For all you 'Poncho' Villas on the forum

I spotted this on my Google front page; even I like it, with the fact it has a stick.

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cur...coupe-with-floor-shifter-a-victim-of-fashion/

 

So many people HATE this body style, but I am not going to lie in that I *love* them. The '73 is one of the best styled cars of that era. The comment about plastic is definitely true, compared to a year or two earlier or the '60s cars, the plastic just disintegrated by looking at it in these cars. I should know, I drove a '73 for years.

 

I always wondered if this particular body style had excellent or poor aero characteristics at race speeds. Owing to what Chrysler went through with the 'bogus' aerodynamics on the Chargers before the Daytona and Daytona wing cars, it would be interesting to know how these Pontiacs fared.

 

I don't remember exactly, but I do know that they handled better in the curves than any of the previous A-bodies GM had made.

 

An interesting car.

 

I love the sheet metal curves, but I have always preferred the dual rectangle headlights that came in 1976.

 

*Smokey and The Bandit*
"When I catch you, I'm gonna barbecue your @$$ in molasses! 'Cause I got the evidence!"

*turns to see Junior sitting in the front seat, with the smashed door in his lap*
"Put the evidence in the back seat!
*Junior flips the door into the back seat*
"There ain't no way, NO WAY you coulda come from my loins!
*Gets in behind the wheel*
"When we get home, I'm gonna smash your momma in the mouth!"

 

As for the aero of the design, there were a couple of attempts to race them in NASCAR, both failed. More to do with $$$ and engine development issues. But I was told by Herb Adams years later that when they finally had enough $$$ to put it in a wind tunnel. It was horrible. As a Lark they turned it around and it had much better aero numbers in reverse!



Here is a good artical on it

http://www.tachrev.com/GrandAm1973Nascar.htm
There was also a very underfunded attempt by Long Time Pontiac Die hard racer H B Bailey I believe HB gave up Nascar racing during the 1973 season. I never met him so I don't know why he Stopped.
I do know that Nascar put many road blocks in the way of Herb Adams team. Then after he stopped trying to qualify they would pay HB a fee just to have a Pontiac in the race. I could tell it just irked Herb even after 25+ years had gone by.

 

I stand corrected on when H B Bailey retired from NASCAR apparently his last race was in the 1993 season! But he only ran 5-7 races a season after the 1960's. I don't remember him running in the 1990's but apparently he ran the first qualifying laps at the Brickyard.

 

This body style has grown on me over time. Still not my favorite. But also not my least favorite.

 

I once had a model of it, square headlamps and all, in junior high school. It and a Nova cop car model met their demises after Washington State allowed the sale and purchase of firecrackers....

 

I bought a 73 Chevy Laguna wagon new off the dealer lot. I went in for parts and saw it sitting in the back of the lot. They had just gotten it in stock and hadn't prepped it yet. It was maroon with a tan interior. Luv'd it right off the bat. Went inside and bought it. Had it 4K miles and was on a trip to visit the folks. An old guy didn't even look and pulled out to make a left turn. My lanes were totally blocked and I had to swerve into oncoming lanes. Luckily no cars were coming. I almost missed him by 2", but his front bumper cught my front fender and wiped out the whole right side, fender, both doors, and quarter panel. After it was fixed,. it always sounded tinny to me when I shut the doors. I traded it in on a 74 Blazer at another dealership.

 

A guy I grew up with drove a Laguna S3 in high school. He and his Dad restored it together when he was 15. Up until that point I had never heard of a Laguna or of an S3 package. It was kind of a burnt orange with white accent stripes. I actually liked that car. I think I prefer the chivy over the Pancho for once when it comes to this comparison.

 

I agree the later 76-77 Laguna S-3's are a better looking design than the earlier 73-74 Models in my opinion. What always amazed me is how common a front bench seat and column shift transmission was on them, compared the Sporty versions of the Buick's, Old's, & Pontiac versions. Even when they were new most of the Chevy's were bench seat cars.

 

My sister had a '75 S3 in silver with black stripes and a black gut. Loaded too - swivels, AC, tilt, pw, 400. Man, if we only had that car now.

But you're right, it's surprising to see how many of these were strippers, so to speak. I have a friend in PA with a '76 with only 3k on it. But its a bench, column shift, 305, crankers and I don't remember, but I think it doesn't even have air.

I've gotten to like Collonades over the years, but boy where I lived in PA - oooh baby, they were rustbuckets.