[CardinalRed]

My 70 GTO was ordered originally with the stripe option and I vaguely remember an article wrote that if the car was build after mid April it would be the 70 Judge eyebrow stripes. Is this true or just a myth? Thanks.

[CardinalRed]

My 70 GTO was ordered originally with the stripe option and I vaguely remember an article wrote that if the car was build after mid April it would be the 70 Judge eyebrow stripes. Is this true or just a myth? Thanks.

[TJH]

April is definitely the 1970-style eyebrow stripes. However, as I recall, the cutoff date was much earlier, like around January. The 1969-style stripes were only used until around the end of calendar year 1969, so for only the first few months of 1970 model year production.

[CardinalRed]

Thanks for the reply. Is a Non-Judge with the stripe option fairly rare? Also, with the eyebrow stripes, does it still come with the GTO logos as well in the normal places. My car is Cardinal Red, what color should be GTO logos be? Thanks.

[gtoric]

The D98 Rally Stripe option was fairly rare. Only 1.3%, or 2,468, of the Le Mans and GTO line received this option. Of that total, over half (1,419) were installed on the GT-37. This stripe was similar to the '69 Judge beltline stripe, but was only available in the White-Red-Black color scheme. That color combo was not available on The Judge in '69. My catalog does not list an eybrow stripe for non-Judge applications until 1971.

Your car would feature all of the normal GTO badging for that year. Most Cardinal Red GTOs I've seen have the white appliques, but I have not seen any documentation listing the color combos for badging.

[SpartanMSU]

I think the eyebrow stripes were a running change in 1970 for the GTO.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Check out the PMD documentation on my old 70 GTO in the Judge Tech forum/ "How about these 1970 455 Judges?". Car still retained the factory installed 69 style stripes when purchased in 87 or 88. Invoice date is April 22, 1970. 3 pictures posted of car.

GTORIC seems to be correct on what he stated. I had wondered if there was maybe a code that differientiated between whether the 69 stripe was used or the 70 eyebrows. I haven't a clue to that. All I know is what I had.

[SpartanMSU]

I don't think it had a separate option code. I think it was a running change. When was your car built?

[supcarbob]

I have never seen an 'original' 1970 GTO or Lemans with 'eyebrow' stripes. I have seen several 'restored' cars saying they are correct. I only remember one 1970 car sold at our dealership with option code D98 accent stripes(Atoll Blue/Black top Lemans Sport) and it had red/white/black stripes and was built in March 1970.Also,the assembly manual which indicated running changes makes no mention of a change in stripe design for 1970 non'Judge cars or a date. It only has the updates for GT-37. Also,under the Judge stripe design in assembly manual only shows 'eyebrow' stripes with 'WT1' Judge option. All my parts books also show the red/white/black 1969 style for 1970 models and the Judge 'eyebrow' stripes exclusive to Judge.
I also,have a picture of my Cardinel Red 'D98' Accent Stripe(original to car). It was produced in January at Arlington Tx. plant.
It seems if something is stated over and over again that it some how becomes fact.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

My old Blue 70 was built/execution April 15,1970 - invoiced April 22,1970. We may eventually exhaust all possibilities of the eyebrows being on any 70 models - from the factory. I have seen a White 70 GTO with the eyebrows in a junkyard long ago. The stripes seemed to have been just as old as the car and car still had factory paint. Also used to see a Red Lemans Sport running around with eyebrows driven by an older man, but never got close enough to car or owner to inquire. Just accepted them both as they were.

Both of these cars could have been dressed this way by the owners, or maybe they were original and correct. IF the 70 eyebrows were available in 1971, then I could see the possibility of an owner making the up-grade early in a 1970 cars' life.

:Personal Opinion: I agree with Bob on how "repeated rumor becoming fact" can happen. I am sure we have all been guilty to that on one point or another. Personally, I wouldn't put the stripes or eyebrows back on a car unless it were a Judge, regardless of it's pedigree. I just don't like them and it doesn't increase the value. Mostly it looks like an incomplete clown attempt at a Judge Clone. :Personal Opinion:

Bob your car looks great. The stripes go much better on your red car than they did on my blue car. Is your car factory paint and factory stripes still showing? Or have the paint and stripes been re-done? I didn't know which way to take (original to car) as meaning.

This has been a very good thread/topic.

[supcarbob]

The car was repainted in 1984 and stripes put back when they were reproduced in early 1990s. I have pictures when car did have original paint (with some primer spots) and the factory installed stripes still on. They are listed on PHS. Also original GTO decals were black on Cardinal Red.As far as debate on 1969 or eyebrow I have to go along with my memory of the cars when new.

[SpartanMSU]

Alas, memory is not always 100% when it comes to cars. I can remember when people didn't think pink stripes were available on Dodge Challengers. Just cuz you've never seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[supcarbob]

Fortunatly,my -memory- is 100% when it comes to this.I followed the availablity of options very closely then(still do). I have been around 'new' Pontiac's since the '60s. I remember the new Lemans we had(I have the paperwork) that was once again built in March'70. It had red/white/black 1969 style stripes. This option was never listed on the 'wholesale car order form'. There was a bulliten announcing the availability of the 'accent stripes' later.I believe that is why such a small amount were produced as they were not on the order form.I also was at the Pontiac home plant several times in 1970(Pontiac used to let a dealer pick up cars at factory) and we would take plant tours. I never once saw a non'Judge with eyebrow stripes. I do remember seeing just a few Lemans/GTO on the line or in storage lot with red/white/black stripes,not many at all.
I can not believe that Pontiac would have changed the stripe design to the eyebrow Judge style and continue to offer red/white/black 1969 style on the GT-37 which was being produced at the same time. Also,once again the 'assembly manual' shows no change over for assembly workers to institute.
Does any one have an internal(either factory or dealer) 'Car Distribution Bulliten" showing a change? Pontiac always sent 'bullitens' to dealers with option changes,pricing or production changes?.I don't recall one.
Also, I -remember- using Judge eyebrow stripes on several 'used car' trade in 1970,1971,1972 Lemans/GTO.The stripes were cheap and available through our parts department as kits and they enhanced the appearence for resale. This could possibly explain why some cars had them. I am sure we were not the only dealer doing this in the '70s.Lots of things happen to a car in 35+ years.
If you check the major decal restortation companies,they continue to ignore the fact that 1969 styles stripes were used on non'Judge cars for 1970. If you didn't know better and were purchasing stripes from them, you would order what they say is correct-they are the experts-right?.The same problem exsists for 1971 were they show Judge eyebrow' on 1971 models. We know this is wrong-they used red/black or white/ red different design. Once again,there websites don't show correct stripes and people buy the wrong ones. This is what I mean,after awhile people start to think its correct after the wrong information is being given.
Different stripe color mistake ,yes-different stripe design-no from the factory

[SpartanMSU]

Not to discount your memory or your sincerity, but no memory is 100% from that long ago.

It'd be interesting to find some documentation proving the running change.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Mostly, right now - I just wonder if Cardinal Red has re-joined the forum and saw all this new information on his thread.

If nothing else, I believe we pretty much disposed of the April and the end of calender year theory on the eyebrows. The quest for a service or sales update bulletin continues....