The Plymouth Road Runner was a great choice for muscle car buyers on a tight budget, but for those who could afford to pay a little more, the GTX included a higher trim level as standard equipment. More importantly, it also came with a 375 horsepower 440 as the base engine, whereas the Road Runner started with a 383. This 1970 GTX here on eBay seems quite solid compared to many B-Bodies in the marketplace, with the seller believing it’s worthy of being driven as you make repairs, or possibly a candidate for a total restoration. This cool Mopar is located in Celeste, Texas, with the current bid of $30,100 still short of reserve.
Other than the owner telling us this GTX has been off the road for a few years, there’s not much more specific information regarding its past or very many other details. It’s unknown what type of body repairs have been made or how old the paint is, but the photos seem to show solid panels for the most part, though there’s a blunder on the driver’s side door. A few rust areas can be seen under the glass around the rear filler tray, but this is fairly typical on these cars, and hopefully, there’s not too much more hiding elsewhere.
The 4-speed manual and Track Pak rear end are said to be the original components, but unfortunately, the numbers-matching 440 is no longer present. In the bay now is a 440 from a ’69 Dodge Charger R/T, with the seller stating that the air cleaner is correct for the 1970 model. He also mentions that the car runs, drives, stops, shifts, and steers, but doesn’t say how well it does any of these, so it might be in order to probe a bit more before deciding how much you’re willing to offer here.
The GTX came with some extra trim inside, such as the simulated woodgrain areas on the dash and door panels, and it’s great to see that this one’s also got the Pistol Grip, my all-time favorite manual shifter. According to the fender tag (code R22), an AM with an 8-Track player was the original radio, but unfortunately, it’s been swapped out with an aftermarket Stereo. Some excellent news is that the platform appears solid and well-preserved, so hopefully, little attention will be needed on the underside. Is this 1970 Plymouth GTX better to drive and just make a few repairs now and then, or is an immediate complete restoration preferable here?
Brown bomber
The dealer has it listed on their website for $43,500, which is likely the reserve for this auction. Their website has many more pictures than the eBay listing.
Steve R
Mike, the GTX equipped 440 was never an option nor available in the Road Runner. Starting in 1969 you could order a 440+6 (A 12) in the Road Runner as well as the hemi. Same in 1970.
Hi bw,
Thanks for pointing this out! One of my first cars was a ’70 Road Runner, which I did some backyard bodywork on and was going to paint, but a friend couldn’t wait and bought it in grey primer. That’s one of them I now wish I had held onto a lot longer!
The 440-4 bbl. (U code) was absolutely available in a 1970 Roadrunner, it was the Superbird standard engine…….
It was not available in a Road Runner, just the Road Runner Superbird and the GTX.
This encapsulates what this car was intended to be. A gentleman’s musclecar. No flashy color, vinyl roof, white interior. Total class.
You’re gonna need another $30,000 plus to take this to a high level. Pretty good shape for a 55 year old.
What model road Runner had the 3 foot high spoiler on the trunk ? It looked a bit odd . Was that the Super Bird ?
Jeff, Superbird had the tall wing and pointed nose cone. I like the odd color combo on this one
Oh yes the tail wing . It was tall and those cars had colors not common in that era.
This is an incredibly ugly 70 Plymouth, was it used for government testing, was it a blow out price car because of its unattractive color choices?
This is homely
In 1971, my Dad bought a brand new brown Mercury Marquis wagon. I’ve loved the brown color ever since.
Nothing says “I am really passionate about and care for my classic car” like a dime store radiator hose……
best
bt