1961-’63 Tempest History The Era

Volume 3, Number 1 January 2017 $9.99 US $11.99 Canada Stock

Two 1969 Trans Ams Two Ways: Pro Touring

Dept X: The Second Life of XP-798 Volume 3, Number 1 January 2017 IN THIS ISSUE

Page 20 • 1961-’63 Tempest History 20

• Absolute Perfection 24

• 2016 Dixie Chapter Fall Classic 40

• Dept. X: XP-798’s Second Life 44

• Track Time Trans Am 50

The release of the Y-body 1961 Tempest was a daring move on the part of , as it featured a radically different driveline design and construction techniques. Jim Luikens provides an in-depth look at this first-generation of small Pontiacs, starting on page 20.

Page 40 DEPARTMENTS

• Off the Reservation 02 • Stan Rarden 04 • Tony Webster 06 • Pint-Sized Ponchos 08 • What If? 16 We ventured up to Fernandina Beach, Florida, for the POCI Dixie Chapter’s annual Fall Classic. We met up with old friends, made new ones and saw over 100 beautiful Pontiacs. It was a fantastic way to • New Product Spotlight 18 spend a November afternoon. Coverage starts on page 40.

Page 44 Page 50

The story of the XP-798 Banshee being pulled from the 1966 New On the Cover: This month, we kick off Volume 3 of Poncho Perfection with two York Auto Show and the epic battle between PMD General Manager very different 1969 Trans Ams. One is an exquisite original Ram Air III powered John DeLorean and GM President James Roche is the stuff of leg- machine with an automatic and a non-original clone- an all-out, high-tech Pro ends. Don Keefe uncovers what happened to the four-seat Banshee Touring machine with a supercharged LS3, 6-speed and fully-adjustable suspen- after that fateful clash. His story and newly discovered photos sion. Compare and contrast these beauties to see which inspires you more. The from GM Media Archive begins on page 44. stories start on pages 24 and 50.

Poncho Perfection is a monthly publication of Life Publishing, a Division of Keefe Media International. Articles, letters and editorial comments represent the views and opinions of the individual authors and are not necessarily those of Car Life Publishing, Keefe Media International or any of its officers. All Pontiac/ Trademark(s) are used purely for illustrative purposes and no claim of ownership is expressed or implied. All information provided herein is intended only for general knowledge and is not a substitute for professional advice for specific situations or specific conditions of your vehicle. Poncho Perfection, Car Life Publishing and Keefe Media International do not give mechanical advice. The authors and staff can answer your general questions about Pontiac vehicles. You should seek professional mechanical advice for any specific mechanical condition(s) of your vehicle. The information contained herein is presented in summary form only and is intended to provide only a broad consumer understanding of each particular set of facts. The information provided should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of consultation with a professional mechanic. 1961-’63 Tempest: A Car Without a Counterpart By Jim Luikens

Photos Courtesy of GM Media Archive and the National Automobile History Collection hen Pontiac’s Assistant Chief Engineer, John Z. WDeLorean, addressed the Detroit Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers on No- vember 11, 1960, he told them about a radical new small car that Pontiac was introducing. The name of the car was Tempest and it fea- tured quite a number of revolu- tionary technical breakthroughs which he then detailed for his au- dience. The title of his speech was “Pontiac Tempest, A Car Without a Counterpart.” Planning for the Tempest had actually begun several years earlier when General Motors had decreed Pontiac General Manager Eliot M. “Pete” Estes stands proudly next to a that its Buick, Oldsmobile, and trainload of Tempests being shipped from the factory to dealers. Tempest Pontiac divisions were going to de- production totaled 100,783 units for its debut year.

20 Page January 2017 velop a line of Senior Compact for the 1961 model year. While Buick and Olds took a relatively safe path and broke no new ground beyond a small-displace- ment V-8 that was con- structed of aluminum by Buick, Pontiac chose to throw conven- tionality out the window and de- sign a radical new small car that stretched the boundaries of origi- nality and technology in nearly every direction. The design brief for the new small Pontiac was that the car had to carry six people comfortably and their luggage, provide the ride and handling of a large car, deliver outstanding fuel economy with lively performance, and provide exceptional value with clean styling. While some of these attrib- utes seem to be at odds with each other, the Pontiac team, led by General Manager S.E. “Bunkie” Knudsen, Chief Engineer E.M. “Pete” Estes, and Assistant Chief Engineer DeLorean, set to work. It would be hard to imagine another The first 1961 Tempest off the production line was made into a show dis- play showing the compact’s unique drivetrain. Nicknamed the “Alligator time in the history of General Mo- Jaw,” this car was a big hit that season. tors when this much creativity and leadership was massed in one place at one time on one project. Eventually Pontiac settled on a front-engine car with a rear-wheel drive transaxle that would be tied together by a unique, curved drive shaft. For their engine they chose to “cut” their highly-proven Pontiac V-8 engine in half, using the right bank of their V-8 to create a new, 194.5ci four-cylinder engine that utilized many V-8 components. It is important to remember that GM had not manufactured a four cylin- 1961 Tempest four-door . www.ponchoperfection.com January Page 21 2017 horse version had more horse- power and greater torque than any production four-cylinder in the world. In fact, it even had more horsepower than any American six-cylinder engine available at the time. Equally unusual was the rear- mounted transaxle. Although other cars, including the Corvair, had a rear-mounted transaxle they were rear-engined cars. No one had ever paired a front engine location with a rear transaxle prior to this time. The transaxle was available in man- ual or automatic versions. The au- Sporty LeMans interior included Morrokide vinyl-covered bucket seats tomatic was the most unusual, and checkered flag callout above the glovebox. Note the dash-mounted employing a split-torque principle. shifter for the two-speed automatic . In low gear all power went to the der-equipped car since 1928. The engine offered many cost-saving air-cooled torque converter that last volume American car to use a advantages as well. Of the 44 was positioned behind the differ- four-cylinder engine prior to the major components that made up ential and then on to the transmis- Tempest was the 1931 Ford Model the new four-cylinder engine, 28 sion. In high gear, 55 percent of the A and the last American car with a items were able to be carried over power went to the torque con- four-cylinder engine period was from the V-8 unmodified, five were verter and 45 percent went directly the 1954 Henry J. It was against modified only slightly, and just 11 to the pinion itself. this backdrop that the Pontiac were totally different. Pontiac The split-torque principle of- group strode confidently forward would offer the four-cylinder pow- fered greater efficiency while cut- with their plans. erplant in five different guises from ting power loss and gas-eating In addition to having the advan- 110 to 155 horsepower, depending slippage. The overall result was im- tage of using a proven engine de- on transmission and carburetion proved downhill braking, a more sign, the new Pontiac four-cylinder selected. Interestingly, the 155- solid feel at highway speeds, and a slight increase in mileage. Addi- tionally, the varying ratio of the torque converter was still available for passing. As unique as the engine and transmission were, neither could hold a candle to the Tempest’s un- usual, curved drive shaft. The “Rope Drive Shaft” was so named because it sagged 10 3/4 degrees, or 3 inches, over its 7-foot length. Tempest wagon was a practical and economical choice for young families The 3-inch curve of the shaft elim- and businesses looking for an all-weather delivery vehicle. Rear-mounted transaxle offered additional traction in wet and snowy weather. inated the natural tendency of a

22 Page January 2017 Tempest two-door coupe bodystyle was not a true , as the doors used thin pillars. long rod to whip and thus create bar suspension. highest speed at which the shaft vibrations. The shaft rode in two The curved shaft raised the nat- turned. Most amazing was its size. ball bearings, that were placed at ural vibration frequency above the Continued on page 32 the 1/3rd and 2/3rds positions of the shaft, and it was bolted to the engine with six bolts while a splined flange was used at the rear. In order to accommodate this shaft, the engine had a downward tilt of five degrees to the rear and the nose of the differential had a similar downward forward tilt. Thanks to this arrangement no u- joints were needed anywhere. The shaft was placed in tension by arching it slightly. Thus, it was See-through illustration shows the Tempest’s V-8-derived slant-four en- able to absorb the torsional vibra- gine, curved torque tube drivetrain and rear-mounted transaxle. tions of the four-cylinder engine. The amazing shaft also twisted up to 30 degrees, much like a torsion bar would. This feature aided in damping the four-cylinder engine’s vibrations. In fact, during proto- type testing the driveshafts were ordered in pairs and identified as torsion bars. Pontiac’s hope was that this subterfuge would dis- guise what they were really creat- ing. The ruse worked and several news outlets leaked that Pontiac’s new small car would have a torsion 1961 Tempest Wagon. www.ponchoperfection.com January Page 23 2017 welded to the tube to encase the drive shaft. It was this unique channel that allowed the Tempest to ride down the same assembly line as the big Pontiacs did and not have to resort to a custom assembly line like the Corvair required. Taken as a whole, the revolutionary driveline deliv- ered a number of benefits. It pro- vided nearly 50/50 weight distribution, depending on engine and transmission choice, and re- duced the traditional transmission tunnel to a mere hump that was only 2-inches high in the front seat and 3.5-inches high in the rear Colorful LeMans interior featured Morrokide vinyl bucket seat. seats. Rear-mounted transaxle made for a much smaller center hump. After creating such a unique dri- Continued from page 23 plication in a transmission. veline all that was left to do was cars got a Forged from 8660 triple-alloy test it. Some of the testing was 5/8-inch driveshaft while manual- steel, the curved drive shaft was done in full-size Pontiacs with this transmission cars received a 3/4- then heat-treated and shot- driveline tucked underneath. Addi- inch version. Both sizes were peened as well as coated to pro- tionally, Pontiac was the most fre- referred to as “thumb-sized” and vide protection from flying stones quent user of the GM Proving were much smaller than the typical and debris. In all, 22 different steps Grounds during this period. By the 2.25-inch driveshafts of the day. were performed after forging the time the Tempest was ready for Because the Tempest’s shafts were shaft and before its installation. market, Pontiac engineers had only turning at engine RPM, they The shaft rode in a hollow, upside- amassed more than 2.6 million test did not have to be larger in size to down u-shaped channel that miles to verify the dependability of accept a multiplied engine torque joined the front and rear ends. A their revolutionary driveline. that had gone through gear multi- flat, pressed steel strip was spot In one last test, a new Tempest sedan and wagon were turned over to six teenagers who drove them around the clock in a 107- day final marathon that covered all 48 contiguous U.S. States and seven Canadian provinces from July 1 to October 15th, 1960. The results were very encouraging with each car only needing minor serv- ices and no service or repairs to its unique driveline. F.F. Kimpner, another GM execu- 1962 Tempest four-door sedan. tive, was very forthright in his ad-

32 Page January 2017 dress to the S.A.E. on the Tempest driveline. He said, “When a new device is offered in competition versus a well-tried and proven one, the burden of proof is on the new- comer. The newcomer must start at, or above, the level its competi- tion has reached.” No less than Mercedes-Benz was so dubious that such a driveshaft would work that they built their own version. Much to their disbelief, theirs worked just as well as Pontiac’s did. To familiarize the public with The 1962 model year saw the introduction of the convertible bodystyle their radical new driveline Pontiac in both Tempest and LeMans trim levels. The vehicle pictured here is the upscale LeMans. took a very unusual tact. They re- leased full information, including wagon, were available from the non-issue for most buyers. The photos and drawings, of the drive- start of production with both shar- Tempest was priced $217 dollars line three weeks before they ever ing the same 112-inch . less than the Buick and Olds ver- showed the whole vehicle. This, in A variety of trim and decor op- sions of GM’s Senior Compacts and effect, gave them a chance to tell tions, along with 15 single colors $193 dollars more than the Corvair. their technical story on its own and 57 two-tone paint combina- It was also $535 dollars cheaper merits. Many magazines gave tions, were available to differenti- than the cheapest full-size Pontiac. them extensive coverage, including ate the cars. Five different Pontiac went all out for the New one front cover that showed only four-cylinder Pontiac were York Auto Show in the spring of a Tempest chassis. available depending on the carbu- 1961. They prepared a special, flip- The car magazines were quick to retion and transmission chosen. top Tempest four-door sedan, weigh-in with their opinions. No The new aluminum V-8 from the whose body tilted upwards from less than John R. Bond, the leg- was also offered with the rear to clearly show the new endary publisher of Road & Track, the same 155-horsepower rating driveline. They also debuted the said, “while the approach is unique, as the top four-cylinder Pontiac Tempest Coupe and announced the thinking behind it is sound.” engine, but few buyers chose it. In that it would be available in Stan- Other magazines were equally as fact, a whopping 98% of the Tem- dard or Custom versions, unlike enthusiastic with Motor Trend nam- pest buyers chose one of the rev- the sedan and wagon, which had ing the new Tempest as its 1961 olutionary four-cylinder engines only been offered in one version “Car of the Year.” Motor Trend for their new car. up to that point. summed up their coverage by say- Since so much was going on Pontiac’s creative Public Rela- ing the Tempest was one of the mechanically, Pontiac chose a sim- tions head Bob Emerick was in full most intriguing cars ever built in ple, but classy, look for their new flight as well. He suggested to Tom the USA. baby. Sculptured body panels, a v- McCahill, the top auto It was against this back drop contour hood, and bodyside reviewer/tester of the day, “Why that the new Tempest hit the creases all backed up a traditional don’t you take a new Tempest and ground running on November 3, Pontiac split grille. The model race the New York Central’s 20th 1960. Two body styles, a four-door launch went well and the ground- Century Limited (generally re- sedan and a four-door station breaking driveline was really a garded as the fastest passenger

www.ponchoperfection.com January Page 33 2017 vious record-holder, and sales for the year were up 36% compared to 1961. On the Tempest front, an- other new body style was added as a two-door convertible joined the line in both Tempest and LeMans versions. A bucket-seat-equipped LeMans two-door coupe was added as well. Styling changes for the 1962 Tempest included a new, wider split grille with a third, bright-metal grille section placed between the two existing grilles. Keeping in the Pontiac tradition, it incorporated a V-shaped theme. Bolt-on bright The “Alligator Jaw” Tempest showcar was updated with 1962 front sheet- metal and send out for another year of show duty. Its ultimate fate is un- metal fins gave a little more visual known but it was likely destroyed after its tour duties were completed. heft to the rear of the vehicle. Sales train in the east) from Chicago to By the end of the 1961 model grew to 110,690, with the coupe New York City?” Since that type of year, 100,783 Tempests had been the new volume leader. In fact, the schtick was right up Uncle Tom’s sold in their debut year. More than LeMans two-door coupe led all alley, the race was on. After kissing 62,000 of these were four-door Tempest models with sales of his wife goodbye and putting her sedans, which was by far the most 39,662. Pontiac, thanks in part to on the train, Tom set sail for New popular model. Overall, Pontiac Tempest, took over the number- York. Despite encountering severe held 6.3% of the U.S. car market. three sales position in U.S. car fog throughout most of Ohio dur- After all the activity of 1961, sales, displacing Plymouth. ing the night, Tom arrived more 1962 was a relatively quiet, but Suspension changes for 1962 than two hours before the train successful, year for Pontiac. Sales led to slight modifications of the and had time for a leisurely break- soared as April, 1962 became Pon- suspension bushings but basically fast while he waited for the train tiac’s biggest sales month ever. It the radical driveline carried over and his wife to arrive. surpassed March of 1955, the pre- unchanged from the previous year. Some horsepower ratings rose as a new cam-and-lifter set raised the output of the lower-rated engines while a new intake manifold raised the top four-cylinder version’s horsepower output from 155 to 166 horses. The four-cylinder’s horsepower ratings were now 110, 115, 120, 140, and 166 respectively. Although few buyers chose it, the Buick aluminum V-8 carried over, now with 185 horsepower to better differentiate from the top-rated 1963 LeMans convertible. four-cylinder Pontiac engine.

34 Page January 2017 The 1963 LeMans convertible shows off its crisp, attractive design and sensible proportions. Production for this bodystyle totaled 15,957 units.

Also in 1962, “Bunkie” Knudsen Engineer. inches added in the trunk. Styling moved to the Chevrolet division The 1963 model year saw the changes included a slight “Coke with E.M. “Pete” Estes being pro- first big overhaul of the little Tem- bottle” shape, a more angular moted to Pontiac’s General Man- pest since its introduction. The new roofline, shaper-creased side pan- ager and John Z. DeLorean models were 2-inches wider and 5- els, wider wheel openings, and, on replacing Estes as Pontiac’s Chief inches longer with three of those some models, dual vertically stacked tail lamps. Tempest sales fell from the record levels of 1962 but Pontiac overall continued to hold onto the Number Three posi- tion in the sale race. The big news for 1963 was under the hood where an all-new Pontiac 326ci V-8 engine- based on the 389ci V-8 engine found in full-size Pontiacs- could be or- dered in a Tempest. Rated at 260 horsepower, it replaced the 215ci Buick aluminum V-8 that had been used during Tempest’s first two years of production. All of the four- cylinder versions continued basi- cally unchanged from 1962 with the lowest-rated version now clas- sified at 115 horsepower. The other The 1963 LeMans two doors included a closed coupe and convertible. four-cylinder horsepower ratings Both four-cylinders and V-8s were available in the top-level versions. remained the same as 1962.

36 Page January 2017 The 1963 Tempest four-door sedan featured a familiar “six-window” roofline. Its 1964 replacement would not have that design feature and would be much more traditional in a mechanical sense.

To handle the increased horse- for the four-cylinder and one for By 1964 all of this was gone. It power and torque of the 326 V-8 a the 326 V-8, were also new for was replaced by a new, larger mid- new drive shaft featured a diame- 1963. The difference was the num- size Tempest that was thoroughly ter increase of 12 percent. The ber of clutch plates and the size of conventional in every way. While number of splines also increased the torque converter. The new au- the new car did spawn the GTO it by 12 percent. The spline-end of tomatic transmission featured full never had the variety of thoughtful the shaft was induction hardened hydraulic operation in all gears, and creative engineering solutions and all Tempests, not just those had a Park position, and provided that first-generation Tempests did. with a V-8, got the new shaft. For quieter operation. Other 1963 im- The 1961, 1962 and 1963 Pontiac 1963, the rear differential was also provements included a bigger gas Tempests shall always stand as a strengthened with larger bearings tank, a new dash-gauge layout, a tribute to what a dedicated and in- and bigger axles. Finally, a new new rear suspension that provided spired group of individuals can ac- case and cover were designed to smoother handling, and the intro- complish when they have the provide additional stiffness for the duction of the Delcotron generator resources of the world’s largest au- rear differential. that featured higher current output tomobile manufacturer behind Two different transmissions, one and no periodic maintenance. them. PP

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