!!!!BARN FIND!!!! 1963 PONTIAC TEMPEST, 326, AUTO. CALIFORNIA BLACK TAG CAR
The perfect car for a restoration expert.
Straight out of the high desert of California, a black plate car, original condition, 99% original parts, this is the daddy of drag racing. In late 1962 John De Lorean (of Back to the Future Fame car) was lead designer at Pontiac. He had an idea how to capture the car speed racing spirit of the baby boomers, who were "coming of driver age". He quietly produced, under the noses of the GM uppty ups, 14 "SUPER DUTYS" on the Tempest platform. GM had a "no racing policy" that kept Pontiacs as luxury cruisers. They also had a policy that GM sports car could have more cubic inches in the engine in the vaunted Corvette, 327: Hence this car has a "326" which has an actual displacement of 331ci.
So 'ole Johnny stuck a Catalina 421c, dual 4 BBL carbed HO type engine into the Tempest platform and reported the cars as "utility towing type cars". 14 were made. Some were wagons, most were Tempest.
When the Tempest Super Dutys won a bunch of drag races in 63, the GM biddies wanted to know what else Johnny had up his sleeves? Guess what, he did! Thus was born the 1964 Tempest / Lemans option package of "GTO". Sales went through the roof and in 65, the GTO was it's own brand and sold as a "GTO'.
The original Tempest Super Dutys are the Daddies to all GTOs!!
So, whatelse is all the fuss about an old Tempest?
$226,521.63.................. That's what!
That was the sale price for an original Tempest Super Duty sold for on EBAY,unrestored.
GOOGLE THIS hotrod.com/cars/featured/0905phr-1963-pontiac-tempest-super-duty/
Now, most folks can't have the original, so he's next best thing, a "survivor" that is perfectly setup to make a 421 SUPER DUTY clone.
The car up for auction is a factory 326 with rear automatic transmission, swing axel setup.
Backstory: I bought from a seller in California who gave me some details about the car. His father is, as he recalled, the original owner, who bought the car in California in 1963 / 64, put 63k miles on it and parked it under an oak tree in 1975.
There it has sat for 41 years.
It has NO pitting rust. The wheel wells in the trunk are dry, no rust. There is slight surface rust on a small area on the interior floor pans, but all metal is fully intact. The passenger side of he car was scraped by an oak tree as it rolled down a small hill. The glass on the passenger side is missing. The inside trim that covers the front windshield is missing. The head liner is missing. All of the interior seats are intact, original. The car has not been run since 1975. When I got it, I didn't try to start. I have the original keys to the ignition and trunk.
The cowl plate tag details include two codes I can't decode: Y81 and Y 83???? My suspicion is one of them is the HO option of the 326, but that's just my suspision.
I purchased the car to build a 421 Super Duty clone. But........... wifey caught me and figured out what I was up to. Hence................I'm now selling, or I'd have to part with my 1964 Falcon Sprint. Which, I can't do.
Buyer is responsible for shipping and taxes, as appropriate.
The vehicle is located in Jacksonville, Fl , 32210.
This vehicle is sold "as is, where is". No warranty expressed, nor implied.
Clear California title in hand.