# Difference between Sport Coupe/Hardtop 67



## mshidner (Apr 11, 2009)

Looking to know what the difference is between a sport coupe and a hard top 67 GTO? I have the chance to purchase a 67 sport coupe and the only outward difference is the sport coupe has a sold piece at the rear quarter window. So when the rear window is rolled down there is a soild chrome strip here. Is the hard top with out this piece? Is this model not a desirable model as the person is not asking big numbers for what appears to be a very clean car. Thanks Mike


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

There were a little more than 65,000 hardtops and only 7,000 sport coupes produced in 67. Some people don't care for the pillar and prefer the clean look of the hardtop. I personally would buy the car if it's a good deal and a true GTO.


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## mshidner (Apr 11, 2009)

Randy, thank you for the numbers on how many sport coupes were made. I understand a little more in that a sport coupe was a fancy name for a post car. I had never seen one before and was unsure if it was a Tempest made to look like a GTO. It also comes with a manual 3 speed console. I had heard 3 speeds were column mounted but the party with the car swears it came this way. Not many options on the car beside console what appears to be a vacumn gauge and a nice set of buckets with the orginal engine and they saw a 3 speed transmission.


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## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

I've been told that serious drag racers ordered the post car with a boxed convertible frame and an optional floor 3 speed. Look at the frame under the door and see if it is boxed, you may be looking at a car that was ordered for the drag strip.

Also, verify the VIN tag in the driver's door jam starts with 24207,


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

I've had personal experiences with sport coupes over the past several decades. Here's what I can tell you: They were low production because they were not popular. Starting in 1950, GM began producing hardtop (pillarless) vehicles. By the '60's, "coupes" were donsidered dowdy. The Sport Coupe was the lowest cost GTO you could get, and it came standard with 3 on the FLOOR. With a HURST shifter (Ford made the gearbox!). The post cars were and are much stiffer/stronger than the hardtop cars, and made good drag cars due to lack of body twist. I have never seen one with a convertible-type boxed frame. I would think that the drag racer would want a light, stiff car....not a heavy one. Also, drag racers back then ran 4-speeds or hydro's or powerglides, etc. Almost never 3-speeds after about '62 or so. My experience is that sport coupes are more solid, have less wind noise, less water leakage, and just feel better going down the road than hardtops. They look a little strange, sure, but they're great cars. It sounds to me like you found an original, base-optioned survivor car. If you like it, go for it. Post cars typicallly bring 20-30 percent less $$ than a hardtop car. As a PS, I work with two different guys who bought NEW high perf Chevy's back in '69 and '70....BOTH cars were 3 speed stickshift cars instead of 4 speeds...I asked them why, and they said that the extra $$ for the 4 speed (about $200) back then for a $2--2.5k car was huge....they simply could not afford a 4 speed, working at the gas station and going to college, etc. So, I think you have the GTO equivalent: a young (poor) buyer, buying all the car he could with the money he had. Sounds like a neat car to me!!!!


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

didn't they derive their name from hard top convertibles or was that something entirely different...I recall that with the windows down, they appeared as a convertible with the top up...look at some early 60's hardtops...they might even look like convertible bows in their top...
Bill


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Bill, you are correct. In 1949-1950, Buick started the whole thing with the Riviera Hard Top Convertible. Thereafter, the hardtop was meant to look like a convertible with the top up! Very well evidenced in the '62-'64 GM full size cars with the ribbed roof around the backlight. Back then, style sold cars, not side air bags and I -pod players!!


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## Too Many Projects (Nov 15, 2008)

geeteeohguy said:


> Back then, style sold cars, not side air bags and I -pod players!!


..........:rofl:..........and ground pounding POWER, not pounding sound systems.........


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## silversport (Mar 23, 2007)

how 'bout it...growing up in the '60s with a bunch of young men on the block, I was able to see the pecking order...one would buy a Chevelle and the next would buy a GTO then one bought a Corvette...all trying to outdo the other...everyone working on their cars...when a kid could buy a car if he had an after school job...
Bill


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## Jstreet (Mar 9, 2009)

geeteeohguy said:


> I've had personal experiences with sport coupes over the past several decades. Here's what I can tell you: They were low production because they were not popular. Starting in 1950, GM began producing hardtop (pillarless) vehicles. By the '60's, "coupes" were donsidered dowdy. The Sport Coupe was the lowest cost GTO you could get, and it came standard with 3 on the FLOOR. With a HURST shifter (Ford made the gearbox!). The post cars were and are much stiffer/stronger than the hardtop cars, and made good drag cars due to lack of body twist. I have never seen one with a convertible-type boxed frame. I would think that the drag racer would want a light, stiff car....not a heavy one. Also, drag racers back then ran 4-speeds or hydro's or powerglides, etc. Almost never 3-speeds after about '62 or so. My experience is that sport coupes are more solid, have less wind noise, less water leakage, and just feel better going down the road than hardtops. They look a little strange, sure, but they're great cars. It sounds to me like you found an original, base-optioned survivor car. If you like it, go for it. Post cars typicallly bring 20-30 percent less $$ than a hardtop car. As a PS, I work with two different guys who bought NEW high perf Chevy's back in '69 and '70....BOTH cars were 3 speed stickshift cars instead of 4 speeds...I asked them why, and they said that the extra $$ for the 4 speed (about $200) back then for a $2--2.5k car was huge....they simply could not afford a 4 speed, working at the gas station and going to college, etc. So, I think you have the GTO equivalent: a young (poor) buyer, buying all the car he could with the money he had. Sounds like a neat car to me!!!!


:agree

Great insight and history. Sounds like a rare car indeed.....even if it's worth less than the hardtop now, values could flip and you might be looking at a good investment off sheer production numbers.


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