61er Tempest

[kohpau]

Ich habe heute einen 61er Pontiac Tempest angeboten bekommen, und obwohl ich eigentlich für dieses Auto keine Verwendung habe, überlege ich nur laut, aus dem eine Alltagskutsche zu machen (Anstelle meines C-Rekord). Original ist ein 195cui Reihenvierer implantiert (fehlt leider), das müsste eigentlich der 1/2 389er sein.
Auto kostet ohne Motor mit festgefressenen Bremsen ca. 1.200,- ?, Innen sauber, stehr aber seit 4 Jahren im Freien. Ales in allem ein überschaubares Projekt.
Hat wer Erfahrung mit den 4Zylindern? Woher bekomme ich Ersatz, wie ist der im Alltagsbetrieb (Standfestigkeit, Verbrauch etc).
Wenns mir zu heftig wird hat wer anderer Interesse?
Ein paar Fotos kann ich bei Interesse per Mail zukommen lassen.

[simonB.]

bidde??
es hat 1961 original 4zylis verbaut gegeben(in usa).
was man so alles nicht weiss

[kohpau]

Pontiac developed a four-cylinder engine by simply cutting one bank off its 6.4-litre (389 cu. in.) overhead-valve V8. The resulting large 3.2-litre (194.5 cu. in.) slant four was the first American four-cylinder since the Henry J and Crosley of the early 1950s. To counteract the big four's rough-running performance, Pontiac resorted to extra-soft engine mounts, reminiscent of Plymouth's 1931 "Floating Power."

Pontiac's half-an-eight reduced engine development costs considerably. Production costs were also lower because the four could pass down the same engine assembly line as the eight.

Pontiac's innovations didn't stop under the hood. The driveline was also unusual in that, although the engine was in the front, the transmission was in unit with the differential in the rear.

Power went to the rear via an unorthodox, one-piece, 2133 mm long, flexible 16 mm steel drive-shaft that sagged in the middle, soon earning the Tempest the nickname "Rope-Drive Pontiac."

This shaft was supported by two steady-bearings, and because it ran in a constantly curved condition, no universal joints were required. It was to act like a torsion bar to dampen out some of the vibration of the big four. The rear suspension was independent, using a swing axle design similar to early Corvairs.

The Tempest came with a three-speed manual transmission or a two-speed "Tempestorque" automatic with a torque converter. The automatic had a novel feature: when the transmission was in high gear, 60 per cent of the power was routed through the torque converter, and the other 40 per cent through regular non-slip mechanical gears. This split-torque power delivery eliminated some of the slippage inherent in automatics, contributing to better fuel economy.

The engine came with horsepower ratings ranging from 110 to as high as 166 in an optional high performance version. The aluminum 3.5-litre (215 cu. in.) 185 hp Oldsmobile V8 engine was also available.

Placing the transmission in the rear eliminated the large transmission hump, although it sacrificed 14 litres of trunk space. It also brought the front/rear weight distribution of the car to almost 50/50.

Pontiac claimed a number of engineering firsts for the Tempest. It was the first U.S. four-cylinder since the Crosley and Henry J; the first U.S. forward-engined car with rear automatic transmission; the first with a curved propeller shaft; and the first to use a split-torque automatic transmission with torque converter.

In performance, the four-cylinder Tempest was the slowest of GM's new senior compacts. A December 1961 Car Life magazine's comparison test of the three 1962 cars indicated that the 140 hp Tempest took 15.9 seconds to accelerate from zero to 96 km/hr (60 mph), whereas the 135 hp V6 Buick took 14.8, and the 155 hp Olds V8 only 14.

The Tempest's top speed was also the lowest at 142 km/hr (88 mph) compared with 153 km/hr (95) for the Buick and 161 km/hr (100) for the Oldsmobile. It was, however, slightly better in fuel economy.

The motoring press was generally impressed with the Tempest, no doubt captured by its technical novelty. Motor Trend magazine gave Pontiac its Car Of The Year award for it.

Alas, the Tempest's technological promise proved more seductive than its real world performance. The drive-shaft had a tendency to vibrate and rattle, and the swing axles were prone to the same handling deficiencies as those in the Corvair, with a tendency to tuck under and oversteer. And that big four was a rough runner.

[kohpau]

Bemerkenswert ist vor allem der Rest des Antriebsstrangs - ist mir auch noch nie untergekommen!

[Christl]

Der (Scheibenwischer)Motor kann doch nicht das ganze Gewicht dazahn....

Oder hatte man da wie bei den Flintstones ein Loch im Boden um etwas nachzuhelfen?

[marvin]

Prinzipiell ein aufwendiges Transaxle-System; eigentlich nur in höherpreisigen Sportwagen zu finden: Porsche 928, Alfa GTV...