Need help, Pontiac guys.

[george 53]

Ok In the June issue of Car Craft, on page 68, there's a picture of a 63 Tempest. Ok, It has the rear end TOTALLY different from the 63 Pontiac Altered Wheelbase Funny Car kit. The AWB kit has a 64 Tempest/GTO type rear tailight panel, it looks like a 64 GTO. The AWB kit has the same rear. The 63 Tempest in the magazine has TWO VERTICAL tailights ABOVE one another at the ends of the trunk valance/grille. Did the TEMPEST in 63 Have a DIFFERENT rear tailight trunk/Valance than the LeMans/GTO rear? Either way, Imma build it as it looks in the magazine. Just move the rear wheelwells back to their normal position and use the 65 GTO chassis an we'll be good ta go. It works well, as I've done it to the Funny Farmer kit, and it came out pretty good. Just kinda threw me for a loop seein TWO different rear ends for the same car. Can anybody help??? Thanks!

Edited April 16, 2012 by george 53

[Guest Johnny]

The tempest had two vertical round lights and the Lemans has a single rectangular.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Johnny

[Eshaver]

Johnny, I think you neglected to inform George only the G T O and the Lemans used the Horizontal lamps in 64. The G T O in addition had kind of a Chrome bar overlay such as the Gran Prix's did . Ed Shaver

[george 53]

Thank you both, Gentlemen! It was as i suspected but wasn't sure. The Le Mans Rear end WAS different than the base Tempest model! Thanks Guys!!!!!

[Guest Johnny]

I have owned both in the past. A 63 Ragtop Temest with a 4 cylinder and a 63 Lemans 326 4speed. That was why I knew on the 63.

Correction to engine size!

Edited April 16, 2012 by Johnny

[Guest Johnny]

Johnny, did you build that Lemans with the 421/4-speed?

Sorry about that Dave, had a brain fart! . No I didn't and I didn't own one of the Factory Built Race Cars either.

Was reading through some finding the pictures of the differences and saw the race cars.

Mine was actually a 326 4 speed car!

Not sure that it didn't originally have a 3 speed from factory though. I bought it wrecked in the right rear and never got it back together.

[Chuck Most]

I wouldn't use a '65 chassis for a '63- remember, the '61-63 Tempest had a rear-mounted transaxle and the 'rope' driveshaft. '64 onward had a conventional front trans/rear diff and a conventional solid driveshaft.