[gtoric]

Jack, in response to your call for input regarding Tempest T-37 vs. T-37-only badging, here is what I have to offer.



This is a scan of the announcement folder for the Tempest Hardtop Coupe. Note "Tempest" is the only badge on the fender. No engine callout - perhaps this is a base 6-cylinder-equipped car. This is a 6-panel folder measuring ~11" x 7".



This is the front of an info picture card for the Tempest T-37 Hardtop Coupe. Note "Tempest", "T-37", and "350" badges on front fender. Card measures ~ 7" x 3.25". Back side of card gives a description of the model, and a partial listing of options and accessories.



This is a scan of an original T-37 decal. Note stamped part #481938. Decal is just short of 4" long.

As far as I can determine both methods of badging were used. Perhaps this is an "early/late" application situation.

[6t7gto]

gtoric,
all i get are a red "X".
i click on it to show picture and nothing.

david

nevermind, they are there now.

[Jack Peters]

gtoric, Could you scan the back side and post or pm them to me. Any idea of the dates of these?

[ambmech1]

So the info that I have gathered so far from these posts are 1. my car build date of 4/70 should have T37 decals under the Tempest emblems and 2. 350 rocker moldings without rocker chrome. I am glad someone asked these questions. I have owned the car for 3 years now and wondered about Tempest/T37 differences.

[gtoric]

Originally Posted by Jack Peters

gtoric, Could you scan the back side and post or pm them to me. Any idea of the dates of these?

Jack, here is the back of the card.



The folder deals with the LeMans HT coupe and the Catalina 4-Door sedan as well as with the Tempest Hardtop coupe. There are no dates on any of these pieces. The folder does have a document no. of SP 3348.

[gtoric]

Originally Posted by ambmech1

So the info that I have gathered so far from these posts are 1. my car build date of 4/70 should have T37 decals under the Tempest emblems and 2. 350 rocker moldings without rocker chrome. I am glad someone asked these questions. I have owned the car for 3 years now and wondered about Tempest/T37 differences.

There was option Y86 Decor Group available that added:
Wheel Opening Moldings
Deluxe Wheel Covers
Wood Grain Instrument Panel
Concealed Windshield Wipers
Deluxe Steering Wheel
Decor Moldings
Rear Armrests with Ashtray (std. 3337)
Custom Pedal Trim Plates
Dual Horns
cost $109.58 (2/24/70)

Rocker Panel Moldings were also available as option B83 for $10.53. How your car looked originally depends on how it was optioned.

[SpartanMSU]

It's been my impression that the T-37 was a spring promotional model based on the Tempest and perhaps ursurped it. Was the T-37 available as a post too? Because, logically speaking, T-37 would almost suggest a designation for a Tempest hardtop.

[Jack Peters]

The T-37 was also a post car and many GT-37's in '70 were post cars.

Tempests could also be post cars.

The '37' designation has always been a point of interest. I wish I could talk to John Sawruk about it. He may have some of the answere we are looking for.

[gtoric]

As far as I know, the T-37 refered to the Tempest hardtop coupe (body style 3337) only. Jack, do you have evidence that the T-37 designation was also applicable to the 3327 Tempest sedan? I do understand that the 70 1/2 GT-37 was available in both 3327 and 3337. In '71 the GT-37 was only offered on a hardtop 3337. I don't know why the GT Sport Package was named GT-37, yet was built on both 27 and 37 body styles in '70. More sales potential?

[Jack Peters]

gtoric,

I don't recall seeing any '70 T-37 2 dr post cars only the GT-37. However, the GT package was only available on the T-37. So there must have been some. It was not a stand alone package, or at least not that I am aware of. You had to order any available V8 in the 2 dr model (ht or post) and the GT package was available. I find it would be odd if there were no T-37 post cars in '70. But come to think of it I have never seen a '70 T-37 post car. Hmmmm.....

It is interesting that years ago there were 2 GT-37's in Anchorage, AK and both were red, post, 350, 3 speed, black int, cars. I kick myself for not buying both. Both were available at a reasonable price. Ahhhh, what great hindsight.

I am hoping someone will come forward with some kind of information that they have one of these. Maybe someone knows Jim Matthison of PHS and could get him to shed some light on this subject. I was really hoping Jim Sawruk would hear of this and chime in.

The Magnum 400's were Tempest post cars also.

['ol Pinion head]

A few years back Rocky Rotella provided me info from an original Car Sales Bulletin showing the GT-37 was not even introduced till late May 1970. This has jived with records of 70 1/2 GT-37's I have recorded. The late May intro gives the '70 1/2's a very short production time frame.

When get a chance, will do some record digging, but do have VINs recorded on a few late '70 T-37's. Feel certain Pontiac built these as 2 door post cars, as know where several are that I've stripped parts off of.

['ol Pinion head]

Originally Posted by Jack Peters

My main curiosity is, was there a Tempest 2 dr ht before the (Tempest) T-37?? Seems to be confilcting stories and just trying to see if it is fact or rumor. As you can see in the pics above both seem to be available....

Yes, the '70 Tempest came before the late '70 T-37. The Tempest was renamed T-37 to breathe fresh air into the line. Pontiac was trying to after customers who were flocking to the low priced Dusters & Demons. Jack, you need to go yarding with me. Eight '70 Tempests & LeMans, & one late 70 T-37, all in the same yard

[Jack Peters]

OPH,

About time you chimed in. Wondered where you had been. I brought the subject up because I had heard the rumor there were no "Tempest" ht's and the T-37 was the first ht in '70. But as you can see there are Tempest ht's and T-37 ht's. I would like to see a pic of a T-37 (not GT) post car if someone has one.

I finally found the ad I was looking for. Even the GT-37 said Tempest on it. Hmmm

[UPC-WU2]

OPH, I have PHS docs on a '70 GT-37 HT. It is a June '70 car which fits in with your info. I can send you a copy.

Jack, the photo of the red car is a dealership poster I have from 1970. You're right, it is interesting that it has both Tempest and GT-37 on the fenders.

[gtoric]

The entire 33 body style line was refered to as the Tempest for the entire model year. The Pontiac Accessorizer effective September 18, 1969 lists:
Tempest Coupe (3327)
Tempest 4-Door Sedan (3369)
The Pontiac Accessorizer effective February 24, 1970 lists:
Tempest Coupe (3327)
Tempest T-37 Hardtop Coupe (3337)
Tempest 4-Door Sedan (3369)

There is not a listing for the GT Sport Package (GT-37) in this later edition of the Accessorizer, thus adding further creedence to the May intro date.

There were no post (3327) T-37s built in 1970, no such animal, but the GT Sport Package was available on both 2-door body styles of the Tempest. As JLP states, a V-8 was a manditory option.

[Judge Man]

I believe Pontiac did build a 70 T-37 post.I have a friend that owned one it was white with red inter.it had a 350 auto.Of course I dont have docs to prove it but they were built because I saw one with my own eyes.I can call my friend and see if he kept docs of the car.

[b-man]

For those who are looking for a solid rust-free '70 T-37, mine is now up for sale in the Classified section.

Link to ad: http://216.178.81.108/forums/showthread.php?t=463876

[Axlshaft]

"Jack, i have a magazine, some where, that tells the story of the t-37.
IIRC, it was introduced in midyear 1970.
a stripped down version of the tempest.
so, i would guess both models were available.
and the VIN was 33.
now, i gotta find that mag."



6t7gto, did you ever find that magazine article on the T-37?

-Ken

[John V.]

I know this thread is old, but Jack pointed me to this one from the '70 T-37 Engine Options thread. The comments and info here are probably the best I've read on the confusing subject of the '70 T-37.

Jack, on the other thread you suggested that the T-37 "was the first Pontiac of the modern era to have a name plate that has not been discovered what it 'really' means. I think!!". I believe you stated that a bit tongue in cheek. But I wonder what you make of the renaming of the Tempest Custom as the Custom S for the '69 model year??!!

I'd like to throw my 2 cents in on the T-37 subject. First, on the existence of the '70 Tempest 2 dr. hardtop without T-37 badging. I suspect that IF such cars were produced, they may have been in a first "batch", quasi-pilot production, as evidenced by the car in the announcement folder. But it is my opinion that the T-37 moniker was originally derived from the idea that the car was a 33 model series (T)empest, 37 Body Style (2 dr. Hardtop Coupe). The fact that the T-37 was more broadly used in '71 wouldn't change the original context.

With MY tongue a bit in cheek, I have proposed that the T-37 was conceived as the GTO with training wheels, ala the low cost Air Force T-37 trainer jet which was used during the Viet Nam war era as both a training jet and a light attack jet. My notion is that you learned to "fly" in a T-37 and then graduated to the big dog GTO. It is logical to think that Pontiac was aware of the T-37 jet when they came up with the badging for the new Tempest hardtop coupe. Whether the thought was subliminal, openly copped, or not even remotely connected, I will never know.

It becomes clear that the Tempest 2 dr. Hardtop Coupe was added at mid-year and OPH makes the connection to the cheap Mopar products which GM was competing against which makes perfect sense. Up to that point, Pontiac's 2 dr. Hardtop Coupes were the more expensive "sporty" Lemans (renamed Lemans Sport in '70) and even pricier GTO.

The ad you found announcing the very late GT-37 Sport Option Package, if I can read the fine print, states the availability for the 2 dr. Tempest Coupe (3327) and 2 dr. Tempest Hardtop Coupe (3337). I don't think it is particularly meaningful that they did not refer to the Hardtop Coupe as the Tempest T-37 in this ad.

OPH is of the opinion that some 3327 Coupes were badged with the T-37 in '70.

Eric says no which I tend to agree with. With the change in model series naming for '71, different story.

Complicated by the fact that the GT-37 option (and fender call-out) WAS available for the Post Coupe, but I still don't think the Post Coupe was ever supposed to get the T-37 call-out in '70.

Also, the question of whether the T-37 was a plate or decal in '70. I believe decal only. Pictures are deceiving as evidenced by Jack thinking he was seeing plates on b-man's car, then b-man confirming them as decals on his original paint car. That they were decals would also explain why they were gone on ambmech1's repainted car.

Unless evidence is found to the contrary, I believe the riddle of the '70 Tempest T-37 is largely resolved, it was a mid-year intro of the 2 dr. hardtop and the fender decal call-out adding the T-37 name to the Tempest nameplate (are there other T-37 call-outs also?) placed on the 2 dr. Hardtop Coupes only.

I wonder if the T-37 decals don't show up in the announcement folder pic because the car is white? If the decal was only available as White lettering outlined in Black, it is possible that they were on the White car but were air-brushed off the photo because they didn't look "clean" in the ad. Knowing what we know from Wangers about the Post GTO airbrushed to a Hardtop which was used in the '68 Woodward Ave. ad, the Hardtop Coupe annoucement could have been made from a Post Coupe stock photo, airbrushed to look like a Hardtop Coupe. In fact, it occurs to me that such a thing was likely as they would have been able to create the ad before a Tempest T-37 Hardtop Coupe had even been assembled since they would have wanted to make ad placements early enough to get published to coincide with cars hitting the showrooms, not weeks later.

[Jack Peters]

John,

Yes it was a bit tongue in cheek. However the "S" could be sport but who really knows. I don't think Pontiac ever used a number to designate a car, model or line until the T-37. At least not on the outiside of the car. And they did not again until the in late '70's early 80's with the T-1000 and the 6000 series. But that is another story.

I believe you are right about the '37' having double usage as the HT in '70. The only T-37's in '70 that were not HT's were the GT models. Unless someone can produce a better answer.