Here's a picture of the '63 Tempest similar to the one I was looking at:
Compare it to the '63 GTO:
Posted on 11/11/2018 7:25:49 AM PST by ETL
Name
The name, which was DeLorean's idea, was inspired by the Ferrari 250 GTO, the successful race car.
It is an Italian abbreviation for Gran Turismo Omologato ("grand tourer homologated"), which means officially certified for racing in the grand tourer class.
But in reality, the Pontiac GTO was never really a certified Grand Tourer race car. Internally, it was initially called the "Grand Tempest Option", one of many automobiles in the Pontiac line up with a 'Grand' in it.
Despite these things, the GTO is one of the fastest cars ever manufactured by Pontiac.
First generation: 1964-67
Second generation: 1968-72
Third generation: 1973
Fourth generation: 1974
Fifth generation: 2004-06
source: wikipedia
Same deal here, in 1968 bought a 66’ 389 six pack stripped. I believe the new “sticker” was near $3100. I paid $2,400 used. I sold it for the same reason as the first owner: cost of the insurance for an eighteen old kid.
It’s interesting to see how the styling evolved from ‘64 - ‘71. That was such an amazing period, styling wise. Really all three automakers could do no wrong in those years.
In 1972, one of my coworkers was joining the Marine Corps and sold his GTO for $1200. It was a black 1967, 389 with twin 4-barrels and a 4-speed. I was 17 and had the money (my college fund), and I will always regret not buying that car, even though my parents would have killed me the minute I drove up in it.
My brother bought a GTO while he was in high school, having saved all the money he earned doing odd jobs and summer jobs. I think it was a ‘65. But he didn’t have it for long, as it “blew up” soon thereafter. He never owned another “muscle car” after that until he graduated from college and got a good paying job. Then he bought himself a Porsche 911. I was never into fancy cars, and the little car I have now suits me just fine.
The ‘66 GTO was the pinnacle in coach design. Dad bought a four-door hardtop (no center “C” pillar) Bonneville with a 389 CID V8 and a Turbo-Hydramatic 400 3-speed transmission. That’s was probably the best car I ever drove. Learning to drive on a huge land-yacht paid dividends later on because there was no car too large for me.
Dad’s brother bought a ‘67 GTO and commuted 85 miles each way from Ketchum, ID to Twin Falls, ID. Back then, there wasn’t much police presence on US 93 and ID75, so he could do the drive in under 70 minutes. What a great daily driver.
If you removed the air cleaner from the 389, you got an amazing low growl from the air pouring into the Holley four barrel.
Of course, the dirt didn’t help cylinder longevity. ;>)
Your cousin is a dirtbag and you should have stopped him.
The key word there was “internally.” That seems to indicate that internally Pontiac was using “Grand Tempest Option” as the secret code name for the project. I hadn’t heard that before, but it makes sense. Project teams frequently code-name special projects before the marketing team dreams up the product name that the public will see.
Old Forge, NY? We used to vacation there on Fourth Lake.
Barf Bag is right.
Fuel economy regs forced all auto makers to produce ugly, look-alike jelly bean cars. Blech. All because somehow we let the consumption of fossil fuel become an evil thing.
It ain't so 'little'. I have a friend with a restored Tempest of that vintage. It turns out it's quite a rarity. The reason is that a Tempest can be turned into a GTO by buying readily available knock-off parts that fit right on the Tempest. It then becomes a GTO - sort of. My friend says that a large number of restored 'GTOs' in auto shows are actually Tempests, based on the VINs, and restored Tempests don't ever show up.
I completely forgot about that utterly stupid “The Judge.”
That was the precise moment you knew the marketing wizards, bean counters, and lawyers had taken control from the engineers.
It’s funny...I still have no clue where “Here come dah judge” came from. I never saw the tv show or movie where it originated. I had mostly given up on TV when The Beave got too old and Cheyenne, Sugarfoot, Maverick, Have Gun; Will Travel, and Wanted Dead or Alive all went off the air.
Independent suspension
My Cousin Vinnie
The Tempest was introduced as an entry-level compact in September 1960 for the 1961 model year.
Sharing the new monocoque (unibody) Y platform with the Buick Special and Skylark, as well as the Oldsmobile F-85 and Cutlass, the Tempest also appeared under the LeMans nameplate (largely beginning with the 1962 model year, although Pontiac also manufactured a few 1961 LeMans coupes).
For 1964, the Tempest line was redesigned as one of the new General Motors mid-size automobiles that were built on the new GM A-body platform.
The Tempest name was discontinued after the 1970 model year in favor of LeMans, the nameplate that had previously designated the upmarket versions of the Tempest series.
In Canada, Pontiac also marketed a rebadged version of the compact L-body Chevrolet Corsica under the name Tempest from 1987 to 1991.
-snip-
In 1964, the Tempest was redesigned as a more-conventional vehicle and enlarged from a compact to an intermediate-sized car with a 115 in (2,900 mm) wheelbase and an overall length of 203 in (5,200 mm). The unibody, curved driveshaft and transaxle were gone; they were replaced by a traditional front engine, front transmission, frame and solid rear axle design used by all of GM’s other cars, with the exception of the Corvette and Corvair.
Together with its sister cars (the Oldsmobile F-85/Cutlass and Buick Special/Skylark), the Tempest/Le Mans moved to the new A body platform shared with the new Chevrolet Chevelle, and all three cars received updates and modifications standardizing them throughout—including the wheels—by GM edict. The Le Mans name was discontinued as a separate series, so now the cars were, in ascending order, base Tempest, Tempest Custom, and Tempest Le Mans.
Replacing the previous “Trophy 4” inline four-cylinder engine as standard equipment was a new 215 in³ Pontiac straight six with one-barrel carburetor and 140 hp (104 kW; 142 PS). This six was basically a smaller bore (3.75”) version of the 230 cu in (3.8 L) Chevrolet straight-6 offered as Pontiac exclusive.
Optional engines included two versions of the 326 in³ Pontiac V8 introduced the previous year, a two-barrel 250 hp (186 kW; 253 PS) regular fuel option; or the 280 hp (209 kW; 284 PS) 326 HO engine with four-barrel carburetor and 10.5:1 compression ratio which required premium fuel. Transmissions included a standard three-speed manual with column shift, four-speed manual with floor-mounted Hurst shifter or a two-speed automatic; the latter was a version of Buick’s Super Turbine 300.
The popularity of the high-performance 326/336 V8 package the year before prompted Pontiac to make it available again on the Tempest Le Mans and give it a name: GTO, after the Italian abbreviation “Gran Turismo Omologato” used to designate specially equipped cars homologated for racing.
Available with Pontiac’s largest V8, the 389 cu. in. (6.4L), and equipped with a four-barrel carburetor (producing 325 hp) or the soon to become iconic 345 hp 3 x 2 barrel set-up, the GTO proved to be the defining muscle car of the 1960s.
Unsurprisingly, the success of the GTO prompted Oldsmobile to rush out its own high-performance option package for the F-85/Cutlass called the 442, and the next year for Buick to release a high-performance version of the Skylark called the Skylark Gran Sport, or GS. Both cars would enjoy success and join Chevrolet’s Chevelle SS in GM’s effort to capitalize on the exploding muscle car era.
Engine offerings for the 1965 Tempest were the same as 1964, except the 326 HO was uprated to 285 hp (213 kW; 289 PS) and the GTO 389’s uprated to 335HP and 360HP via higher rise intake manifolds. Styling changes included a new split grille with vertical headlights similar to the larger Pontiacs, revised taillights and a more slanted rear deck. A two-door hardtop coupe was added to the Tempest Custom line, while the Le Mans got a four-door sedan with a plush interior done in Preston Cloth trim similar to the full-sized Bonneville Brougham.
A major facelift was made on the 1966 Tempest that included more rounded bodylines with a Coke-bottle effect similar to the full-sized Pontiacs. New four-door pillarless hardtop sedans were added to the Tempest Custom line. Under the hood, the Chevy-derived 215 six was replaced by a new 230 in^3 Pontiac overhead cam six, the only such engine found in an American production car at that time. This was also the first American-built engine to use a belt to time the camshaft to the crankshaft rather than a chain. The base OHC had a one-barrel carburetor and was rated at 165 hp (123 kW; 167 PS), designed for economy buyers.
Optionally available as part of the Sprint option package on two-doors was a four-barrel, high-compression 207 hp (154 kW; 210 PS) version of the OHC six, marketed as an alternative to higher-priced European sport sedans, which had similar OHC engines. For those wanting V8 power, the 326 and 326 HO options continued with horsepower ratings of 250 and 285 hp (213 kW; 289 PS), respectively, and GTO engines stayed the same.
Only minor changes were made to the 1967 Tempest, Custom and Le Mans models. The GTO 389 cu. in. V-8 was replaced by a new 400 cu. in. V-8. The Rochester 4bbl. carburetor replaced both the standard GTO Carter AFB 4bbl and the 3 × 2bbl. carburetor option. The Turbo Hydromatic TH-400 replaced the previous Buick Super Turbine two speed automatic. The 326 cu. in. V-8’s remained unchanged. The 4bbl. OHC six was uprated to 215 hp (160 kW; 218 PS).
Front disc brakes were a new option along with a stereo 8-track tape player and hood-mounted tachometer. All 1967 Pontiacs got GM’s safety package, mandated by Federal law, which included a dual-circuit braking system, energy absorbing steering column, wheel, and interior, shoulder belt anchors, four-way hazard flashers, and a new directional signal control that could be “flicked” for lane changes.
You didn't know Mickey, he was a dick.....LOL!
I did the same except I chickened out at 130!
Bump!
Here's a picture of the '63 Tempest similar to the one I was looking at:
Compare it to the '63 GTO:
My husband owns a pristine 64 goat. It is his pride and joy.
You’re right. I was thinking of the Lemans.
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