From 1964 to 1970, the Tempest was Pontiac’s entry-level car in the mid-size market. The base Tempest offered a no-frills approach to transportation but had an unusual base engine (beginning in 1966): the 230 cubic inch overhead camshaft inline-6. It was the only powerplant of its type in a U.S. automobile at the time. This 1966 Tempest station wagon has had the beginnings of a restoration done, but much more work will be needed. Located in Newark, Ohio, this interesting project is available here on eBay where $6,500 is the magic number to beat.
Since being “promoted” from a compact to an intermediate in 1964, the Tempest (and the LeMans and GTO) were given a styling refresh in 1966 that brought a curvier, more rounded look. There were two versions of the car, the “standard” Tempest, and the Tempest Custom, of which the latter found greater demand. Just 4,095 copies of the base Tempest station wagon were produced in 1966, so finding one like the seller’s example probably takes some doing. Especially if it has the OHC-6 that produced 165 hp (we suspect the 326 V8 found more buyers, but that’s a supposition).
As the story goes, this wagon was built in California and resided in Oregon until recently when we assume the seller brought it to Ohio to work on. And some effort has been expended, such as putting in new floorboards (screwed in but not yet welded), but not much else may have happened. We’re told the Barrier Blue paint is mostly original, but there is some overspray on the spare tire wheel well and some of the panels look to be wearing $49 Earl Schieb paint, so we’re not sure about that.
We’re told the body and frame are mostly rust-free, with only the occasional exception in a few places. The chrome – or what there is of it on a base Tempest – looks to be in good shape. The seller references turning this into a GTO tribute wagon more than once, so perhaps that was his/her original plan. The interior will need to be redone from top to bottom and the seats are wearing blankets at the moment.
Mechanically, the wagon is said to run and drive okay, but it needs a tune-up and maybe some brake work. This Pontiac has a “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission which should prove confusing to today’s teenage drivers! If you’re looking for a station wagon to restore and one that falls on the side of being unusual, does this Pontiac look like a project you’d want to continue working on?
I like that its a OHC 6 with a 3 speed stick on the column. I’d leave that combo in there and maybe make it a “Sprint” 6 with the 4 barrel carb. The sprint 6 was no V8 mind you, but ran very well for a 6. We had a family friend when I was a kid who had one back in the early 80s. It really looks like its going to take some work especially since the floors are only screwed in and not welded in, and they seem to be up front about the other rust issues but still, this looks like it has good bones and would make a good restoration project. It would be great for taking the family out or cars and coffee. You just dont see many Tempest wagons and its a nice change not seeing another ” Goat” or Goat clone at a car show. Not that I dont like GTOs, my brother restored a 66 and really like them, but it is nice to see Lemans and Tempests too. I hope this gets the restoration it deserves.
I had the 4bbl 6 in 67′. it was a little slow off the line but made up for it as the speed increased. The biggest problem I had with it was the aluminum motor would give out if overheated. Blew two in the first 5 years.
I had a 67 cream color OHC, the only difference between my car and a goat of the same year? Was the engine and name tags! I had buckets and center console with crome and black vinyl seats. Wishing now that I never sold that car!
Did they offer the OHC 6 in 1966? I thot 67 was the first year and a 66 would have had the 215 OHV 6. Anyone know for certain?
I owned one, my grandparent’s former car, a 4-door with the Super Turbine 300 two-speed automatic. Still have the cam carrier hanging in my shop, as the OHC6 had died due to lack of top end oiling. I was fresh out of college, living with my Grandmother, and built a mild SBC for it – Granny helped me install it (she ran the lift)!
I had a 76 F 100, three on the tree. I’ve driven many floor shifts before and since. But that thing took some getting used to. If you dropped me in a colum shift right now , I’m sure it would come back to me , but might take a bit
66 was 230 Ç.I.D. One barrel or 4 barrel
Yes they did. For certain. It took a while to catch on then kinda died on the vine. I had a ’66 Lemans 4 barrel OHC six that I pulled to install a 389 and utilized that fine running 6 banger in a dune buggy. It’s probably still around.
$2000.00 tops. This musty crusty ride is nowhere near $6500.00
Yes I do. This John Z. DeLorean designed engine first made its appearance in 1966 as the base engine in the Tempest, which had switched back to a conventional front-engine rear-wheel drive drivetrain in 1964, in place of the famous 1961-63 “rope drive” examples with a rear-mounted transaxle. Early engines displaced 230 cubic inches and inhaled through a one-barrel carburetor, featuring a compression ratio of 8.5:1. The displacement was increased to 250 cubic inches in 1968, followed by the high-performance “Sprint” version that appeared in Tempests and Firebirds, breathing through a four-barrel Rochester carburetor and featuring a 10.5:1 compression ratio. Here’s a link:
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/ahead-time-pontiacs-ohc-six-build-one/
My dad had a ’66 just like this one except it was a maroon color with a grey interior. I remember him replacing the camshaft every winter because GM hadn’t figured out how to get the oil to the top of the cam yet.
1966, was a 230 cu. in., based on the Chevrolet 230 block.
The 215 was an OHV 6 with the cam in the block. It was only offered in 1964 and 1965.
Yes I do. The 230 OHC I6 first made its appearance in the 1966 Pontiac Tempest. It became the base engine in the Firebird in 1967, in its one-barrel, low compression (8.5:1) version, with the first upgrade as the “Sprint” version, with the high compression (10.5:1) version and the four-barrel Rochester carburetor. Displacement was increased to 250 cubic inches in 1968, with a corresponding power increase. The next step up the option list was the 326 V8. Source: Hemmings Motor News. Here’s a link:
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/1966-67-pontiac-le-mans-sprint
The OHC-6 was introduced in 1966.This wagon hasta be some kinda unicorn in 2023,if the buyer dosnt keep it’s OHC-6 he may be ruining the last one remaining.It’s a beauty.
66 was 230 Ç.I.D. One barrel or 4 barrel
ThunderRob you are correct. What a car!!!
My brother’s 1969 Firebird “Sprint” Convertible was so equipped, making 230 hp, with a three-speed manual transmission on the floor, but no console. We had completely rebuilt the entire drivetrain and were about to start on the metal repairs for the body when it was stolen from our college dorm parking lot, never to return! Ouch!
Here’a link to a Motor Trend article about De Lorean’s engine:
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/ahead-time-pontiacs-ohc-six-build-one/
My favorite Tempest was Tempest Storm.
I had an earl scheib 29.95 special done to a 64 VW square back, that was when the $ was worth something and gas was $0.41/gal
Did they use latex and a roller?
I live in Portland Oregon.there is an earl scheib 9 blocks from my house, pass it everyday.not sure what they charge now,I’ll try to remember when I pass by next time
HEH HEH, I get it.
Totally agree with all above on that engine. Would have been nice to see that engine stay in production for the long haul when I think of the great OHC I6 engines the Datsun Z cars and Toyota Supra’s had. Russ mentions confusing the teenage drivers with the 3 on the tree. Hell, how ’bout ‘Earl Scheib’ LOL. Had a shop in the neighborhood growing up, I recall advertising on the building of $79.99 for the basic paint job lol. Anyone know if ‘Earl Scheib still exists ?
There was an Earl Scheib in Chicago on Irving Park Road just west of Ashland Ave up until about 2010. I haven’t seen another one since.
I must be a dinosaur (78) as I remember the $29.95 TV ads. Can still remember his distinctive voice and presentation.
My mom bought a ‘66 with the OHC, same blue, while I was in the Service. Traded in a nice ‘61 Catalina 389 😩.
I ended up changing the cam in the Tempest at relatively low mileage.
As much as I sometimes hate to admit it but I ran one of those shops. The company closed for good in 2004 I believe. in the south there is still a place called Econo paint but the Great Earl has left the building. I did get all of the signage from one of the shops in my area when they closed. Car people would be amazed by the types of cars that rolled through those places. Everything from 427 4 speed Vettes to Roll Royces.
“I’ll paint any car any color for $29.95.” (said with a Texas drawl.) Yes, I AM old.
I had an earl scheib 29.95 special done to a 64 VW square back, that was when the $ was worth something and gas was $0.41/gal
Oh, you don’t want the tires and chrome painted too?? That’s gonna cost you extra!
“Leave the windows down, and we’ll do the interior for free.”
Back in the day I had a Hilman Minx with FOUR on the tree. Talk about confusing!
Back in the early 1990s I picked up two young guys hitchhiking, something I rarely ever did, but it was a very cold day. My car at that time was a ’67 AMC Ambassador. Those kids had never seen a car with the ignition switch on the dashboard, or vent windows or the dimmer switch mounted on the floor.
In the movie Roxanne, Steve Martin’s character “Charlie” has to come up with a bunch of jokes about the size of his nose, one of which is “My name is Earl Schieb and I can paint that nose for $49.95!” Many, many people would never get that reference today.
I had a 67 Firebird ‘vert with a sprint 6. Not the fastest car on the block but it was fun to drive and had a cool sound. This Tempest wagon is really neat.
How much was the original Earl Scheib paint job?
Scheib also grew to own a subsidiary that produced his own brand paint, so things were going good. He initially started his ads at $19.95 for a complete paint job, then $29.95 and then the price went up as the years went by.
Effective July 16, 2010, Earl Scheib, Inc. has ceased operations nationwide. Each store is now independently owned and operated by a person unaffiliated with Earl Scheib, Inc.
In college in the 80s, I had a 67 tempest sedan with the OHC-6. The trick was to keep the top end oiled or it wore the cam. If the car sat for more than a day or two, I would crank it until the oil pressure came up before setting the choke.
The tempest ran kind of poorly when I bought I (for $100). We pulled the valve cover and the cam was worn. In 1987 no internet meant that parts were harder to find. We were in upstate PA for a funeral and stopped at a junkyard, where Dad and I found a 68 with an OHC-6. We borrowed tools, stripped to our boxers, and pulled the valve cover and one barrel carb.
Following weekend, we pulled the head and my brother (worked in a machine shop) did a valve job. That, plus the better cam worked wonders for the engine. At 70 on the Jersey Turnpike I would get 20 mpg with the powerglide. Too bad this is a mostly forgotten engine. I hope whoever winds up with this preserves it, especially with the manual transmission.
I have the Tempest Safari version of this body, a 326, fully loaded version in the mint green and black with wood that I bought back in the 90s. I haven’t seen another in years. Not a real high survival rate on these.
I have a 65 long roof Chevrolet wagon with a big block Chevrolet in it
So what?
I had a 67 Firebird convertible as well with the overhead cam and the 4 barrel carb. But mind was a 3 speed on the floor. Oh and it even had the tack on the hood. It finally lost a cylinder and that was the end of that. If I had only known now what I didn’t know then.
Ditto for baby brother’s ’69. His wa “Carousel Red”, which was Pontiac’s name for Chevy’s “Hugger Orange”, LOL! As I said before, great car until the boys from “Midnight Auto Supply” got a hold of it! “Midnight Auto Supply. Home of the five-fingered discount!”
Had an OHC Sprint…Wore out cams, drank oil…junked it
While I normally sing the praises of an automotive genius like DeLorean, this was not one of his better ideas. While the idea of an OHC had its merits, it was turned by my biggest pet peeve in the auto industry, the belt driven camshaft. Belts break, it’s why I won’t own another belt driven Harley, and cams should be turned by chain or gears,,period. The belt is one of the biggest automotive blunders, almost insuring repeat sales or mechanical work, not to mention, the udder destruction in an interference engine, which this is not, but still, shuts ‘er down in a hurry.
The car itself? In 1966? You wouldn’t be seen in moms Tempest wagon, while dads GP sat in the garage.These were utilitarian in nature, served their useful purpose, but when the belt finally broke, most became new Toyotas,,,
A bit oversimplified. The fact is, Pontiac invented the timing belt with this engine and the entire industry (Europe and Japan), switched their OHC cam engines over to belts for many years, and for good reason.
The problem with chains (at the time), with OHC engines was that they notorious for stretching. This would cause valve timing issues and as a consequence, lost compression. The timing belt fixed this systemic problem, and was employed by 90% of the industry that made OHC engines for decades. Only in the last 20 years or so have chains made a comeback in OHC engines, with the use of better technology.
As for breaking, if replaced when they should be, this is almost never an issue. The Pontiac engines were also “non-interference”, as well.
The German manufacturer Glas was the first volume manufacturer to use a timing belt and that was in 1962. Pontiac didn’t use a timing belt until their OHV 6 became available for the 1966 model year.
Belts have only gotten better, with aramid fiber, a.k.a. Kevlar, replacing the fiberglass reinforcement, much like it has in tires. FYI, Kevlar is a DuPont brand name for aramid fiber, the plastic used in modern body armor, a.k.a. “bullet-proof vests”.
Cows should never have engines in them . That causes udder destruction.
I’m late to the game here, but didn’t the Kaiser-Jeep OHC six predate the Pontiac by a couple of years. I think Jeep motor was derived from the Continental flat head six. and that engine dated back to the 30’s and started out as the Graham motor.
You’re correct. The Jeep OHC 6 was introduced in 1962.
Cool car. Too much Earl blabbing here.
My first car was 65 tempest wagon with a 326 and a 2 speed power glide. Put a Pontiac 350 in it later. Wish I still had it.
My vote would be an upgrade the engine to Sprint specs. I believe the Sprint used the Frod HD 3 speed transmissions, and don’t know if they were available with the column mounted shifter, but I’d try to keep it column mounted The dog dish or a set of Rally 1 wheels along with the Sprint side stripe would complete the look. I knew a kid in high school in 1969 with a 67 Sprint convert with the 4 speed, white with the turquoise interior. Beautiful car. This wagon has a ton of potential.
I’d make it a Sprint 4-barrel and put a 4-speed in the floor with a 3.42’ish posi rear end. Cool car as it is, too.
Now $7,666.00 is the number to beat. (with 6 days left to bid.) I just don’t get it.
The ’66-’67 OHC 6 is 230 cid, and the ’68-’69 one is 250 cid. Bottom end is similar to the Chevy straight six, but the top is different. The Sprint package had a 4 barrel (the rarest Quadrajet because of the sideways linkage!) and a hotter cam. Also got the split exhaust manifold. I have a 250 out of a ’68 Firebird, and the top end and manifolds for the Sprint conversion. Never found the carburetor; had several people tell me they had one but the linkage was not correct.
Thanks for mentioning the ohc 250 engine. I had that one in my 68 Firebird with 2 sp. Automatic on the column. It was a 1bbl. It was unusual but I liked it for that very reason. That car had factory air and bench seat too. Both options rarely seen in those cars.
As my Father used to say, “that thing looks like it was painted with a chain.”
Thanks for mentioning the ohc 250 engine. I had that one in my 68 Firebird with 2 sp. Automatic on the column. It was a 1bbl. It was unusual but I liked it for that very reason. That car had factory air and bench seat too. Both options rarely seen in those cars.
The oil problem! Drill holes in v cover run copper tubing in holes the other end tee into sending unit problem solved .