1963 brought plenty of changes to the short-lived first Pontiac Tempest contraption.On the one hand, the Le Mans was upgraded to a separate series, and this decision significantly impacted Tempest’s annual sales. On the other hand, Pontiac tried to make the Tempest a bit more intriguing for people seeking a thrilling driving experience.
To do this, the GM brand introduced a second V8 option in addition to the 215 (3.5-liter) borrowed from Buick. The new engine was a 326 (5.3-liter) rated at 260 horsepower, therefore being positioned at the opposite pole from the lazy yet economic Trophy 4 entry-level configuration. Pontiac offered multiple variations of the four-cylinder unit, including a four-barrel generating 166 horsepower. The base version produced only 110 horsepower.
The Tempest I recently discovered on eBay is a low-mile surprise fitted with the Trophy 4 engine, though its current condition is unclear. While it’s pretty clear the four-cylinder unit is the original one that came with the car, seller rlabagto did not reveal if it’s still running or not.
However, it’s probably worth emphasizing that the car was last on the road in 1978, so a car that’s been sitting for nearly five decades is very likely to come with a locked-up engine. For more information, you should just go check out the car in person.
Everything on this Tempest is original, including the radio and the tires. That’s right, the original tires are still on the car, which makes perfect sense, given it spent just 15 years on the road after rolling off the assembly lines.
The mileage seems to confirm this Pontiac has rarely seen the tarmac. The odometer indicates just 40,000 miles (close to 65,000 km), and of course, they’re also original. The overall condition isn’t the best, but it’s not the worst either. This Tempest has managed to deal with the test of time quite honorably, and despite occasional rust here and there, it’s far from turning into a rust bucket. The floors are still solid, and this could be a sign that the car has been sitting in just the right conditions.
The Tempest continues to be in the same condition as found, so whoever buys it will have the opportunity of figuring out all the details on their own. Needless to say, a four-cylinder car isn’t exactly the dream of every collector, but bringing this Tempest back to tip-top shape could be worth it for a diehard Pontiac fan.