The Brown Bomber: How Phil Riley Built a One-of-a-Kind 1963 Pontiac Tempest Pro Street Legend
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy5gbdI1DxA
When Phil Riley drives his 1963 Pontiac Tempest pro street car through Indianapolis, he’s not just turning heads; he’s rewriting the rules of what a classic Pontiac should be. In a world where hot rodders gravitate toward predictable colors and cookie-cutter builds, Phil chose brown paint, massive rear tires, and an 800-horsepower engine that runs on pump gas. This isn’t your typical trailer queen. Phil drives this beast from his home in Martinsville, refusing to trailer it anywhere, proving that pro street cars can be both show-stopping and genuinely street worthy.
The Accidental Build That Became an Obsession
The origin story of Phil’s Pontiac 1963 Tempest is pure enthusiast logic. His wife owned a bone-stock ’63 Tempest, and like many classic car owners, they struggled to find parts. Phil’s solution? Buy a donor car to harvest parts. Simple enough. Except Phil couldn’t bring himself to scrap what remained.
“When we were done robbing all the parts off of it, I couldn’t get myself to throw it away,” Phil explains. What started as a parts car evolved into an eight-year passion project that would become one of the most unique pro street builds in the Midwest.
Dare To Be Different
Phil’s philosophy centers on one principle: Build something nobody else has. That mindset influenced every decision, starting with painting a hot rod brown. “You don’t see a lot of brown hot rods,” Phil notes. In a sea of red, black, and candy apple paint jobs, his rich brown Pontiac Tempest 1963 stands out precisely because it breaks convention.
The inspiration came from racing history. Arnie Beswick’s famous “Tameless Tiger,” a Pontiac Tempest drag racer from the 1960s, provided the blueprint. Beswick altered the wheelbase on his Tempest, moving the rear wheels forward to achieve spectacular wheelies. When Beswick visited Phil and saw the tribute, he didn’t just sign the dash; he wrote Phil a letter on it, a moment Phil treasures as validation from a hero.
The Tempest Heritage
The 1963 Pontiac Tempest occupies a unique place in automotive history. Introduced in 1961 as Pontiac’s compact entry, the Tempest featured innovative engineering, including a rear-mounted transaxle connected by a “rope-drive” flexible driveshaft.
By 1963, Pontiac offered the new 326 cubic-inch V8 as an option. This engine would become the foundation for the legendary GTO that debuted the following year. The 1963 Pontiac Tempest was essentially the warm-up act for the muscle car revolution.
Phil’s build honors this heritage while taking it to extremes the original engineers never imagined.
800 Horsepower on Pump Gas
The heart of Phil’s pro street Tempest is a Butler-built 421 cubic-inch Pontiac engine producing 800 horsepower on regular pump gas. Phil started with a 421 from an old Bonneville, added a blower, but found himself unsatisfied with “only” 500 horsepower.
This monster motor idles around in traffic all day without overheating, thanks to a massive cooling radiator. Phil can run the air conditioning at big events, cruise comfortably, and still have enough power to obliterate the rear tires on command.
Behind the engine sits a Rossler transmission built specifically for street duty. A built 9-inch Ford rear end with a four-link suspension handles the power, engineered by a fabricator who previously worked for legendary chassis builder John Force.
Engineering Excellence Hidden in Plain Sight
One of the most remarkable features of Phil’s 1963 Pontiac Tempest is its lift-off body. The chassis was designed with twelve body mounts that can be unbolted, allowing the entire body to be lifted straight up. The floor is welded to the chassis, meaning Phil could theoretically drive the car with no body at all.
The body modifications are extensive yet subtle. “It looks like a stock body, but it’s not,” Phil explains. The car is all steel with no fiberglass, and the only chrome is the bumpers. Everything else is ceramic chrome coating. The window gutters have been shaved, Lexan windows eliminate the bulky factory trim, and countless small touches create a cleaner appearance.
The Stance That Stops Traffic
Those rear tires are impossible to miss. Phil runs Mickey Thompson ET Street Radial 2233s, as big as they make them. “I wanted as big as I could get in there,” Phil says. “We built the chassis around those tires because I wanted that really stupid wide look.”
The massive rear rubber gives the Pontiac 1963 Tempest an unmistakable pro street stance that’s both aggressive and purposeful, helping put 800 horsepower to the pavement.
Custom Everything, Compromise Nothing
Phil’s attention to detail extends throughout the build. When upholstery shops wanted to execute their own vision rather than his, Phil fired them. He eventually found John from Coverall Upholstery in Martinsville, who understood the assignment, though Phil handled much of the work himself.
The dashboard is custom, and even the door handles are Phil’s own creation, mechanical and electric, so they can be operated by remote or manually. The wing on the rear deck doesn’t have any visible fasteners. Old Indy car builder Rusty Herford fabricated both the wing and fuel tank as one-off pieces.
Phil added power steering, AC, tilt wheel, and electric windows, creating a pro street car with modern comfort. Seven speakers, including a subwoofer, provide enough volume to overcome the exhaust note.
The Joy of Driving It
Phil’s been pulled over multiple times, but not for violations; cops who are car enthusiasts just want to ask questions. “It’s a lot of fun to drive,” Phil says. “I could run it all day if I wanted. It’s comfy, it’s just noisy.”
That’s the essence of Phil’s philosophy. Cars are meant to be driven, not pushed around or hidden away. His refusal to trailer the Pontiac Tempest 1963 anywhere proves this 800-horsepower pro street monster is also a legitimate street car.
A Rolling Testament to Individuality
Phil Riley’s 1963 Pontiac Tempest pro street car represents everything right about hot rod culture: creativity, craftsmanship, and the courage to build something truly different. From the unconventional brown paint to the lift-off body and hidden fasteners, every detail reflects Phil’s vision.
Eight years of work resulted in a car that honors Pontiac’s racing heritage, pays tribute to drag racing legend Arnie Beswick, and proves that pro street builds don’t have to sacrifice drivability for performance. Phil has no plans to let this one go anytime soon. He built exactly what he wanted: something unlike anything else on the road.
Protecting the Passion Projects That Push Boundaries
Whether you own a custom pro street build like Phil’s 1963 Pontiac Tempest or any modified classic, specialized insurance coverage is essential. Standard auto policies rarely account for custom fabrication, performance modifications, or the true value of thousands of hours of work. Classic Auto Insurance understands that cars like Phil’s aren’t just vehicles, they’re rolling art. With agreed value policies, coverage for custom parts and modifications, and expertise in insuring high-performance builds, they provide protection designed for serious enthusiasts. Don’t risk your passion project with inadequate coverage. Contact Classic Auto Insurance today at 888-901-1338 for a quote that recognizes what you’ve really built.
