My mom got a new '63 Tempest.I was very young when she got it. But I do remember it had a 326 3 speed manual transmission.Light metallic blue in color. I'll try to dig up a picture soon. Dad would get several phone calls saying his wife was burning the tires up going down Gallitan Road. Sent from my SCH-I535 using H.A.M.B. mobile app
My first car was a '63 Tempest with a 326. Bought it for 50 bucks out of a field while delivering feed for my pop's feed store. I was 13 and I just saw a car period. Mr. Van Natta, the gentleman we were delivering to could tell I was enamored. He asked if I liked it, I said yes. He said he would sell it to me if I could convince my dad to come over and help me get it running. All it took was new filters, fluids, draining the tank and replacing the fuel filter. Had it for two years and drove it all over our 8 acres chasing cows and other livestock. Came home one day to find my pop had sold it, actually traded it for a '63 square back V dub and 500 dollars. He thought I would be thrilled and actually I was (remember I was 15 and veedubs were cool in Southern California). Looking back a number of years later I realize I had a treasure. (the car was in phenomenal shape)........ oh well, the lessons we learn in life.
Thinking about what she said, it could be wrong, as the Pontiac tempest had swing axles that would probably have had a weird tire mark too. Also the Corvair was IRS in the 60s,but probably did not come with Posi.
The quote had it backwards. The Tempest had IRS and would get traction, and keep the tire flat, as described. The Skylark which looked almost the same because it shared the same body shell, had a solid rear axle on coil spring and would behave as any other solid axle car.
While I love the HAMB, there is a Pontiac (PY) forum I use alot and can recommend to you. There are several guys on it with '61-'63 Tempests, some with the four, many with Pontiac V-8's. And they post pics of their cars! Just ask and you shall receive. Here are the links: http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/ http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=418 http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=419 Good Luck, Pontiac did several of these little guys with the 389 and 421 and campaigned them in Super Stock, you'll find info on the PY forum.
============== Posi was available in many years of Corvair, both swing axle (up to '64) and more sophisticated IRS ('65 to '69), but one of the diff side sleeve adjusters had to be hollowed out to make room, and became a weak link.
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