Last updated on November 5, 2021
Today’s car is a 1963 Tempest Lemans Coupe owned by Tom Schlauch and I saw this car at the Seal Beach (CA) Car Show. It is finished in Saddle Bronze with a tan interior. It is a tribute to some very rare cars, the Tempest 421 Super Duty racers. There were six Le Mans coupes, two base Tempest coupes, and six station wagon Super Duty cars built for pro drag racers.
The Tempest 326 V8 option was physically the same size as the 389 and 421 performance engines, so it was easy for Delorean led Pontiac to fit the 389s and call them GTOs in 1964. The 14 Super Duty cars were fitted with the 421, an option in the full-size Pontiac line.
Tom’s tribute is powered by a proper 421 with twin NASCAR 750 CFM Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetors that sit on a ram intake manifold. The Ram intake manifold is a repoped that Tom purchased 25 years ago. Transferring that power through 5 speed Tremec TKO 600 manual transmission and a 1958 Pontiac 3.64:1 rear end. The tires are BF Goodriich radial T/A mounted on Cragar wheels. Helping slow this baby down are disc brakes up front.
The original MSRP was $2,742.00. The total number of 1963 Pontiac Tempest produced was 131,490 of which 61,658 were Tempest Lemans and 22,474 were 326 V8 Coupes. This car caught my eye the minute I saw it and I knew it was special. Great car for Car Shows, Coffee and Cars, and for those special one-marque Pontiac Shows. Thanks for riding along. Frank
