Perhaps arguably, 1971 seems like the general consensus among many auto enthusiasts regarding the subject of when the golden age of the early American muscle car came to an end, with a few exceptions, of course. When it comes to Plymouth specifically, I always thought the fact that ’71 was the last year you could get a Hemi in the Road Runner sort of backed up this theory. But considering how much the costs of insuring high-performance cars had risen combined with how quickly the mindset of many auto buyers was shifting from muscle to economy, it’s pretty great what you could still get in a Plymouth B-Body for ’72. This Road Runner GTX is a good case in point, and if you like the fuselage styling this one may be a good candidate for a project. It’s located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and can be found here on Craigslist with a price tag of $28,900.
Barn Finds reader Pat L. spotted this cool Mopar and sent it our way, and we’d like to thank him for the tip! 1972 marked the first year that the Plymouth GTX wasn’t a stand-alone model, and for the rest of its days, the namesake became an option for the Road Runner. While a lot of what I’m seeing with this car is very promising, a few questions do come to mind here, and maybe some of our readers can chime in. I’m not finding any photos or mention of a build sheet, VIN, fender tag, or anything else that can help confirm some of the claims the seller is making about the rarity of this car. There is one photo with some paperwork, but even enlarging the picture didn’t make the text clear enough for me to read most of it. I’m certainly not suggesting the car isn’t everything it’s stated to be, but maybe a conversation with the seller would help clarify things and give the buyer good peace of mind.
Also, I’m not seeing the GTX markings on the front fenders or trunk lid, which could be accounted for if the car has been repainted. However, the Road Runner decals are still present on the quarter panels behind the doors. The owner does mention that the body is straight and solid with Sherwood Green being the original color, but no word on whether or not that’s the original finish or if it’s had a respray at some point. The car has been stored for many years, and for the most part, it seems complete and a decent candidate for restoration. It looks like the vinyl top was removed quite some time ago, probably a good thing to help prevent rust.
Three engine choices were available for the Road Runner in ’72, including the 340, 400, and 440, the latter of which came as the factory powerplant with the GTX package. More good news is this one’s a 4-Speed with the pistol grip shifter, and it’s also said to have the Trac Pack Dana 60 Sure Grip with 3.54 gears. According to the seller, it’s one of only 219 examples that came equipped with all of the car’s particular combos. The motor is said to start, but no other information is given as to the state of the drivetrain.
Crusty is the word that comes to mind when it comes to the inside, with the dash and seats showing the kind of cracking and peeling you’d expect from a parked Arizona vehicle. But the Arizona climate is typically friendly when it comes to steel, and fortunately, we do get photos of the trunk pan and the car’s underside, both of which appear to be solid. Yep, it’s a post-’71 model, but for 1972 this one sure seems to tick a lot of the right boxes. What do you think?
The seats look like they could use some conditioner …
Little armor all…good as new.
😂👍🏻
Love It! Amazing Potential! I’ve always been a “fuselage” liker.
All that power and manual drum brakes. Reminds me of a Mustang I had, sailed right thru a red light standing on the brake pedal.
Here’s your chance – buy it,& relive those happy memories!
I too like the looks of these,& really like those taillights.
Really? Back in the day, we had all sorts of big engine cars with drums all the way around, and never had any problem with them stopping us. Disc brakes was really something pretty exotic for us. I don’t believe any of the guys in our car club had disc brakes. Maybe your drums weren’t all set up correctly. There was a bit of a truck to get them set up once the drums were slid on. I didn’t like that part. It was always difficult for me to stick a flat blade screwdriver thru the little slot in the backing plate and then stick another screwdriver, or if you were lucky the special tool, thru the same little slot and turn the star wheel to get all of the brakes adjusted evenly and correctly.
We’ve come a long way! Lol
I drag raced with drum brakes and was going nearly 130 mph at the 1/4 mile mark. It took every bit of the back end of the track to get my car slowed down for the return road and I held my breath the whole way.
Why do you think that this has manual drum brakes?
This car deserves a full restoration if for no other reason than to fix the awful black engine compartment… why do people do this??
My favorite body style! If I had the money I’d definitely buy this car and not really care if it’s a genuine GTX. I’d make it what I want it to be, probably a 440 roadrunner and enjoy the car. Like a so called tribute car or a clone as they say. I’m already in love with this car even though I can’t afford it.
’70 Superbird & ’69 Charger Daytona more impressive for me.
Almost $29,000 for a car with disintegrating seats and an engine that just “starts”. For that much money for a 1972 model I would expect a vehicle that was close to showroom new that all I had to do was sit down and drive it. This isn’t the model year be asking ten times the original sale price for.
I would say a bit closer to low-20s, but it’s a pentastar, BUT it’s a ’72… Yeah, I think low-20s…
Call me “Old-fashioned” but for $25,000 I expect the car to be at least daily driver presentable. This car appears to need work on everything.
You are going to spend another $25,000 on the restoration, if not more!
We thinking people always considered the repair and restoration costs, and then subtracted that from our offer!
I guess common sense has gone out of style. Smh
This Road Runner is looking pretty complete in the seller’s ad. As the writer of the barn finds story accurately stated though… there is no mention of matching #s drivetrain, no pictures of the fender tag, or v.i.n. plate on the top of the dash panel, or the original sticker, that should be on the driver’s door. Also, a lot of Mopar guys and girls don’t care for green cars… I personally like them, but it’s not a very popular color on a B body. It looks clean and straight, but of course, an inspection in person, would be mandatory. Price? Well the seller can ask whatever he wants. It’s what someone else is willing to pay, for it, in the end, is what counts, especially if it’s a REAL GTX with it’s born with drivetrain!
It’s a GTX as clicking the 440 box was the only way to get it….the gtx would be on the hood unless a graphix delete car. With black vinyl top you didnt get the RR stripes just a small decal!
There is NO SUCH THING as a 1972 road runner only…adding a 440 made it thr only way to be considered a gtx…but the vinyl and fender tags would still be RM code
I meant no such this as a 440 road runner only! The 440 MADE IT a GTX is what I meant
I have 5k…
If this is a true 440 powered 1972 Road Runner, then it’s also a GTX. All 1972 through 1974 440 powered Road Runner models were also a GTX. An interesting note, 1972 was the last year you could purchase a Dodge or Plymouth performance model with the 440 and 4-speed manual. After 1972 all HP 440 models were only available with the Torqflite Automatic. A good transmission to be sure, but the 4-speed just adds to the mystique.
I’m not seeing the raised pad that has the 440 stamp. My guess is that it’s a 400. Can’t figure the Dana 60 with that engine unless original engine is gone goose. Would love to see build sheet or at least 1st five numbers of VIN.
Kind of looks maybe like a 400 with a 440 air cleaner.
Never liked the body style , that’s just me. Had a chance to buy my cousin’s 72 satelite sebring plus with a 440 magnum which it said on a hood call out automatic pistol grip car No vinyl.Was a ugly line green from the factory.Said plus in red letters with a plus sign on the quarter pillar.He wanted 1000 for it .I told him he’d have to give me a 1000 to take it.This was 1982.
I always liked these cars, this example might be a little extra money but the lack of rust and body damage makes this an easier restoration for most of us.
Probably just assume that you would have to go through the engine.
Not sure what’s available for the interior.
Sounds like a stupid question (so forgive me) but while I’m not questioning it’s a 4 speed, what’s up with the extremely narrow slot in the console that the shifter is sticking up out of? It looks ridiculously thin, almost as if it’s an automatic. So I guess my question is more an observation and the real question is this: Am I the only who thought (when first seeing it) how odd it appeared, that being a 4 speed had such a narrow amount of maneuvering room for shifting? Was there a specific purpose as to why the console was designed this way? (Well, I guess that’s a second question lol)