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Factory Hi-Po 440: 1968 Plymouth GTX

Plymouth first used the GTX name tag in 1967, one year prior to introducing the Road Runner, and when the 1968 model GTX came along it was based on the new B-body Road Runner and sometimes referred to as a gentleman’s muscle car.  It was a more expensive and more highly optioned car than the Road Runner, and while a 383 motor was standard and a 440 optional in the Road Runner the GTX came standard with the 440.  If you are looking for a B-body project with the original engine still intact, this 1968 Plymouth GTX may be a good car for you.  Located in Everest, Kansas it can be found here on eBay with a current bid of $8,800 and the reserve shy of being met.  There’s a little more than 2 days left on the auction at the time of this writing, or if you can’t wait there is also an option to Buy It Now at a cost of $11,300.

I’m always appreciative when a seller includes a photo of the fender tag to back up their claims, and in this case, the plaque does denote a real deal GTX with the RS23 code factory High-Performance version of the 440 V-8 engine.  This original engine is still in the car, even though the car has not run in years.  The car also came from the factory with a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.

Under the hood, everything looks to be pretty much complete and the motor certainly looks like a great candidate for a rebuild.  It’s when you get past the engine that things get a bit rougher, as the car has quite a bit of rust and needs a considerable amount of work in this department.

The seller says that the car is a total project and tells us that the rear of the car is rusty but the front of the car is pretty good.  The GTX needs rear quarter panels on both sides and a new trunk floor, which the seller has the trunk metal and extensions.  The underside of the car is also said to be pretty rusty.  The interior looks like it will need extensive restoration, although the car does have a factory tach and a wood steering wheel.

While it does need a lot of work, the car is mostly complete and comes with a clear title.  What are your thoughts on this 1968 Plymouth GTX?  Could you see yourself taking this on as a project?  Do you think the $11,300 Buy It Now price is reasonable for what you are getting here?

Comments

  1. Avatar PaulG

    Someone will consider this well bought at 11k.
    Being from the desert southwest I’m not really interested in fixing large amounts of rust…I’d pay more for a more solid version.
    BTW nice color combination on this one.

    Like 18
  2. Avatar Roger

    I always loved the GTX over it’s more attention-grabbing in-laws, including Chargers and Super Bees, all at the apex anyway. The GTX just seemed to need to boast less and this lent it an aura of power and restraint rare in those heady days. Of course this project should live!’

    Like 5
  3. Avatar Don Eladio

    Fair deal, if someone wants a big project. Not for me, I’d buy a done car any day over a project. Projects got old a long time ago.

    Like 8
  4. Avatar flmikey

    I would be very careful loading this vehicle up for transport…that 2X4 holding up the rear leaf springs could snap for sure…PaulG is right…nice color combo…worth saving this one for sure…

    Like 4
  5. Avatar Skorzeny

    Worth saving.

    Like 5
  6. Avatar Gary

    Not much of a grocery getter, esp with that trunk./// I lament about the costs of these things today and say they should be almost give away items so the backyard mechanic could tinker with them. But, if that happened, there would be no after market for parts, and you could not fix them. Of course, maybe that is not true either, maybe the profit margins of the parts people would be lower, but I bet there still would be people willing to supply them, maybe not so much, but some. The problem is pure speculation and that dramatically bumps up what the market will bear. I ran into this mindset about 20 years ago when my wife and I put a small addition on our house. I added up the cost of materials, the cost of labor, more for benefits and contractors insurance I put in 10% for cost over runs, and then added in 25% (very generous in my opinion) for the contractors profit. To my dismay, all the quotes I got were triple of what I had in my head as a fair and reasonable price to pay. More then one contractor whom I spoke with said the price was “fair and market value for the job”. They said that it would increase the house value by that much and when I sold it I would recoup the cost. But you see, I did not want to sell it, I want to live in it and love it. Our home is not an investment, it is something else altogether. That is what I see with runaway car prices in the hobby market. People who flip cars are happy, but what about regular guys who want to own and love a car long term? Your average guy can’t pay 12K for this rusty hulk and put another 30-40K into it, can they? This is quickly becoming a wealth man’s hobby. We wonder why the younger generations could care less about our hobby? It isn’t just “cell phones”, it is the cost. I have been told by more then one young person that my generation (Boomers) have ruined the world and their futures. I can not altogether disagree.

    Like 26
    • Avatar Eddie Dee

      Gary needs to take some meds! Keep it short and to the point

      Like 18
      • Avatar Gary

        Gosh Eddie, as of now, at least six readers like what I said. I feel all of what was written was car related, added in a related topic, and tied it back together with my point about the car hobby. Do you have issue with something in the post, or did your laxative not work last night?

        Like 14
      • Avatar Bill

        Since Eddie doesn’t have anything of value to add, at least He kept it short!

        Like 12
    • Avatar SirRaoulDuke

      There are lots of young people out there wrenching on 10-20 year old cars. Which is what you are reminiscing about. A 50+ year old not very common car that is still highly sought after? Man, that’s a whole other branch of the car hobby.

      Like 4
    • Avatar Joe Sewell

      I don’t disagree with your statements. But please, break your prose up into paragraphs so we can read it much easier.

      Like 1
    • Avatar AnthonyD

      Well said, Gary. Your “wealthy man’s hobby” take is correct…just like MLB, NBA, and NFL games. The average guy just ca’t afford it anymore. BTW, it took me all of 45 seconds to read your post.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Gary

        Yes, when I was a kid (long long long time ago!), my Dad and I would go to pro baseball and football games. We would sit in the bleachers and eat hot dogs. It was a blast. Dad was a factory worker, made a humble but middle class living. Now you have to be upper middle class, at least, to even go once in a while to a game. We went to a bunch of them every year. Something very wrong has happened to this country. The upper classes have taken over and they want the world for themselves.

        Like 1
  7. Avatar 433jeff

    I thought the laxative comment was funny, everything is getting more expensive. Period. Don said it best, buy it done. Im growing weary of projects, the dreamer in me gets tired of the labor. But, thank God we live in the US of A, our barns sheds and leantoos are chuck full of treasures. Poor Australia, 1/2 million dollars for a 4 door Torino with a 351, ok maybe im taking it a little out of context, But we have it all here in the USA , i love/hate hearing 2 superbirds found sitting for 35 years 40 mins away, Keep up the good work BF . Great car, save it. Or lime Don said buy done

    Like 5
  8. Avatar Joe Sewell

    A ‘parts car’ IMO. According to Allpar, the motor in my 2020 300S 5.7 (345 ci) makes more power (premium fuel) than this GTX did in its heyday. Thinking most of here would love to own a collectible GTX….

    Like 1
  9. Avatar moosie

    Too many readers / posters I think are of the opinion that everyone is seeking to own restored show pieces. While they are certainly nice to look at when they are entered in shows big & small, I feel that there is a segment of our hobby just wanting an old car to work on at their leisure, drive when ever & where ever the mood strikes them. I think that segment actually enjoys working on them and planning upgrades and the thought of $4,000.00 / $8,000.00 paint jobs never enters their mind, just as buying a beat up Rusty specimen and sending it out to XYZ Restorations for a complete makeover . Top to bottom front to rear & inner & outer. Yes that’s when the hobby gets expensive and to those who wrote the check for that, more power to ya’s, myself, I always enjoyed doing the work myself and if I didn’t know how I would try to learn how. But the buy the best one you can afford is a good way to start. I know that I’d rather be driving my hot rod then to have it sitting in the man cave in climate controlled conditions with me just sitting and staring at it .

    Like 4
  10. Avatar Kevin

    Should be saved,however it needs probably 30k to make it right.

    Like 1
  11. Avatar stillrunners

    Not really – a good 4 door rust free parts car like I just sold would donate the rear body parts it needs.
    For guys that actually do the work it’s not a big deal to bring it back to road status as far as body frame. Motors or drive trains are easy – did I read it has it’s original engine ?

    Bid up to about $9800 short of reserve,….

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Thomas

    This model is a highly sought after classic, specially with the factory 440 still intact and in rebuildable condition. The price is in line with the current market, but unless you have the skills, and equipment to do a frame off restoration and source the replacement parts you will be underwater at least 25 grand or more upon completion.

    Like 0

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