$225k Pontiac Tempest Super Duty Sold On eBay

[oestek]

This is cool... 1 of 6, sold for $226,xxx.00

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pontiac-Le-Mans-TEMPEST-63-PONTIAC-LeMANS-TEMPEST-1-4-MILE-CAR-W-O-MOTOR-TRANS_W0QQitemZ110306170567QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_C ars_Trucks?hash=item110306170567&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A727|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2008/11/cea5_3JPG-1.jpg

[MuscleRodz]

A buddy of mine told me about this auction. he said when it was originally listed, had a start bid of $500 and a Buy It Now for $2000. Talk about hitting jackpot, guy did not know what he had.

[rocketrod]

The really neat thing is they nknkow where the original lightweight fenders and engine are. I can only imagine what the current owner will pay for those.

Here are the finally five bids. In the finally 10 seconds the bid increased from $121K to $226,521.63.

Bidders:31Bids:71Time Ended:Nov-09-08 20:55:42 PST

ccsi2000( 1462) US $226,521.63 Nov-09-08 20:55:37 PST
e***i( 533) US $226,421.63 Nov-09-08 20:55:39 PST
i***l( 973) US $155,000.00 Nov-09-08 20:55:39 PST
a***-( 369) US $121,000.00 Nov-09-08 20:55:32 PST
s***p( 258) US $92,000.00 Nov-09-08 17:46:16 PST

[SStrokerAce]

My father was in the Pontiac plant as a student Engineer at the time of that car... I forwarded him the Ebay listing and this is what he had to say...


"The only thing that really made '63 SD Tempests special was the driveline (missing), the front sheet metal (aluminim and missing), the console shifter (missing) and the body build plate which looks screwed on and not riveted!

A few things I noticed which are etched into my memory because I was just about to turn 20 when I saw each of these SD cars being built.

The trunk floor is not cut out as it should be for the SD PowerShift transaxle, the heater block off plate is wrong and the hole for the shifter is in the wrong place on the floorpan. The real fuel tank is missing, but that was just a cut-down stock tank so it would be easy to duplicate. There's more, but I can't tell from the pics. The body tag indicates white exterior,which is correct, but the car doesn't look white. If it's original paint and not white that is a biggy.

The only Tempest SD parts are the strange shorty headers and pipes. They are probably worth more than the rest of the car if it's a fake.

It looks to me like someone recovered a body build plate and did a poor job faking the car. Pete McCarthy is well known, but he wasn't there in '63. He could be part of the $226K "problem".

$226K is a huge JOKE!"
Maybe it wasn't such a good buy afterall!!!!

Bret

[oestek]

My father was in the Pontiac plant as a student Engineer at the time of that car... I forwarded him the Ebay listing and this is what he had to say...


Maybe it wasn't such a good buy afterall!!!!

Bret

Wow, that's some insight! Makes for a killer story...

[critter]

Uhm, the fellow who posted that over on Performance Years was quickly shown the error of his ways. There are so many small things (beyond the all important VIN) that make that car unique that, yes, it probably is worth the quarter mil. Keep in mind that there were only six and only 2 (this one included) are known to exist. The fellow who dropped that money isn't stupid. He knew what he was buying. You don't just go "clone" one of these cars. There are too many unique parts.

For those who care to read the full exchange:
http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578923

[dropit69]

..the guy that bought it has some serious cars im told and if you look at the stuff he bought off ebay in the last month itll tell you the economy is not hurting him..

[SStrokerAce]

Uhm, the fellow who posted that over on Performance Years was quickly shown the error of his ways. There are so many small things (beyond the all important VIN) that make that car unique that, yes, it probably is worth the quarter mil. Keep in mind that there were only six and only 2 (this one included) are known to exist. The fellow who dropped that money isn't stupid. He knew what he was buying. You don't just go "clone" one of these cars. There are too many unique parts.

For those who care to read the full exchange:
http://forums.performanceyears.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578923

Hey, I'm just going off of someone I trust who had eyes and ears on the real ones at the factory. At 19 years old with free reign of the Pontiac plant what are you going to do in 1962? Watch Catalina's get built or scope out all the cool drag cars?