I have a 67 that when the original owner took delivery of the car had a blacked out tail panel (just like the big block camaro).I'm trying to figure out if this was indeed just a dealer install or if any of these came from the factory. It is a 400 car with deluxe option, burgandy with black vinyl top.It also was sold thru Seltzer Pontiac in Chicago in May 67. Any help would be appreciated as I'm trying to decide wether or not to reproduce this, especially if it was done at the dealer. The dealer did modify the car slightly as it was ordered with white walls and hub caps, but was delivered with Torque thrusts and redlines. I kow the black tail panel is correct for this particular car as that is how it was delivered in 67, but did any other cars get this treatment from the factory?

There is quite a bit of debate on this very issue with some GTO's. There are only a few documented 68/69 GTO's with the area around the rear tail lights blacked out. Some know this was the way it was delivered, and have kept it this way when restoring them... But there are many out there that don't believe this to be true...

Personally I think there were some dealers out there doing this, and possibly a few were given a slightly different treatment from the factory for show/display cars etc. Hard to say what is "correct" But it's your car, and it sounds like you have some compelling proof that it was delivered that way... given that, I'd redo it as it's shown!

Great question and I hope we hear more on this!
I also know of a couple delivered with a slide back ragtop sunroof that the dealer had installed for customers... interesting!

Brett - 67 Drop Top 455!

I have never seen it. A dealer could do just about anything though. It does not matter what the dealer did because you usually can't document it. If you can't document it it's simply not considered original.
Jim

I owned a Burgundy 1969 Judge with the blacked-out tail panel. I only ever saw the option on either Burgundy or Liberty Blue cars. It was a dealer "installed" option as far as I know, since there was no paint code on the trim tag to indicate it.

The sunroof option was installed (as far as I know) by a company in Santa Monica, CA.