eBay Find of the Day: 1963 LeMans Tempest sells for $226,521

AutoBlog ^ | November 10, 2008 | Chris Tutor

[Daffynition]

The eBay auction for this 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest started out innocently enough. Obtained after owner died. Appears to have original interior but no motor, no transmission. Body has a little rust and some dents. There's stuff in the trunk, but no key to open it. Opening bid nine days ago was a mere $500. After one week, eBay seller 123ecklin will pocket $226,521 before auction fees. What happened between Day 1 and Day 9 is an amazing story.

The car's plexiglass windows, unusual suspension setup and a dash plate bearing the name of a racetrack tipped the owner to its racing history. But what he didn't know is that the car is one of only six 1963 Pontiac LeMans Tempest Super Duty coupes ever made. Hemmings recently did a story on the rare cars in which they listed all ever built. This one looks to have been driven by Stan Antlocer and was the fastest drag car in 1963 before disappearing.

Reading through the questions on the auction gives us reason to believe the seller truly didn't know the car's provenance. In his answers, he seems both surprised by the car's potential value as well as overwhelmed by the attention. He turned down an offer of $160,000 to end the auction early because he feared getting negative eBay feedback. That decision paid off. With only seven minutes remaining, the highest offer was $95,000. When the virtual gavel fell, eBayer ccsi2000 had bought a very rare, if a little rusty, LeMans for $226,521.

[Daffynition]

More photos at the source.

[Tax-chick]

Car.

[valkyry1]

Fools

[Kirkwood]

My Cousin Vinnie (1992)

Mona Lisa Vito: No, there's more! You see? When the left tire mark goes up on the curb and the right tire mark stays flat and even? Well, the '64 Skylark had a solid rear axle, so when the left tire would go up on the curb, the right tire would tilt out and ride along its edge. But that didn't happen here. The tire mark stayed flat and even. This car had an independent rear suspension. Now, in the '60's, there were only two other cars made in America that had positraction, and independent rear suspension, and enough power to make these marks. One was the Corvette, which could never be confused with the Buick Skylark. The other had the same body length, height, width, weight, wheel base, and wheel track as the '64 Skylark, and that was the 1963 Pontiac Tempest.

[Issaquahking]

Man, it is far worse than realized! No wonder the big three want money, their selling the cars for dirt cheap! Couple of Million for a 63? Maybe this will help explain it

[dalereed]

“Fools”

Not at all, he can turn around and get half a million plus for at a Barrett Jackson auction.

[Issaquahking]

Sorry only $200G...chump change.

[TV Dinners]

exactly... it’s a viable investment.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

What a horrible decision-quagmire for the hybrid-vehicle tax-and-spend crowd:

Outlaw eeeevil gas-guzzler race cars, or harvest enormous capital gains taxes on such as this?

Decisions, decisions...

[dalereed]

Restored, a couple of million!

[ETL]

I saw a '69 Camaro go for just over $300,000 yesterday on Mecum. Mecum is a muscle car and classics auto auction which apparently only appears on Discovery HD Theater.

Here is the DHDT website. I don't know what time zones are used in their schedule. You might have to check your own satellite or cable program guide for the schedule.
http://dhd.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=66.15689.124793.35802.x

[JoeProBono]

It just needs a little ivory

[Daffynition]

The actress’ delivery was superb. I love that movie!

[Oops ... am I supposed to call her an actor?]

[Daffynition]

I don’t own a TV .... so I’ll have to catch it some other way. But thanks. I love vintage cars.

[Daffynition]

[Son House]

22 photos here;

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1963-pontiac-lemans-tempest-on-ebay-motors/1149500/

the ebay auction here;

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pontiac-Le-Mans-TEMPEST-63-PONTIAC-LeMANS-TEMPEST-1-4-MILE-CAR-W-O-MOTOR-TRANS_W0QQitemZ110306170567QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item110306170567&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A727%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

.
now if only my lottery ticket would pay off, I’d be driving hundreds of early ‘60’s cars, my favorite years because of being just after the rounded fenders fade

[JoeProBono]

Ha! Once had a '57 Chevy. Wish I had kept it up.

[smokingfrog]

the swiss cheese car goes varoooom!

[potlatch]

Lol devolve, I found a thread you’ll like.

[Daffynition]

HAHAHA. Funny, I had a '57 Chevy too. One of two cars over the years I wish I had kept.

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Good find!

Did she mention which one was raced? 8<)

[JoeProBono]

Ebay Tips & Tricks

[Daffynition]

Cool!

[Daffynition]

HAHAHA! That’s a classic!

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

[devolve]

.

Thanks potlatch

Who knows what happened to John Schultz’s AC-’Vette that Shelby copied a few years later.....

[JoeProBono]

I once flirted with Ebay

[potlatch]

Lol, Only the Shadow knows. I know nothing. Thought you would like the animated gif on the page.

[JoeProBono]

Here's the other car I wish I'd kept (I'm getting tearful)

[devolve]

.

Try selling on Amazon

[imahawk]

And a better place would be the stock market right?I think you just might be a little narrow minded on this one.

[YdontUleaveLibs]

Man, that should never happen to a ‘57 Chevy!

[valkyry1]

I guess if I had that kind of money for a car I would want a pristine Porsche 917 or its ancestor.

[imahawk]

See there,its all about what a person finds to be valuable.One mans junk is another mans treasure.I like the Porsch but I love the drag racing heritage pontiac.Its the history.

[SunkenCiv]

[Minnehaha]

[Daffynition]

That’s the funniest image I’ve seen in ages! HAHAHA!HAHAHA!HAHAHA!

[Malsua]

The Box springs in the engine compartment is a nice touch. LOL

[Daffynition]

Hey, Wanna See A Picture Of My Pride And Joy?

[JoeProBono]

[tubebender]

These things had a weird driveline connected to a rear transaxle that was a bad joke at best. The one pictured has a conventional rear end and a bell housing for a 4 speed transmission. I can't remember who raced one but it could have been the late Mickey Thompson.

A couple of years ago my grandson bought a early 70s Bronco that had spent too much time on the beach. He was going to pull the differentials and put them in his little Ranger but never got around to it. He had it stored in his uncle's warehouse when a salesman saw it and went into shock. It was one of 700 Stroppe modified Broncos and the guy traded a sharp 68 plus cash plus a extra set of differentials for it. He should have listed it on eBay or at least Craig's list...

[B4Ranch]

He could have listed it on eBay or at least Craig’s list...

He should have listed it on eBay or at least Craig’s list...

He would have listed it on eBay or at least Craig’s list...

coulda, shoulda, woulda

[Daffynition]

Cool story. We can’t live with our regrets though. I’ve parted with things that may have had more value, but unless you have a warehouse, as you mention, what are you going to do with all the junk we collect? After a while, it begins to own us. ;D

[SouthTexas]

I wondered if we were ever going to get back on today.

[tubebender]

My grandson loses tens of thousand of dollars and you are miffed about FR being down for 20% of the rest of my life?

[HungarianGypsy]

I think (hope) my Tempest was a ‘62. I must go be sick now if not.

[SouthTexas]

He’s lucky he didn’t have it in the market.