Vehicle Description
1961 Pontiac Tempest Safari Station Wagon
The Tempest was introduced back in 1960s and production continued
until 1970 before it stopped and then was reintroduced in 1987. It
was built on the, new for the time, unibody Y platform. Cars like
these are the connection point between the more finned boxed bodys
of the 50s and the muscle cars of the late 60s. You can really
start to see design styles transform when you look at cars of these
early 60s era. The first generation of Tempest spanned from 1961 to
1963 and was Pontiacs answer to the Corvair. They initially wanted
to produce basically a clone of the Corvair but tapped on John Z
DeLoreans shoulder to go ahead and come up with a new design. He
took the initial concept car design and built on it to create what
would become the Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1961. They had 2
door coupes, a convertible, a 4 door sedan and the much less common
4 door station wagon like the car you see here. Known as the Safari
Wagon these cars took the new Tempest look but incorporated tons of
interior and storage space. People that lived through the time may
have viewed them as the boring family car but nowadays Station
Wagons have made quite the comback and actually have a large
following all their own. This cool Tempest is a nice survivor car
that has been kept as original as possible throughout it's life. It
is believed to have had only 2 previous owners with the most recent
owning the car from 1980 to 2014. The body, drivtrain,
interior....well everything really is all factory. In fact, the car
was even filmed by the Discover Channel in 2018 and used as an
example of what defines a true survivor. The body on the car is
straight and the fit of the panels indicate it hasn't been in any
previous wrecks. It does have patina and the White paint is fading
but depending on what your plans are for the car this may be a
great feature for you. Don't let that patina fool you because this
isn't some totally run down project car. While it certainly would
be an excellent car for a restoration it is also a pretty cool
history piece as is. We know a lot of guys who would get a car like
this and refuse to do anything to it and tell you not only does it
have some patina but that patina is PERFECT! The stainless is all
there and it also comes with a second NOS front bumper. The glass
is in excellent shape and all the original date coded glass. There
is something really special about walking up to a car like this and
realizing even the glass on it was touched by those factory workers
almost 60 years ago now. It rides on 15" steel wheels with small
hub caps and the extra spare is still there as well. A new set of 4
radial black wall 195-65x15 tires were installed because this thing
should be taken out and driven, not hidden away somewhere in a
barn!
Not only was this Tempest the introduction of a new body style
design but Pontiac packed in a ton of other unique features that
actually make it one of the more rare cars out there. With the way
the drivetrain was built it is certainly a conversation piece and
we guarantee even some of the old school hotrodders out there will
get stumped when looking at it closely. The power in this car comes
from a 195 ci 3.2 L straight 4 motor known as the "Trophy 4". Why
the Trophy 4 you ask? The explanation is surprisingly straight
forward as the motor was named because it is derived from the right
cylinder bank of Pontiacs 389 "Trophy 8" engine. If that wasn't
enough they fitted them with a Rochester 4 barrel carburetor and
backed the motor up with a 3 speed and rear mounted transaxle! Talk
about unique! Tell your friends you are cruising around in a Safari
wagon with a 4cylinder and 4 barrel and they will probably think
you are making things up or just have no knowledge of cars. Well
you can prove them wrong because that is exactly what is in this
car and it's all original. We were so intrigued by the
configuration we actually called up some members of the
Pontiac-Oakland Club International to make sure there wasn't
something we were missing. Everyone we talked to remarked that was
how they were built and that you just don't see these cars around
any more. So the car is sure to be a hit a shows where it is most
likely if not always going to be the only one there. If uniqueness
alone isn't enough to get your interest then consider how obvious
it is that the previous owners didn't neglect the mechanical side
of their station wagon either. The car runs great! The current
owner regularly drives it around town and has tested it out of town
completing 950 miles with no issues. The car has had a few things
changed out over time but these are fairly small items done to
insure it is still road worthy. This includes a 2 core radiator,
thermostat, temperature sending unit, the tires, new brakes, 2 new
shocks and a rebuild on the carburetor. That is all relatively
minor things that are pretty unavoidable in any car that gets
driven for this many years.
The interior would potentially need some upholstery work depending
on your goals but the bones are all there and the rear seat is
still nicely covered. It has the front/rear bench seat, all of the
standard hardware like the window cranks/door handles, and all of
the original dash components like the gauges and push button AM
radio. The headlights, turn signals, and license plate light all
work. Even the dome light is still working!
Our business is old cars so we obviously love getting the
opportunity to check out some of the more unique cars ever made.
Cars like this are important parts of the timeline as you see
design and mechanical changes that took us from the first motored
vehicles to the modern cars you see every day. This car has a ton
of potential and being a survivor makes it really special. It falls
in that middle ground of being a great car to restore but also
being one that is super cool just as it is. We will leave the
future goals for the car up to you but there is no doubting it has
potential. It is a car that deserves a good home and someone that
will keep it in on the road for many years to come.
Make this Safari Wagon yours for $12,500.00!
NOW REDUCED DOWN TO $8,600.00!
https://youtu.be/60VBzbmfXCw