@DaveO-te1iv "Pontiac 1000" I found it odd that they had the Pontiac 6000 and all that but never continued the number sequence, that was smart to have the chevette as the 1000, imo the 6000 was a huge POS. Never seen one that wasn't trashed or falling apart... Infact since my teens I've probably seen two or three chevettes here in Wisconsin mint condition as collectors for that certain person but I have never ever seen someone who collects a 6,000 lol lol plus I haven't seen a 6,000 in probably 15 years or more.
Something I appreciate VERY MUCH, and I think is very overlooked, is the fenders go ALL the way to the front, and so does the hood, without any tacky, misfitting "front clips" or filler panels, this is when I thought GM had finally finally had figured things out. As much as I love many older classic cars, those cheesy plastic/fibreglas filler panels just scream CHEAP where a more seamless approach like this gives a more "hewn from a solid block" look, of precision, which is what the Euros were doing, and the American cars were emulating. Well done here. Then many went back to easy, ill fitting, non-color matching, "caps" that destroyed so many fine cars, like the Mark VIII , which started off GREAT, then succumbed to plastic filler caps instead of other, better solutions. For quality and styling, you want the fewest seams possible... you can always change the grill, bumper, lights, etc, but those major body panels need to FIT TOGETHER tightly to give that sense of solidity, careful styling, and quality. A famous Lexus commercial demonstrates this with a marble. End caps are evil.
And no ugly rear caps either. Cadillac had those rubbery spacers between fender and tailight, but this much cheaper Pontiac/Chevrolet done so much better
This is why my daily is a 1995 F-250. A 2011 Mustang GT for those long trips. I grew up GM, but went Ford about 1999. Weigh in, but growing up I restored 60s Impalas. One thing I will tell everyone here, there is nothing better than 1960s GM, I was elbows deep in those sumb×××hs, and the sixties were when GM really cared about what they rolled out to the masses. I'm 51 now, and I truly miss what GM did then. The beauty of gutting my first Impala, a 64 2dr coupe, trying to salvage that car that sat in a hole for 30 years, I cried. Mark IV knee-knocker, white exterior, that beautiful mid turquoise interior with the star-laden headliner. I was 16, middle of winter in northern Missouri, going through a car my grandfather had discarded. I could only salvage the drive train. I rebuilt the 283 and sent the Power glide to a local fella to rebuild. Purchased a 66 Impala SS three months later!!!!! I truly miss 60s GM, the best engineering this country has ever done. Plus, my daily driver then in high school was 4 door 1973 Impala, the year I was born. Soooo smooth!!!
My first car was an '89 Tempest -- this was in 2003 so it was pretty ragged by then. I have a few stories to tell about it. 1) The first time I was ever pulled over was in this car and around midnight. I was only 18 and sweating bullets as the cop approached the car, but he didn't ask for my info or anything. Just "Is this a Chevy Corsica or a Pontiac Tempest?" I answered and he said "Ok" and we went our separate ways. 2) I lived in Detroit, but of course the speedometer for this car was in Kilometers per hour. I once got out of a speeding ticket by telling the officer it was hard to tell how fast I was going lol 3) Every time I'd call a mechanic to make a car appointment, they would say "Pontiac didn't make a Tempest in '89" 4) One mechanic attempted to charge me an extra fee for a diagnostic claiming the car was "foreign" 5) Whether it was a Pontiac Tempest or a Chevy Corsica, every one from this generation seemed to have a sagging driver's side door and a gas door that was ready to fall off at any moment. Thanks for making this video and the nostalgia!
I bought a new Corsica LTZ in '90 I believe? It was black in color with a 5 spd manual and 3.1 V6. This was as good as it got for the Corsica and this was in Ontario Canada but there was no equivalent gussied up Tempest in Canada. The driveline in my Corsica worked flawlessly as my work car as a sales rep and I sold it very cheap after 4 years with 196,000 kms on it and running like a top. It was like a Cavaler Z24 which I believe had the same 3.1 and 5spd. I really liked the Corsica.
I had a little old lady come into my parts store looking for something for her 90 Pontiac tempest. I said you must have that wrong, she said I know what I drive and took me outside. My parts lookup had no listing for a 90 tempest but it was obvious it was a rebadged Corsica so I had no trouble finding what she needed.
Yeah, its eye-opening, Adam making this video. There are probably more models most of us aren't aware of, because they were only offered in Canada. (Not to promote Dennis Gage, but only by watching the tv show did I find out about Fargo trucks, Mercury trucks, Ford made the Monarch & Meteor up north-and those don't have "Ford" anywhere on the car I think,, not to mention all the Canadian Pontiacs that many ppl do know about) [not Canadian, but there were Plymouth pickup trucks, 1930s IIRC]
Yup. As a Canadian teenager at the time, I do remember these cars. That said, we were actually a Chevy family...along with the occasional Cadillac. Nobody in my family ever owned a Pontiac, eh. ;)
My dad had a Corsica, it looked almost identical and my brother in law had a Beretta. Both were good cars, nothing flashy but dependable and comfortable.
@@B0xlife1 I had a "basic" 92 Beretta, with the V6 and 5 speed manual. It really was a quick little car, though nothing compared to the 2005 GTO I would have years later. Still a lot of fun. It was my first new car.
My first trip to Canada was in 1989. I was 10 years old and my mind was blown over all the cars I saw there that were never sold in the US. I blew all my camera film taking pictures of seemingly normal Tempests, Fireflys, Ladas, Micras, weird Hyundais, etc.
There were/are a bunch of Canada only cars….. similarly there are a bunch of us only ones that we Canadians didn’t get… olds bravada, mercury mountaineer, no Mitsubishis at all until 2002ish…. We only got Chrysler badged Mitsubishis before that. One that usually confuses people is the Canada only Acura el (upscale civics)… and not just rebadged… lots of little differences…
I visited Canada 3 times as a kid and the one that fired my fantasies of what would be a cool first car will shock you: Hyundai Pony LOL. The only Hyundai I ever ended up owning was a V6 Sonata but those 5 door Ponys still interest me. I even have a green large scale toy of one down in the man cave.
@@emmexfyv lol, I forgot you guys didn’t have those. My father had a 1986 when I was a kid. It was pretty reliable. They were cheap..not many survived because they were all used up and regarded as lesser than a chevette because of being Korean. I’ve literally seen 1 in the last 25 years.
@emmexfyv A Pony was actually the first 'forbidden' car I saw on that trip, literally when we were crossing the border. I stared at it like a normal ten year old would stare at a Countach or something. But I knew what those were. This was something I'd never seen or heard of. And i thought i knew ALL the cars! 😅
The 1988 Corsica was my first "married with family" car, being what I could afford at the time. It turned out to be a good purchase and we put over 150k miles on it. It was pretty good looking too, the LT model in midnight blue with red trim piping and lettering, and I believe it was a 2.8 small six which turned out to be super reliable. Late in its life small bits of foam insulation would begin blowing out of the AC vents when you started the AC up, but frankly that's all I can complain about. We donated it to a charity in running condition and I felt like I'd just had a pet put to sleep. It was a good car.
I had a 92 Corsica, bought it at 1 year old. I drove it for 11 years and 245,000 km's. Comfortable car that got the job done. Coil packs starting causing grief at 240,000 kms. Still miss that car. 🇨🇦
In 1996, I was visiting London, Ontario...and saw a bunch of these Pontiac Tempests...sitting in a local dealer's lot....as well as being driven around the local area.
Dad had an ‘89 Tempest for years when I was a kid. 2.8L with a 5 speed. His cousin had the 3.1L version of the Tempest. I loved hearing the old multiport gurgle
Thanks for this one, Adam.. Best Pontiac of all time? Hardly, but not a bad car, especially when new.. I found the body shape of these a bit evocative of the 1992 generation Seville as well.
Yes, to my sensibility, many of those American cars in the early 90's maintained those tacky, garish interiors from yesteryear. I can appreciate these vehicles now, but as a teenager in the 90's an American car would generally be the least cool thing I could think of (SUVs and trucks were a different story). The Japanese were really beating the crap out of American vehicles then, though did start improving quality and style.
@@HereComeMrCee-Jay I had an 87 Foxbody Mustang had the same red interior, mine was even more 🟥 the seats & dash were the same shade of red as the seats in this one. Some dubbed the color " porno red "
Living in TX I didn't see exotica like this. What I have seen a lot in the past was Mexican-built AMC and MOPAR products unique to our southern neighbor. I'd love to see a video on them.
I actually had a Chevy Corsica and I loved it. Surprisingly a lot of interior room and very comfortable for a small car. But yeah, a little rough on bumps!
I believe seat belt wearing was more second nature in Canada, though Alberta only got compulsory seatbelt wearing requirement in 1985, while BC had it since 1974. Alberta also didn’t allow radar detectors.
Sadly, most domestic mfrs just sent us their US-spec cars with passive belts. Many offshore mfrs, who were making cars with normal belts for other markets, sent Canada cars with standard belts. My father’s ‘91 Honda Accord was an example: his had standard belts, while US spec versions had the stupid motorized shoulder belts.
Hey. So a random video idea... I just learned about a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that was buried underground in Tulsa, OK for 50 years, and when it was raised in 2007, they found it had been basically sitting in water for the majority of the time. A real fascinating story and I think it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it.
As a teen in the mid-late 90s I appreciated the ‘quirks and features’ of its GM economy design through my handmedown ‘94 Corsica with the 3.1 V6. Excellent torque with fuel injection made for fun times at stop lights. The engine was too large for a econobox small car. I remember it would always nosedive dramatically when braking. It also taught me about the value of buying lifetime-warranty brake pads-I changed so many free pads on that car I could do the whole job with my eyes closed. It was great for what it was, and a bit of a sleeper in terms of acceleration and beat-ability. Put over 180k on it before selling it for $900 with an oil leak. Good Corsica memories🙂
A Canadian market car that I had not heard of! I'm pleasantly surprised to see that GM was still marketing unique cars for the Canadian market this late.
The last car that we got that you guys didn’t was the Pontiac G5 (a copy of the cobalt with better styling) all the way as late as 2006. I think Americans eventually got it but it sold well here
I've heard of these but never saw one in person. I had a 1995 Beretta years ago. What a fun car that was. My father had a Corsica. I will say that both were very reliable. I see the cavalier, Lumina, And I believe red GP at the end lol. Nice video. Thank You
WOW, I had no idea that Pontiac sold a Pontiac Tempest in Canada...even though it was a warmed over Chevy Corsica, a car I would never have looked at twice. I had a 1991 Ford Festiva that had an automatic seatbelt. It was never a problem. I believe it was just the shoulder harness and you had to actually buckle a different belt across your waist. After a few time, I got used to it, and it was never a problem. Loved this video! Made me think of the old Beaumont days in Canada.
I have very fond memories of a Corsica. Back in High School automotive class, a white Corsica was one of the vehicles we would regularly use to wrench on, if we didn't have any "customer" cars in for work (students or teachers). Don't know that I learned much, but we certainly had fun with it.
I remember seeing one of these in the States when my family was traveling on I75 down to Georgia. I thought it was something we'd be getting in the US. Back then, I was unaware of Canadian market Pontiacs.
We had white Chevy Corsica's for our drivers Ed class in high school. Local GM dealer made some lease deal with our high school. So it was one of the 1st cars I ever drove, and the 1st brand new car I ever drove, probably had only a few thousand miles on it. They faded away by mid 2000's, then completely left the roads. But then last year i saw a white Corsica with a read headliner sagging driving nearby. i saw it a few other times last winter, but haven't seen it recently. Hub caps gone, and looking a little tattered and dull paint from the southwest sun beating down on it over the years. I was amazed it was still driving, must have been owned by a retired person from the start and bought buy a younger dude that probably didn't care what car they were driving so long as it was cheap to purchase and still drove.
Thank you Adam. I recall this car. I saw one in Texas years ago in the early 1990's. When I first saw it, I said a Pontiac based on Chevrolet Corsica. They put an interesting name on it. When they made updates, The Corsica got the updated Pontiac looking taillamps. GM did that a lot it seems. This was not the only example. There was 1982-1984 Pontiac Parisienne/Chevrolet Caprice, Pontiac G5/ Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G3/Chevrolet Aveo, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser/Chevrolet Caprice. I knew that Pontiac and Chevrolet were viewed differently. I thank you for sharing this and mentioning this information. I know they did this in Mexico as well. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo there had the Pontiac Grand Prix interior in the 1980's. Good topic. There are more of these types of GM cars. Ford did this and Chrysler did also.
I guess it's true; you learn something new every day. That is definitely the height of GM badge engineering. Corsica through and through with a couple of Pontiac badges and a different grill. My grandma had a '94 Corsica that had both the driver's airbag and the door seat belts. I didn't mind them so much; they were easy to find and buckle. It was an overall decent car, with a nice ride and plenty of power from a port injected 3.1 V6. They were mostly used as rental cars, and in fact Grandma's was an ex-Dollar Rent-A-Car ride. It served her well until her death at 93 years old (Her, not the car.). I inherited it, but gave it to my brother.
Back in 80's and 90's when I went to Puerto Rico on vacation with my parents most every winter, I sometime spotted what was called a Pontiac Firefly. A rebadged Chevy Sprint aka Suzuki Cultus in the first generation, then Chevy Sprint and finally Geo Metro. I thought the styling looked great and that it would turn many heads, especially at Pontiac car shows. Really wanted to bring one back home, but the prices they wanted even for 5 year old ones along with shipping it back was more than I wanted to pay, and by the time they were affordable, like 10 years old, they were pretty beat. So I did the next best thing and bought some Sprints and Metros over the years and installed the Firefly emblems and hubcaps. They sure got plenty of attention at the car shows but I eventually sold them off. Then in 2006 I spotted 1991 Firefly convertible on Ebay in Canada. It wasn't old enough to import legally, but that didn't stop me from a workaround. I won the car and reading the government websites about importing cars, I figured that if I brought it over as parts, it would be ok. And parts was defined as a vehicle without it's engine and transmission installed. So I removed the seats and packed up a minivan with my engine crane and a whole bunch of tools in the back along with a tow dolly to get it home. Spent the whole day in the sellers driveway pulling the engine and transmission to put inside the van and then loaded the body on the dolly. I had scoped out return border crossings at out of the way small towns hoping it would be easier getting it across, and luckily it went smoothly. Got home and within a week had the car back together. Then I got it titled in Florida with the Canadian paperwork. Owned it for a about a year, but as you can image what the condition of a car underneath would be after 15 Canadian winters, I sold it before it got any worse.
I had a 91 mercury with the automatic shoulder belt but it was mounted not on the door frame but in the roof line. When the door opened the belt was often in the way but at least in an accident with an open door the belt stayed in place....mostly
The first brand new car my parents bought was a dark blue 1989 Pontiac Tempest. We liked it at first, but then dad realized the seat belt wasn't adjustable and always rubbed across his neck. Then we started noticing other Tempests had issues with the clear coat peeling off the hoods. Dad decided it wasn't worth keeping and after less than a year, they traded it for a new dark green 1991 Ford Aerostar extended van.
I had an '87 Dodge Daytona with a passive restraint system. It differed from the GM system in that the belt reel was under the center console instead of on the door frame. the belt buckle clipped into the door frame. It worked well and was comfortable. I believe the only other car with this setup was the '87-'89 Chrysler Lebaron coupe
Canadian here, these were pretty popular at the time. I had a Beretta, bought brand new. The ones I really remember as a kid was the Beaumont, a Canadian rebadged Chevelle, sold at Pontiac dealers in Canada, but no Pontiac badging on them, just a maple leaf.
my parents were heavy on the Pontiac sedan + GMC truck combo in the 90s .. they were kinda the upscale/sporty option for sure! canadians have weird taste and im here for it
In 91, I took a trip to Montreal, and I saw one of those tempest while riding on a transit bus. I was in shock, and for many years after that sighting, I wanted to buy one and bring it to the US, but because of the laws, I couldn't do it. Now, because it is over 25 years old, I can now bring it into the US. Of course, money to buy it and restore it would be a big problem
There was one in our family. It was blue and had a paint problem. It seems the primer and the colour coat didn't get along. It peeled massively. It wasn't abused but the paint just fell off.
I had a 1992 Corsica with the 3.1L. I really liked that car. It was nothing fancy, but it wasn't bad looking. It had plenty of power, got good gas mileage, was roomy on the inside, and in some ways wish I still had it.
Toyota and I believe Honda implemented door-mounted seat belts in their Camry and Accord coupes in the late 80s - early 90s. It was such a ridiculous idea for a “passive” restraint in the (very likely) event of an ejection in a crash.
I actually uncovered ads for Pontiac "Tempest" on Arabic newspapers, apparently GM did export and sell couple "Canadian-only" models in the Gulf States back then.
Been watching this channel for years and first time I’ve see the BC mountain sunset plate on one of the cars. Same as one of my cars. The numbers aren’t even that far away from each other.
We were on a family vacation in the Outerbanks of NC in the summer of 88. I saw one of these (with Ontario plates) and thought I saw a prototype of a Pontiac version coming to the states in the fall. 😂
Holy badge engineering Bat Man! I owned a Corsica when my kids were young and I would bet that most owners back in the day would not bat an eye seeing the Canadian Pontiac version, they would not notice the difference it is so little changed. Mine had the base 4 cylinder automatic and I can tell you that would make those dashboard shelves MUCH more useful, you had no pesky acceleration g forces to mess with the stuff you placed there it all just stayed put. Got rid of it when the head gasket blew.
My first car was the exact one in the thumbnail. Except it was a 1992. You might want to update that date. Gutless 4 cylinder and flexible unibody. Got me thru uni. Mine had a facelifted interior and a driver's airbag, with regular seatbelts.
Another great video of classic cars. I had the American version Corsica. Decent cars. But having 4 perdonsl crown vics. I made a Taxi cab out of it. They were simple and reliable. Big 3 Lost that memo a long time ago. Now most are turbo disposable trash with to many electronics.
That Corsica was a peppy car but dang the quality was so bad it was impossible to keep the thing working properly. PCMs, Alternators, blower motors, rack and pinions, pulsating brake rotors, broken motor mounts, bad ignition modules, leaky intakes, and I'm sure there's more I missed. Only person that could get any use out of them was a repair tech that could afford to keep them repaired. But we knew better, unless someone gave it to us for almost nothing.
Some used ones trickled down into Maine, so I saw a few. My grandmother had a1982 Canadian market Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais nearly identical to the Cutlass supreme 2 door. It was a maroon color and she bought it because it matched her bouffant hairdo.
I know this video wasn't primarily about the 1966 Tempest, but you did start with that beauty, and you forgot to mention the motor that most got (including me) when they got the '66 Tempest - the 326. A really great engine!
They certainly were popular here in Canada. My friend's Dad bought a brand new one, and my friend came over in it for a visit. He parked on uneven ground and the flimsy body twisted so bad that the front door window frame caught on the back door window frame and he was unable to open the door! Fine GM quality right there... These cars got used up pretty quick. Remember them most for the paint falling off in sheets. For those interested, the feature car in this video has special license plates on it. British Columbia offers three different versions of these "premium" plates in which you pay extra, but help support BC parks in the process. They are quite popular here.
Another reason for the Tempest - and Pontiac Firefly, Sunburst, GMC Tracker etc - is the way dealer franchises were set up in Canada. If you wanted a GM of Canada franchise - you could get a Chevrolet - Oldsmobile - Chevrolet Truck dealership OR a Pontiac Buick GMC Truck dealership - with Cadillac as an option if the dealer catchment area warranted it. Pontiac dealers wanted the Tempest so they could compete fairly with their Chev-Olds dealers in their market and they wouldn’t lose out on a lucrative market segment.
Canadian here … Pontiac-Buick Dealers complained that Chevrolet Dealers had the Beretta and Corsica and that they had nothing to compete so they gave them the Corsica clone Tempest. However, if you look back, Buick had the Sommerset/Skylark (coupe and sedan) and also the Pontiac Grand Am (coupe and sedan) which actually now gave the Pontiac-Buick dealers a leg up on Chevy Dealers. The Corsica/Tempest/ Beretta sold fairly well during this period and rental fleets were saturated with these cars. I personally had two Berettas (91 GT/94 Z26) and they were decent rigs for the time.
I've seen fully door mounted seatbelts on some Japanese 2 door cars. I had 2 90s VWs that had the shoulder belt anchored to the door, with a manual lap belt. It wasn't too annoying actually, the belt moved well out of the way, and you could just tug on the belt to shut the door.
I do recall seeing the Tempest once in my hometown in New England in the mid-90’s and being totally baffled. Also Adam, if I recall correctly the either late 80’s or early 90’s Honda Prelude had a similar door mounted seatbelt design. Having owned a Pontiac Grand Am from that era I can attest to the additional wind noise the belt would create when the windows were open.
My wife and i had a 1987 Pontiac Tempest we got it in 1988 same one in the photo but different rims we found it was to slow so we traded it in for a for a 1989 Dodge Spirit ES V6 Silver Loaded Fog Lights Pin stripe seats That car could knock that Tempest right out of the water the fasted i drove in that was 140 KLMS an hour I didn't want to push it to much Oh how i miss that car If i can find another one I would Snap it up fast . I still see Pontiac Tempest / Corsica cars around Great Video
I'm a Canadian and if I'm not mistaken, all of these have 2 tones paint to make a difference with their Chevy cousins! I've seen a lot of them on the roads back in the day.
That one got by me! I usually think of the smaller Tempest that is sort of Corvair-ish in size. My 5th grade teacher had one in Black with red interior. Yep, that '61
The ribbed tailights of the Tempest replaced the smooth tails with raised bowtie of the early Corsicas for the 1991 model year. Interesting that the passive belts made it to Canada-only model. It was US DOT that required either a driver's airbag or passive seatbelts for the 1990 model year. Looking at the sales brochures, the 1989 US market Corsica switched to the passive belts from the conventional pillar-mounted belts it was introduced with. Maybe it was a production decision to streamline operations with the passive belts only?
I love the Corsica way more than I should. It was basic transportation , and arguably a clunky domestic…but it was a good looking car that ushered in a new era for GM.
Chrysler was in on that passive restraint automatic seat belt also. I had a 95 Dodge Spirit with a driver's side air bag and an automatic seat belt for the passenger, as there was no passenger side air bag in the car.
The taillights WERE differentiated from the Corsica - sort of. They had that ribbed effect while the Corsica's were smooth (and had Chevy bowties on them). After GM Canada decided Pontiac dealers didn't need the Tempest *and* Grand Am and dropped it, the ribbed taillights were used on the last couple years of Chevy Corsica, North America-wide.
A CANADIAN VERSION OF AN AMERICAN CAR . This reminds me of the 1982-1988 Dodge 600 sedan. In the United States, it was sold under Dodge as the 600 model. But, in Canada, the exact same car was sold as the Plymouth Caravel.
I used to put 1000 miles a week on a new Corsica every year here in Minnenowhere. I could throw a rock into Manitoba on day and do the same to Iowa. Those little cars were tough and with the A/C on they would eventually get up to speed. ;)
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.”
I did my drivers license test in a 1989 Pontiac Tempest 2.8 V6. Mom and dad had bought it 2 months before and it was smaller than the 1972 Mercury Comet which I got once I passed the test
I remember seeing a Pontiac Tempest (a/k/a Chevy Corsica) on Interstate 64 in St. Louis somewhere around 2001...first of that type I ever saw in person, although I knew they had been sold in Canada for several years...
A Chevy Corsica screams 90's louder than Beavis n Butthead watching a Winger video😊
^ this ^
Not even Beavis & Butthead would watch a Winger video, unless to hate on it.
Spent some time in Toronto in 95-96. Remember seeing a few of these. I think I saw some Chevettes badged as Pontiac Acadian.
Yup, up here (in Canada) the Chevettes were sold as Pontiac Acadians and also as the Pontiac 1000
Acadians were EVERYWHERE up here at one time. Some still doing daily driving duty out there, even today...
@DaveO-te1iv "Pontiac 1000" I found it odd that they had the Pontiac 6000 and all that but never continued the number sequence, that was smart to have the chevette as the 1000, imo the 6000 was a huge POS. Never seen one that wasn't trashed or falling apart... Infact since my teens I've probably seen two or three chevettes here in Wisconsin mint condition as collectors for that certain person but I have never ever seen someone who collects a 6,000 lol lol plus I haven't seen a 6,000 in probably 15 years or more.
The Suzuki Swift/Geo Metro was sold as the Pontiac Firefly in Canada.
My first car was an Acadian. Good thing too, or I'd have been stuck with a lowly Chevette!
Something I appreciate VERY MUCH, and I think is very overlooked, is the fenders go ALL the way to the front, and so does the hood, without any tacky, misfitting "front clips" or filler panels, this is when I thought GM had finally finally had figured things out.
As much as I love many older classic cars, those cheesy plastic/fibreglas filler panels just scream CHEAP where a more seamless approach like this gives a more "hewn from a solid block" look, of precision, which is what the Euros were doing, and the American cars were emulating. Well done here.
Then many went back to easy, ill fitting, non-color matching, "caps" that destroyed so many fine cars, like the Mark VIII , which started off GREAT, then succumbed to plastic filler caps instead of other, better solutions.
For quality and styling, you want the fewest seams possible... you can always change the grill, bumper, lights, etc, but those major body panels need to FIT TOGETHER tightly to give that sense of solidity, careful styling, and quality.
A famous Lexus commercial demonstrates this with a marble.
End caps are evil.
And no ugly rear caps either. Cadillac had those rubbery spacers between fender and tailight, but this much cheaper Pontiac/Chevrolet done so much better
This is why my daily is a 1995 F-250. A 2011 Mustang GT for those long trips. I grew up GM, but went Ford about 1999. Weigh in, but growing up I restored 60s Impalas. One thing I will tell everyone here, there is nothing better than 1960s GM, I was elbows deep in those sumb×××hs, and the sixties were when GM really cared about what they rolled out to the masses. I'm 51 now, and I truly miss what GM did then. The beauty of gutting my first Impala, a 64 2dr coupe, trying to salvage that car that sat in a hole for 30 years, I cried. Mark IV knee-knocker, white exterior, that beautiful mid turquoise interior with the star-laden headliner. I was 16, middle of winter in northern Missouri, going through a car my grandfather had discarded. I could only salvage the drive train. I rebuilt the 283 and sent the Power glide to a local fella to rebuild. Purchased a 66 Impala SS three months later!!!!! I truly miss 60s GM, the best engineering this country has ever done. Plus, my daily driver then in high school was 4 door 1973 Impala, the year I was born. Soooo smooth!!!
My first car was an '89 Tempest -- this was in 2003 so it was pretty ragged by then. I have a few stories to tell about it.
1) The first time I was ever pulled over was in this car and around midnight. I was only 18 and sweating bullets as the cop approached the car, but he didn't ask for my info or anything. Just "Is this a Chevy Corsica or a Pontiac Tempest?" I answered and he said "Ok" and we went our separate ways.
2) I lived in Detroit, but of course the speedometer for this car was in Kilometers per hour. I once got out of a speeding ticket by telling the officer it was hard to tell how fast I was going lol
3) Every time I'd call a mechanic to make a car appointment, they would say "Pontiac didn't make a Tempest in '89"
4) One mechanic attempted to charge me an extra fee for a diagnostic claiming the car was "foreign"
5) Whether it was a Pontiac Tempest or a Chevy Corsica, every one from this generation seemed to have a sagging driver's side door and a gas door that was ready to fall off at any moment.
Thanks for making this video and the nostalgia!
I bought a new Corsica LTZ in '90 I believe? It was black in color with a 5 spd manual and 3.1 V6. This was as good as it got for the Corsica and this was in Ontario Canada but there was no equivalent gussied up Tempest in Canada. The driveline in my Corsica worked flawlessly as my work car as a sales rep and I sold it very cheap after 4 years with 196,000 kms on it and running like a top. It was like a Cavaler Z24 which I believe had the same 3.1 and 5spd. I really liked the Corsica.
I had a little old lady come into my parts store looking for something for her 90 Pontiac tempest. I said you must have that wrong, she said I know what I drive and took me outside. My parts lookup had no listing for a 90 tempest but it was obvious it was a rebadged Corsica so I had no trouble finding what she needed.
She was lucky she had you. Lots of nitwits in those parts stores would have simply said,, "sorry lady, not in the computer, can't help you!"
Yeah, its eye-opening, Adam making this video. There are probably more models most of us aren't aware of, because they were only offered in Canada. (Not to promote Dennis Gage, but only by watching the tv show did I find out about Fargo trucks, Mercury trucks, Ford made the Monarch & Meteor up north-and those don't have "Ford" anywhere on the car I think,, not to mention all the Canadian Pontiacs that many ppl do know about) [not Canadian, but there were Plymouth pickup trucks, 1930s IIRC]
Yup. As a Canadian teenager at the time, I do remember these cars. That said, we were actually a Chevy family...along with the occasional Cadillac. Nobody in my family ever owned a Pontiac, eh. ;)
My dad had a Corsica, it looked almost identical and my brother in law had a Beretta. Both were good cars, nothing flashy but dependable and comfortable.
Some of them Berettas were pretty quick for the time. Was it the z34? I'm not sure I'm from 85 so I was pretty young
@@B0xlife1 z34 is a lumina, the Beretta had a z26 package, gt package, and the coveted GTU package.
Always loved these cars.
Every time I see a newer GM LTZ trim I think of Corsica I think that the Corsica was the first car to use the LTZ trim designation
@@B0xlife1 I had a "basic" 92 Beretta, with the V6 and 5 speed manual. It really was a quick little car, though nothing compared to the 2005 GTO I would have years later. Still a lot of fun. It was my first new car.
I had a 1989 Chevrolet Corsica LTZ with the blacked out grill… Red on red… Good car… Good memories…
My first trip to Canada was in 1989. I was 10 years old and my mind was blown over all the cars I saw there that were never sold in the US. I blew all my camera film taking pictures of seemingly normal Tempests, Fireflys, Ladas, Micras, weird Hyundais, etc.
There were/are a bunch of Canada only cars….. similarly there are a bunch of us only ones that we Canadians didn’t get… olds bravada, mercury mountaineer, no Mitsubishis at all until 2002ish…. We only got Chrysler badged Mitsubishis before that. One that usually confuses people is the Canada only Acura el (upscale civics)… and not just rebadged… lots of little differences…
I visited Canada 3 times as a kid and the one that fired my fantasies of what would be a cool first car will shock you: Hyundai Pony LOL. The only Hyundai I ever ended up owning was a V6 Sonata but those 5 door Ponys still interest me. I even have a green large scale toy of one down in the man cave.
@@emmexfyv lol, I forgot you guys didn’t have those. My father had a 1986 when I was a kid. It was pretty reliable. They were cheap..not many survived because they were all used up and regarded as lesser than a chevette because of being Korean. I’ve literally seen 1 in the last 25 years.
@@barachoisboy Wow they were ALL OVER when I was in Toronto and Montreal, but that woulda been in the 80s.
@emmexfyv A Pony was actually the first 'forbidden' car I saw on that trip, literally when we were crossing the border. I stared at it like a normal ten year old would stare at a Countach or something. But I knew what those were. This was something I'd never seen or heard of. And i thought i knew ALL the cars! 😅
The 1988 Corsica was my first "married with family" car, being what I could afford at the time. It turned out to be a good purchase and we put over 150k miles on it. It was pretty good looking too, the LT model in midnight blue with red trim piping and lettering, and I believe it was a 2.8 small six which turned out to be super reliable. Late in its life small bits of foam insulation would begin blowing out of the AC vents when you started the AC up, but frankly that's all I can complain about. We donated it to a charity in running condition and I felt like I'd just had a pet put to sleep. It was a good car.
I know exactly what you're talking about regarding the foam bits blowing out of the vents, must have been a common issue.
I had a 92 Corsica, bought it at 1 year old. I drove it for 11 years and 245,000 km's. Comfortable car that got the job done. Coil packs starting causing grief at 240,000 kms. Still miss that car. 🇨🇦
You're flying a Canadian flag, but you say you bought a Corsica? Why not the Tempest?
@MarinCipollina the dealership only had a Corsica that fit my needs and budget at the time.
In 1996, I was visiting London, Ontario...and saw a bunch of these Pontiac Tempests...sitting in a local dealer's lot....as well as being driven around the local area.
Dad had an ‘89 Tempest for years when I was a kid. 2.8L with a 5 speed. His cousin had the 3.1L version of the Tempest. I loved hearing the old multiport gurgle
Thanks for this one, Adam.. Best Pontiac of all time? Hardly, but not a bad car, especially when new..
I found the body shape of these a bit evocative of the 1992 generation Seville as well.
YES, I remember these cars vividly.
Vancouver
That red interior..pure 80's
Yes, to my sensibility, many of those American cars in the early 90's maintained those tacky, garish interiors from yesteryear. I can appreciate these vehicles now, but as a teenager in the 90's an American car would generally be the least cool thing I could think of (SUVs and trucks were a different story). The Japanese were really beating the crap out of American vehicles then, though did start improving quality and style.
@@HereComeMrCee-Jay I had an 87 Foxbody Mustang had the same red interior, mine was even more 🟥 the seats & dash were the same shade of red as the seats in this one. Some dubbed the color " porno red "
@@Scalihoo My 91 GT convt had that red interior - I loved it, despite being a Ford LOL
@@emmexfyv It was part of the car's charm no doubt,,80's
Living in TX I didn't see exotica like this. What I have seen a lot in the past was Mexican-built AMC and MOPAR products unique to our southern neighbor. I'd love to see a video on them.
We had a purple Corsica back in the day, good basic transportation for my young family.
Wow I never heard of that "new" Pontiac Tempest. I only knew of the 1960s ones. Thanks for the education!
Love your 90s Vids! More of these! 📆
I loved my 89 corsica 2,0 4 banger 5spd. It was my first "dad with kids" car. I gave up my "fun" cars for this damn thing and I didn't hate it lol.
I actually had a Chevy Corsica and I loved it. Surprisingly a lot of interior room and very comfortable for a small car. But yeah, a little rough on bumps!
In Canada, did they offer the rare and odd 5 door hatchback Corsica as well?
Wikipedia doesn’t say specifically, but the years of the 5-door hatchback Corsica were within the years of the Canadian Tempest, so it seems likely.
The 5-door Corsica was sold here, though I can’t say for sure that carried over to the Tempest.
The hatchback Corsica was sold in Canada. A friend's mom had one back in the early 90's. I don't recall a hatchback Tempest though.
Hi Adam.. Love your channel. Just an FYI, the passive seatbelt thing was never a requirement in Canada.
Ah. Interesting.
I believe seat belt wearing was more second nature in Canada, though Alberta only got compulsory seatbelt wearing requirement in 1985, while BC had it since 1974. Alberta also didn’t allow radar detectors.
Sadly, most domestic mfrs just sent us their US-spec cars with passive belts. Many offshore mfrs, who were making cars with normal belts for other markets, sent Canada cars with standard belts. My father’s ‘91 Honda Accord was an example: his had standard belts, while US spec versions had the stupid motorized shoulder belts.
Hey. So a random video idea... I just learned about a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere that was buried underground in Tulsa, OK for 50 years, and when it was raised in 2007, they found it had been basically sitting in water for the majority of the time. A real fascinating story and I think it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it.
We built excitement!
Not no mo!
As a teen in the mid-late 90s I appreciated the ‘quirks and features’ of its GM economy design through my handmedown ‘94 Corsica with the 3.1 V6. Excellent torque with fuel injection made for fun times at stop lights. The engine was too large for a econobox small car. I remember it would always nosedive dramatically when braking. It also taught me about the value of buying lifetime-warranty brake pads-I changed so many free pads on that car I could do the whole job with my eyes closed. It was great for what it was, and a bit of a sleeper in terms of acceleration and beat-ability. Put over 180k on it before selling it for $900 with an oil leak. Good Corsica memories🙂
I never heard about the Tempest, but my aunt had a 1990 Chevrolet Corsica. It was a very reliable car.
A Canadian market car that I had not heard of! I'm pleasantly surprised to see that GM was still marketing unique cars for the Canadian market this late.
The last car that we got that you guys didn’t was the Pontiac G5 (a copy of the cobalt with better styling) all the way as late as 2006. I think Americans eventually got it but it sold well here
From Canada, our 51st state.
JOKING
''Ils l’ont l’affaire les américains'' ; Elvis Gratton
🤮
😊@@christianheidt5733
I know you’re kidding…but trust me: Canadians aren’t in the mood. 🇨🇦
@shiftfocus1 it was a swipe against the fool who said it, not to the people of the north.
I've heard of these but never saw one in person. I had a 1995 Beretta years ago. What a fun car that was. My father had a Corsica. I will say that both were very reliable. I see the cavalier, Lumina, And I believe red GP at the end lol. Nice video. Thank You
WOW, I had no idea that Pontiac sold a Pontiac Tempest in Canada...even though it was a warmed over Chevy Corsica, a car I would never have looked at twice. I had a 1991 Ford Festiva that had an automatic seatbelt. It was never a problem. I believe it was just the shoulder harness and you had to actually buckle a different belt across your waist. After a few time, I got used to it, and it was never a problem. Loved this video! Made me think of the old Beaumont days in Canada.
I have very fond memories of a Corsica. Back in High School automotive class, a white Corsica was one of the vehicles we would regularly use to wrench on, if we didn't have any "customer" cars in for work (students or teachers). Don't know that I learned much, but we certainly had fun with it.
I remember seeing one of these in the States when my family was traveling on I75 down to Georgia. I thought it was something we'd be getting in the US. Back then, I was unaware of Canadian market Pontiacs.
Years ago, us Michiganders knew Canadian cars on our highways because the headlights were on during the day in bright sunlight.
Crank windows. Did the Lemans have power windows? No AC in Canada.
Back in the 1960s, the Canadian version of the Chevrolet Nova was known as the Pontiac Acadian, with the Beaumont being a trim level of the Acadian.
Beaumont was the Pontiac version of the Chevelle, actually. My grandpa had a 66 Beaumont.
We had white Chevy Corsica's for our drivers Ed class in high school. Local GM dealer made some lease deal with our high school. So it was one of the 1st cars I ever drove, and the 1st brand new car I ever drove, probably had only a few thousand miles on it. They faded away by mid 2000's, then completely left the roads. But then last year i saw a white Corsica with a read headliner sagging driving nearby. i saw it a few other times last winter, but haven't seen it recently.
Hub caps gone, and looking a little tattered and dull paint from the southwest sun beating down on it over the years. I was amazed it was still driving, must have been owned by a retired person from the start and bought buy a younger dude that probably didn't care what car they were driving so long as it was cheap to purchase and still drove.
I’d love to watch an animation with all the frames drawn by Art & Van. That would look surreal.
Thank you Adam. I recall this car. I saw one in Texas years ago in the early 1990's. When I first saw it, I said a Pontiac based on Chevrolet Corsica. They put an interesting name on it. When they made updates, The Corsica got the updated Pontiac looking taillamps. GM did that a lot it seems. This was not the only example. There was 1982-1984 Pontiac Parisienne/Chevrolet Caprice, Pontiac G5/ Chevrolet Cobalt, Pontiac G3/Chevrolet Aveo, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser/Chevrolet Caprice. I knew that Pontiac and Chevrolet were viewed differently. I thank you for sharing this and mentioning this information. I know they did this in Mexico as well. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo there had the Pontiac Grand Prix interior in the 1980's. Good topic. There are more of these types of GM cars. Ford did this and Chrysler did also.
I guess it's true; you learn something new every day. That is definitely the height of GM badge engineering. Corsica through and through with a couple of Pontiac badges and a different grill. My grandma had a '94 Corsica that had both the driver's airbag and the door seat belts. I didn't mind them so much; they were easy to find and buckle. It was an overall decent car, with a nice ride and plenty of power from a port injected 3.1 V6. They were mostly used as rental cars, and in fact Grandma's was an ex-Dollar Rent-A-Car ride. It served her well until her death at 93 years old (Her, not the car.). I inherited it, but gave it to my brother.
Back in 80's and 90's when I went to Puerto Rico on vacation with my parents most every winter, I sometime spotted what was called a Pontiac Firefly. A rebadged Chevy Sprint aka Suzuki Cultus in the first generation, then Chevy Sprint and finally Geo Metro. I thought the styling looked great and that it would turn many heads, especially at Pontiac car shows. Really wanted to bring one back home, but the prices they wanted even for 5 year old ones along with shipping it back was more than I wanted to pay, and by the time they were affordable, like 10 years old, they were pretty beat. So I did the next best thing and bought some Sprints and Metros over the years and installed the Firefly emblems and hubcaps. They sure got plenty of attention at the car shows but I eventually sold them off. Then in 2006 I spotted 1991 Firefly convertible on Ebay in Canada. It wasn't old enough to import legally, but that didn't stop me from a workaround. I won the car and reading the government websites about importing cars, I figured that if I brought it over as parts, it would be ok. And parts was defined as a vehicle without it's engine and transmission installed. So I removed the seats and packed up a minivan with my engine crane and a whole bunch of tools in the back along with a tow dolly to get it home. Spent the whole day in the sellers driveway pulling the engine and transmission to put inside the van and then loaded the body on the dolly. I had scoped out return border crossings at out of the way small towns hoping it would be easier getting it across, and luckily it went smoothly. Got home and within a week had the car back together. Then I got it titled in Florida with the Canadian paperwork. Owned it for a about a year, but as you can image what the condition of a car underneath would be after 15 Canadian winters, I sold it before it got any worse.
I had a 91 mercury with the automatic shoulder belt but it was mounted not on the door frame but in the roof line. When the door opened the belt was often in the way but at least in an accident with an open door the belt stayed in place....mostly
I read somewhere that back in the day the Pontiacs with the wide track bodies on Chevrolet chassis were called Cheviacs by some Canadians.
seen a ton of corsicas back in the 80's but never this tempest model.didn't even know it existed.
The first brand new car my parents bought was a dark blue 1989 Pontiac Tempest. We liked it at first, but then dad realized the seat belt wasn't adjustable and always rubbed across his neck. Then we started noticing other Tempests had issues with the clear coat peeling off the hoods. Dad decided it wasn't worth keeping and after less than a year, they traded it for a new dark green 1991 Ford Aerostar extended van.
Four-door Beretta
I had an '87 Dodge Daytona with a passive restraint system. It differed from the GM system in that the belt reel was under the center console instead of on the door frame. the belt buckle clipped into the door frame. It worked well and was comfortable. I believe the only other car with this setup was the '87-'89 Chrysler Lebaron coupe
Canadian here, these were pretty popular at the time. I had a Beretta, bought brand new. The ones I really remember as a kid was the Beaumont, a Canadian rebadged Chevelle, sold at Pontiac dealers in Canada, but no Pontiac badging on them, just a maple leaf.
All the Corsica lovers? Do any really exist?
His tongue was in cheek.
@ I realize that; however this being the world it is, I bet there are some
@@kevinbarry71 My best friend loved his, he drove it all through college and room for friends who needed a ride . Also cheap to keep.
my parents were heavy on the Pontiac sedan + GMC truck combo in the 90s .. they were kinda the upscale/sporty option for sure! canadians have weird taste and im here for it
In 91, I took a trip to Montreal, and I saw one of those tempest while riding on a transit bus. I was in shock, and for many years after that sighting, I wanted to buy one and bring it to the US, but because of the laws, I couldn't do it. Now, because it is over 25 years old, I can now bring it into the US. Of course, money to buy it and restore it would be a big problem
That older Canadian Pontiac sure looks funny without the wide track to match the wide body.
I certainly remember the days that Pontiac outsold Chevrolet by a lot in Canada.
There was one in our family. It was blue and had a paint problem. It seems the primer and the colour coat didn't get along. It peeled massively. It wasn't abused but the paint just fell off.
I had a 1992 Corsica with the 3.1L. I really liked that car. It was nothing fancy, but it wasn't bad looking. It had plenty of power, got good gas mileage, was roomy on the inside, and in some ways wish I still had it.
Just like what the Beaumont was to the Chevelle, and what the Accadian was to the Chevy II/Nova.
I believe this was also called the Holden Commodore in Australia, with right hand steering.
Weren't the Commodores RWD up until the most recent ones?
Wasn’t the Corsica sold in Europe?
@@FrankTimms-cs5hl I don't think it was officially sold there.
No it wasn't. That was based on an Opel design, and it was RWD.
Toyota and I believe Honda implemented door-mounted seat belts in their Camry and Accord coupes in the late 80s - early 90s. It was such a ridiculous idea for a “passive” restraint in the (very likely) event of an ejection in a crash.
I actually uncovered ads for Pontiac "Tempest" on Arabic newspapers, apparently GM did export and sell couple "Canadian-only" models in the Gulf States back then.
Had an 1988, 4 cylinders, 2,0 liters, lapping pistons when cold, poor brakes, head gasket issue. My last modern GM.
Been watching this channel for years and first time I’ve see the BC mountain sunset plate on one of the cars. Same as one of my cars. The numbers aren’t even that far away from each other.
We were on a family vacation in the Outerbanks of NC in the summer of 88. I saw one of these (with Ontario plates) and thought I saw a prototype of a Pontiac version coming to the states in the fall. 😂
Holy badge engineering Bat Man! I owned a Corsica when my kids were young and I would bet that most owners back in the day would not bat an eye seeing the Canadian Pontiac version, they would not notice the difference it is so little changed. Mine had the base 4 cylinder automatic and I can tell you that would make those dashboard shelves MUCH more useful, you had no pesky acceleration g forces to mess with the stuff you placed there it all just stayed put. Got rid of it when the head gasket blew.
My first car was the exact one in the thumbnail. Except it was a 1992. You might want to update that date. Gutless 4 cylinder and flexible unibody. Got me thru uni. Mine had a facelifted interior and a driver's airbag, with regular seatbelts.
Another great video of classic cars. I had the American version Corsica. Decent cars. But having 4 perdonsl crown vics. I made a Taxi cab out of it. They were simple and reliable. Big 3 Lost that memo a long time ago. Now most are turbo disposable trash with to many electronics.
Looks like a 1987 rental car
They did have a column shifter also.
That Corsica was a peppy car but dang the quality was so bad it was impossible to keep the thing working properly. PCMs, Alternators, blower motors, rack and pinions, pulsating brake rotors, broken motor mounts, bad ignition modules, leaky intakes, and I'm sure there's more I missed. Only person that could get any use out of them was a repair tech that could afford to keep them repaired. But we knew better, unless someone gave it to us for almost nothing.
Some used ones trickled down into Maine, so I saw a few.
My grandmother had a1982 Canadian market Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais nearly identical to the Cutlass supreme 2 door. It was a maroon color and she bought it because it matched her bouffant hairdo.
I had a 92 Corsica with that 3.1.. I smoked so many v6 Camaros and Mustangs. First Car I had that had multiple cup holders!!!!
Adam, When it comes to Canadian Pontiac videos, I prefer the ones about the Laurentian or Parisienne. 😁
My daughter had a Corsica with that red velour interior. Whorehouse red, she called it.
I remember seeing a Pontiac Firefly here in Utah, another visitor from Canada.
Not many other people know this, but this car was sold as the GM Tempestica in Vanuatu, and as the Corsipest in Greenland. True story.
I know this video wasn't primarily about the 1966 Tempest, but you did start with that beauty, and you forgot to mention the motor that most got (including me) when they got the '66 Tempest - the 326. A really great engine!
They certainly were popular here in Canada. My friend's Dad bought a brand new one, and my friend came over in it for a visit. He parked on uneven ground and the flimsy body twisted so bad that the front door window frame caught on the back door window frame and he was unable to open the door! Fine GM quality right there... These cars got used up pretty quick. Remember them most for the paint falling off in sheets. For those interested, the feature car in this video has special license plates on it. British Columbia offers three different versions of these "premium" plates in which you pay extra, but help support BC parks in the process. They are quite popular here.
Used to see them pretty often in Upstate NY - almost always this same color combo, too
Another reason for the Tempest - and Pontiac Firefly, Sunburst, GMC Tracker etc - is the way dealer franchises were set up in Canada. If you wanted a GM of Canada franchise - you could get a Chevrolet - Oldsmobile - Chevrolet Truck dealership OR a Pontiac Buick GMC Truck dealership - with Cadillac as an option if the dealer catchment area warranted it. Pontiac dealers wanted the Tempest so they could compete fairly with their Chev-Olds dealers in their market and they wouldn’t lose out on a lucrative market segment.
Around where I lived the dealers were either Chev-Olds-Cadillac + Chevy Trucks, or Pontiac-Buick-GMC
Canadian here … Pontiac-Buick Dealers complained that Chevrolet Dealers had the Beretta and Corsica and that they had nothing to compete so they gave them the Corsica clone Tempest. However, if you look back, Buick had the Sommerset/Skylark (coupe and sedan) and also the Pontiac Grand Am (coupe and sedan) which actually now gave the Pontiac-Buick dealers a leg up on Chevy Dealers. The Corsica/Tempest/ Beretta sold fairly well during this period and rental fleets were saturated with these cars. I personally had two Berettas (91 GT/94 Z26) and they were decent rigs for the time.
Actually, GM of Canada awarded dealers Cadillac for excellent sales and service
Use to visit beautiful Vancouver BC many times in the early ‘90s and was surprised by that Tempest and the Pontiac Firefly and Sunburst.
9:00 Honda used door-mounted belts in the Civic coupe and CRX in 1990/1991.
I've seen fully door mounted seatbelts on some Japanese 2 door cars.
I had 2 90s VWs that had the shoulder belt anchored to the door, with a manual lap belt. It wasn't too annoying actually, the belt moved well out of the way, and you could just tug on the belt to shut the door.
I do recall seeing the Tempest once in my hometown in New England in the mid-90’s and being totally baffled. Also Adam, if I recall correctly the either late 80’s or early 90’s Honda Prelude had a similar door mounted seatbelt design. Having owned a Pontiac Grand Am from that era I can attest to the additional wind noise the belt would create when the windows were open.
My wife and i had a 1987 Pontiac Tempest we got it in 1988 same one in the photo but different rims
we found it was to slow so we traded it in for a for a 1989 Dodge Spirit ES V6 Silver Loaded Fog Lights Pin stripe seats That car could knock that Tempest right out of the water
the fasted i drove in that was 140 KLMS an hour I didn't want to push it to much Oh how i miss that car If i can find another one I would Snap it up fast . I still see Pontiac Tempest / Corsica cars around Great Video
There's also a weird and even more rare liftback/hatchback version too.
I think the hatchback version was only sold as a Corsica.
@@ernielaw No, I know someone that had one.
I'm a Canadian and if I'm not mistaken, all of these have 2 tones paint to make a difference with their Chevy cousins! I've seen a lot of them on the roads back in the day.
That one got by me!
I usually think of the smaller Tempest that is sort of Corvair-ish in size. My 5th grade teacher had one in Black with red interior. Yep, that '61
The ribbed tailights of the Tempest replaced the smooth tails with raised bowtie of the early Corsicas for the 1991 model year.
Interesting that the passive belts made it to Canada-only model. It was US DOT that required either a driver's airbag or passive seatbelts for the 1990 model year. Looking at the sales brochures, the 1989 US market Corsica switched to the passive belts from the conventional pillar-mounted belts it was introduced with. Maybe it was a production decision to streamline operations with the passive belts only?
I love the Corsica way more than I should. It was basic transportation , and arguably a clunky domestic…but it was a good looking car that ushered in a new era for GM.
Chrysler was in on that passive restraint automatic seat belt also. I had a 95 Dodge Spirit with a driver's side air bag and an automatic seat belt for the passenger, as there was no passenger side air bag in the car.
I seem to recall a 1990 300ZX my dad had which employed those door mounted seatbelts too.
The taillights WERE differentiated from the Corsica - sort of. They had that ribbed effect while the Corsica's were smooth (and had Chevy bowties on them). After GM Canada decided Pontiac dealers didn't need the Tempest *and* Grand Am and dropped it, the ribbed taillights were used on the last couple years of Chevy Corsica, North America-wide.
This car is way better looking than anything produced today.
A CANADIAN VERSION OF AN AMERICAN CAR .
This reminds me of the 1982-1988 Dodge 600 sedan.
In the United States, it was sold under Dodge as the 600 model.
But, in Canada, the exact same car was sold as the Plymouth Caravel.
I used to put 1000 miles a week on a new Corsica every year here in Minnenowhere. I could throw a rock into Manitoba on day and do the same to Iowa. Those little cars were tough and with the A/C on they would eventually get up to speed. ;)
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.”
Patiently waiting for the Corsica lovers to show up.
I did my drivers license test in a 1989 Pontiac Tempest 2.8 V6. Mom and dad had bought it 2 months before and it was smaller than the 1972 Mercury Comet which I got once I passed the test
I remember seeing a Pontiac Tempest (a/k/a Chevy Corsica) on Interstate 64 in St. Louis somewhere around 2001...first of that type I ever saw in person, although I knew they had been sold in Canada for several years...
nice car. i know someone who has a chevy corsica. Canadian pontiacs were interesting. pontiac beaumonts were nice.