A Real '68 GT???

[GoinManta]

Im n DSL and have that too.. I will rescan and update for you. BUt you know once I go digging for that I will have to go digging for all the other old odd info I said I would.. ugh.

Charles "Collector of useless vintage paper" Goin

[jan alma]

here is a `68 for sale in the netherlands. don`t know any vin numbers etc. on this car but they claim to have one...

http://www.opelgtparts.com/gallery/index.php?page=2

[GOLDOPELGTS]

The Vin # on my '69 GT is 94 17XXXX. The front bumper is one piece and the back panel is flat. I assume it is an early '69 GT

[GoinManta]

You would be correct sir... Although not neccessarily... the flat panel was the last of the changes.. most 69s' have the flat panel.

[GoinManta]

ahh.. nevermind.. Wheres the delete button

[GTJIM]

Here is a pic of the 1968 GT for sale in Holland, by Susselbek

If Patrick advertises it as a 1968 it very probably is one but check.

[Gary]

My '69 has 11/68 gauges in it. It is definately a '69. There are a lot of other subtle differences with the early ones, including the bumper mounts below the curved lights and the shape of the rear hood edge. That was how we determined that the titled '68 that Todd has was actually an early '69.

You can't always go by the inside heater valve as there was a service bulletin to replace the inside valve with the later versions.

[PROPEL]

Originally Posted by Gary There are a lot of other subtle differences with the early ones, including the bumper mounts below the curved lights and the shape of the rear hood edge...You can't always go by the inside heater valve as there was a service bulletin to replace the inside valve with the later versions.

From my observation, the early bumper mount difference facilitates attaching the '68 split bumper.

Gary, can you describe the difference in the shape of the rear hood edge? And do you know when the inside heater valve switched over?

[dicky]

Originally Posted by madhatterpdc Is this a real '68 GT? The bumper has been removed. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...&category=6390

Hi guys,

well, all early 69's had the devided bumpers. Sometimes they were modified into single/standard one later. But, this would mean exchanging the bumper holder with the single one and cutting/new welding mounting points. That standard single one was offered from middle of '69 on.
Regarding the VIN it is right, that the 9416... are all real 68's models, also the 9417... are late produced 68's or very early built 69's.
As example: mine has a 941608... and is in fact a real 68 which was sold in the beginning of Jan. 69.
The no. 9422... shows a 1970 model. Sometimes I heard and read about 68's in newspaers and so on. When asking for the VIN I got to know:
- May 68, but no. 9418... means Aug. 69
- August 68, but no. 9420... means early 1970
- Dec. 68, but no. 9417... means March/April 69

absolutely incredible!

Just remember, that in 1968 there were only 49(!) prototypes, mostly hand made, the first VIN registration started in Sept. 68.

Finally, maybe very few 68's came to the US for demo purposes of the Buick dealers. At the end the first buyable GT's are dated on April - June '69 at the earliest.

Take care and "lamp out/lamp in"

Dicky

[dicky]

Originally Posted by Gary My '69 has 11/68 gauges in it. It is definately a '69. There are a lot of other subtle differences with the early ones, including the bumper mounts below the curved lights and the shape of the rear hood edge. That was how we determined that the titled '68 that Todd has was actually an early '69. You can't always go by the inside heater valve as there was a service bulletin to replace the inside valve with the later versions.

Hi Gary,

my '69 has 07/68 gauges, that means '68 indeed.
But, sometimes later models showed older gauges. Reason is often later assembling of stock parts or at last modification/replacing by users or mechanics...

Did you ever check the body at the Panhard bar fixing point? There you will find a further prod. date.

Dicky

[dicky]

Originally Posted by GTJIM Here is a pic of the 1968 GT for sale in Holland, by Susselbek If Patrick advertises it as a 1968 it very probably is one but check.

Hi Jim,

at the beginning of August I take a trip to Patrick's garage and surely have the chance for checking. Keep an eye on it, promised.

Keep on Opeling...

Dicky

[Gary]

Originally Posted by dicky Did you ever check the body at the Panhard bar fixing point? There you will find a further prod. date. Dicky

Ahh.. didn't know that one.... You learn something everyday!! Dicky, when you go to Susselbek, can you get the VIN and the prod. no. on the radiator support? What are the numbers from yours?

[dicky]

Originally Posted by Gary Ahh.. didn't know that one.... You learn something everyday!! Dicky, when you go to Susselbek, can you get the VIN and the prod. no. on the radiator support? What are the numbers from yours?

Hi,

gonna check my prod. no. on radiator frame, don't remember on it...
My VIN is 941608445. According a # list in the old GT Journal in the late 90's mine is at place ten of the oldest known in the whole Europe.
Oldest two are located round about 50 and 250 km away from my home town (one of them is a real '68 of the 49 Opel company Demos). They still roll every day!

Tell you more pretty soon about Suselbeek's...

Dicky

[dzielins]

Originally Posted by dicky Hi, gonna check my prod. no. on radiator frame, don't remember on it... My VIN is 941608445. According a # list in the old GT Journal in the late 90's mine is at place ten of the oldest known in the whole Europe. Oldest two are located round about 50 and 250 km away from my home town (one of them is a real '68 of the 49 Opel company Demos). They still roll every day! Tell you more pretty soon about Suselbeek's... Dicky

Hi there,
I just became an owner of a '69 GT. My chassis number is 941638918. From GM I know that it left the Bochum factory in January 1969. What could it mean in the oldest known GT ranking?
Dicky, do you have any idea on how can I find data about the previous owners of my car. I know that it was sold in Germany, have the precise date, but no idea of the first owner or dealer which sold it.
Darek

[GoinManta]

Jan. of 69 would be a average mid-69' model.

The 68s' were built in July or August, in the French body plant. Production of the GTs in Bochum started in September if I recall correctly.

Charles

[dzielins]

Charles, could you explain me the Jan. of '69 transformation to a mid-'69 model?
Darek

[GoinManta]

Simple..

68' models have a bunch of odd features, flat panel in the rear (No indention for the license plate), high beam on the turn signal stalk, split front bumper, amongst others already mentioned. As best we can figure is the 68s' were prototypes and hand built in the French body plant to confirm fit, finish, and find any oversights in the design. As Opel made changes to the car, these variations disappeared. But because Opel ordered X amount of parts for the first run, it left some early 69' models with these odd features being carried over at teh German plant, but usually not all.

Typically the build year goes from Sept to Sept, with usually July or August being a retooling/vacation month where they make new model changes. With the delay in shipping, etc.. some cars built in July-August in Germany don't get here until Oct/Nov, and they sell them as the new model year. That's why you will find some 70' models with the triangular indicators on the dash instead of the typical circles. 71' models with high compression motors, 73' models with the regualr GT Tail lights, etc..

So being built in Jan, your car falls in the middle of the model year. Yours is early enough though it probably has a flat panel in the rear, as that was one of the last changes to be made to the 69' models left from the 68' models.

Again, most of this is general information and not exact, some is best guesses from what we know. The reason being is that Opel changes things as they went a lot, and records are sketchy at best.

I am sure some here can correct me, or add to what I just mentioned.

[GTJIM]

I have an article down loaded from an Opel site that is headed "The definitive Opel GT Guide for, Year, Color and Parts Identification"

In it there is reference to Chassis # 94-1535504 being the starting number for 1969 GTs so any number from before that may well be a 1968 model.
Of course Gt and Kadett numbers were mixed together so there is no linear progression of Chasis numbers.

Hope that chassis number is correct for the start of 1969 GTs.