A year before Ford’s Boss Mustang, Chrysler called their all-new 1968 GTX “The Boss,” and while the Road Runner occupied the entry-level spot in the lineup of mid-sized performance, the GTX attracted buyers looking for muscle with a side-order of style. This 1968 Plymouth GTX in Pine River, Minnesota appears to have acquired enough scavenged sheet metal parts to become nearly weather-tight. Offered as a parts car here on eBay the sale includes a title for optimistic buyers or those with the $4700 Buy It Now price and whose restoration budget trickles in a couple twenties at a time.
The roof looks better than many cars that have shed a moisture and water-trapping vinyl roof. The seller includes some under-car pictures that are not as horrible as one might expect for a forgotten Northern muscle car.
Originally delivered with an automatic transmission, this Plymouth acquired a four-speed seutp at one time and the seller plans to remove the four-speed “hump,” presumably for another project. While the other pictures suggest it left the factory wearing Ember Gold paint, this one and the engine compartment photo tend more toward Mist Green.
The empty engine bay marks a blanks slate for the new owner. The Super Commando 440 cid four-barrel V8 would have been the least powerful engine installed at the factory, with the legendary 426 cid Hemi optional (thanks to paintref.com for some details). Considering the end-point of a 440-powered GTX, or maybe a pro-touring version, the sub-$5000 price of admission seems reasonable. Double that investment might yield a more complete and non-operational specimen, but this one you can buy today.
Man that car is rough. Even though it’s doable doesn’t mean it’s practical. This is going to need a lot of new sheet metal I’m not sure there would a lot of original metal left when completed, there wouldn’t be a lot left of your wallet either when it was completed. Parts car is correct but $4700.00 seams like a high premium for a parts car that won’t yield a lot of parts, but as they say there’s a sucker born every day.
How much is going to be invested here before it is done? (Even if you have the time, and space, and talent to do much yourself) Obviously tens of thousands of dollars. As ever aging Baby Boomers, isn’t it time we all grow up about things like this? Sure, I had one, most of us did, but that was when they were cheap and plentiful, not to mention few other cars out there to get our giggles from, but now all of that has changed. How many times can you do burn outs or race at a street light (I bet modern cops are not nearly as understanding as they were 40 years ago about that!). Wouldn’t that money and effort be better spent other ways? I know, it is individual choice, but I feel many people are basically told (dare I say, brain washed?) into doing what they do. How many of us take the time to sit down and think things through, really figure out what would make us happy?
Agree 100%. We should all sell our cars and other worldly possessions and move to a monastery. You first.
I’ve had that argument in my head a thousand times if I’ve had it once. If I had an emotional attachment to a particular car and it was rare to find already refurbished, I could see the purchase. If I had a son that was interested in learning all things mechanical and body… perhaps I would consider (and if I had the expertise to teach him). Otherwise, it doesn’t make much sense. I loved my muscle cars when I was young, but at my “advanced” age, I would much rather drive my comfortable truck.
@Ike- You need a mantra for meditation. Breath deep, exhale, then a deep cleansing breath…all will be better. Cheer up, soon Fiat will kill off Chrysler altogether and then we can all forget this stuff and move on. I see Kia as the new “in” thing.
Thanks Billy. I will take your advice. I did try that yogi stuff with the wifey one time but I noticed when I exhaled the deep breath I started “exhaling” from another location and it seemed to bother the younger girls in the class. I think you are on to something with your KIA idea. Stick with the $9000 or less ones.
Ike, don’t feel bad, the older I get the more I exhale in reverse too. Man, if I could bottle that “natural gas”, I could afford this car and the restoration too. Have a good day my friend!
$4700 for a vin tag & paperwork.
My thoughts exactly. That vin wcould be inserted into a clone or worse, a stolen car.
“FREE LOCAL PICK UP” How generous of them.
Base engine was a 383 with 440 heads. Slightly less power than the 440.
That was the Roadrunner, which yielded 335 horsepower. The GTX base engine was the 375 horsepower 440 Super Commando.
Also had the 440 cam.
You’re describing a Roadrunner engine. All ’68 GTX’s were 440’s with Hemi as the only available engine option. On the flip, and contrary to what many people say, the 440 was NOT available in a ’68 roadrunner. All ’68 Roadrunners were 383 with Hemi as the only available engine option.
Reading is fundamental. I read the first paragraph and saw Road Runner written in red, then I cross-channeled the info.
I’m really good at that.
That was my laugh of the day. With unibody, I am sure the entire thing is weak underneath considering the rust visible. Not much more than a parts car now. Junk.
That’s a shame too
Really? $4700? It would take a minimum of $50k to make this a driveable vehicle. Costs would never be couped, since very little would be original. It’s time to ignore these rust buckets, this wouldn’t tempt me even if I was a millionaire. It’s time for these junk collectors to choke on their so called “barn finds” of no value holding on to them for “top dollar” sale.
Oh H*LL Naw….. Another over priced rust bucket Mopar? PLEASE!
I would charge the owner to take it to the scrap yard. Another typical Mopar rust bucket….Ha Ha!
Seems cheap for some mopar muscle
I think if you really want one one of these I’m sure it can be purchased from a repop manufacturer in pieces and then made into a whole car, with zero rust I might add. It would probably be Cheeper too. You’d still be building it and could walk away with a great sense of accomplishment. JMHO.
I bought a rusty chevelle for 5k and just getting it finished after a year. I put 3k in interior, 3k into engine parts , did all the sheetmetal/body work and its in paint for another 4k. I just ordered wheels and tires for 1.5k. So under 20k for a 20-25k car that u could not get me to sell. I see promise in all these rust buckets, dreamer i guess.
Now, THAT is what this hobby should be about. A person who with skill and love restores something because it makes them happy, not for profit.
Hey Chevy1971 – that’s the spirit! Thanks for sharing a recent personal example as well! You have the right idea. Sometimes you want a car to drive around, not to bolster your 401k. The person who outsourced everything for $80k will always say “you’re better off buying one that’s done,” but your admirable and reasonable approach is still feasible today. Some people burn hours and $100s a week on the golf course, but I’ll take your hobby over that one any day. Thanks for giving us hope with your comment!
Do people really buy cars as part of a 401K? That should be illegal, far too foolishly risky. Would I like my retirement in a drive able Hemicuda? Sure, but it just doesn’t make sense. I want to retire someday, and not have to eat cat food while doing it. Maybe the rich boys can do this as a joke, but no matter what happens with car values, they will never have Alpo for dinner. Regular guys should get real.