaros and mustangs too, loved em all. I live to drag race myself, and have had to fend off a few fast 'birds and goats. We also have a couple Buicks in the stable as well. Now, lets all get together and bash those Aston Martin snobs.....

[1967Clone]

Originally Posted by 440Dave

I thought I did, but I don't see 'em. How do I add a photo? Wait, I think I got it..

Dave that car is COOL!

*edit* Nice to see someone who isn't afraid to own multiple brands, I have 4-5 different makes of cars myself.

[TheMonkey]

Originally Posted by 440Dave

.... I'm actually a car guy above all.....

very cool. i think we are all waving the same flag. i'm secretly in love with the 1969 dodge charger

your new ventura is great. do a search for posts by 60man; those will prob be very helpful for you, and he's very much a track guy.

[63HO3x2Cat421]

Welcome to the darkside Dave, cool ventura there. Please oh please no mopar or chevy motor in that poncho. There are a few militant types hanging round here that identify, stalk, and eliminate anyone dabbling in that kind of unethical activity.

How about a few more pics, especially the interior. Here's a couple of my '63 catalina ventura awaiting it's rebirth. Still running the original 421 this car is scary fast. It's also an original 4 speed, bench seat, dog dish hubcap sleeper with tripower. As the pics show, twenty years of california sun have baked the original paint off most the horizontal panels. Also thanks to it's time in SoCal there's no rust or rot anywhere on this car's underbody. When i bought it last summer it was last registered here in NY in 1991 and had been driven only about 1500 miles since brought here in 1982. Original miles just over 70,000, i lucked out finding this solid Cali car on ebay. Fully prepared to travel west for the right car i lucked out as this one resided in a dry barn just 75 miles from my home, saving me thousands in trucking fees.

There's a guy named Troy(forgot his screen name) on this site that drags his 60 cat. In all the pics i've seen of his car the front wheels are off the ground. Can't think of what times he runs with it but it's a consistant winner in his class. There are alot of knowledgeable and helpful people that visit this site and most are very willing to help answer any questions you might have. Have fun with the car, Paul

[440Dave]

Here's some pics of the 60 today. Primered it yesterday, painted the red basecoat on the roof this morning, did the black base on the rest this afternoon, and the layout in masking tape for the flames after that. You can't see the flames in the photo, but I'm still trying out a few different styles, so I'll probably change it anyways. Now I can see all the flaws in my bodywork, but there's fewer than I thought there would be, and they're pretty minor. That black just doesn't forgive!

[TheMonkey]

hey Dave.... i know your type... type of guy that actually makes progress and makes guys like me wonder what in the world is holding me back!

this is a project i'm looking forward to keeping track of. flames on a '60. very hot. looks great so far. thanks for sharing.

[60man]

Did you say VENTURA!!
Mine's a Ventura to.......
Welcome aboard..I've had a few MOPAR's in my life too....
Factory Rep. pi$$ed me off and I walked next door to a Pontiac dealer
and......here I am..
Maroon & Black...???
Keep the pics coming.....

[mike nixon]

Originally Posted by 440Dave

Hi- Dave here, and I'm the now proud owner of my first pontiac, a '60 ventura 2 dr hardtop.

Don't make me put a 440 in this thing....

welcome to the site and congrats on a cool car. my wife loves the line of a 60.

re the threat of the 440. i'll just retaliate and shove a 455 pontiac in a roadrunner or a sport fury..

if you don't find the block codes you have listed on the wallace site drop me a line and i'll run them thru hollanders for you when i get the chance.


do the rest of you guys notice how the mopar crowd leans toward pontiacs?

i've got a buddy who's a die hard mopar guy. he's owned more than one pontiac over the years tho.

mike

[440Dave]

After 2 rolls of tape, trying out a few layouts, I decided a big car needs big flames. I've got all my little blemishes fixed up, so today I'll flame and clearcoat. This is my first attempt at a proper paint and body job. I've sprayed my truck in the driveway before, and got the amateur results I expected, but I'm determined to get this one right. A few years back I got my cuda painted by a local shop for 4000 bucks, and it looked like hell. Its a long story involving lawyers, missing parts, threats of physical violence etc, but I swore I could do a better job than that, even without having ever picked up a real spray gun before. We'll see over the next few days....