When Wayne Kendall decided to embark on the American car scene, he took the unusual step of dismissing all muscle cars in favour of an elegant cruiser. His beautifully restored and super-rare two-door hardtop 1967 Pontiac Ventura proves he made the right choice…
Words & Photography: Jon Cass
Wayne Kendall will be the first to admit he leads a busy life, much of which is taken up by his demanding job. As you’d expect, this hectic lifestyle combined with raising a young family means any potential hobbies must be carefully thought through and considered before taking the plunge.
The idea of purchasing a classic car to cruise around in and tinker with on those occasional days off seemed like a sensible move to make as far as Wayne was concerned, although he wasn’t about to make things easy for himself.
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“I’ve never really had the opportunity to become involved in any car scene before,” he laughs, “but I’ve always had a passion for old American cars, especially those from the Fifties and Sixties which possess so much flair and charisma.” While a Triumph Acclaim or Morris Minor may seem like far more sensible options as starter classics for a busy man, Wayne was having none of that and consequently took a far more ambitious route instead.
Now, we should explain one of Wayne’s relatives, Matt Stocks, happens to own an automotive restoration workshop which he shares with his business partner, Stuart Smithies. It’s always handy to have someone you know well in such a trade, especially if you’re on the hunt for a classic car. Wayne said: “I’d noticed most people who are searching for their first American car tend to look towards Camaros, Mustangs and various other muscle cars. They didn’t really appeal to me in comparison to a laid-back cruiser with bags of style and chrome.”
By chance, Matt happened to know of a very rare 1967 Pontiac Ventura two-door hardtop he’d come across in Oregon which appeared to fit Wayne’s criteria perfectly. “I just loved the imposing Sixties style and knew straight away this was the right car for me. The only problem was it would need a lot of work.”
Once the Ventura was bought and transported to the UK via Kingstown Shipping (www.kingstown-shipping.co.uk), Matt and Stuart were able to carry out a closer inspection of Wayne’s new purchase at their SS Auto & Body workshop in Beverley, East Yorkshire. “I was keen to become a part of the restoration process too and not just sit back and let Matt and Stuart do all the work,” Wayne explains. “They both welcomed me into their garage and were happy to show me the ropes.”
Knowing full well this was more of a long-term project than a quick repair over a few weekends, a decision was taken to strip the neglected Ventura completely and return the shell to bare metal. “It had arrived wearing its original paint which is what we believe to be Palmetto Green,” Wayne says, “but the paintwork itself was in such poor condition, the shell was effectively a blank canvas.”
The team soon got to grips with the colossal task ahead, painstakingly carrying out any necessary repairs to the bodywork before respraying the shell in a period shade of cream, as chosen by Wayne. “It’s very different to the original Palmetto Green, but this shade suits the era and I’m really happy how it turned out.”
Fortunately, the bumpers, lettering and trim were all present and salvageable which is always a bonus on such a rare car. “Although undamaged, these parts were in a poor condition, so I hired a van and carefully transported them to Birmingham-based Chromefix (www.chromefix.co.uk) to be restored. It was far easier taking this option, rather than attempting to source replacement parts.”
Sadly, the same theory couldn’t be applied to other scarce components which required many hours spent sourcing online. “The majority of OEM parts I managed to find via AMES Performance Pontiac in New Hampshire (www.amesperf.com ) and some came from the Original Parts Group (www.opg.com),” Wayne tells us. “The list seemed endless, but this had to be done right. The original style PMD 14in hubcaps were especially hard to track down, even in the USA, while the hood and trunk emblems were missing too. I managed to find the correct weather seals at Steele Rubber (www.steelerubber.com) in the States and had the 14in steel wheels blasted and powder-coated by Lee at Banded Steels 07553 846993), closer to home in Stockport.”
That numbers-matching 400cu V8 would require its own share of fresh parts which included a new starter motor, dual-exhaust, battery and isolator switch, along with a careful inspection of the electrics. “Once we’d carried out a full service and felt happy the engine was running okay, it was given a clean bill of health under the watchful eye of John Horsfield at H Horsfield & Son in Halifax, West Yorkshire (www.vintage-bentley.com),” Wayne says. New front and rear drum brakes, along with a fresh brake master cylinder meant the heavyweight Pontiac could stop now, too!
Ministering to the Interior
One of the worst aspects of Wayne’s Ventura upon its arrival was the tatty interior which had most certainly seen better days. This would require a full makeover to bring it up to a high standard to match the remainder of the project. White PU leather upholstery was the chosen material for the sun visors and door cards, which required sourcing first while the existing seats and headliner were deemed just about salvageable. “Neil at Origineils Car Trimmers and Upholstery in Beverley (07523 049589) did a great job of reupholstering the seats and headlining in PU leather,” Wayne points out. “The interior now feels bright and airy and it all blends in well with the cream paintwork.”
Further Stateside sourcing provided a stack of other elusive missing parts which included an OEM black carpet, OEM GM seatbelts along with new window controls, inset rear ashtrays, dashboard bezels and temperature gauge. “The only serious repair focused on the trunk area which we managed to sort with a spot of welding, and it’s now been rapture painted,” Wayne says. “The remainder of the rebuild was by no means straightforward; just finding the required parts took countless hours alone.”
Even with the highly experienced Matt and Stuart carrying out the bulk of the specialised work, this project would end up taking well over a year to complete. That’s of little surprise as the more you look around this car, the more you notice that not one corner has been cut and the attention to detail throughout is undoubtedly on the next level. “I don’t like doing things by halves,” Wayne affirms. “If I’m going to attempt something, I’ll always be fully committed.” The reward has come in the shape of a car that not only looks incredible, it’s a joy to drive too. That 269bhp 400cu V8 burbles effortlessly while the smooth three-speed column shift TH400 automatic transmission ensures every journey is a pleasure.
You won’t be surprised to hear Wayne is over the moon at how this project turned out and aside from turning heads at every corner, his stunning Ventura makes the perfect laid-back cruiser he desired for his family. In fact, Wayne has set the bar so high with this starter Yank, where does he go from here?
The Ventura Highways
Originally introduced in 1960 as a custom trim package on the Catalina’s B-body wheelbase, the Ventura was only initially available as the Vista four-door hardtop or the Sports coupe two-door hardtop. Offered with standard and optional equipment from the Catalina range, the Ventura also benefitted from De Luxe wheel covers, sports steering wheel and distinctive Morrokide upholstery.
Through 1962-70, the Ventura continued as a plush trim package on the more commonly seen Catalina models, though the different badging and option of a Pontiac 421 H.O V8 helped to set the two models apart. For 1967, Pontiac retired their 389cu in (6.4-litre) and replaced it with the 400cu in (6554cc), a 389 bored-out by +0.06in (1.5 mm) to a bore and stroke of 4.12 × 3¾in (104.6 × 95.3mm). In two-barrel-form, the 400 produced 290 horsepower and 428lb-ft pounds of torque, but in 1968 the cylinder head design was improved for the 400 four-barrel engine and the valve angle reduced from 17 degrees to 14 degrees for better breathing.
Incidentally, 1967 would be the last year for closed-chambered heads while the ‘670’ head was a 1967-only casting, and the only PMD head to have a closed chamber with the new 14-degree valve angle. By the early Seventies, when the fuel crisis was beginning to take effect, the Ventura badge was transferred to Pontiac’s forgettable all-new compact X-body entry complete with either a small six-cylinder powerplant or lukewarm V8. Sadly, both the 400 V8 and the Ventura badge would disappear by 1978.
