Rare 4x4x4 Convertible: 1963 Pontiac LeMans
The Tempest was Pontiac’s first compact car, in production from 1961 to 1963. From there, it was promoted to mid-size status. The LeMans was an upper-level trim model and only rode on coupes and convertibles in 1963. This drop-top (unfinished project?) may be especially rare as it has the 4x4x4 set-up (4-cylinder, 4-speed, 4-barrel) that the seller says only found 80 buyers when new. Located in Manassas, Virginia, this vehicle was first listed here on Facebook Marketplace six months ago, so it may have already changed hands. The asking price is/was $10,500. An interesting tip brought to us by Mark F.!
Standard in the 1963 LeMans was the “Trophy 4” inline-4 which displaced 194.5 cubic inches. It was designed by using just the left side of Pontiac’s 389 V8. You could upgrade the base package by adding a 4-speed manual transmission and a 4-barrel carburetor, which apparently only saw limited production. Pontiac built about 8,700 LeMans convertibles in 1963, so if the seller’s claim is accurate, the car seen here may have been part of just 1% to get assembled.
We assume this Pontiac is a stalled restoration that the seller isn’t planning to finish. The cowl tag identifies the original color as Nocturne Blue with a dark blue vinyl interior. Grey primer is present now and the chrome and glass have been removed with no mention of their whereabouts. The floorboards all look new and sport red primer.
We assume the interesting engine has been rebuilt, but it doesn’t look complete. The motor and transmission are said to be numbers-matching which helps with the desirability of the vehicle. If all the parts are still there and you don’t mind picking up where someone else left off, is this a project you’d undertake? Assuming it’s still available, that is.
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Comments
LUV IT !…I’d use a newer aluminum head on it tho..
Is this the engine that Mickey Thompson cut in half again to make his 2 cylinder rail dragster in the mid ’60s? I don’t remember any details but it was surprisingly fast.
That’s an engine I’ve never seen before! I’d be interested if it was finished, but the prospect of having to finish this rare beast is a turn off.
I hate to ask but are there any estimated 1/4 mile stats? This is the first I have ever seen a factory 4x4x4. Not a common combination in my experience and I am curious how much performance came from this.
I would also like to see Horsepower and torque number for that half of a V8
Honestly never saw this engine anywhere before or at least it never looked so much exactly as described a V8 cut in half! This is why I read barn finds because just when you think you have seen it all , you haven’t! Cool car that’s very interesting.
I couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen these half a V8 in photos only unfortunately. But this pic sure highlights it. Its a little strange looking. But this is a nice combo with the 4 speed and should be fun to drive.
Seems to me that International did something similar to make a 4 cyl Scout. Probably not the only example. Very cool little car…
For 1968, a bigger version of the Comanche appeared, made from half of the 392-cubic-inch truck V8; this rig achieved a monstrous-for-a-four-cylinder displacement of 196 cubic inches (3.2 liters).Dec 28, 2017
https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a1837651/cut-down-engine-week-ihc-comanche/
I cam see this at a Cars & Coffee event. “Oh, I left the the other half of the engine back home.”
Back in 1975 I owned a ’63 Tempest wagon with the four banger/half a V8 and the two-speed automatic transmission. I can’t ever recall hearing of a 4X4 version of the car, but that’s due to increasing memory loss combined with attempting to forget I ever owned that monstrosity.
If the Mopar “Leaning Tower of Power” is a Slant Six, wouldn’t this be a “Slant Four”?
4 cylinder Tempests were well known for being painfully underpowered back in the day. I’m sure the 4 barre and 4 speed help considerably. Wonder how the constant velocity shaft reacts to spirited driving?
half a V8 could be called a ” Demi-V”
I have never seen a 4cyl engine like this it looks more like a slant 6 that Chrysler built in 59 for it’s 60’s model was GM trying to compete with Chrysler with this 4x4x4 engine but here is what I found// GM introduced the four-cylinder engine with a four-barrel carburetor in the early 1960s. Specifically, the Chevrolet II/Nova featured a 153 cubic inch inline-four engine for the 1962 model year. This engine was based on the 230 cubic inch inline-six and marked GM’s return to four-cylinder powerplants after a long hiatus1. However, I couldn’t find specific details about the exact year when the four-barrel version was introduced. It’s worth noting that this engine was designed to compete with the popular Ford Falcon compact car at the time
What I’ve been able to find is horsepower and torque ratings for the 4 barrel Trophy 4 were 166 HP and 215 ft lbs of torque. Not a barn burner by any means, but very unique and interesting to look at under the hood. I just thought that this could be about the only 1 of 80 vehicle out there that could be had for a reasonable price. The ad actually mentions that engine was rebuilt and dynoed, and that it comes with lots of parts including the full interior although it probably needs refurbished. I used to think like a lot of you on here that it is way too much trouble to try and pick up where someone else left off on a project car. But with the Internet it makes finishing these cars a lot easier. You can always find someone online that knows how things are supposed to go back together, and at a minimum, you can connect with people all over the country for parts where 20 years ago you were on your own to figure everything out and searching salvage yards and swap meets for years trying to locate the parts.
They can run 200 horse very easy,good little engine…
I have never seen this engine before. I owned a 1963 triple black w/389 & 4 speed. Wish I still had it, but in those days and now I can’t afford to keep my trade in.
Ummmm, correct me if I’m wrong, but that would be the RIGHT half of the V-8.
It sits so high that i taught it was a 4×4 , as in all wheel drive , would have been very futuristic and beaten subaru by a decade ! Now , seriously this thing with a 4 banger must be boring …
As a born montrealer living in the burbs , my topless cars wich i have owned many , are for summer use only and i don’t drive boring and this one is , altough certainly worth many discussons at c&c simply talking about its engine and rear transmission
LS anyone ?
Normally I would be agree, but not in this case. The combination is too unusual and too rare to do a swap on this car. I am a hot rodder at heart and this car doesn’t have the power I like in a vehicle either, but I have too much respect for its uniqueness to make another cookie cutter ls powered hot rod out of it. Save the ls swaps for the common cars.