“You want to take it for a drive?” This was my neighbor, Mike, walking down his front lawn toward me as I admired his car. “Seriously?” I replied. I’d only lived here a couple years, and this fellow and I had spoken exactly twice, and here he was pressing his keys into my hand. “Well, sure!” So in I climbed, and off I went.
I drove it around our large suburban neighborhood. A wide, two-mile-long road rings this subdivision, and it was empty on this evening. So I put my foot in it a little, just to get a feel. She was solid – she accelerated briskly, the front end didn’t float up, she stayed flat around the curve, steering was light but direct and sure. It was very cool to drive a car again where I can see the front corners. I’d forgotten what that was like.
The car had some obvious modifications, starting with a small steering wheel and a bunch of extra gauges. Mike had also swapped in some racing-style seats. I found them to be uncomfortable, but it’s not like I was taking a cross-country road trip.
The floor shifter tripped me up for a minute – I pressed the button and pulled, expecting it to slide all the way to D, but it stopped at R. I did it again and got as far as N. Oh! A ratcheting shifter. The bump on the steering column says that this car didn’t start its life with one.
The back seat looks original and gives a sense that before the mods this car was pretty on the outside but basic on the inside. At least the floors are carpeted. Mike told me he bought this Tempest from a family he’d known all his life, and they bought it new. It would have been a nice car for mom back in the day – roomy enough for family duty if the family wasn’t too large, fun and stylish, but not in any way ostentatious.
The biggest modification was a recent replacement of the original but tired Pontiac 326 with a crate 350. Looks like there’s also a beefier radiator there, and some other go-faster parts.
Mike’s left the exterior largely alone, except for the black stripes and the chrome wheels. I like that. When I see him tooling around in it, it looks for all the world like we just stepped back into the late 60s. It’s a pleasant feeling. World events made no more sense then than they do now, but nostalgia sure makes them feel like they did.
This is by no means a show car. Rather, it’s a fun car with good bones for a man who likes to tinker. Mike has plans for other go-fast parts, but except for having just replaced the windshield he has no real plans to restore the exterior. Maybe a fresh paint job one day, Mike allowed. Maybe rechrome the bumpers.
I made these photos in front of the mail station at the center of our subdivision, and then returned the car to Mike. I was gone all of thirty minutes. “Back so soon?” he called out as I exited his Tempest. “I thought maybe you’d want to take it up the highway and see what it could do, or run ‘er into town and hit the Dairy Queen.”
“Oh, Mike, thanks, I didn’t want to push it too far. You’re very generous giving me this chance to take her for a spin.”
“Hey, now, just let me know if you’d like to take your wife out on a date in it!”
We all need neighbors like Mike.
Related reading: A ’67 Tempest Custom hardtop, a pillared ’67 Tempest at a car show, and a ’67 GTO in motion.
What a perfect start to a Friday morning. Mike is a good guy. Great pictures, Jim!
I just thought of something else. I had wanted to edit my comment yesterday, but couldn’t, so here comes the post script.
From a personal standpoint, I completely understand your reluctance to take Mike’s Tempest out for a prolonged drive. I don’t constantly live in fear, so to speak, but “worst case scenario” is often in the back of my mind.
For some, taking this classic Pontiac out for a longer spin around town would be no big deal. I sometimes envy people who are less risk-averse than me. I also love my own self-preservation instincts. All of this is to say that I hope you didn’t end up feeling bad afterward for not taking up that offer.
I had forgotten (if I had ever paid attention to it to begin with) that Pontiac offered a convertible that was not a GTO or at least LeMans. I had also forgotten that there was ever a Tempest Custom. But what a great choice for the lady who picked it out in 1967.
All of the smaller Pontiacs that brushed up against my life at that time were the sportier, higher-trim models bought by our neighbors. Mr. Bordner had a 67 LeMans Sprint with a 4 speed behind the OHC 6 while his wife had a 66 GTO hardtop. These Pontiacs are far and away my favorite flavor of the GM A body of 1966-67.
And lucky you for getting the luxury of your own personal test drive.
Like a lot of people, I tend to believe that the 1968-1972 GM model years were the pinnacle of A-Body perfection, but your post has reminded me that the previous iterations (especially the ’67’s) were pretty damn beautiful too. Thanks.
What a great story and a great car. There’s no better words to hear than “You want to take it for a drive?” when offered in friendship.
I love to hear stories about how cars like Tempests beat the odds and survive for five decades, like how Mike bought this example from its original owners. Last year I was talking to a guy who owned a ’67 (or so) Tempest sedan – he had bought it as a beater car while in college, and the Tempest just wouldn’t die, so he grew quite attached to it and eventually restored it.
Glad you got to enjoy this Tempest for a good half-hour. Hopefully your wife like the date idea, too!
Such a great neighbor! Pontiac had it right for 66 & 67. Want the drop dead sexy clean quarter panel look of a GTO without the temptation to do bad thing? We have it! The back seat has been recovered and the Stratos are gone( most likely was a bench anyway) but who cares? Stunning ride,,
From 1960 to 1972, it’s pretty hard to find a bad Pontiac. They weren’t the fastest on the street, but didn’t need to be. They had the looks and style, and that’s what counted.
I had 1959 Bonneville in 1964 when I was drafted for the U.S. all expense paid vacation in the Far East. The Bonneville had a stunning interior and was a great road car. Wish I
had it back. But that 1967 Tempest is sure nice looking survivor.
May Mike be blessed with long life and good health, we all need neighbours like Mike
Would like to buy 1967 tempest.How much?