Every auto company seemed to be getting in on the compact car craze in the early sixties. Some manufacturers went with the traditional “large car” layout and just shrunk everything. Chevrolet tried to emulate the VW “Bug” with their Corvair. Pontiac took a different approach with the Tempest, a sorta half-in/half-out design that proved unique. And today, for your review and courtesy of Zappenduster, we have a 1962 Pontiac Tempest convertible – a not terribly common variation. Greenfield, Indiana, is where you’ll find it, and it’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $7,000.
Introduced for the 1961 model year, the Tempest employed a longitudinally mounted four-cylinder engine, connected to a torque-tube that in turn spun the rear-mounted transaxle, a combined transmission and differential. That unit, available as a three or four-speed manual, or a two-speed automatic, employed independent half-shafts to drive the rear wheels. This independent rear suspension is what set the Tempest apart from the similar Oldsmobile F-85 and Buick Special, which utilized a standard live rear axle. Body styles included two-door coupes and convertibles, as well as four-door sedans and station wagons. Pontiac produced approximately 140K Tempests in ’62, including the LeMans trim level. As for the convertible, 6,600 were assembled, with 5,000 Tempests and the remainder wearing the LeMans badge. Our 92K-mile subject shows well. The finish is consistent, with some shine still evident. I don’t see evidence of rust, though the images were taken at a distance. The chrome and trim look fine, as does the black folding convertible top. It’s nice to find the original wheel covers still on the job.
Under the hood, you’ll find what started as Pontiac’s renowned 389 CI V8 engine before it was sawed in half, leaving us with a “Trophy 4” displacing 194 cubic inches and generating 115 gross HP. The power rating assumes it’s the standard four-cylinder powerplant; more powerful versions were available. That rear-mounted transaxle is a two-speed automatic, and the seller states, “runs good.”
The interior is pretty standard GM fare with black vinyl upholstered bucket seats – the same models used in other GM cars. The instrument panel is a simple layout with a horizontal speedometer, a typical GM design. The entire environment looks good to go and requires no attention – always a welcome discovery in a convertible. Of note is the optional stand-up clock perched on the dash top.
By 1964, Chevrolet introduced its new mid-sized Chevelle and joined the Tempest, Oldsmobile F-85, and Buick Special as they became upsized on GM’s new, mid-sized A-body platform. And this is where Pontiac really shone, as the Tempest begot the famous GTO – but that’s a story for another time. I guess the takeaway here is the evolution that led to Pontiac’s mid-sized success, and this Tempest convertible is a fine example of that progression. So tell me, has anyone owned a first-gen Tempest, and if so, what was it like?
Looks more like a Plymouth Valiant than the 63 Tempest my dad had. He got 210,000 on it before junking it in 67. 6 cyl. 3 on the tree. Dad beat the crap out of that car.
5 years later, while digging for parts at a junk yard in Brockton, we found it. We could tell, because my brother cut a big hole in passenger arm rest for a CB radio.
The 1962 and 1963 are very different looking cars.
You got that right !
clap…..Identical….clap
Freind had 63 4 door 326 v8 very nice roomy car sat 6 people more on occasion
My parents had a 63, red 4 door, straight six, 3 on the tree. Could not kill it, although my father tried.
Back in the day of noone wearing seatbelts, everything fit 6 or 7.
Too bad it’s not in “metallic mint green paint”!
My Cousin Vinny! Yeah, and one mistake in that movie was that the 64 Skylark (or Special) and the 63 Tempest were two totally different bodies and wheelbases. Big change in those two years.
Steve H:
The “metallic mint green paint” in the movie “My Cousin Vinnie” was the color confused with a 1963 Tempest versus a 1964 Buick Skylark NOT a 1962 Tempest. You’d be hard pressed to confuse a 1963 Tempest with the earlier 1962 model. The 1963 was a bit larger and didn’t share any sheet metal with the 1962 except for the roof panels on the 2- and 4-door sedans.
As for the movie: the tire “expert” testified that the 14 inch tires of the 1963 Tempest matched the 14″ tires of the 1964 Skylark’s. One problem… NO 1963 Tempest ever left the factory with 14″ tires. All 1963 Tempests had 15″ wheels/tires. Great movie nonetheless.
And the specs used in that scene, from the “55 327” onward, were way more accurate than anything I’ve seen before or since. Crap, most movies set in earlier times use vehicles that are newer than the time the movie is supposed to be.
That Tempest was a few years newer. The movie is shown in law classes for training purposes. It never gets old.
Are you Sure !?
What a great movie.
Had a ’62 in ’63 and ’64. Red hardtop. Base 4 cyl but 4 on the floor if memory serves – maybe just 3. I loved that car on the dirt roads in my neighborhood. Very controlled overstear and while shifting was not short throw it always engaged so dropping a gear for a fast corner was a kick. I upgraded to a ’63 MGB which had much less room and really wasn’t any faster but it was a roadster.
May not have been quicker but a B with overdrive would run 110 all night long. Ask me how I know
I liked these 61 and 62 Pontiac and Buicks. In fact, my first car in the 60’s was a 62 Buick Special with the 215 V8. I loved the styling, and still do, of the Specials, not the Tempest.
I bought a ’62 Tempest, red convertible, for $700 in 1968. I built the stock Trophy 4, 4 bbl carb (stock) with a 389 cam/lifter kit. Bored it .030 over and had a mean 12 second sleeper! It was a blast to drive! I built the 2 speed transmission with a B&M kit, adapted from a power glide kit. The car would launch at 3400 rpm, I would bring it up strong, move the dash shifter from low to neutral then into second, like a power shift, didn’t let off of the gas…it would hook up hard and pull the wheels and land gently! Usually recording 12.4 second et, in the 1/4 mile.
So glad you asked, Jim! When I was 17, my parents bought a brand new ’62 Lemans convertible same colors as this. No optional clock though. What a bomb. One bank of a 389 with no balance shaft, engine shook like crazy at idle. All the thrills of racing in corners without exceeding the speed limit- thank you Corvair transaxle. Worst oversteer I’ve ever experienced.
A friend’s sister asked me to take her to her Junior Prom. I picked her up in the LeMans, and on the way to the school, in formal wear and at a conservative pace, a lower control arm broke and we skidded across the road. We got there late in her Metropolitan.
A year or so later another front wheel tried to fall off while driving conservatively, and I again slid into and across the other lane. Fortunately nobody coming the other way either time, but that was enough for our family.
My Dad was pretty cool, and I talked him into buying a 1071 Mini Cooper S.
That’s a tale for another time!
My high school buddie’s father had one of these in blue, hardtop. Never knew about the rear transaxle. That must have made for a balanced ride and neutral handling. I don’t remember because I don’t I ride in it all that often.
i love my 94 mustang convert but i would trade you for your temp
Took my drivers license test in Dad’s 61 4 door sedan. He later (1968) bought a 62 station wagon. Bothe cars performed well but the engines are noisy. They used the Corvair rear axle turned around. When the 63 LeMans came out with the 326 V8 I thought (and still do) it was a perfect good looking car. I wished they would have put the Corvette differential and a 4 speed and I would have preferred it to the Mustang.
Uh – yeah – a ’62 Tempest almost killed me and my girlfriend. It’s rear independent suspension/transaxle was done ALL WRONG. It was a rental, and we were going down a two lane highway in the late 60’s at 60 mph. A coyote darted out in front of us. I braked hard and swerved right to miss it and lost ALL control of the vehicle. (The coyote was unharmed and probably laughing at us.) The car leaned so far right, I thought it was going to flip, and then I could “feel” the left side of the rear axle buckle underneath the car and when I tried to bring the car back onto the highway, it bounced on the left rear tire, which was tucked underneath the car and if I had not had a LOT of driver experience in bringing a car back into control (I raced my first car as a teenager and lost control of it a few times, but always got it back under control) that horrendously POOR design of a rear transaxle would have been the end of us. I would NEVER drive one of those death traps again! I never understood why the Corvair was deemed unsafe at any speed – it should have been the ’62 and ’63 Pontiac Tempest!!! Buyers beware!!!!
My Uncle Joe had the hard top with manual trans he bought it in 1965 I remember my Grandfather saying “wow this thing has a lot of pep” Uncle Joe went to Vietnam in 67 and Grand Pop took it over. I remember it as being a pretty cool car. As it got older it had a lot a front end problems . Joe traded it in 69 for a 68 Chevelle Ss . Lots of good memories in that Tempest big part of my growing up
My Dad bought our Mom a new ’61 Tempest Wagon that she learned to drive in while finishing her citizenship classes. March 21, 1973 it became my first car, for $100. I can’t tell you how oblivious and under-appreciative I was about that car but I have so many permanent cinematic memories from just the very short three months I had it. It was a great car and I’ve kept my eyes open for over fifty years wondering if I’d ever find another like it.
Just three words needed – My Cousin Vinny
Because of this car I looked up Joe Pesci and read that, before he acted, he did standup comedy with a partner in the sarcastic style of Don Rickles. “How do you KNOW that the faucet was turned off tight enough?”
With Michelin tires
It is amazing that, what seems like a non descript car elicits so much conversation.
We had a 63, does not look much alike, but brings up so many memories. My Dad put 210K miles on it.
As the saying goes:
Riden Hard, Put Away Wet.
Many family vacations with 5, going to N. H. for a week.
Learned to drive a 3 on the tree in it. For a few years my Dad said it would be mine, when I got my license.
John M:
You must’ve learned about driving “3 on a tree” on a Tempest newer than 1963. All manual transmission equipped 1961 thru 1963 Tempests had floor shifts due to their rear transaxle. Perhaps it was a 1964 model with a more conventional driveline.
You are correct, I did some research and looked closer at photos. It was a 64, they had a six and an available 3 on the tree.
My Big Brother told me this once, I never should had doubted him, when it came to cars.
How do you like yer grits ?
My folks bought a 1962 Tempest 4 dr sedan in maroon with the Trophy 4 cyl and the 2spd transaxle. We had recently taken up camping and they bought a small tent camper. It soon became obvious that the vehicle wasn’t up to the task of hauling three semi teenagers, Mom and Pop,the tent trailer and our associated gear. The transmission had a torque converter that was on the back end out in the breeze of the transmission which had cooling fins on it. That was the weak sister as the transmission would get hot and puke the fluid out of the filler tube. The only way to add fluid was to partially unload the trunk to gain access to the cover, screwed to the trunk”s floor on the hump for the transmission and RH half-shaft. This was a 45min project. They kept the Tempest for just under two years and traded it for a 1963 Buick LeSabre which worked better for our growing family plus, it had a huge trunk. One thing I failed to mention, we lived in the Midwest where most of our camping trips were. up until 1987, no car they owned had A/C. In 1987, they bought a “Loaded” Dodge Monaco with a 383, nd a Torqueflght. Righteous! The Tempest recollection didn’t exactly leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Had a 63 tempest, maroon with black vinyl top. Bought for 150 dollars from a friend’s dad. Its unique feature was the transmission was a toggle on the dash that changed the gears from drive and reverse. Unfortunately, after months of driving and on the way to an amusement park date with a girl in the class ahead of me, the transmission blew as it lost 2nd gear and blew out in first.
The saving grace was she had a 68 Camaro we took to complete the day/night and all ended well.