[big apple]

i own a chrome nose 68 gto that i phs sent me the billed sheet option 674

[big apple]

i have a question hopefully someone can answer my chromie 68 on the engine option code 34 mine is 5

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by big apple

i have a question hopefully someone can answer my chromie 68 on the engine option code 34 mine is 5

345 is the regular 350hp 400cid 4bbl engine. The option 5 does not show on the options list sheet you get from PHS because it's the "standard equipment" engine sold with the base GTO.

BTW, welcome to the board!

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Diego

Three points:

1. The 16 Ram Air cars came from Fred Simmonds.

Thanks Diego, do you have the sheet you can post that shows that?

Side question - was all of Fred's research in one folder or did you have to comb through years of information to find the occasional statistics sheet?

[big apple]

thanks boss for the info and the welcome

[68gtoMN]

Chrome nose cars are, as previously stated, 2108. That is a known quantity.

Trying to determine Chrome Nose by Engine will be a daunting task, if not impossible, if not already performed by the likes of Fred Simmonds. Jim Mattison does not have the time to spend on such an endeavor (recognizing that there are nearly 88,000 68 GTO records to comb through and these are interspersed throughout the VIN numbers - there is no GTO section to review). Jim looks up the VIN, not the model, to provide the information.

[Diego]

Originally Posted by The Boss

Thanks Diego, do you have the sheet you can post that shows that?

Side question - was all of Fred's research in one folder or did you have to comb through years of information to find the occasional statistics sheet?

I first saw the 16 reference in an old issue of HPP in the letters to the editor section.

Subsequently, I have found the attached document at the GM Heritage Center.

In my first visit there, this doc wasn't in the '68 pile. The last time, it was. Where it came from, I dunno, but I think they must've had it but it wasn't properly organized. All of his tabulations were in folders for the respective years, rather than in one Fred Simmonds file.

[The Boss]

Thanks again Diego, very cool piece!

How did he find the time???

[CDN2PLS2]

I think Fred was a great guy.

[Diego]

I forgot to mention one thing - why did they tabulate a combination such as Ram Air with the chrome nose?

I can't answer that, but I know there are some strange combinations tabulated. I've noticed the same thing with Buicks, which Rich Johns probably can attest to.

[mgreen0104]

Originally Posted by Diego

I forgot to mention one thing - why did they tabulate a combination such as Ram Air with the chrome nose?

I can't answer that, but I know there are some strange combinations tabulated. I've noticed the same thing with Buicks, which Rich Johns probably can attest to.

Most people ordered them with the chrome nose cause it was cheaper.Most rather spend money on performance instead of a look! But not only that many people think that its a LeMans until that animal comes alive and leaves them guessing. Just think theses cars where meant to drag Friday threw Sunday and sell on Monday. It looks like a clone. Mine came split bucket seats with a 4speed so it looks like granny's ol Tempest or LeMans. And under the hood is 360 Horse or better. Like the gentleman who says in his opinion its a LeMans with a GTO motor. Unless he has a Ram Air or H.O. 68 GOAT that was stock he wouldn't see the front nose anyway cause he wouldn't be able to pass the H.O Chrome nose to see it. I'd prefer power over hideaway headlights anyway.

[Diego]

Originally Posted by mgreen0104

Most people ordered them with the chrome nose cause it was cheaper.Most rather spend money on performance instead of a look!

How do you know this?

In any case, I was only pointing out that Pontiac tabulated some strange combinations that may not have any logic to us on the street.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Diego

How do you know this?

In any case, I was only pointing out that Pontiac tabulated some strange combinations that may not have any logic to us on the street.

He's speculating. Racers also ordered it for the weight savings over the heavy Endura bumper. The Pontiaction RA GTO from Stephens Pontiac here in CT was just one example.

[Diego]

In that case, only about 1.6% of Ram Air buyers decided to go faster with a chrome nose - hardly "most people."

[The Boss]

You have to agree the endura bumper was the signature design aspect of the new for 68 body. You had to have a good reason to delete it although I am surprised the number is so low for the Ram Air cars.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by The Boss

Thanks again Diego, very cool piece!

How did he find the time???

He came in early and did it before work; snooped around at lunchtime and then stayed late after work.

Originally Posted by CDN2PLS2

I think Fred was a great guy.

...IS a great guy.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Diego

I first saw the 16 reference in an old issue of HPP in the letters to the editor section.

Subsequently, I have found the attached document at the GM Heritage Center.

Sidebar: check out those hood mounted tach numbers.

I had a friend who worked in Pontiac, starting as a GMI student in 1969. He recalled the word on the street was that the hood tach was troublesome as a result of the location/hood slamming and was not a very popular option in the day.

These numbers would seem to me to support that.

K

[GTOLIB]

Good info ,hood tachs low numbers too , great to have someone like Fred go the extra mile. Finding out how many HOs would be a lot of work .
68 was a turning point it seems ,still has that wood grain dash,vent windows etc ,still a Lemans.

Does anyone have info or pictures of Rally Stripes

[GTOLIB]

Originally Posted by The Boss

He's speculating. Racers also ordered it for the weight savings over the heavy Endura bumper. The Pontiaction RA GTO from Stephens Pontiac here in CT was just one example.

BOSS Is this car still around ?

[Diego]

Originally Posted by GTOLIB

Good info ,hood tachs low numbers too , great to have someone like Fred go the extra mile. Finding out how many HOs would be a lot of work .

Well, the docs that Fred went through were not invoices so there's nothing to count. What he went through were docs that calculated models and options including permutations of bodystyles and motors, sometimes combined by option (i.e. how many L76 cars came with AC and a manual tranny).

Does anyone have info or pictures of Rally Stripes

http://ultimategto.com/cgi-bin/showc...=/pow/pow0438a