1965 Pontiac Tempest Custom Safari (station wagon)
Very good condition
326 cubic inch engine rebuilt 1000 miles ago
Manual transmission: Heavy Duty Dearborn
3 speed with rare factory Hurst floor shifter
Mint (near) multi -color original blue interior
New: Fuel system, brake system, cooling system, ignition system
3.23 : 1 safe-t-track (positraction) rearend
Nice Rallye I wheels with Coker redline tires
Car runs, drives, idles, accelerates, shifts through all gears and goes straight down the road/highway well
Repaint in Fontaine Blue lacquer nice but not perfect
This 1965 Pontiac Tempest Custom station wagon is finished in blue over blue vinyl upholstery and is powered by a 326ci V8 linked with a three-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential. Equipment includes 14″ Rally wheels, a GTO-style grille, a roof rack, a tow ball, an AM radio, and a heater. The seller purchased the car in 2022 and subsequent work has included rebuilding the carburetor, replacing the water pump (flowkooler) and NOS rocker moldings, and overhauling the brake, fuel, and ignition systems. This Tempest Custom wagon is now offered with Pontiac Historic Services documentation, parts invoices, a handwritten maintenance log, and a clean Illinois title in the seller’s name.
The car was finished in Fontaine Blue (D) from the factory and received a respray approximately 15 years ago. Exterior details include a GTO-style grille, dual side mirrors, a roof rack, dual exhaust outlets, a drop-down tailgate, a tow ball hitch, and chrome bumpers, window surrounds, and trim. Replacement rocker panel moldings were installed in preparation for the sale, and cracked paint as well as other various imperfections are highlighted in photos provided below.
The 14″ Rally wheels are mounted with Coker Classic red-stripe tires. The four-wheel drum brakes were serviced under current ownership, which included replacing the lines, wheel cylinders, and master cylinder.
The cabin houses bench seating upholstered in blue vinyl along with a color-coordinated dashboard, door panels, and carpeting. Amenities include an AM radio, a floor shifter, glovebox storage, and a heater. Stains in the headliner are shown in a video provided below.
The steering wheel fronts a 120-mph speedometer and a fuel-level gauge. An auxiliary gauge pod has been mounted to the underside of the dashboard. The five-digit odometer shows 65k miles, approximately 50 of which were added under current ownership.
The 326ci V8 was factory rated at 250 horsepower and 333 lb-ft of torque.
Decoding the trim tag reveals the following information:
Pontiac Historic Services documentation is provided in the photos.
1965 9778840 casting code 326 cubic inch engine has the two digit code of WP and a date code of D125 ( April 12 1965). The cylinder head casting codes are 62. The Safe-T-Track (force applied to both wheels) rearend has a YF code indicating a 3:23 gear ratio.
I located and installed New Old Stock rocker panel moldings (see photos in their orginal wrappers), as none came with car and I wanted them to fit perfectly.
As indicated in the Pontiac Historic Sevices documentation, it is a nicely optioned car and I count 23 red options outlined (notably Ride and Handling Package, Safe-T-Track, Soft Ray Glass, Transistor ignition, HD Battery).
