Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

1963 Pontiac Tempest/lemans Convertible - 326ho / 3spd - No Reserve on 2040-cars

Year:1963 Mileage:99999
Location:

Santa Monica, California, United States

Santa Monica, California, United States
Advertising:

1963 Pontiac Tempest

Convertible

3spd manual

326HO V8

CA Blackplate

Power Brakes

I've owned the car for approximately 10 years.  I purchased the car from a family in Culver City, CA and it was their son's car that he used in college at UC Berkeley.   They gave me a stack of service records that will be included with the car and as far as I can tell, this vehicle was bought new in southern California and never really left the state.  I believe the previous owner had the car since the 70's or 80's and from what I gather, it hadn't been running since the early to mid 90's.  When I bought the car it was mostly original (for better or worse).  It had the original 4cyl and 3 spd transmission as well as the tri-color blue interior and original hubcaps.  The motor didn't run and the interior was completely gone.  Aside from that, most of the cosmetic items were in ok condition and remain intact.   This is definitely not a show car but I think it has aged gracefully.

 My plan was to get the car into a driver and slowly work on the cosmetic items.  The first part of my plan worked and I kind of ran out of steam on the rest.   I found a donor '62 Lemans with a '63 326HO motor and trans.  I don't know the block code for the HO motor so I can't verify that this is actually the high performance motor but relative to 389's of this era that I've experienced, this little motor has good power for its smaller size.   With some help, I got the motor installed to the original trans.  The old trans lasted a few years before letting go under the power of the V8.  The original trans needs a rebuild and will be included with the car along with the original rope shaft and housing.  The current trans leaks but shifts fine.  The issue with the current drivetrain (and is a common problem with these cars) is the rope shaft.  In case you didn't know, this is a transaxle car with independent rear suspension and it was definitely the achilles heel of these small Pontiacs.  A year or so ago the small bearing that is located on the shaft went out.   What this means is that when the transmission is in gear and you let off the gas  and coast, there is a vibration that you can hear and feel.  The part itself is cheap and still available but finding someone to do the work is not.  I just kind of got used to kicking it out of gear when coming to a stop. 

The motor runs very good.  It has a 4bbl carb that is missing a choke but doesn't really seem to be an issue.  The battery in the car is less than a year old and the car starts with minimal effort.  10 - 15 pumps and it starts every time.  I try to drive it around the block at least once a week and the farthest I have ever driven the car is Malibu.  (30 miles one way).  The speedo cable broke a few years back so I dont know about the mileage but my guess is that I've put about 5,000 or so miles on this car since I've owned it.  I really hope this car finds a good home.  Its a very solid vehicle and if I had the space I would be willing to keep it around.  Thanks for looking and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  -dan

Buyer to arrange all shipping.  I reserve the right to end the auction early.  Personal checks and money order ok.  Money must be cleared into my account before the vehicle will ship. 

 

Work I've done to the car:

Installed 326 Motor - Runs great. Pulls good and sounds even better.  No ticks or smoke. 

Rebuilt front end - All new bushings, tie rods, shocks and alignment.  ~$1500

Tires - Tons of tread left but the age of the tires is started to show.  I think there is a slow leak in the driver's side rear. 

New Battery

K&N filter

New Antenna

Rebuilt heater core - Works very well.  Controls are a little sticky but everything works here. 

Exhaust - Dual Flowmaster exhaust.  Sound is amazing.  The car is pretty loud but also sounds really good.  ~$600

New top motor.  I installed a new top motor and it lasted for a few months before the hydraulic rams or lines let go.  The motor seems to be fine but the other convertible top components will need to be replaced.  The tops goes up and down but you have to help it. 

Radiator rebuilt  and spacer added to the fan to get it closer to the radiator.  There is nothing wrong with the radiator except that this is the original 4cyl unit and it doesn't really seem up to the task of cooling a V8.  Its fine if you are moving but this car doesn't like stop and go traffic and the heat.  If you are going to drive it alot I would recommend adding an electric fan or upsizing the radiator.  With that said, I've never over heated the car, I could just tell when the needle gets around 200 degrees that its starts to loose a little power and act up. 

Rebuilt Brakes - All 4 corners were rebuilt.  Drums all around.  In hindsight I should have spent the money to convert the front to discs because even when these brakes are working their best they are very weak by modern standards.  Modulation is ok and there is a slight pull under braking. 

 Known Issues:

Cosmetic - Hopefully obvious from the photos.  The paint is original and has a nice patina.  Someone tried to buff the driver's side unsuccessfully.  Up close and in the right sunlight its noticeable.  You can see it in a few photos.  There is a softball size or larger dent in the rear passenger side near the bumper.  The rear valence on this side is also dented.  There is a silver dollar size rust spot on the passenger door.  The trunk also has some surface rust which is mostly minor.  Overall the trunk is pretty solid and is the worst place (rustwise) on the car.  The chrome on the bumpers needs to be re-done but it doesn't look terrible.  The chrome on the mirrors and convertible latches are bad.  Most of the interior chrome and emblems are in pretty good shape.  Windows cranks could use some love but most of that stuff is pretty easy to find I believe.  The top is very clean with one very small (less than a dime) tear on the passenger side.  The top window needs to be replaced. 

The seats are ok.  They are a cloth and vinyl combo.  Structurally they are sound for a 50 year old car.  They came with the donor '62 car and were meant to be temporary but I never got around to replacing the fabric.   

I had the carpet replaced when the seats were installed.  Its just ok.  It's in good shape currently but wasn't installed very well. 

The voltage and oil pressure on the center aftermarket gauges don't work.  The thermostat gauge works great and is VERY useful on this car. 

The gas guage works but when it hits 'E' you are done.  (I know this from experience.  Hear my words! Spare gas can not included)  Otherwise the rest of the gauges are bad but I will include a new gauge cluster with beautiful gauges and bezels.  Just needs a repaint on the exterior.  Original style AM radio will also be included.  The chrome is not great but it looks better than the current tape deck.  The current radio works but don't try to change the channel.  I found an oldies station and basically never turn the dial. 

The top leaks a small amount at the windshield in the middle.

The rear passenger side window needs some persuasion to raise from its lowered position. 

Body fit is really good.  Doors, trunk and hood open and close very well. 

Rubber seals need replacing all around.    

Spare tire included. (not shown)

Clean CA title in hand. 

Auto Services in California

Zoe Design Inc ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Tire Dealers, Automobile Accessories
Address: 730 Salem St, Temple-City
Phone: (818) 549-9700

Zee`s Smog Test Only Station ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Inspection Stations & Services, Automotive Tune Up Service
Address: 143 E 16th St Ste A, Newport-Beach
Phone: (949) 650-2332

World Class Collision Ctr ★★★★★

Automobile Body Repairing & Painting
Address: 12228 6th St, Rancho-Cucamonga
Phone: (909) 944-2777

WOOPY`S Auto Parts ★★★★★

Automobile Parts & Supplies, Auto Body Parts
Address: 501 e. Sixth St, Woodcrest
Phone: (951) 340-0001

William Michael Automotive ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, Automobile Inspection Stations & Services, Automobile Electric Service
Address: 1800 Richard Ave, Monte-Vista
Phone: (408) 970-0466

Will Tiesiera Ford Inc ★★★★★

Auto Repair & Service, New Car Dealers, Used Car Dealers
Address: 2101 E Cross Ave, Goshen
Phone: (888) 221-4938

Auto blog

Junkyard Gem: 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT

Wed, Nov 2 2022

If you like affordable, mid-engined two-seaters, the 1980s were your decade. Fiat (and, a bit later, Bertone) offered the X1/9, Toyota sold MR2s, and even General Motors got into the act by creating the Fiero. Available from the 1984 through 1988 model years, the Pontiac Fiero showed plenty of promise but ended up being mostly disappointing, in some ways echoing the career of the Chevy Corvair of a couple of decades earlier. Today's Junkyard Gem is a once-spiffy 1986 Fiero GT, found in a self-service yard near Denver, Colorado. After a long and painful development period stretching all the way back to John DeLorean's XP-833 Banshee (which ended up being a major influence behind the original Opel GT), the Fiero finally debuted in 1983 as a 1984 model. The top-of-the-model-range GT appeared the following year. The Fiero was built as a notchback coupe and as a fastback, with all the GTs being the latter type. I couldn't get the engine lid open, but this car would have left the assembly line (in Pontiac, Michigan) with a 2.8-liter V6 rated at 140 horsepower. This car has a five-speed manual transmission, making it a credible rival for Toyota's MR2.  The 1986 MR2 was less powerful than the Fiero GT (112 horsepower versus 140), but also scaled in significantly lighter (2,459 pounds against the Pontiac's 2,780 pounds). The MR2 also cost less, priced at $11,298 while the Fiero GT cost $12,875 (that's about $30,540 and $34,805, respectively, in inflation-adjusted 2022 dollars). Meanwhile, the $6,998 Honda Civic CRX two-seater lured away many potential Fiero buyers despite being a front-engined/front-wheel-drive car, and the $7,186 Ford EXP/Mercury LN7 also put a dent in Fiero sales. I can't find a price for the 1986 Bertone X1/9, but it cost a hard-to-believe $13,990 in 1984. GM still was using five-digit odometers in many vehicles by the middle 1980s, but this Fiero has a six-digit unit and thus we can see that it nearly achieved 150,000 miles during its driving career. The 1984-1987 Fiero suffered from a parts-bin suspension design, with the front suspension borrowed from the Chevrolet Chevette and the entire rear transaxle/suspension assembly lifted from the front end of the Chevrolet Citation. For the 1988 model year, GM finally spent the money to design an improved Fiero-specific suspension … and then promptly put a halt to production.

GM recalling over 40,000 Chevy, Pontiac and Saturn models over fuel pump woes

Mon, 01 Oct 2012

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a recall for a number of General Motors cars and crossovers bought or currently registered in the hot-climate states of Arkansas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas. As many as 40,859 units consisting of the 2007 Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent and Saturn Ion and the 2007-2009 Chevrolet Cobalt (shown) and its Pontiac G5 twin are being recalled for potential fuel leaks.
This recall is being issued due to potentially faulty fuel pump components that can crack and cause gasoline to leak from the return or supply ports and possibly cause a fire. NHTSA has not indicated how many fuel leaks or vehicle fires have been reported. As a fix, GM will replace the fuel pump modules on all affected vehicles free of charge. Since Pontiac and Saturn have been shuttered, owners will be able to go to another GM-brand dealership to have their vehicles repaired.
While the list of affected cars and crossovers varies by state and model year, if you own any of these models and live in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Oklahoma or Texas, be sure to check the official notice below for more details.

Junkyard Gem: 1988 Pontiac 6000 LE Safari Wagon

Wed, May 27 2020

The Detroit station wagon was fast losing sales to minivans and trucks as the decade of the 1980s progressed, but Pontiac shoppers still had plenty of choices as late as the 1988 model year. A visit to a Pontiac dealership in 1988 would have presented you with three sizes of wagon, from the little Sunbird through the midsize 6000 and up to the mighty Parisienne-based Safari. Today's Junkyard Gem is a luxed-up 6000 LE, complete with "wood" paneling, found in a car graveyard in Fargo, North Dakota. Confusingly, the "Safari" name in 1988 was used by Pontiac to designate both a specific model — the wagon version of the Parisienne/Bonneville— and as the traditional Pontiac designation for a station wagon. That meant that the wagon we're looking at now was a Safari but not the Safari in the 1988 Pontiac universe. The 6000 lived on the GM A-Body platform, as the Pontiac-badged version of the Chevrolet Celebrity. Production ran from the 1982 through 1991 model years, with the A-Body Buick Century surviving all the way through 1996. The LE trim level came between the base 6000 and the gloriously complex 6000 STE (which wasn't available in wagon form, sadly). I visited this yard in Fargo after judging at the Minneapolis 500 24 Hours of Lemons in Brainerd, Minnesota, last fall. Up to that point, I had visited 47 of the Lower 48 United States, with just North Dakota remaining, so I made a point of doing a Fargo detour in order to check that state off my list. I'm pleased that I found such a good example of the 1982-1996 GM A-Body in this yard, because the most famous of all the A-Bodies is the 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera driven to Brainerd by the inept Fargo-based kidnappers in the film "Fargo." This Minnesota-plated 6000 had some rust, but just negligible levels by Upper Midwestern standards on a 31-year-old car. The interior looked very good, with the original owner's manual still inside. The 6000 LE boasted "redesigned contoured seats and London/Empress fabric," which sounds pretty swanky. Something less swanky lives under the hood: an Iron Duke 2.5-liter pushrod four-cylinder engine, known as the Tech 4 by 1988. The Iron Duke was, at heart, one cylinder bank of the not-quite-renowned Pontiac 301-cubic-inch V8; while fairly rugged, the Duke ran rough (typical of large-displacement straight-four engines) and made just 98 horsepower in this application. Pontiac offered a couple of optional V6s in the 6000 in 1988, but no Quad 4.