Reader Damon C and his friend James C were recently tasked with cleaning up an estate that is set to be sold in the coming months. They had no idea when they headed out to start work that they would be unearthing a group of barn finds! And it turned out to be quite the experience. The owner of the property had stashed away a few of their favorite cars many years ago and that’s where they stayed until Damon and James showed up. Of the three, this 1971 Plymouth GTX is likely to be the most sought after, but that doesn’t mean the other cars are great finds too!
1971 was the final year for the standalone GTX and since the rest of the B-body Mopars were resigned for ’71, it too featured the new fuselage design. After ’71, you could option a Road Runner with the 440 and it would receive the GTX badging, but it was technically a Road Runner GTX.
When Damon and James popped the hood on this Mopar, they found what is likely the original 440 V8. The fender tag decodes to the base 4-barrel engine, which was rated at 370 horsepower. It’s paired to a 4-speed manual. While the Hemi or 440 Six Pack options offered more power, this would still be a fun combo! They built about 11k GTXs in ’71, but just 327 of the 440-4 V8 cars being optioned with the 4-speed manual. That makes this quite the rare machine!
Let’s move on to the other cars that were stashed in this barn! While it isn’t an SS, this 1969 Chevrolet Impala is packing a 327 V8 and it looks like it could be a good project. We won’t know for sure until Damon can send us more photos of it.
My oldest son is currently really into the Cars Movies, so I didn’t even need to see the front of this find to know what it was! Chances are more kids know the Hudson name today then they did when the brand was still alive, all thanks to the success of Cars and it’s lovable characters. While this 1949 Hudson isn’t the iconic Hornet, the Commodore shares enough DNA that my son would happily call it Doc!
Damon and James have a lot of work on their hands, getting these cars cleaned up and ready to be sold, but it looks like a fun job! At this point, nothing is for sale, but once the rest of the estate is cleaned up and ready to go, these cars will be available for purchase. So, which of these finds would you love to have?
Looks like some interesting cars.
Hudson is a Super Six, not the higher line Commodore. Does look like a solid body but an inspection of the parameter frame under the car would reveal a lot more about the condition.
well for one thing thats not a 69 impala with that roof its a caprice not that it matters gm build a million of them
Well Jerry W Brentnell, if you look real close to the lower left front fender, you will see the Impala badge on it!!!!
Besides I have a Impala that looks just like it, except it is black, not blue!!
Oh yeah it is a 668, it is a Impala, but a 68 not a 69.
’68 Impala Custom. In ’68 the Impala Custom used the Caprice roofline.
Looks like them Kentucky boys was some real go-getters!
Looks like they turned a ’68 Impala into a ’69…
Is that a Chevy 69?
it’s a ’68.
’68 for sure. Marker lights and front bumper are quick give-away’s.
How Bizarre
You’re making me crazy
Why would you say that??????
all of them
I’ll take the GTX thank you.
Those Kentucky fellows took very good care of the GTX.
Friend of mine bought one new, 71 GTX 440 6-pack, auto console. Got divorced yrs. back, sooo he disassembled the car. Now he’s got her all back together with less than 50,ooo mi. and then some. Ya see he knows mopar engines trans and everything else mopar inside and out. Very nice fast ole school Gitix.
Somehow the divorce led to the disassembly? My ex disassembled me, but not my cars.
My ex just disassembled my checking account.
Maybe he took the car apart so she didn’t take the whole car all at one time.
My ex’s (yes plural because I’m obviously a slow learner) disassembled not only my bank account but my credit, furniture and cars. I still came out ahead though, no more them.
My Ex just disassembled the family. I got the kids, the house, my 70 Z28. She got all the money. I win, I just earned more money. Joke was on her.
Not sure the value now that the metal has crusted on this long overdue find now that everyone’s 401K has tanked into nothing and most of North America is social distancing from home out of work.
Certainly a lot less money then these guys are dreaming about. Rare doesn’t equate value when no one is working and living off the government. Things come in perspective when one has to make life choices. Doesn’t matter that it is a rusty Mopar.
Do not cry. There is hope. Someone with more money….. (those that retired and cashed out before Covid) will come to the rescue…..because it IS a rusty Mopar!
I never liked the style of the ’71 model. If this was a 1969 or 1970, that would be very different.
If this is the way the owner “stashed away a few of their FAVORITE cars” I guess that the ones they didn’t care much about are in worse shape? If that’s possible?
The owner must have really loved them to have kept them all in such pristine condition.
The less desirable cars are out in the field with trees growing between the seats and where the engine used to be. Been there, seen it, walked away.
Gonna fix em up some day. Yeah right.
I’ll take the Hudson thanks. Even better if it’s a Commodore 8.
Agree with Wayne from oz. Not sure, but I think the Hudson might be a two-door, which makes it even more desirable.
Some cool stuff in the estate for sure!! Kentucky is just below the rust belt might be decent projects!!
At least all 3 of these cars are 2-door versions. That Hudson is a 2-door Club Coupe. It’s not incredibly rare, but 2-door Hudsons are worth taking a second look at. As Wayne from oz pointed out, if this is a Commodore 8 Club Coupe [series 494], that’s a rare piece indeed.
Like many of the postwar independent makes, Hudson typically made more sedans than 2-door models, with 4-door sedans taking up over 80% of yearly production. The total commodore 8 production was about 20,000 cars, and 20 percent would come in at about 4,000 cars, including around 700 convertibles.
yes it’s a 68′ impala custom…not a 69′ like they say…
I like that GTX. I’d build it as a street Grand National (aka NASCAR) looking street machine. Basically, a 1971-era stock car, but as a street machine. The fact that it’s a factory 4-speed, is a big plus. I know that a Grand National is a 1980’s Buick. I’ve heard the old stock cars referred to as “Grand National”.
the impala is a 1968 not a 1969 and it is a impala you can see the impala script on the fender
Definitely a 68 Impala Custom, best part of it is the motor 327, should be a 4bbl carb, but best it’s a large journal crank, the basis of to DZ 302 found in Camaros, usually good for 8grand rpm, strong bottom end, worth rebuilding if not seized up!