1963 Pontiac Tempest/lemans Convertible - 326ho / 3spd - No Reserve on 2040-cars
Santa Monica, California, United States
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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. 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. |
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Your Car Valet ★★★★★
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This 1988 Pontiac Grand Prix Daytona 500 pace car could be yours
Fri, Jan 29 2021Hopefully, the fans of GM's W-body '80s/'90s intermediates can forgive us, but we had pretty much forgotten — or had never really known — that one of the ways that era's Pontiac Grand Prix bathed itself in glory was by serving as the pace car for the Daytona 500. In fact, the Grand Prix paced NASCAR's marquee race every year from 1988 to 1992, and again in 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2003. That first year, 1988, the Grand Prix was all-new, making its debut on the W-body platform. It was also Motor Trend's car of the year. The 1988 Daytona 500 marked the 17th year in a row that a Pontiac was chosen to set the pace but the first time a front-wheel-drive car was so honored. The '88 Grand Prix followed a spate of Pontiac Trans Ams. This '88 Grand Prix, for sale right now on eBay Motors, is presented as an actual pace car, although fans could order a complete set of pace car decals for their very own GP. The pace car is based on that year's top-spec Grand Prix, the SE. In place of the standard car's 2.8-liter V6, however, the pace car uses a modified 3.1-liter V6, which is hooked to a five-speed manual transmission. This Grand Prix is otherwise largely standard fare excepting the roof-mounted light bar, the switches for which are located next to the radio. The mechanical odometer tucked into the digital instrument cluster shows just over 5,000 miles, and presumably, not all of them were acquired on the high-banked oval. With four days to go in the auction, bidding sits at $4,000 with the reserve unmet. Although the reserve is unknown, one clue is that this Grand Prix had been listed by a classic-car dealership in Pennsylvania for $18,500. Besides the debut of the W-body Grand Prix pace car, the 1988 race is also notable for its final lap: Bobby Allison held off his son, Davey Allison, to take the checkered flag, with the father-son duo enjoying a 1-2 finish. Now, who wants to re-live those Grand Prix glory days? Get on your Pontiac and ride!  This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.
Rent the 1967 Pontiac GTO from the XxX films now on Turo
Tue, Jan 10 2017The process of renting a car usually ranges from mildly annoying to "I'm calling corporate to get you fired." Plainly, it sucks, but sometimes you're left with no alternative. Turo, a peer-to-peer carsharing network, has created what's essentially the AirBnB for cars. Like AirBnB, the quality and variety of the rides varies based on location. If you're in Tucson, Ariz., in the next week, go check out this 1967 Pontiac GTO convertible before the release of XxX: The Return of Xander Cage. Promotions and marketing aside, this is still the opportunity to drive one of the original muscle cars. It's not clear if this is an original GTO or a Pontiac Tempest that was converted, but does it really matter? Old cars never drive as well as you hope, so, as long as it looks and sounds awesome, who cares? The owner listed on Turo is Xander C., Vin Diesel's character from the XxX franchise. This is the car that was used in the original 2002 film, and from the photos it appears to be in better shape than many other movie cars. The exterior is mostly stock, with some slight modifications to the lighting, wheels, exhaust, and trim, with the addition of a funky looking hood scoop that the listing claims shoots flames. It's not clear if it functions as an actual intake because there aren't any notes about what rests under the hood. The listing does ask for premium fuel, so more than likely it's some variation of a high-compression V8. Inside, the dashboard looks like someone raided the AutoZone accessory aisle. There are gauges, dials, toggle switches, and readouts galore. The listing also claims the Goat is packing a rocket launcher and a weapons stash under the seat. $999 per day isn't cheap, but it's less than you'd pay for a day with one of the rent-an-exotic shops you see in Los Angeles or New York. If you're not in Tucson or the price is a little too steep, Turo has what it's dubbed the Adrenaline Collection. The name may be hyperbole, but the lineup of cars is actually really solid. A quick glance reveals a 2015 Lamborghini Huracan, 2001 Ferrari 360 Spider, and a 1969 Jaguar E-Type. The car list keeps expanding, so if this proves popular, look for more cool stuff in the future. Related Video: News Source: Turo Read This TV/Movies Pontiac Performance Classics
Junkyard Gem: 1986 Pontiac Fiero GT
Wed, Nov 2 2022If 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.