Hwy. 61 '63 Pontiac Tempest Info wanted _ NOW build thread

[tedd60]

NOTE:  OK ... I don't have it yet, but the tracking number indicates it's on the way.  In order to save band with, this thread will become the build thread ... once it gets here.  This should be a fairly straight forward build, disassembly and strip, hack off the top, repaint in the appropriate white, gussie up the interior, fabricate a cover for the folded top ... pull the 389 out of my GTO ... make a duplicate of the engine block, cut it in half, add the engine support pieces, install the 1/2-389 V8 into the Tempest LeMans and assemble.  EZY PZY.

 

I just found out that Highway 61 did a model of the 1963 Pontiac Tempest.

Many years ago, when I was very young, I owned a 1961 Pontiac Tempest LeMans Convertible (white, brown top, brown gut) with the little "1/2 389" slant four cyl.  It also had a torque tube and transaxle, very similar to that used in the Porsches 928 and 944 (and variants).  It was a great little car, reliable and it handled very nicely as I recall.

I checked out the Highway 61 version on the 'net and see that (of course) it has the V8 engine in it.  Does anybody know if that model has the transaxle?  I don't know if Pontiac dropped it to install a more convention trans up front/diff in the rear set-up.

 

Edited March 23, 2017 by tedd60

[ranma]

Is this the info on the '63 Tempest your looking for?

[tedd60]

Hey Rick,

I'm a son of a gun ...

Yep ... that's it.  The last time I was under that car was the summer of 1969.  I don't remember having slicks on the car ... and some of the rest of the stuff down there is a little different ... but that is it.  I'm guessing that you've done some modding to this one.  I DO remember (I think) that the shifter for the automatic was a little spoon shaped thingie sticking out of the dash. 

I only had it one year.  I hit a BIG pothole HARD with the right rear, broke something on the chassis and ripped the half shaft and a bunch of other stuff out of the rear.  I replaced the car with a 1965 Pontiac Bonneville, another ragtop,  red, white top, red gut.  How I would LOVE a model of THAT car.

I'm gonna have to start shopping for one that I can cut the top off.  I already have a 1964 GTO.  Maybe I can make the engine the way Pontiac did!

 

Thank you VERY much!

T

 

Edited March 22, 2017 by tedd60

[tedd60]

BTW ... I wish to h - e double hockysticks (!!!) the makers would NOT put them cussed lugs for packaging screws on the bottom of these things.  They are REALLY ugly and VERY hard to grind and fill.

T

Edited March 22, 2017 by tedd60

[tedd60]

Found one!

Thanks again, Rick ... and you too, Sweed70 for mentioning the car up in another thread.

You've made an old man very happy.

His WIFE ain't too thrilled ... but I'm as happy as a pig in something I can't say on this forum!

 

T

LATE ADDITION:

soanyoldways ... I was sitting with my morning coffee and thinking about this little car and how innovative it was ... so I did some digging.

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Tempest) tells us that it was a John DeLorean design.  The development of the 1/2 389 engine was largely a cost saving measure, it could be build right on the same assembly line with the full-sized 389.  In it's highest level, the 4 banger could put out 155 HP which is still pretty respectable, the 20 or so mpg it got wasn't bad, considering the times.  As I go over the details, a cut-in-half V8 with a trans axle, manual or automatic and etc., I find that this car had more in common with the Porsche 944  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_944) INCLUDING the cut down V8  than anything else GM built.

These little guys even had a bit of success in road racing.  Here's a couple of articles I found:  http://littleindians.com/racing

Yeah ... this one is definitely going in the cabinet as a white convertible ... with half a V8 engine. 

AN EVEN LATER ADDITION:

Although my model of this car has not arrived as yet, studying the pictures I can find of the model and the 1:1, I noticed that this car has the very same swing axle rear suspension as the early Corvair and the early VW Beetle (As I recall, up to about 1969 when the Bug was changed to a better IRS rear suspension).  So I dug around some more and found that the Little Indian Racing website has a .pdf version of a Hot Rod Magazine publication discussing this car's suspension.  http://littleindians.com/files/197.PDF Suffice to say, had Ralph Nader seen the pictures in this publication ... he'd have had a stroke.  

 

http://littleindians.com/files/197.PDF

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2017 by tedd60

[tedd60]

OK ... the model came.  I bought the Texas Longhorn tribute car ... because I'm just going to mod the thing anyoldway.

There is an amazing amount of detail  ... and VERY cool parts ... under the hood of this model.  It even has a working antenna, working vent windows (!!!), working gas cap door and working sun visors.  The hood hinges might be a bit out of scale ... but they work and have proper springs.  Heck, even if you don't like the car ... if you are a builder/modder of 1/18th scale, the parts alone are almost worth the price of admission.

This is where I got the car:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/131103284194?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I see he has 3 left.  Please note that the shipping is reasonable ... and the BEST OFFER button really works!!!!

T

 

Edited March 26, 2017 by tedd60