1968 Plymouth GTX from the muscle car era

In 1928, Walter P. Chrysler, the CEO of the Chrysler Corporation, introduced the Plymouth line to compete with other low-priced cars, including vehicles offered by Ford and Chevrolet.

After 40 years some economical Plymouth models were still available as direct competition to Ford and Chevrolet. As the “muscle car era” arrived muscular models were offered by virtually every automaker, including Plymouth.

One of those powerful Plymouths was a 1968 GTX that had been specifically ordered to the original buyer’s wishes. The customer wanted a no-frills muscle car that could get off the line very quickly.

The base price of the 1968 Plymouth GTX when new was $3,178. A total of 17,914 hardtop coupes were built, most of them with the usual inventory equipment. This particular GTX left the factory in St. Louis, Mo., equipped with floor mats, undercoating, power brakes, backup lights, dual exhausts, glove box lock, underhood pad, Dyna 60 rear end, heavy-duty brakes, Sure grip transmission, four-speed manual transmission, floor-mounted gear shift lever and AM radio with thumb roller dials.

The spacious interior of the GTX is awash in the color black from the headliner on down to the carpeting. The vinyl on the seats, door panels and dashboard are all black. Even the vinyl covering the outside of the top is black. There is no console on the floor around the gear shift lever. The Sunfire Yellow body delivers an eye-popping contrast.

Greg Hendrick bought the 1968 Plymouth in May 2013. “The chassis wasn’t in bad shape.” He said. “When I got the car there were a few little aggravating problems.”

Hendrick took the Plymouth to a restoration shop in Huntington, Tenn. There he discovered that the 440-cubic-inch V-8 under the hood was a 1968 engine, but was not the original engine that delivered 375 horsepower.

All of the trim on the 16-foot, 10.7-inch-long Plymouth that needed replating was addressed. Minor things, such as loose bolts and various adjustments, were corrected. Probably the most troubling problem was when Hendrick discovered that the drive shaft required surgery. He shortened the shaft by about 2 inches.

Ever since Hendrick drove his 1968 GTX home to Murray, Ky., he was convinced all was well with his Plymouth muscle car. And the ride home was comfortable, thanks to the lengthy 116-inch wheelbase.

The odometer indicates that the GTX has recorded 22,174 miles, a total that Hendricks believes to be correct. He guesses that most of those miles were accumulated a quarter mile at a time or at least from stop light to stop light.

“It has the best heater in any old car,” Hendrick reports.

When not out on the highway enjoying his Plymouth that delivers fuel mileage of 10.7 miles per gallon, Hendrick keeps his GTX beneath a protective cover in his heated garage.

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