August 69 Hi Perf Cars

[55chevy]

The only GT I've seen with original plexiglass headlight covers was the Gold/Black '69 that has shelby scoops on the side pillars. (the car that recently sold at BJ). And that comes from what I seen of that car used in vintage ads for Motion. I heard that headlight covers were deemed illegal right away and the rest of the GTs were delivered without them. Dan M's yellow '70 GT was restored with the covers installed but I don't think it was delivered that way originally...? Dan?? The original Phase III GT Corvette prototype car had the factory front and rear end. What made the GT special (at first) was the slant back window and fuel filler cap (among other Motion mods). The proto car was the only GT to have the stock front end. (I'll link a pic). The rest of the 9-10 GTs to follow had open headlights. The only car I've seen in vintage photos that perplexes me is an Orange/Black GT that has the GT front with open lights yet retains the stock 4 round taillights.. I believe that to be the 2nd GT built. All the other GTs built had the slotted taillights as far as I know. Also as far as the slotted taillights go it seems there is no 2 GTs built the same.. All I have seen are unique in size and shape. ......... Ok lets see what I started here... Here's a pic of the proto GT (which I've seen inside and out numerous times and remains today very close to what it was originally...other than a color change... and a boo boo )...

[JoeG]

Ed , here's a photo of the '70 yellow vette in '92 ( or there abouts ) in front of Palm Beach Motors---They said the originals were missing so they had to handcraft the plexi covers---Now the car was shipped to Las Vegas back then --So were the covers allowed there due to different state MV laws?

[Dave Rifkin]

Of the 9-10 cars built how many have been accounted for?

[MotionVette]

The gold and black GT is the car that I was thinking about after reading the magazine article. The way I deciphered the article was that the recessed headlights would not be installed on any of the GT's until 1970. I have also seen pics of a orange and silver 69 GT with the recessed headlights. This car also features the Shelby side scoops like the gold and black GT. Do you have any pics of the prototype GT as it is today?

[MOTION1]

Joel told me that the car was restored exactly as built when I bought it so I believe it had the covers from the get go.

Dan

[MOTION1]

Second shot

[MotionVette]

Thanks for posting the pics of the car and the info. Have any more of the yellow GT ?

[55chevy]

The orange/silver car you saw is the gold/black car prior to it being restored to original. Here is a link to the prototype GT with some pics and the owners story about it. http://home.swbell.net/vette-65/69_motion.html I do have some pics of it in current condition but I feel I should need Larry's permission to post any. Here is a link to his '70 GT as well. http://home.swbell.net/vette-65/70vette.html This car didn't appear to have ever had light covers.. Dan how are they installed on your car? If they were there then removed would there be any telltail signs?

[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