‘LS1Tech’ Forum Member’s 1967 Pontiac Tempest Build Lights Our Fire
With infallible lines, the classic Pontiac was a solid car for any era. But this Tempest build adds a spark of LS brawn to ignite performance.
Pontiac has long been a favorite among auto enthusiasts. One need look no further than the 1960s-era Pontiacs to see why. These cars had brawn, style, and all the horses to deliver a deeply satisfying muscle car. And they still turn heads today. Which is exactly what we did when we spotted this 1967 Pontiac Tempest Custom.
Owned by LS1Tech forum member Mikko, this sleek blue Tempest was already in remarkable shape. But Mikko wanted to push his Pontiac a little further–let a muscle car do its thing and let that Tempest blaze. Okay, that is our last fire reference…we promise.
Although, it is hard not to think “hot” when you look at the Tempest Custom. It is an exciting car, made all the more irresistible with a droptop and and LS swap. He chose to go with a LM7 paired to a TH350.
When the project began, he had a sound game plan. Plus, this wasn’t a maiden voyage, Mikko already having completed a few major builds, including his supercharged LS3-swapped 1970 Camaro RS track car.
However, he was looking for something different for his next project.
“I’ve always absolute loved my Camaro’s engine, and as it’s more of race car, I wanted the same style for a street car also. I started looking at Novas, Chevelles, and Camaros, but preferably convertibles. When someone asked about my Charger and wanted to trade his Tempest for it, I was immediately in love and sold [it].”
And who wouldn’t fall hard for that solid unibody?
“Tempest is a semi-clone GTO, and [my] long term plan is to finish this cloning at 90% level….It has freshly built 400 based 406 cid SBC–quite healthy one–and also freshly built TH350.
I drove with this last summer, and it worked like a charm. I improved chassis and suspension a bit. BMR lowering springs, Bilstein/Koni shocks, Energy bushing and small adjustments.”
When it got down to the real nitty gritty, he turned to a great trucking source of V8 inspiration.
“Original plan before having the car was 5.3 L truck engine, with single turbo setup. I sourced project engine…modified for retrofit purposes. Plug and Play modified harness with flashed ECU. This had low oil pressure, and was cheap. So it was perfect for my purposes, I would have taken it apart anyways. I’ve already sourced LH8 oil pan, it should be right for this swap If I’m correct.
My plan at this point is to use TH350 for now. LM7 uses plate type flex plate, and I need Hughes Performance HP3795 adapter for torque converter align. Outer fuel pump, with Corvette style regulator is the plan.”
While he ran into tuning and other issues along the way, the result is just stone cold killer. Giving a 1967 Pontiac Tempest Custom a supercharged LS3 is the ideal set up for a juicy blend of power and performance.
What do you think of this set up?
Photos: LS1Tech Forums
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