Considering “what-if” buildups of “never-was” cars

Posted on Nov 27, 2018 in Featured | 2 comments

Hiking the rows upon rows of show cars at the Street Machine Nationals in Du Quoin with Hemmings Daily Editor Kurt Ernst, we saw plenty of buildups that stood out from the crowd with wall-to-wall rear tires, wild paint and graphics and blowers, sometimes one stacked on top of another and popping out of the hood.

However, one of many cars that caught my attention that weekend was so subtle others may have passed right by it. This 1964 Le Mans I view as a “never-was” car—a “what if” for Pontiac fans. More to the point, what if GM hadn’t pulled the plug on racing in 1963 and the 1964 model year brought with it not only the GTO, but also a stripped down 421 or 421 SD-powered Tempest and/or LeMans to wreak havoc on the streets and dragstrips around the country?

The simple addition of the Super-Duty hood scoop that was used on previous years’ SD cars, and a 421 emblem in the grille (actually a ’65-design fender emblem, but you get the point) provides this ’64 with at least the appearance of some rare factory-built high performance model. Also note the Knafel Tin Indian Racing Team front plate surround to further the cause. (The next step toward completing the look would be a set of vintage looking and sized wheels and tires to replace the more modern ones shod with low-profile tires on the car now.)

Applied to a 1964 Pontiac A-body, it’s a refreshing twist away from simply creating a GTO clone. Since we did not see the owner and there was no window card in the Pontiac when we stopped by, unfortunately, we don’t know to what lengths the concept was carried out under the hood or within the rest of the drivetrain. Nevertheless, the badge and hood scoop are definitely conversation starters for Pontiac fans.

They also inspire us to consider what-if cars that we’d like to see, contemplate or build. For example, though Pontiac offered a sporty looking Sprint trim package on the 1975 X-body Ventura, it cancelled the proposed 1975 GTO. Regardless, I’ve always wondered what one would look like as a 1975 or even the 1976 model, which had a more aggressive nose. Years ago, I even had Illustrator Ted Alexander work up a rendering (not shown) to go with a companion what-if story for High Performance Pontiac Magazine.

It wouldn’t be prohibitively difficult or costly to build. The X-body Ventura was new for 1975 and in my opinion quite stylish for an economy car. Better still, the front subframe and suspension system were derived from the Firebird, so myriad possibilities exist for chassis upgrades using stock Trans Am replacement parts or those from the aftermarket, and Radial Tuned Suspension and front disc brakes were standard.

Oddly enough, a Pontiac V-8 was not offered. However, a 350, 400 or 455 Pontiac engine will bolt in with the correct factory mounts, so adding horsepower and the marque-specific engine is no problem. The Turbo-350 transmission can be built to take some punishment and the rear is a typical GM corporate 10-bolt, so it should hold up or at least it can be rebuilt to do so. Different gear ratios and posi units are available as well. The grilles can be blacked out and a Trans Am or ’74 GTO shaker hood scoop and GTO decals could be added.

That’s just one idea to provide an example. Have you ever considered a never-was but what-if project? Even if it’s never progressed further than your imagination, tell us about it anyway. Perhaps it will inspire someone to go build their what-if car. Who knows what great ideas may be realized.