August 69 Hi Perf Cars

[MotionVette]

From where did the recessed headlights originate from?

[Pantera]

I think Joel was trying to give his "GT" cars a Ferrari like look at a price that could be afforded by average racers.

Also in your first post you asked about the headlights only avaiable in 1970. I think at the time of that issue they were not quite ready to have them finished till then. After all that was Aug of 69 and it was not too long till the new year.


The orange car you were refering to with the new lights and the stock taillights just might have been the first car completed in late 69. Perhaps Joel was not happy with the stock look of the rear, so he sent it back to have the taillights re-done. That car just may be the one with the Dodge Charger pop-up gascap, unlike all the rest with the "MOON" popup cap.

It seems that each GT completed, seemed to get more and or larger slots on the taillights. Don't ask me why my white/Gold 70 has smaller ones than Dan's car as his was built just before mine by a couple of months.

So far, of the 9 cars there are only about 5 accounted for. Not each one of them was a actual Baldwin Chev sold car. The Gold/black vette sold at BJ is just a Motion GT. But it still is a neat car and I love the colors on it.

Pantera

[55chevy]

[ QUOTE ]
From where did the recessed headlights originate from?

[/ QUOTE ]

Story goes that Joel wanted an American "GT" sports car that would overshadow the European "GT" (Ferrari..etc) cars in every way, other than price. I would say he succeeded with the Phase III GT Vettes. The open headlights and other body mods on the GT were Joels design.

[55chevy]

[ QUOTE ]
The orange car you were refering to with the new lights and the stock taillights just might have been the first car completed in late 69. Perhaps Joel was not happy with the stock look of the rear, so he sent it back to have the taillights re-done. That car just may be the one with the Dodge Charger pop-up gascap, unlike all the rest with the "MOON" popup cap.

[/ QUOTE ]

I do think that was the first customer car built but I don't think it became the car with the Dodge gas cap. I think it's an unknown/unfound car today... Or maybe someone out there knows exactly where/what it is today..

Here are a few comparitive pics..

Here are 2 of the orange/black GT with stock taillights/open headlights:
Note this one has the daytona/moon gas cap..

[55chevy]

front view of same car..

[55chevy]

I think this is also the same car that is on these 2 magazine covers (with Marty's color adjusting to make the car look more red)

[55chevy]

btw.. I don't have either magazine so I don't know if there are any articles on the car.. Can someone with these mags check and see if there are more pics of this GT within the mag??

[55chevy]

Dodge cap GT. Note it has the same paint scheme as the Gold/Black car with extra hood stripe. I think this car was built right after that black/gold car and several after the Orange/black car with stock taillights.

[55chevy]

Rear view.. Notice how large the taillights are. They look to be as big or bigger than Dan's Yellow 70

[55chevy]

Here is an ad for the GT showing pics of Larry's prototype