68 or 69 which do you like best?
 

Maybe this has been done before, maybe I've even done it but I can't remember :D Got this idea while reading another thread in this section.
Thought I'd start an argument, I mean a debate, on which GTO is better. Your only options here are 68 or 69. Go ahead and give your reasons if you'd like.

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.

Umm, those are 68 deals not 1969.

I wasn't done yet, and fat-fingered the year. :)

I figured but just wanted to get a cheap shot in. Now if you had voted for 69 I'd have let it slide.

Ha. :D

Beyond our own biases here, why don't we look at the public's response from the day.

1968 GTO sales: 87,684
1969 GTO sales: 72,287

15397 more "votes" for 1968 and that is without having a special edition like the JUDGE to boost sales. :)

Ok, OKAY...I have a couple of 68s...

69s by far

Full disclosure, I have a 69...although I appreciate the function of wing/vent Windows, the overall styling of 68/69 goes better without them. The rear bumper/ tail light treatment on 69 is sublime.

I have a '69 but the '68 interior just seems more deluxe and quality. The Dual Gate shifter is better made than the '69-'72 set up.

69.

Looks better without the vent windows.

I prefer the key on the column.

I like the grille with the horizontal bar.

Rear bumper/taillights look better.

Love the "G T O" emblems on the front fenders!

I have always liked the wraparound turn signals on the 68s, though....

OK, I'll be the first to take it to the next level...

69s SUCK BRO, 68s RULE !!!

I love 'em both, but prefer the '68, for the following reasons:

'68 came first
Parking lamps that wrap around and double as side marker lights
Side marker lamps on quarter panels
"GTO" quarter decals - I know many people don't like them, but I love them
Traditional 6.5 Litre emblems
Hurst Dual-Gate
Old-school hard plastic steering wheel
Old-school metal dash
No head rests
Key in dash
Verdoro to me is the signature color for the '68 and wears it better than any other car
Choice of Rally I or Rally II
Custom Sports steering wheel for '68 was best looking of all years to me
Arrowhead on bumper

Having said all that, I like the '69 for being more "modern" with the lack of vent windows, heavy dash padding, head rests and soft steering wheel. The '69 design could almost be put back into production today exactly as it was and it would seem fresh and modern.

Car of the year
 

Car of the year says it all to me. Let's take the Ram Air III and put it in a 68. I'm a little bias. Mayfair mayze with redline tires! Makes me weak! I'm a little torn on the fence but I'm going with the 68's and 69's we owe you one! Lol

1969.

Why? Because I have one.

If I had a 68 I'm sure I'd like it better.

I like things about both cars and dislike things about both cars....but not enough to sway me one way or the other. I guess the argument could also be made that I didn't like my 69 enough like it was from the factory to leave it alone.

'69
 

I like the '69 WITHOUT hidden headlights. The rear bumper/tail lights look a lot better. I also like the front turn signals and front fender GTO emblems. I reckin the only things about the '69 GTO I don't like are the 8.2 rear end(instead of a 12-bolt) and the front fender mounted radio antenna. And they could probably have come up with some better lookin tailpipes--maybe splitters ?

If I had unlimited funds, my daily driver would be a black '69 Judge, with a stroker and 4-speed. And my bracket racer would be a black '69 fake Judge, with a stroker/auto. :)

Why not a hybrid?

68 grilles and valence, parking lamps etc
69 trunk, tail lights, bumper etc
69 doors (I like the function of vent windows but they just look out of place on the second generation modern bodystyle)
68 dash but 69 steering wheel (wood), seats and door panels
69 ram air set up (neat to have a knob)
if you are female enough to want an automatic the 68 Hurst set up is superior looking
while we are hybriding you might as well grab the 428HO from the 69 GP ;-)

I've always liked the 69 GTO better. Probably because that was my first GTO. At 17 yrs. old, the 70 455 didn't last very long with a muncie tranny dictating the shift RPM. The 69 GTO callouts on the fenders, front directionals, and smaller, sleeker rear bumper are also favored by me.

68 was just a practice run for the 69, which is clearly superior.

And no hideaway headlights or rear spoilers either. :boom:

69 because I have one.
And because that's the year I was born.

About the only feature I don't like on the 68's is the vent windows.
Some people like em, I don't. They just look like something that should be on a station wagon to me, sorry.

The GTO emblems on the side, the quarter marker lights, and the rear bumper of the 69's are superior to me over the 68's.

Also, (contrary to the ebay and CL sellers) no Judge in 68.

A couple is 2......10 is a couple x 5 :juggle:

Have to say 69 because i have one plus it's the year i was born. Nothing against a 68. Wish i had one too.

i think 71s are the best..

Hey! Sourds Like we have a Bernie agitator in our Trump meeting!

Between the two, I like more things about the 68.
Better on 68's:
front grill /turn signals
dash design
auto shifter is cooler
rear marker lens design
steering wheel design
8 track design

Better on 69's:
rear bumper/tail lights
no vent window
readily available ram air options, including judge option

I've owned both twice now but prefer the old details of the '68 more; key in dash, vent Windows, etc

To all of the 1969 guys, you're welcome. :D

The Car Of The Year in 1968 paved the way for a few design tweaks on the exterior for you guys. more time to hone design. Changes to interior were mostly safety driven. I like them both. Used to own one of the very first Baltimore Judges produced. We're all lucky to have this body style...

It's close to 9PM PST on 4/13 and 68 (23 votes) is leading 69 (19 votes). Again, I'm biased towards 69 so the tally thus far surprises me a little. The 68 guys are making some strong/valid points but if any 69-71 Judge forum regulars ever decide to slum around the plain-jane 68-69 GTO forum, I'm sure the 69 totals will surpass 68.

68 is my 3rd least favorite GTO right behind 73 and 74. Kind of weird as 69 is towards the top of my list, if not on top, and the 68 is very close in style in a lot of ways but in the ways it's not is just way too wrong for me. Have felt this way about 68's since I was about 19.

Yeah, that's strange.

I wonder how 1968-69 would do compared with 1970?

Funny, I feel the same way about everyone's personal favorite: the '70. It's my 2nd least favorite year ahead of the '74 solely because of that nose.

I owned a '69 and loved it. '68s are nice, but there's just a bit too much "old school" way of doing things vs. the '69 being slightly more modernized that add to making it easier to maintain and the functionality - along with sharing more parts with the '70+ cars. I give the '69 the nod in this particular instance but it's not an easy decision as both do things really well. I prefer the '69 bumper and tail light assembly, but I sure do like the vent windows though...

I'd love to have a '69 in my collection but there is NO WAY I'll ever prefer the 'plasticky' '69 interior over the wood, steel, chrome look of the '68's interior. I prefer the key in the dash and the vent windows also. As someone pointed out, it's the perfect blend of old school and modernity.
I also prefer the lighter more airy look of the grille as opposed to the egg crate of the '69 grille.
The arrowhead markers rock..no two ways about it. I like the shield on the front fenders better than the 'GTO' badge there.
The rear bumper treatment is a bit improved on the '69 and I kinda like the front turn signals but I like the '68's wraparounds also as opposed to the little side marker 'dots'...
Like 'em both though.

Had a 68 GTO, and a couple 69 Leman's. Personaly I like a 69 Lemans with the big ol' chrome nose better then any of the bunch.

68 all the way . I do like the 69 rear bumper assembly better but that's it .

68 gets my vote. The grille work is cleaner looking than 69 and I like the taillights better too.

69's look better all around. Better interior, front end and rear end. Pontiac learned what was wrong on the 68's and corrected it with the 69's!

Hands down winner in every respect is a 69 GTO.

So the real answer is.......... no one really cares! 575 people have looked at this thread so far and only 56 have voted!

Since those 598 are not unique viewers, likely means some of us who have voted returned for an update peek.

Interesting how the percentages have progressed. When I first looked 68 had about two thirds of the votes. Now 69 is ahead by a nose.

I think goat whore is right . I have a 68 and someday would like a 70 , but really I don't know if I have a favorite anymore . I've even come around to the 73&74 . If I had to pic just one gto , I think I'd have a panic attack !

The only thing I like better about a 69 is the seats. Vent windows rock, especially if you don't have AC. I agree with the above statement, I have checked this thread 5 or 6 times myself.

Duh! I didn't take that into account.

69 because I have one and that is when the judge came out. Otherwise I would be impartial. :)

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

broke the tie with a '68

32 to 31 votes, '68 on top again.

Whoda ever thunkit? :D

Have to go with the 69 since I own a convertible. Both are great looking cars. I do like the rear lights better on the 69.
When I was at the dream cruise in 2010 Jim Wangers showed me his favorite car - a 69 judge.
Does that make it 33 to 32?

'68 all the way!

The 68 interior is classic....classic....classic

I'm voting for 69 only because I have one, LOL. Kinda like trying to pick your favorite snowflake, they are all beautiful.

3 weeks ago I acquired a nice 1969 and since it's been a while I had forgotten how fun the 2 model years are to drive.
Picking a favorite is difficult. This view is priceless and fits both years.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/102...923/ZBLqde.jpg