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Technical 62 Pontiac Tempest. New world for this Ford guy

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Frank, Aug 13, 2021.

  1. Frank
    Joined: Jul 30, 2004
    Posts: 2,325

    Frank
    Member

    I've never owned a GM older than 79 before I haven't pulled the trigger just because the owner and I are playing phone tag. It runs and drivable, just mostly cosmetic and interior work to be done. I've been reading up on it, but was wanting to hear from someone who has driven one first hand.

    Its a 62 Tempest Lemans convertible. Its got the 1/2 V8, 1brl, auto. Yeah, not a hot rod. Just going clean it up and drive the wheels off.

    I noticed it has RNDL, no Park? I assume you gotta really make sure the e-brake works well and park it in N?

    I know the suspension is similar to a Corvair. Do any parts from a Corvair swap with it?

    Eager to hear your experiences, ideas.
     
  2. I had a 62 Lemans convertible as well and tried to learn all I could while we had it. I have also had a 63 Corvair convertible and as best I know, pretty much nothing interchanges. From what I could tell, the Lemans was a neat little car and lots of fun. The half V8 still seems strange to me but also does share parts with the V8. I may be considered strange, but have also always kinda liked the early tempests. If the price is right, I would go for it. I likely wouldn’t say the same about a Corvair though. My experience there wasn’t good...
     
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  3. Aaron65
    Joined: Dec 29, 2005
    Posts: 375

    Aaron65
    Member
    from Michigan

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  4. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

    A buddy of mine just grabbed one at a local auction for $800. It's a 4 door but the price was right. He wound up getting it running with a set of points and fresh gas. I'd never really paid any attention to them, then when he was showing it to me I later looked up some of the tech on them. Easily one of the wackiest cars I'v ever seen.

    The "rope" driveshaft has to be one of the nuttiest ideas I've ever come across. The car is cool though. I mean shit, lower and put a set of Astros on it.
     
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  5. 4ty
    Joined: Jan 1, 2009
    Posts: 272

    4ty

    I had one of the 4's in my 32 5W back in 62, used V8 adapter to 39 trans, 4 bbl, taxi clutch. Ran almost as good as the Olds it replaced.
    Only drawback is it's timing chain, lots of troubles with them. Pontiac fixed the majority of them under warranty.
    Paul in CT
     
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  6. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,174

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    friend had one with factory 4 speed and 4 barrel carb - was really quick - Cool car
     
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  7. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    Make sure you squirt some grease into the rear wheel bearings before you go on a long trip....
     
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  8. SilverJimmy
    Joined: Dec 2, 2008
    Posts: 524

    SilverJimmy
    Member

  9. Cosmo50
    Joined: Sep 8, 2011
    Posts: 226

    Cosmo50
    Member
    from California

    I had a 62 tempest 2 door. It was a cool car. From my understanding, it used the rear suspension and transmission in the corvair. The transmission was special in that it had the torque converter in the very back. Weird setup. It wasn't fast, but I never really drove it. Be careful of the windshield. Very hard to find if it is cracked.
    TempestCrossSection 01.jpg TempestDriveTrain 01.jpg
     
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  10. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,417

    jaracer
    Member

    A buddy of mine had a 61, 62 and 63 Tempest LeMans. He drove the wheels off them. They were all 4 cyl, 4bbl, 4 speed cars. He was a Fuller Brush man and had a large sales area. He put about 80K+ a year on the car then traded. The 63 was the only dud in that he couldn't keep a transmission in it. He ended up trading for a 63 Chevy SS.
     
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  11. 57JoeFoMoPar
    Joined: Sep 14, 2004
    Posts: 6,138

    57JoeFoMoPar
    Member

  12. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    The rear suspension and automatic transmission were redesigned for 63....maybe that was the difference?
     
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  13. I had a '63 with a 326 and 4 speed. Very quick car that I ran the bejeezus out of. Had one driveshaft failure that I couldn't find a replacement for. With help from Pontiac engineering and a damned good machinist, made one shaft out of two and went back to running hard!
    In the manual trans cars, the driveline was test by Pontiac, and could twist 7 (yes SEVEN) times in it's length before failure! 4 cylinder drive shaft is 5/8" diameter, V8 shaft is 3/4".
    Good cars, but handle kinda like a Corvair....straight = quick and fast... curves = slow and steady win the race.
    The 4 cyl is kinda torquey, though.
     
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  14. jaracer
    Joined: Oct 4, 2008
    Posts: 2,417

    jaracer
    Member

    Could be, I know he beat the heck out of the first two and never tore out a transmission. Before he decided to trade the 62 he did a jump over a high country railroad crossing. It kind of bent the car a bit at the firewall area.
     
  15. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,132

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Just guessing here but I'm thinking the Tempest convertibles had a reinforced unibody much like the way GM incorporated into the Chevy II convertibles, the thinking was to replace the rigidity lost by not having the roof/sailpanel integral to the main body.
    To me this would put you ahead of the game if a V-8 was in your future.
     
  16. Yep, bad timing chain design. Pontiacs of that era were known for timing chain failures, the 4 cylinder was the worst
    of the lot. I owned one briefly in the '70s and those parts were hard to get and expensive even then. The basic timing set looked like a standard V8 set but wasn't according to Pontiac, and for the kicker had a 4-only timing chain tensioner (for harmonics) that was a dealer-only item and cost more than the rest of the parts put together. That ended up being a $100+ timing set and I had to special-order every bit of it from Pontiac.
     
  17. fyrffytr1
    Joined: Dec 20, 2016
    Posts: 833

    fyrffytr1
    Member

    Kind of on the same subject, I once owned a 62 Buick Skylark convertible that had reverse at the end of the indicator so it was P N D L R. I was driving down the road and decided to show out for some girls and dropped the little aluminum block V-8 down into Low, only I went to far and went in to reverse at about 30mph. Took the center drive shaft bearing right out!
     
  18. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    Drive shaft is just a solid steel rod like any torque tube drive (Buick, Ford) but they put a slight bend in it with a bearing in the middle to stop it whipping like a skipping rope.
    Body and chassis were based on the Corvair but they changed so much it was practically a whole new car. Body and aluminum V8 shared with Olds and Buick but again, each made their own changes so who knows what if anything will interchange.
     
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  19. leon bee
    Joined: Mar 15, 2017
    Posts: 798

    leon bee
    Member

    All I can say is when you're 13 years old don't steal one of them out of your parents's garage and total it at night on a wet curve. You don't even have to be going that fast to lose it. Really pisses people off for a while.
     
  20. pontman
    Joined: Mar 18, 2011
    Posts: 419

    pontman
    Member

    61-62 didn't have park, e-brake required. 63 had a way to engage park in trans. They can be hopped up...

     
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  21. RidgeRunner
    Joined: Feb 9, 2007
    Posts: 906

    RidgeRunner
    Member
    from Western MA

    GF had one, first time I got behind the wheel she advised me about the extra weight of the tranny in the rear. It handled well the first 80 miles or so over various road and traffic conditions until we got within ~4 miles of my place, a light mist had started to fall on the road that hadn't seen rain for a few days, went over an expansion joint in a bridge on a corner faster than I should have, the rear got light and stepped out fast and far enough for me to remember ~56 years so far. I caught it but still unsure if I would have without her prior tip.

    That experience wouldn't prevent me from buying one if it presented itself in the right condition and at the right price to match the thickness of my wallet at the time.

    Ed
     
  22. carbking
    Joined: Dec 20, 2008
    Posts: 3,715

    carbking
    Member

    I bought a used '63 with the 4 cylinder SD package. Cheap, because it was a real bow-wow on the street!

    Removed the SD carb and replaced it with a 400 CFM Carter AFB. What a difference!!!!!!!

    625 CFM might be a bit much for 195 CID on the street.

    Jon
     
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  23. As I recall that John Delorean was the engineer on that drive system .
    Vic
     
  24. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    It's a great concept...but not really appropriate for an economy car, that needs to be built with minimum expense.
     
  25. AGELE55
    Joined: Jan 4, 2018
    Posts: 620

    AGELE55
    Member

    Well butter my biscuit... I never knew this. A tempest with a rear transaxle? Color me informed of something new for today.
     
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  26. Rusty Heaps
    Joined: May 19, 2011
    Posts: 949

    Rusty Heaps
    Member

    87D9F401-BE35-4165-9B28-2436A369BF44.jpeg Not the same year, 1966 actually, but I thought you Tempest fans might dig it! Seen at a local car show today. Third seat included! Survivor.
     
  27. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,132

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    The infamous Delorean "rope drive".
     
  28. AGELE55
    Joined: Jan 4, 2018
    Posts: 620

    AGELE55
    Member

    3B179E89-F59F-4472-949D-EF0A901BAB05.jpeg
    ...and others will follow IF and when they can. Gotta love it.
     
  29. sunbeam
    Joined: Oct 22, 2010
    Posts: 6,213

    sunbeam
    Member

    Replacing a drive shaft is a pain
     
  30. Jalopy Joker
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 31,174

    Jalopy Joker
    Member

    20210814_163236.jpg not mine 20210814_162432.jpg craigslist
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2021
    guthriesmith likes this.

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