One of the six built, this Tempest Le Mans coupe was delivered to Stan Long Pontiac on Grand River Road in Detroit. Driver Stan Antlocer campaigned the car through a busy and successful 1963 season that included the all-important Indy Nationals. Along the way he made an important change to the car. Since the 4-speed transaxle accommodated only up to a 3.90:1 final-drive ratio and was somewhat prone to breaking under the 421’s explosive power, Antlocer replaced the factory driveline with a heavy-duty Borg-Warner 3-speed manual transmission and a full-size Pontiac rear end with a 4.30:1 gear set. The change paid off in spades, earning Antlocer the title of “World’s Fastest Tempest” after tearing off an 11.93 ET at 123.95 mph at U.S. 131 Dragway in Martin, MI. This record-setting Pontiac factory lightweight Tempest was restored by Scott Teimann’s renowned Super Car Specialties in Portland, MI to the configuration as originally raced by Stan Antlocer, including the 421 Super Duty engine with dual inline Carter 4-bbl carbs.
Russo and Steele