1969 ????????????????

[Keith G.]

2 questions, was 69 the last year for factory side-pipes, and did head-rests and shoulder harnesses come on all 69s or were they options.

[Ralph S.]

Re: 1969 ????????????????

1969 was the last year for side exhaust
Head rests were standard
Shoulder belts were an option on convertibles for 69

[Michael W.]

Re: 1969 ????????????????

69 was the only year for sidepipes in the C3 era. Not available in '68.

Headrests were a mandatory option, RPO A82.

Shoulder belts were standard on coupes, option RPO A85 on convertibles.

[Edward B.]

Re: 1969 ????????????????

Headrests were a mandatory option, RPO A82.

What Mike stated is correct, but between the start of 1969 production and January 1st, 1969 (when the NHTSA regulation of mandatory front seat head restraints actually took effect), if you jumped up and down, stomped your feet and held your breath, you COULD get your car without headrests!

RPO AR1 deleted the headrest and credited the price back to the purchaser. Although not specific to the Corvette, here's Chevrolet Dealer Service Technical Bulletin 69-T-1 giving dealers instructions on removing the headrest and installing a "filler" plate. (HERE'S a picture of the "filler" that's referenced in the Bulletin.)

Note that the TIM&JG is incorrect regarding the Head Restraints on page 9 in the 4th edition. It states

Headrests were optional in 1968 and the first part of 1969. They became a mandatory option January 1, 1969.

In reality, headrests were optional in 1968, but became a mandatory option (RPO A82) at the beginning of the 1969 model year (with the RPO AR1 caveat above). After January 1st, 1969, they were no longer an option, but included with each car (with no way to "dealer" delete them).

Ed

[Terry M.]

Re: 1969 ????????????????

What Mike stated is correct, but between the start of 1969 production and January 1st, 1969 (when the NHTSA regulation of mandatory front seat head restraints actually took effect), if you jumped up and down, stomped your feet and held your breath, you COULD get your car without headrests!

RPO AR1 deleted the headrest and credited the price back to the purchaser. Although not specific to the Corvette, here's Chevrolet Dealer Service Technical Bulletin 69-T-1 giving dealers instructions on removing the headrest and installing a "filler" plate. (HERE'S a picture of the "filler" that's referenced in the Bulletin.)

Note that the TIM&JG is incorrect regarding the Head Restraints on page 9 in the 4th edition. It states



In reality, headrests were optional in 1968, but became a mandatory option (RPO A82) at the beginning of the 1969 model year (with the RPO AR1 caveat above). After January 1st, 1969, they were no longer an option, but included with each car (with no way to "dealer" delete them).

Ed

Ed
A careful read of TSB 69-T-1 looks like it applies to bench seats only. In fact at one point it says "Strato and bucket seats excluded." That would make me think that 1969 Corvettes are not a part of that bulletin.

[Edward B.]

Re: 1969 ????????????????

A careful read of TSB 69-T-1 looks like it applies to bench seats only. In fact at one point it says "Strato and bucket seats excluded." That would make me think that 1969 Corvettes are not a part of that bulletin.

Terry, when I wrote that report I couldn't find the specific bulletin that applied to the Camaro (bucket seats) so I used that one as an example. There IS one for bucket seats, but I couldn't (and still can't) find it! I "believe it's TSB 69-T-2, but can't be sure until I finally find one.

For calendar year 1969, headrests became a NHTSA requirement. Although the regulation didn't actually take effect until January 1, 1969, GM built all their 1969 models with headrests and charged the corresponding price under RPO A82 (For the Corvette, that price was $17.95). After January 1, 1969, the base price of all the GM models was adjusted to include the option.

http://www.camaros.org/images/hrest/hr_69Malibuws.jpg]HERE'S[/url] a Window Stick from a 1969 Chevelle showing the AR1 "Less Head Restraint" for a refund of $16.90. I know this car and it was equipped with bucket seats. We also have one car in the Camaro database with AR1 (again with bucket seats), so we know there HAS to be a TSB out there somewhere that covers buckets.

Ed

[Edward B.]

Re: 1969 ????????????????

For some reason the site keeps removing the first [ in the [url= statement above! And now I can't even edit my reply. Can a moderator please fix that for me?

Thanks
Ed