# Rare convertible GTO?



## Rat Rod Rory (8 mo ago)

Let me start with saying I need help. This is my first post on this forum. I recently found an unmolested all original 1969 GTO that needs a full restoration. It's in a barn since the 80s or 90s. It's a factory dark green with white convertible 1969 GTO 4 speed 400 4 barrel car. I can not for the life of me find another dark green white top 1969 GTO on the internet. I'm guessing it's not a 1 of 1 car, but does anyone know roughly how many were made? I haven't bought the car yet, but I'm planning on buying it and rotisserie restoring it. I tend to hot rod everything I get, so this seems like the perfect factory hot rod to reatore. I can't get to the vin because it's parked right against a boat.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Im not a numbers guy, but I assume anyone couldve gotten a new top, in any color they wanted, sometime during its life


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## Rat Rod Rory (8 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> Im not a numbers guy, but I assume anyone couldve gotten a new top, in any color they wanted, sometime during its life


The owner is the original owner. He kept this car 100% original other than wheels. It still has original tags on rear end and transmission. He religiously took care of the car, but after a couple years of being balls deep in the salt belt got to it, so he parked it wanting it not to rot any more. It is possible he put a after market top on it, but as far as I know it's original. As far as I can tell it's a rare car either way.


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

You can get the PHS docs, whether you own it or not, and then the true story will be told.

As I said, Im not a numbers guy, but there are many of them here.

If I had a nickle for every GTO old wives tale I ever heard, I'd go into banking... that being said, there are certainly rare cars out there.


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## 1971LemansWisc (Apr 18, 2021)

PHS Automotive Services, Inc. 

Worth every penny ... in my unsolicited opinion


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## armyadarkness (Dec 7, 2020)

Agreed. You may very well have found something rare, but I wouldnt ever take a sellers word for it... not in these times. I assume this car is in the east? I feel like I saw your elcamino, yesterday! If not, I saw its twin, in South Jersey.


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## Rat Rod Rory (8 mo ago)

armyadarkness said:


> You can get the PHS docs, whether you own it or not, and then the true story will be told.
> 
> As I said, Im not a numbers guy, but there are many of them here.
> 
> If I had a nickle for every GTO old wives tale I ever heard, I'd go into banking... that being said, there are certainly rare cars out there.


I'll have to get back to the car some time and move shit around so I can get to the vin. The PHS service is probably my best bet.


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## Jetzster (Jan 18, 2020)

Welcome to the Forum 😀


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## O52 (Jan 27, 2019)

First of all welcome!

You don't need PHS docs to determine the color of the top. That information is on the Fisher Body plate on the cowl. PHS docs will tell you what options the car had when it rolled off the assembly line. Still a good thing to have when purchasing a GTO of any year.

For 1969, there were 7,436 Convertibles built, of which 2,415 had a manual transmission with the standard 400 engine. 
It appears that the body is Midnight Green Metallic. 
There were four different top colors for 69; 
Fisher Body codes;
1 - Ivory
2 - Black
3 - Dark Blue
9 - Dark Green
Of these 1, 2, or 9 were likely the top colors available with Midnight Green and were usually coordinated with the interior color

In short, I wouldn't consider the Ivory colored top to be all that unusual. Pontiac did not keep records of color combinations so there is no way to determine color rarity beyond what is existing now. 

Take a picture of the Fisher Body plate. It's located on top of the cowl, drivers side. Hood needs to be wide open to get a decent photo. That will provide quite a bit of information regarding the body.


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## Rat Rod Rory (8 mo ago)

O52 said:


> First of all welcome!
> 
> You don't need PHS docs to determine the color of the top. That information is on the Fisher Body plate on the cowl. PHS docs will tell you what options the car had when it rolled off the assembly line. Still a good thing to have when purchasing a GTO of any year.
> 
> ...


Thanks for that info. I'm trying to set up a time I can bring a jack over and some car dollys. If I can move it half a foot away from the boat I could get the vin and that fisher tag. That would help me out a lot on identifying it.


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## Duff (Jan 12, 2020)

WELCOME!!! Rare or not, that's a very nice car to start with!


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## GTOJUNIOR (Aug 7, 2011)

MIDNIGHT GREEN '69 White top convertible.

Must have been a sweet looing ride in it's day.


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## Rat Rod Rory (8 mo ago)

GTOJUNIOR said:


> MIDNIGHT GREEN '69 White top convertible.
> 
> Must have been a sweet looing ride in it's day.
> View attachment 153938
> ...


Thank you. It's nice to see what this car will look like in a few years once I'm done with it. That green will look amazing parked next to my factory brown Camaro. Just seeing one like it is making me excited.


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## 1971LemansWisc (Apr 18, 2021)

Minus the canoe and recycling bin  ... incredible discovery ... you are so fortunate to have found this gem!


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## dadspackard31 (Dec 2, 2019)

Rat Rod Rory,

Welcome. Looking forward to seeing you getting this one out in the light and your journey of the restoration.


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## Rat Rod Rory (8 mo ago)

dadspackard31 said:


> Rat Rod Rory,
> 
> Welcome. Looking forward to seeing you getting this one out in the light and your journey of the restoration.


I'm planning on picking it up and bringing it home this fall. I'll make sure to keep updating this forum with the progress I'll make, and I'm sure I'll be active asking a bunch of questions when I get stuck. I do have a YouTube channel called Good Rats Garage that I will be starting back up again. I have a couple projects ahead of this one, but I should be able to start it by next spring.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Verdoro Green with a white top was one of the most common color combos back in the day. I was there and remember. There were two of them in my High School parking lot (ten year old cars at the time). Verdoro Green was perhaps the most popular color for '68 and '69 GTO's, and was developed in 1967 for the new Firebird at the request of John DeLorean's wife, who spotted an ashtray at a party that color and told her husband that Pontiac should develop it into a car color. Many, many Pontiac owners in the '70's and '80's did a color change, as the Verdoro would turn into army 'olive drab' in a few years in the weather and was no longer in vogue. That said, I think it is a super sharp color, especially with a white top and a parchment (off white) interior. Good luck on your project. The 4 speed ups the 'cool factor' 100%.


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## 65GOATGuy (Jun 11, 2020)

1971LemansWisc said:


> PHS Automotive Services, Inc.
> 
> Worth every penny ... in my unsolicited opinion


That’s how I verified mine, VIN & PHS will tell you original colors for paint, interior, top, etc.


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## GTOJUNIOR (Aug 7, 2011)

Being its not Verdoro, but Midnight Green doesn't make it "Rare" but it isn't a commonly seen color that is for sure.


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## roger1 (Jun 25, 2020)

Rat Rod Rory said:


> I'm planning on picking it up and bringing it home this fall. I'll make sure to keep updating this forum with the progress I'll make, and I'm sure I'll be active asking a bunch of questions when I get stuck. I do have a YouTube channel called Good Rats Garage that I will be starting back up again. I have a couple projects ahead of this one, but I should be able to start it by next spring.


It's almost fall. Is everything on schedule for you got pick the car up to bring it home?

I don't think it would be considered rare. But that doesn't detract from the fact that is a fantastic color combination and happens to be what is IMHO the most beautiful GTO model ever made. But I guess I might be biased 
Since you would like to do a restomod, you might be interested in checking out my build thread sometime.


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## Baaad65 (Aug 29, 2019)

Hey Roger we haven't seen any updates lately, everything ok are you driving it yet??


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## roger1 (Jun 25, 2020)

I'll have a small update coming later today. Everything is just fine but my progress is slow right now. Haven't been putting the hours in because of a bunch of things going on and when I have worked on the car, the processes with what I've been working on go slow. Once the fall weather comes and I get the seats back from the upholstery shop, that will certainly raise my motivation back up. Plus, I'll have more free time to work on the car after this month is over.

I hope the OP comes back and gives us an update on his GTO. Looks like it has tremendous potential. I hope for him the rust is at least minor. Can't tell that at this point from the photos he posted. My build thread should give him starters on what to look for.


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## Rat Rod Rory (8 mo ago)

roger1 said:


> It's almost fall. Is everything on schedule for you got pick the car up to bring it home?
> 
> I don't think it would be considered rare. But that doesn't detract from the fact that is a fantastic color combination and happens to be what is IMHO the most beautiful GTO model ever made. But I guess I might be biased
> Since you would like to do a restomod, you might be interested in checking out my build thread sometime.


The owner has been going through chemotherapy the last year so he hasn't necessarily been the most motivated to clean out the barn. I'm told I still get first dibs on it, but it sounds like it might not be for a few years. It kinda sucks that I can't get it as soon as planned, but I have a BBC I'm building for my 81 Camaro and a 12 valve for my 86 c30. So I don't mind keeping a little money right now.


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