[Diego]

;-)

[NYGTO]

1968 1/2 Ram Air II was unique to. :--)

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by NYGTO

1968 1/2 Ram Air II was unique to. :--)

Yes but very similar to the RAIV.

[Greg Reid]

^^ One MORE thing the '69 copied from the '68....

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

^^ One MORE thing the '69 copied from the '68....

You mean improved on, some might say perfected.

[NYGTO]

Through the windshield after cleaning the other night.

[GOAT WHORE]

Cool shot!

[68ragtop]

Very cool picture!

68's ahead by three! Must be lots of parts guys on this thread

[300deluxe]

Originally Posted by 68ragtop

Very cool picture!

68's ahead by three! Must be lots of parts guys on this thread

LOL, I have a 1968 Le-Parts

[68ragtop]

Originally Posted by 300deluxe

LOL, I have a 1968 Le-Parts

Now That's funny..... I laughed out loud

[Andretti]

1969 is a cleaner design and I think a big improvement over the look of the '68's. The front end with its smoothed out hideaway grill, bullet front markers and more visible '67 styled park lights just looks better. Interior was a big improvement too, I feel. With the "Y" panel markings, less of a chrome and steel look to the dash, column ignition & wheel lock, even aerodynamic head rests, it all combines to give it a more high tech look inside. Vent windows? Should have been dumped back in the '50's. And yes, that rear end... well, maybe I'll leave this last comment for the designer himself;

The actual back end I had on the car when it left my Advanced Studio wound up being the ’69 production back end rather than the ’68. For ’68, Jack mounted the tail lamp in the bumper. Putting lamps in the bumper was a big thing for a year or two. For ’69 he took them out and put them back up in the deck like we had them on the Advanced Studio model when it went up stairs. Summing up, it was the basic body theme, the monocoque shell form with elliptical pressure bulges over the wheels—my contribution to the ’68 GTO.

An Interview in 2000 with Bill Porter about Pontiac Design in the ’60s


This article was featured in the June, 2000 issue of High Performance Pontiac. Written by Eric Peters.

At a car show with a '68 and '69 parked side by side, I just can't resist not looking at the '69 first.

[flyingn]

I whole heatedly agree. The 69 is a huge design improvement over the 68's. That goes across the GM A body line too. The 69's were a cleaner design overall

Originally Posted by Andretti

1969 is a cleaner design and I think a big improvement over the look of the '68's. The front end with its smoothed out hideaway grill, bullet front markers and more visible '67 styled park lights just looks better. Interior was a big improvement too, I feel. With the "Y" panel markings, less of a chrome and steel look to the dash, column ignition & wheel lock, even aerodynamic head rests, it all combines to give it a more high tech look inside. Vent windows? Should have been dumped back in the '50's. And yes, that rear end... well, maybe I'll leave this last comment for the designer himself;

The actual back end I had on the car when it left my Advanced Studio wound up being the ’69 production back end rather than the ’68. For ’68, Jack mounted the tail lamp in the bumper. Putting lamps in the bumper was a big thing for a year or two. For ’69 he took them out and put them back up in the deck like we had them on the Advanced Studio model when it went up stairs. Summing up, it was the basic body theme, the monocoque shell form with elliptical pressure bulges over the wheels—my contribution to the ’68 GTO.

An Interview in 2000 with Bill Porter about Pontiac Design in the ’60s


This article was featured in the June, 2000 issue of High Performance Pontiac. Written by Eric Peters.

At a car show with a '68 and '69 parked side by side, I just can't resist not looking at the '69 first.

[68ragtop]

This thread has been a fun debate.

I have always liked the 68's. For me I like how they hold some of the earlier 60's class with the vent windows, ignition switch in the dash, etc, but without the big body of earlier years. So to me its funny to hear those features picked on because those are the cues I really like about them. Both years are so similar, & I love both years. It's interesting that there is such a divided opinion. Both 68 & 69 are really great cars. But its still fun to listen, argue & debate the details.

[GOAT WHORE]

Neck and neck with the advantage going to the 69!
Why? Cause I started this thread and I say so!

[68ragtop]

You can go with the momentum advantage I suppose. Last three votes went 69 I think.

I am betting on a 68 comeback though!

[GOAT WHORE]

So here is a poll from 1986 out of the Performance Years Newsletter. Might not be scientific or 100% accurate but the one thing it nailed for sure was the 69 is more popular then the 68.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by GOAT WHORE

So here is a poll from 1986 out of the Performance Years Newsletter. Might not be scientific or 100% accurate but the one thing it nailed for sure was the 69 was more popular then the 68 30 years ago.

Fixed it for 'ya.

[300deluxe]

That poll would be different today. I bet the 68-70 would score higher than the 65-67 in 2016

[NYGTO]

Originally Posted by 300deluxe

That poll would be different today. I bet the 68-70 would score higher than the 65-67 in 2016

Wow, I wouldn't think so but maybe as demographics change that might be.

[68ragtop]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

Fixed it for 'ya.

Thats funny stuff....