[ricksautorestoration]

I am looking for a gas tank for a 63 pontiac tempest lemans. Every place i check they list from 64 and up? Does anyone know why a tank for a 63 isent listed with anyone i must of checked 10 different place and same thing starts at 64? Would a 64 tank be the same? Thanks to anyone that may be able to help me with this.

[Chopt 48]

Probably the best thing to do is find someone who has an older Hollander parts interchange book. These were the wrecking yard bibles as far as what part fit what. Find the book that covers your 63 and You should be able to find out what tanks will fit. Ask at some of the older established wrecking yards in the area if they have an interchange manual that will cover that year.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by ricksautorestoration

I am looking for a gas tank for a 63 pontiac tempest lemans. Every place i check they list from 64 and up? Does anyone know why a tank for a 63 isent listed with anyone i must of checked 10 different place and same thing starts at 64? Would a 64 tank be the same? Thanks to anyone that may be able to help me with this.

The 61-63 cars are completely different from the 64-67 cars and nowhere near as popular, which is why no one makes repro tanks.

The 61-63 cars are unibody and based on the Corvair body shell (yes, it's true). The 61-63 cars use a rear transaxle design. The 64-67 cars are conventional body on frame with front engine and trans.

[Chopt 48]

I forgot that part when I answered. Still I would check an interchange as the tank may fit other gm models of the same years.

I went out and dug out my old Hollanders. It shows that the 1963 Tempest sedan/hardtop NOT a station wagon is all by it's self as far as gas tanks go.
You will have to have a tank for a 63 to fit or a custom made tank.
The Hollander interchange number was 473 this was in the 1968 edition.

[ricksautorestoration]

thanks guys i will see if this tank can be repaired. the 63 i have actually has a v6 someone had put in it so its not a transaxle style anymore. Not sure what transmission they used but i'm hoping to put a pontiac v8 in this i cant see it being to difficult since there is already a v6 in it.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by ricksautorestoration

thanks guys i will see if this tank can be repaired. the 63 i have actually has a v6 someone had put in it so its not a transaxle style anymore. Not sure what transmission they used but i'm hoping to put a pontiac v8 in this i cant see it being to difficult since there is already a v6 in it.

The 198 cu in Buick V6 was a factory option in the F85 and Skylark sister cars (though those had a conventional trans). The Tempest used the 195 cu in Pontiac four cylinder. The Pontiac 326 V8 was also a factory option in 63. In both cases the engine was front mounted but the trans was in the rear.

[ricksautorestoration]

Well it sounds like maybe someone had put a buick v6 in this one. When i look under the car it looks like any other engine, trans, solid drive-shaft connected to the rear-end, but that would make sense if buick used this type of set-up someone may have put that in there in place of the 4 cylinder that was original. The car is a convertible and i want to do a complete re-store this winter but would like to put a pontiiac v8 in it. I hope this wont be to difficult but it sounds like it may be a bit more work than i anticipated.

[joe_padavano]

Originally Posted by ricksautorestoration

Well it sounds like maybe someone had put a buick v6 in this one.

These 61-63 GM compacts are actually quite interesting. All are based on the Corvair shell. The Corvair was rear engine with transaxle. The Pontiac was front engine with a transaxle (based on the Corvair unit) and the infamous "rope" driveshaft. The Olds and Buick cars used conventional front engine/trans and solid rear axle layout. I wonder if the previous owner of your car swapped in the Buick hardware.

Pontiac put 421s in the 63 Tempest and used a beefed rear transaxle for drag racers Arnie Beswick and others:

http://www.1963pontiac.com/book.htm

[ricksautorestoration]

Yes Joe I'm thinking that is exactly what he did put the buick engine, trans, and driveshaft in here cant see any other reason why someone would put a v6 in this car. I'm gonna get some numbers of the engine and check them out just to be sure but it sounds like thats what was done. Thanks for the link very interesting stuff on these cars.

[joe_padavano]

The only question remaining is, did the Buick gas tank get swapped in also? I don't know much about the Pontiac version of the car, but it may be that the rear transaxle would require a different gas tank shape than the solid axle. Again, I'm just speculating as I don't know for sure.

[ricksautorestoration]

Ya Joe i was wandering that too but have no idea how i would find that out. Looks like i'm just going to try to get it repaired for now and do a little more research into this car and what was done. I'm kind of curious about the rearend in this thing too it looks like a real big monster in there i dont know if the one it came with would hook up to this drive-train or if that was also swapped out or maybe just the yoke was changed on it. Lot of questions about this car but it sure is a nice looking convertibal it really looks sharp.

[RetroJoe]

Try posting on www.performanceyears.com those guys are a big help in the Poncho world. Tell them Retro sent ya'.

[ricksautorestoration]

Thanks retrojoe i will do that.

[ChevelleSS_LS6]

Originally Posted by joe_padavano

The Pontiac was front engine with a transaxle (based on the Corvair unit) and the infamous "rope" driveshaft.

Heck yea that rope driveshaft is infamous, I'm 21 and have heard a little about them, I wonder how good or bad they were at moving the power to the wheels out back... I think it'd probably twist.

Well, I've been described as 'obsessed with cars' so maybe it's not quite as well known as I thought. Ask most kids my age and they'd never imagine Buick and Olds built good performance stuff (442 and GS, not to forget the 1980s t-types and GN cars)... all kids in my generation know is the crappy fwd wheezers after GM downsized the cars, and an occasional ghettofied land yacht Delta 88 (ghettofied= 3 tennis ball lift and 26 inch 'dubs'.) I think a Delta 88 would be pretty cool with a 455 and cragars, paint the car dark red metallic or black.

[ricksautorestoration]

Dident hear anything good about the rope shafts. I think they only made them in 63 and that was it. I'm glad someone took that out of mine and put the v6 without it in. The next step for me will br to get a pontiac v8 in this thing.