Not a Pontiac Guy.....

[Xingu]

There aren't to many Pontiacs that grab my attention, but this one is for sale in my town and I really like it. Can't really put my finger on what it is, but it just grabs my attention (even with the 4-cyclinder engine).

Can see more here  https://www.oldtownautomobile.com/1961-pontiac-tempest/

[ChrisBcritter]

Yep! Of course, AMT had a little trouble with it:

Either the door's a bit short or the quarter window is a bit long, or a little of both. They fixed it on the '63.

[1972coronet]

Tempest with a "Slant Four" ( half of a 389 V8 ) . I don't remember whether or not these were available with the 326 V8 ; the Buick and Oldsmobile variants were available with the aluminium 215 V8 (and the 225 Odd-Fire , I believe) .

[unclescott58]

3 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

Tempest with a "Slant Four" ( half of a 389 V8 ) . I don't remember whether or not these were available with the 326 V8 ; the Buick and Oldsmobile variants were available with the aluminium 215 V8 (and the 225 Odd-Fire , I believe) .

The Slant Four was standard and available in several different forms on the '61 - '63 Tempests. The Olds version of the 215 was offered in '61 and '62 on the Tempest, but rarely seen in one. The Pontiac 326 became available as an option on the '63 Tempests. 

[Snake45]

You can get the slant four engine in, I believe, the Revell Mickey Thompson Attempt 1 kit. 

[SSNJim]

I've always wanted one of those. They were pretty advanced cars for the time period. They were one of , if not the, first American front engine/rear drive cars with IRS.

I've got a 4 door promo that is missing part of the rocker panel - from the chrome strip down. Maybe one day it will get restored. Other than that, it is in pretty good shape, and about that color.

[Classicgas]

Boy would I like to see that kit reissued.

[ewetwo]

Nice car. Are you going to buy it Mike?

[NOBLNG]

Interesting car! 2speed powerglide I am assuming, but where was the shifter on these cars?

[Xingu]

20 minutes ago, ewetwo said:

Nice car. Are you going to buy it Mike?

Nope. Just finished building my garage and start my vacation (2 weeks driving west) on Monday. Wife would kill me if I bought it now.

[bbowser]

3 hours ago, SSNJim said:

They were one of , if not the, first American front engine/rear drive cars with IRS.

 

I think the Corvair was the first with IRS.  I always liked the Tempest, too.  That's a beauty in the pic.

[MrObsessive]

3 hours ago, SSNJim said:

They were pretty advanced cars for the time period. They were one of , if not the, first American front engine/rear drive cars with IRS.

As far as an American mass produced car with a front engine/IRS, they were the first. Preceded the Corvette by a couple model years. The Corvair was kinda out there first, but it's rear engined and was more for competing with Volkswagen, Renault, etc.

If you remember the movie "My Cousin Vinny", the '63 model was the subject of the comical court scene where Vinny's girlfriend fired off a series of (very correct) facts about that car. That scene was one of my favorites in the movie!

[MrObsessive]

Ok..............I've always liked the Tempest, and someday I'd like to find a restorable '63 preferably a convertible.

A couple observations about that car though. I've seen a number of '62 models with tiny chrome fins on the rear fenders and others without. Was this a trim level option? Or am I seeing just restored cars as of late that the owner didn't like the fins and took them off?

[1930fordpickup]

That is a neat little car. 

 

[High octane]

Here is a pic of the Olds F85 from these parts.....................................

[Greg Myers]

18 hours ago, Xingu said:

Can't really put my finger on what it is

Maybe the plastic drive shaft connected to the differential mounted transmission ? 

https://www.autotrader.com/car-news/pontiacs-rope-drive-flexible-driveshaft-will-bend--266081

[Rob Hall]

4 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Interesting car! 2speed powerglide I am assuming, but where was the shifter on these cars?

Good question.  With a manual, they had a typical floor shift lever.   But with automatics, as far as I can guess from photos, it's a knob under the dash to the right of the steering column--looks like a shift quadrant in a dial above it.  

Edited June 30, 2018 by Rob Hall

[Casey]

19 hours ago, Xingu said:

There aren't to many Pontiacs that grab my attention, but this one is for sale in my town and I really like it. Can't really put my finger on what it is, but it just grabs my attention (even with the 4-cyclinder engine).

The compact Tempests has great proportions,  smooth and flowing styling, but weren't too busy and over-decorated.I'm partial to the wagon bodystyle, though. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Don't forget the Mickey Thompson / Hayden Profit-built-and-driven world-beater A/FX Tempest...of immense historical importance in drag-racing.

 

 

Edited June 30, 2018 by Ace-Garageguy

[Mark]

5 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Interesting car! 2speed powerglide I am assuming, but where was the shifter on these cars?

Yes, the automatic was a Powerglide.  Get under one of these, look at the outer case of the transaxle, it has "Powerglide" cast into it, plain as day.

Another weird thing about these Tempests was that they used 5-on-4-1/2" bolt circle wheels, which Ford, Chrysler, AMC, and Studebaker used.  I don't think any other GM product ever used that pattern.  The other GM compacts used four-lug wheels.  On top of that, the Tempest used left-hand thread lugs on one side, which I don't think GM did much, if at all otherwise.  Chrysler was getting away from that around this time.

GM was doing some experimentation back then, and gave the divisions latitude to do their own thing.  I'm pretty certain the transaxle/rope drive was floated on one or two GM concept cars in the Fifties.  Buick had the aluminum V8 engine, Olds got it too (but got to do their own cylinder heads), Olds and Chevy messed around with turbochargers, and early Chevy IIs had monoleaf rear springs which they had been experimenting with for a few years prior.  

[Tom Geiger]

Chrysler held onto those reverse threads at least through 1966..  all my Valiants had them.  And when you'd buy one of those cars at least one lug was broken off!  The last one I had was my '65 Barracuda.  I changed the lugs on that car because garages kept breaking them.

Edited June 30, 2018 by Tom Geiger

[Ron Hamilton]

21 hours ago, ChrisBcritter said:

Yep! Of course, AMT had a little trouble with it:

Either the door's a bit short or the quarter window is a bit long, or a little of both. They fixed it on the '63.

I picked one of those up to restore, and I am going to add the window frames. I have to do the same to my 63. I removed the center post, thinking that there was a 63 Lemans 2 door hardtop, since a friend of mine had a 63 Skylark hardtop. All Pontiacs had the post.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I was always kind of partial to the Buick Special myself.

Wouldn't mind seeing one of these in kit form.

 

Steve

 

[SSNJim]

4 hours ago, Casey said:

The compact Tempests has great proportions,  smooth and flowing styling, but weren't too busy and over-decorated.I'm partial to the wagon bodystyle, though. 

Johan did do a 1961 F85 station wagon which would be a good starting point:

https://www.modelroundup.com/product-p/johan-c-4661.htm

 

[my80malibu]

You Should buy it if you can. I have owned Four Pontiacs in my lifetime, all them great cars, fast ,dependable, and Sharp.