[300deluxe]

64 to 64, I think the voting is finally done.

[NYGTO]

Not yet please, I'm still thinking. Worse than picking a favorite child. I've had both year's!

[300deluxe]

Originally Posted by NYGTO

Not yet please, I'm still thinking. Worse than picking a favorite child. I've had both year's!

I love em both, but slight edge to the 68 because of front valance, wing windows, ignition on dash, large rear bumper....plus I was born in 68.

[U47]

I ordered my 69 H-O Lemans in Nov. 68.
What I liked on the 69. The LeMans script moved to the front fender. The rear bumper in relation to the tail lamp. The dash, Pontiac's version of the Hurst shifter. A T-400 availability for the 355 H-O

What I liked about the 68. A smaller snout in the center portion of the front bumper, In 69 the snout turned into a battering ram and was so big the license plate and bracket had to be re-located to the rt side of the valance.
Vent wings, a useful way to get air into the car and my thought on the 69 was PMD was cutting content out of the car while making the car more expensive. Remember when GM made such a big deal over their "new" vent wings and all the advantages!
Bumpers on 68-69 GTO's, just my thoughts at the time was PMD cutting cost by reducing bling- a plastic bumper looked to me cheap ( these days I know the endure cost more ) ( back then all we knew was endura weighed more, we also knew that every 100 pounds was a tenth of a second and a tenth of a second was a car length at the end of the quarter mile )

Bumper thoughts of 68 and 68. I always thought cars looked cheap when they had a bumper and a valance under it. It was like it cost too much to have a full bumper. Look at a 59 Pontiac's front and rear bumpers compared to a 59 Chevy with those cheap valances under them. The disadvantage of the low valance? Paint chips and early rust out.

[300deluxe]

Originally Posted by U47

I ordered my 69 H-O Lemans in Nov. 68.
What I liked on the 69. The LeMans script moved to the front fender. The rear bumper in relation to the tail lamp. The dash, Pontiac's version of the Hurst shifter. A T-400 availability for the 355 H-O

What I liked about the 68. A smaller snout in the center portion of the front bumper, In 69 the snout turned into a battering ram and was so big the license plate and bracket had to be re-located to the rt side of the valance.
Vent wings, a useful way to get air into the car and my thought on the 69 was PMD was cutting content out of the car while making the car more expensive. Remember when GM made such a big deal over their "new" vent wings and all the advantages!
Bumpers on 68-69 GTO's, just my thoughts at the time was PMD cutting cost by reducing bling- a plastic bumper looked to me cheap ( these days I know the endure cost more ) ( back then all we knew was endura weighed more, we also knew that every 100 pounds was a tenth of a second and a tenth of a second was a car length at the end of the quarter mile )

Bumper thoughts of 68 and 68. I always thought cars looked cheap when they had a bumper and a valance under it. It was like it cost too much to have a full bumper. Look at a 59 Pontiac's front and rear bumpers compared to a 59 Chevy with those cheap valances under them. The disadvantage of the low valance? Paint chips and early rust out.

The 1968 Lemans/Tempest front end definitely looks better than the 1969 model...the 69 was a little large on the nose.

[north]

Actually the endura bumper wasn't heavier. Or I should say the assembly wasn't heavier. When you compare the full bumper assembly with headlights and all the brackets the chrome and the endura both weigh the same

[John Eiseman]

Originally Posted by north

Actually the Endura bumper wasn't heavier. Or I should say the assembly wasn't heavier. When you compare the full bumper assembly with headlights and all the brackets the chrome and the endura both weigh the same

Really? Is this yet another folklore that can be put to rest? It seems like most people , through the years has said that the Endura bumper is much heavier....
North, have you weighed the 2 separatly to find this out. Not doubting you, I'm curious more now.

[north]

I weighed my 69 LeMans front assembly and the front assembly from my 69 GTO, I don't recall the actual weights but the GTO was well within 5 pounds and that GTO had hideaways so I'm sure a non hidaway would be bang on.

The reason is the chrome nose has those two very heavy steel supports that weigh more than the bumper itself.

[John Eiseman]

10-4!
I do know all the steel reinforcements in the 68 bumpers do weigh a lot. Never took the time to weigh the two. Thanks for taking the time North!

[north]

68 chrome is probably a pound or two lighter than 69.

[1968GTO421]

Originally Posted by b-man

1968.

Motor Trend Car of the year, for what it's worth.

First of the new body style with the revolutionary Endura front bumper.

First round-port engine (RAII). Simple and functional Ram Air pan.

Last year for vent windows, I like them.

Last year for the '6.5 Litre' fender badges.

Last year for the steel dash topped by a dash pad.

Last year for the ignition key in the dash.

Last year for Rally I wheels, they look simply awesome on a '68.

Last year for low-back buckets.

All in all, it has the new modern look with the same feel and features of the older GTOs.

Simple is better.

It's hard to post my reasons when B-man listed them all. Thanks, B-man!

[U47]

In addition to the 69 355, 330hp. HO and even the 355" 265hp 2bbl engines in Lemans and Tempest getting the T-400 option ( 355 H-O standard automatic) as said before, the H-O engine also came with the large port big valve # 48 heads.

Pontiac missed a marketing opportunity by not calling it's engine a 355, they also missed the opportunity of promoting the engine/car as a 383 Road Runner killer which it was.

[Brewster]

1969 for me due to its the year my wife was born and I love the hood tach, hideaways, duh judge strips

[1969 Ram Air]

The second year of the production cycle typically produces a superior product. This is definitely the case with the 69 GTO.

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by 1969 Ram Air

The second year of the production cycle typically produces a superior product. This is definitely the case with the 69 GTO.

Ya, what he said!
69 for the lead.

[300deluxe]

This is weird.... the 68 has 68 votes, and the 69 has 69 votes

[Heatwave]

Easy call....69 convertible...here's mine

[andyg]

I think mine has the perfect combination. Its a 69, so it has the nice tail lights, side markers and dash, but I have 68 grills on it up front. And its a drop top.

[Gastiresandoil]

Hardtop or Coupe - 68 - taillights in the bumper and small front turn signals, but most importantly no key in my steering column.

Droptop or Convertible - 69 - Don't like the way the wing windows with the windshield look when the top is down.

[U47]

Originally Posted by Gastiresandoil

Hardtop or Coupe - 68 - taillights in the bumper and small front turn signals, but most importantly no key in my steering column.

Droptop or Convertible - 69 - Don't like the way the wing windows with the windshield look when the top is down.

What winged windows on a 69 ?