Aside from the ridiculous wheels, this is what I’d like to drive to work every day. I don’t require a 1968 Plymouth GTX specifically, though this car would be awesome. I’ve simply come to realize that we rarely see muscle cars except for immaculate masterpieces, which makes me want a cosmetically imperfect one even more. This one hails from the muscle-car honey-hole of inlandempire craigslist in the California desert, and could be yours for $16,500. Thanks to Michael for spotting this heavy hitter.
Even in this dusty state, the GTX’s attractive control and dash layout suggests encouraging potential. Sadly I must confess that a friend of mine (who returned a number of vehicles to factory-perfect condition) once rated a local car show by saying “It was great; there were hardly any cars there that still needed work.” This car could be treated to a complete restoration, and maybe it should be… eventually. The dry desert climate usually holds rust at bay, but high temperatures and the hot sun’s ultraviolet radiation can convert plastic parts into brittle crumbling dust. However I’d begin with minimal replacement of necessary parts, and save the rest for some future date.
Note the classy two-tone interior and that chrome-trimmed footwell light on the side of the console. Sure; it shares underpinnings with the budget-muscle Road Runner and the blue-collar Belvedere, but the GTX was Plymouth’s fancy muscle car… your boss’s car. After a mechanical once-over and replacement of sun-damaged plastics, this becomes a car you can park where you want and simply enjoy… a car you can keep fitted with $15 junk-yard tires for whenever you want to… well you know.
As befits a luxury muscle car, this GTX came with air conditioning, power steering, and power brakes. Oh yes, it also has the 440 cid Commando V8 packing 375 HP. Judging by the host of Mopars in the background, we can assume that this shop feels that $16,000 or $15,500 represents enough margin to justify a quick flip in “as is, where is” condition based on what they paid. If that number is not met, we’ll probably see this car some months later with (at least) the interior cleaned and some mechanical improvements… and a higher price attached. This car checks off a lot of high-value boxes, but also comes wrapped in question marks. Do you see $16,500 here… or more?
If a guy has that many old mopars he’s selling because it’s not financially feasible to restore.
He could be a flipper and not a restorer. If it is a restoration shop, it’s more financially prudent to have a customer pay for the restoration by the hour than to do it on spec.
It seems like a solid project that hasn’t had countless hands stripping the car of its original and hard to find parts.
Steve R
Yep, hit the nail on the head. The general public always believes a car can be restored for “$10-12 grand”, they buy it, put $50k into it, 2 years of their life (of course not charging their time to the job), and then selling it for 1/2 to 2/3 of what they have into it because that’s what the market actually is. Ironically, they ‘have’ to sell because of the divorce (gee…we grew apart, all I did was spend all my time in the garage…hmmm), when all they had to do was buy a restored one. “I don’t have the money to buy a done one”. Are you sure you don’t? Please see example above…
It’s so true…” If you can’t afford a good one, you definitely can’t afford a bad one…”
Only the inexperienced pull that stunt. I’ve been buying, selling & restoring Shelby’s/Mustangs/Exotics for the better part of 30+ years and make good money on them. You have to know how to perform the work and buy right. I’d never buy a finished car, most shops employee a bunch of yahoos that not only couldn’t afford the car but also lack real skill, they’re mostly hacks.
Definitely would be more cabbage to restore than I got.
Had a 68 Coronet 440 wagon. Always dug the bodystyle of these.
IF each millimeter is in mint condition – Yes then
16 Grand is fair enough but as is maybe 3. 🤨
The asking price is reasonable in my opinion. Maybe there is a little room for a cash offering price, but as Steve states, it still is pretty complete. The 68-72 Mopars remain very desirable, and value will continue to rise, even if slowly. The GTX model is the apex offering for Plymouth. Full restoration is the only way to go, and there is a gem waiting to be revealed underneath it’s exterior.
I agree this would be cool and you could probably restore it with a lot of money. Yes, it is intact but that interior is shot, and there’s tons of surface rust everywhere. I think it would take a lot more than people are saying on here to bring back.
I’m not sure I agree with you on the values continuing to go up. The Baby Boomers are getting past driving age and Millenials couldn’t care less about these cars. So who exactly is going to keep pushing the values up?
Ego/status cars like the Hemi Challenger on here will probably maintain value. But these were relatively common. You can find one of these fully restored on eBay on any given day. These are 401k decadent pleasures for the masses. They’re not rare or exclusive.
Personally, I would purchase one already done one for about 30 grand and just enjoy the car. Whoever buys this near this price is going to be upside down big time.
That’s a very sound theory about the muscle cars market. Millennials don’t even care about DRIVING, let alone classic cars. IF anything, they are into Tokyo Drift cars.
The car that got away…
I was serving in the Army back in the early 1970s and a Sargent knew I needed a car and told me of this 1968 GTX 440 4 speed that his mechanic was selling off a mechanic’s lien for $350. At that time the OPEC gas rationing was going on and I couldn’t drive a standard so I passed.
What a dummy…
Nice solid car to start with. Shouldn’t be hard to find or repair the things it looks like it needs. Do half the work your self, you’ll come out o.k. Looks complete, even the belts and hoses that you can see from the pic’s.
I would give 15K for it then make it a driver quality car and enjoy it which would be less costly than a full blown nut and bolt restoration. Then when I had my fun I could sell it for a small profit or break even but I had my fun. Out of 7 classic cars & trucks I’ve owned 6 I’ve made at least a small profit when sold but my wife’s 70 Mustang Mach1 is the only one that got a ground up restoration and we could never get all our money back and especially a small profit. I prefer to make them mechanically sound and safe then presentable without breaking the bank then drive them which is what they were built for.
It’s expensive, and may not make sense financially, but I’d love to have it.
Wow….what happened to the factory tach…?
Now this is a sweet boat anchor
mile long car! The question is
whether a it’s real or not gtx!
Roadrunner was the hot seller, cut into GTO sales enough to bring in a new type of supercar altogether- the affordable one. Best thing about the GTX was the 440, which it needed with all that weight. Awful looking rims on this one, period correct mags would be better, for me anyways.
$16,500.00 and you don’t even know if it turns over, let alone runs. Notice there is no battery? Get ready to dump 40-50k into this one….