"... The only Pontiac Ventura II in 1974 with the ram air 350 at 200 HP was the GTO, not any other variant...."
Wow ! That means that all the info on the Class Racer Info site, about the cars that engine can be used in is absolutely wrong. It shows that engine to be legal in all Ventura models, including 4-doors, & most Lemans models, including 4-door models.
http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...px?ENGINE=2088
The NHRA site seems to show the same info as the Class Racer Info site.
http://www.nhra.net/tech_specs/class...s/1974PONT.xls
Maybe it's sorta like it is with the SD455 engine. Some online sources say that engine was only released in Birds. But, some say they know of one or more that came in a GP. So, NHRA allows it in more than just Birds.
I think a member here runs that Class Racer Info site. Maybe I should give him this info & see what he can get from NHRA, on it ? He probably wants all the info on the site to be accurate.
The Wallace engine ID site does list a '74 4-barrel 350, that is not a GTO engine. The block code is WN. Looks like it was 170hp with 4C heads, & 200hp with 46 heads. So, MAYBE, a 200hp version was available in some models other than just the GTO. I DON"T KNOW !
1974 350 170/200 HP WN M 7.6 555 4C/46 1-4 7044269 Block Casting # 488986
http://www.wallaceracing.com/enginesearch4.htm
The 1st hint I had that a non-GTO Vent could run the same engine was from the pics from the '74 US Nats. Al Vanis won, in a flat hood Vent, in O/SA. Rock Running won the O/S class in his '74 GTO. To me, that means the 2 cars were running the same engine, one with auto, one with stick. Don't think a 2-barrel engine would run O, when the GTO also ran O.
http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...px?ENGINE=2083
The Class Racer Info site shows that the 170hp 4-barrel 350 can run the same cam as the 200hp engine.
http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...px?ENGINE=2083
Also shows the same min chamber volume & max CR, for both engines. I'm not saying they were the same from the factory. But, it looks as tho NHRA allows the same specs for both. The Wallace site shows that the non-CA GTO engines used the 066 Pontiac cam. I've read that although the GTO engine was said to have more CR, that they actually used exactly the same cc chambers as the non-GTO 350. Again, I DON'T KNOW !
http://www.classracerinfo.com/Engine...8&MAKE=Pontiac
One thing appears certain. What came from the factory, & what NHRA allows, are sometimes 2 completely different things !