This 1963 Pontiac Tempest LeMans had been parked in 1999 and never moved after that. Now, it goes into the detailing shop because a man wants it running and looking good for his dad, who has just given up a muscle car. But the Pontiac needs to be decontaminated first because it was home to Stuart Little's whole dynasty.
The Tempest LeMans came to the market the year Pontiac switched from one platform to another, with LeMans being one of the trim grades available in the lineup. Pontiac then decided to redesign the Tempest, converting the compact into a mid-size model. They also started making bigger cars with bigger engines to meet the demand of a market in which vehicles grew in every direction.
But this is a compact car, recovered from a barn just the day before and brought to the shop, and is in bad need of its first wash in 25 years. Someone wrote "wash me" in the dust on the right rear fender of the car. And washing it gets.
The owner bought and freed it from the barn where it had spent a quarter of a century parked in the exact same spot because his father has had some health issues and can't deal with the V8-powered muscle car that he used to drive before getting sick. So, the son thought of something easier to handle and came across this 1963 Pontiac Tempest for his dad to drive during recovery.
The Tempest LeMans shows its age from every angle. There are chrome trims missing, while the ones still on the car have lost their shine. Orange paint, similar to that on the vehicle, shows up in places where it shouldn't be, including on the tires. So, it looks like someone, at some point, rattle-canned it to fix issues on the body of the car. It might have something to do with the matching paint-match door locks.
Photo: WD Detailing | YouTube
The expert is not going to fix the whole paintwork but will do his best to make it look good. Painting the Pontiac is a whole different story and it is up to the owner to decide if he wants the entire car painted.
RJ and his teammate find a mouse that took its last breath in the back seat of this Pontiac. With the body removed (of the mouse, not of the car!), they can finally start working on the car.
They start with the tires, but those will need to be replaced because the times when they were safe are long gone now. The wheel covers that were previously sitting inside the cabin, finally find their way back to their place.
The dirt gets sprayed away with solutions that de-grease the body and windows. The orange paint is starting to look bright, but once the dirt is removed, paint spots on the chrome trim show up. However, the "Wash me" plea is gone as well. No need for it anymore.
Photo: WD Detailing | YouTube
Something leaked on the car in the barn where it spent 25 years of its life. But the stain is gone in a few minutes. Foaming and brushing with soft brushes and microfiber cloth will get the result they counted on from the very start. Wet sanding would make the paint regain its shine, but since the owner is considering painting the car, it doesn’t really make sense.
The vinyl top has lost its original white shade over the years as dirt penetrated the material. Even after intense work, it did not come out completely white.
The engine under the hood of the Pontiac is a V8 split in half. It is derived from the GM 389-cubic-inch "Trophy 8" V8 engine and cut in half into an inline-four with a capacity of 194.5 cubic inches. It didn't make much, pumping out between 110 and 160 horsepower, depending on the grade selected by the owner.
But it came with a good reputation in the company of a four-barrel carburetor. Furthermore, it was mated to a four-speed manual transmission, which made it fun to drive at the time because the engine had to pull a light vehicle.
The only Pontiac badge showing up on board is inserted into the dashboard, a quite discreet solution for the carmaker that did not put it on the steering wheel, headrests, or anywhere else.
Photo: WD Detailing | YouTube
But the LeMans lettering is displayed at the top of the dashboard, flanked by checkered flags. Unfortunately, the steering wheel is falling apart and is going to take more than just some TLC to come off nicely.
The previous owner put a living room rug over the original carpet. The team finds many of Stuart Little's relatives on the floor of the car. Luckily, they did not eat into the vinyl that covers the seats and door cards.
They try to get the Pontiac started, but the coolant reservoir is full of rust and needs to be replaced. However, the oil tank comes with better news, even though the oil needs to be changed. The fuel must be removed from the tank because it has been in there for ages. But after all the additions, it still won't work. The owner is going to fix that problem before he gives the gift to his father.
Google News