The Overlooked Poncho: A 1969 Pontiac Tempest Custom S Survivor

Ask most enthusiasts to name a late-’60s Pontiac and they’ll jump straight to the GTO or the LeMans. The Tempest, meanwhile, tends to sit quietly in the shadows of its flashier siblings. That’s exactly what makes this 1969 Tempest Custom S four-door hardtop worth a second look, now offered for sale in Dallas, Texas, with an asking price of $6,500.

What sets this particular car apart is its rarity. The Custom S nameplate existed for just a single model year, 1969, slotted neatly between the basic Tempest and the more generously equipped LeMans. Pontiac built only 3,918 examples of the Custom S four-door hardtop that year, which makes stumbling across one today a genuinely uncommon event. Under the hood sits a numbers-matching 350-cubic-inch Pontiac V8 paired with an automatic transmission, and the seller describes the car as a survivor rather than a restored showpiece.

Survivor status brings its own appeal here. The original equipment list reportedly still functions, including cold air conditioning, a working radio, readable gauges, and even the cornering lights. One period detail stands out: the vent windows remain in place. General Motors was phasing them out across many two-door hardtops and convertibles for 1969 in favor of its Astro Ventilation setup, but a good number of four-door models kept the old-style glass, and this Tempest is one of them.

Condition-wise, the seller reports solid floors and a solid trunk, with rust limited to a small spot near the front fender. The car has been repainted at some point, and the trunk lid shows some fading from age. Weatherstripping is said to be in good shape and the windows still operate as they should. The odometer reads 5,000 miles, though whether that reflects true mileage is unclear.

Cars like this once flew under the radar the same way station wagons did before collectors rediscovered them. Models that were commonplace in their day often become the most intriguing finds decades later, particularly when they survive largely intact. This Tempest Custom S, with its low production count, matching drivetrain, and working original features, fits that description well. The lingering question for any buyer is simple: preserve it as a driver and enjoy it, or take on a full restoration?