The LT-1 option was available as a Dealer installed option.
My friend has a 69 L-46, that has the LT-1 options. All components dated very early 1970.

One was featured in a magazine article, but was not running properly.
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q76/GD70/69-6.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q76/GD70/69-8.jpg
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q76/GD70/69-9.jpg

:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...teCamaro-2.jpg

Even Bo Derek knew in 1969, that this would be the best year for Corvettes and Camaros:thumbs:

Martin

By 1, I suppose. The 69 engine line up was a direct carry over from the 68 model year. The only difference was the change from the 327 to the 350 for the small blocks.

The ZL-1 was the joker and there were only two of those.

:thumbs:

I realize magazine racing is relatively non-productive and that these cars were running bias ply tires, but did you look at those e.t.s and trap speeds in the article above? Not exactly smokin. My 69 Mustang 302 convertible, pastel yellow with a luggage rack, has run a best 14.308 @ 99.1 mph. Bring on them Vettes!:D Actually, I've got a magazine article from 1969 that showsw my Vette's drive line combo (L36, 427/390hp, 4 speed, 3.36 gears) turning a 15.02 @ 92 mph. Again, not striking fear into anyone's heart. But, back in the day, that wasn't bad.

BTW, the 69s are the best because buyers have voted them best with their money. End of argument.

Best can be many different things, most power, best handling, best looking, most collectable, best investment, most historic, most memorable, most moving. The answer would be a different year in many cases. My '77 does it for me because it was the last year of the fins and flat rear window and it was built in 1976, the year I graduated and the Bicentennial. Thats all the history that matters to me and I wrote the check! It also rides better and handles better then any chrome bumper car I've ever driven and mine is no garage or trailer queen its driven almost daily from April till December. '69 does have a great song written about it though! Bottom line I love all C3's. :thumbs:

I've owned a Monaco Orange L46 '69 coupe, and a currently own a Bridgehampton Blue '70 small block coupe.

I still think the '69 is the purest expression of what the Stingray was supposed to be; clean and simple lines, the most SHP engine choices and more refined build quality over '68.

As mentioned earlier in this thread, if the factory would have offered the LT-1 in '69, it'd have been a killer combo. :cheers:

As the owner of a 68, I'd say the 69/70 is a better car. They stiffened the chassis and used bigger wheel bearings after 68. I like the flares on the 70.

68-72 are clustered together pretty well. Not a ton of choice between them.

Personally, I went for the 68-69 because I think the gills are that much better looking than the egg crates. The car really does look like a fish, and the gills are much more in line with that styling. I do prefer the flares of the 70-72, and the seats are a hair better, although the headrests are essentially the same function as the highback 70-78.

I also preferred the 68-69 because they were the last ones that came in black.

I would have taken a 68, but the 69 is just a bit more sorted out. So much of this is taste and subjectivity, but thats why I bought the 69.

Hi

Regards,
Alan

Please make believe this is a 69.


Alain, could also be a 68, the side mirror seems far fwd, like on early 68.

Rgds. Günther

It's not often that the newer models get improved materials in their making over the older models, but in the corvette model this was the case. Although I like the '68, '69 Corvette style very much, my preference is for the '70 thru '72 models with '71 being my favorite...why?

The materials used in their construction and styling changes. I prefer the cast metal front grilles over plastic, also the metal rocker mouldings over fiberglass, the metal side marker housings over plastic. I also prefer the restyled seats, center console and dash and door panels.

I think the flared wheel wells are more manly and the squared exhaust styling more aggressive in appearance.

The gills were so well liked, they were copied by Plymouth's 'Cuda (also a "fish" car) in 1971.....

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...uda800x600.jpg

Same as I think :thumbs::iagree::cheers:

As a owner of a 69 I bought it because of the side exhaust and the 427/435 BUT I do like the 72's the best I think a lot of times the last of a model year is far more refined then the 1st production cars. As far as horsepower you can always add more. The 72's would be perfect if it had the 69 side gills

I have a 72, I still beleive the last corvette was made in 67. Just can't afford one.

1969 is only c3 available with factory side pipes and only c3 with side gills with factory silver inserts. Last year for 427 engine. I love the side gills with silver inserts. Lots of improvements over the 1968, and 1968 did not have factory side pipes or silver gill inserts.I do however love all corvettes.

That dealer built 69 LT-1 shure was a slow SLUG compared to the one Car Life tested in the 1970 model year. The 70 model went 102MPH in the 1/4 mile where the "69" dealer modified car only went 99MPH. I'm thinking it was running a std points ignition rather than the K-66 that was amnditory on the 70-71 LT-1 Vettes.

Call it what you want, there were NO 69 LT-1 Vettes in my book, they couldn't spare the intakes from Z/28 production and now with more than 20,000 extra Z/28 clones, building a 69 LT-1 clone won't be easy either. Not having a 6500RPM redline on the tach and no screw in rocker studs makes it not desirable to a guy like me who appreciates the evolution of the species. Chevy spent extra $$$ on the 70 and up LT-1 motors after too many warranty claims on the 67-69 Z/28 motors as they spit valvetrain parts out at high RPM. The screw in studs and guide plates were invented by one of my heros Smokey Yunick for race applications and no dealer conversion would ever have these details performed during a conversion.

I'n reading that article I think th eowner of that Vette was something of a WHIMP and should have stuck with the 350HP motor as he didn't want to motor wound out during testing. I care for my Vettes but I also use them to their full potential just like Zora would want me to do:D

Performance not withstanding I like the late c3's MUCH better than the early ones. To each his (or her) own. Taste is relative and subjective.:hide:

:iagree:


Beat me to it...


It's Not.


Bobby :thumbs: