By
Mark J. McCourt
—
Updated
in Hemmings Motor News, Magazine
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“The Volkswagen problem,” as the powers that be in Detroit probably saw it, was forcing American automakers to rethink their model lineups in the early 1960s. Small cars had never sold well or proved popular with buyers up to that point, but when the VW Beetle’s popularity took off due to changing buyer demographics, it signaled a shift in convention; small and efficient were now just as good as large and opulent. Each American automaker responded with a compact in their own way: Ford and Plymouth sold their conventional front-engine/rear-drive Falcons and Valiants, Chevrolet went out on a limb with the air-cooled, rear-engined/rear-drive Corvair, and Pontiac combined a bit of both with their front-engine/rear-transaxle Tempest. Innovative mechanical designs, intriguingly detailed styling and pure Pontiac power combined to stir up the market and make the original 1961-1963 Tempest and Le Mans into critical (Motor Trend magazine’s 1961 Car of the Year) and popular (over 375,500 sold) successes. Despite all their accolades, early Tempests are almost forgotten today, which makes them a fantastic choice as practical daily or weekend drivers, or easy restoration candidates for the home hobbyist.
Hooded dash of 1961–’62 was altered in 1963.
The Tempest’s flexible driveshaft, jokingly termed “rope-drive,” was an 87.25-inch-long by .65-inch-diameter (with automatics) or 82.29-inch by .75-inch (with manual gearboxes) bar of forged SAE 8660 triple-alloy steel that was shot-peened, magnafluxed and coated with a flexible protectant. The shaft, located in a hollow box called a torque tube, arched just under three inches at its center, and it transmitted power to the rear transaxle like a torsion bar. The flexible shaft was designed with center bearings to absorb some of the vibrations inherent in the non-balance-shaft-equipped four-cylinder engines.
Pitched to the brass as an economy-minded car, the Tempest used the new slant-four that engineers derived from half of a Pontiac 389-cu.in. V-8. Not only was the resulting 194.5-cu.in. engine simple to produce, but it offered surprising power and torque. The base “Trophy Four,” Pontiac’s first-ever four-cylinder, used a single-barrel carburetor and offered 110- to 140-hp and 190- to 207-ft.-lbs. of torque, depending on the camshaft and compression ratio used. With an optional four-barrel carburetor, the engine made 155hp and an impressive 215 ft.-lbs. of torque. Our 1961 feature car, owned by Fred Claudio, features this optional four with a three-speed manual. The aforementioned aluminum V-8, shared with Oldsmobile and Buick, made 155hp and 220 ft.-lbs. of torque, but reports show that a mere 2,004 Tempests were built with this engine. All models used large, 15-inch wheels over small, four-wheel drum brakes.
Pontiac’s advanced engineering was wrapped in nicely conservative sheetmetal. The Tempest shared its upper body and doors with its Buick and Oldsmobile siblings, but it differed in its front and rear treatments. A split-grille nose that harked back to Pontiac’s 1959 style graced 1961 models, which were initially available as a sedan and station wagon; a pillared coupe with Custom trim was added late in the model year. All Tempests shared a distinctive side cove that started behind the front wheel and curved back to finish the rear wheel opening-deluxe chrome trim, à la 1958-’61 Corvette, finished the look. The interior featured a strip speedometer in a deeply hooded dashboard, and a bench seat and floor-shifted manual transmission were standard; buckets and a dashboard-mounted automatic transmission selector were optional.
194.5-inch slant-four is half a 389-inch V-8.
A new hood and grille treatment graced 1962 Tempests, which brought the split grilles together with a V-shaped center grille, the hood sloping down to meet them. Small chrome fin tips accented the rear fenders. A handsome convertible was offered for the first time, and sporting Le Mans trims could be had on the Custom sport coupe or convertible models. Under the hood, the four-barrel carburetor-equipped four-cylinder engine gained another 11hp and 2 ft.-lbs. of torque, and the aluminum V-8 was bumped to 185hp and 230 ft.-lbs of torque. A new four-speed manual transmission could be fitted to four-cylinder cars this year.
The greatest changes in appearance came in 1963, when the cars gained five inches in length and two inches in width. While rooflines were basically unaltered from previous years, noses got squarer versions of the twin grilles with eggcrate inserts, and body sides lost their sweeping coves, gaining a rear-quarter horizontal accent line. Peaked rear fenders added to the powerful stance, and rear styling varied between Tempest and the uplevel, now-separate Le Mans series; Tempests got two vertical circular taillamps, while Le Mans used single horizontal rectangle lenses that were joined by a ribbed stainless-steel strip. All 1963 dashboards had their strip speedometer replaced with four circular gauge openings (and an optional tachometer) to offer a sportier look and more driver information. The major engine change in 1963 was the V-8: the 215-cu.in. aluminum engine was supplanted by an advertised 326-cu.in. (actually 337 cubic inches) iron-block V-8. This small-bore engine made 260hp and 352 ft.-lbs. of torque and, despite this increased output, it remained joined to a strengthened rear transaxle via the torque tube. The front and rear suspension geometries were altered in 1963, and the previous rear A-frames were swapped for control arms in an attempt to tame the swing axle’s oversteering tendencies. The result was a better car, although it lasted only one year; the Tempest/Le Mans would change again in 1964, becoming a conventional body-on-frame car with a significant option package called GTO.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
While the Tempest was considered a smallish “intermediate” upon introduction in 1961, its 112-cu.in. wheelbase and 189.3-cu.in. overall length combine with the standard bench seating and minor floor hump to make it roomy enough for six adults to sit relatively comfortably. Slim pillars and a large glass area offer excellent visibility, and instruments are readable. The early swing-axle rear suspension allows startling oversteer in emergency maneuvers, but the ride is nicely controlled, and the inherent 50/50 weight balance adds confidence. The four-barrel OHV slant-four is torquey, allowing manual cars with the 3.73:1 differential ratio to reach 60mph in 10.5 seconds; the performance of other four-cylinders is less impressive. Rare 1961-62 V-8 models, overwhelmingly equipped with automatics, offer similar performance to the strongest slant-four, and 1963 V-8-equipped versions are quick for their day.
MAINTENANCE/SUPPORT
This nearly forgotten automotive innovator has a small but devoted following; the Pontiac-Oakland Club International has a chapter devoted exclusively to 1961-1963 Tempest/Le Mans variants called the Little Indians. Their web site offers historical articles, member/car profiles and images, tech question support and more. While some Tempest body panels, seats and glass are shared with its Buick/Oldsmobile siblings, the very things that made the Pontiac unique are what make it a challenge to restore today-the slant-four engine, torque tube and transaxle require replacement parts that haven’t been reproduced. Salvage yards and Pontiac swap meets are the best resources for nearly every body, trim and mechanical part, and Corvair specialists will find the Tempest’s transaxle approachable. A chat with the Little Indians club will give prospective buyers the big picture on the small Pontiac.
CONSIDERATIONS
An unfortunate side effect of Pontiac’s unusual engineering in these cars is that many unconventional mechanical parts have not been reproduced. Thousands of Tempests and Le Mans with problems like worn rear-axle or torque-shaft bearings, or transaxle problems were simply junked. Replacing torque tube bearings required special tools that most mechanics did not have. Some racers gutted original cars to install conventional high-performance engines, transmissions and driveshafts into the relatively lightweight senior compacts, which weigh slightly under 3,000 lbs. Like all 40-year-old cars, rust can be an issue: Check the front wheel wells, inner fenders and behind the rear wheels. These unit-bodied cars were very well built, and a number of parts cars survive.
DESIRABILITY
To those interested in their unique engineering and advanced features, regular Tempest sedans are a find, but convertibles and station wagons were built in the smallest numbers. The late-introduction 1961 coupes are extremely rare, and aluminum V-8-powered 1961 and 1962 cars are highly sought. Iron-block 1963 V-8s offer the best performance. Le Mans coupes and convertibles of any year get the most attention, but a four-barrel Tempest with bucket seats is nearly as sporty for less money.
VALUES
The Little Indians club estimates that roughly 600 1961-’63 Tempests and Le Mans are in road-worthy condition today, but more are available for restoration if interested buyers know where to look; a few appear in each month’s Hemmings classifieds. Despite their decimated numbers, these small Pontiacs remain amazingly affordable: Restorable 1961-1963 cars start under $2,000, with nice cars averaging between $3,000 and $8,000 depending on year and model. Excellent cars bring between $6,000 and $12,000, with V-8 Le Mans convertibles near the top of the scale. All the engineering firsts Pontiac pioneered in the early 1960s were not wasted. A glance at the specifications for today’s C5 Corvette or any front-engined Porsche sports car reveals some interesting items, including a torque tube and rear-mounted transaxle….
