Mark Pifer has an imporessive GTX. He sent us an impressive list of specs on his fine MoPar…

This is my 1970 Plymouth GTX, it sports and automatic with a 440 4-barrel. 

In the muscle car hierarchy, the 1970 Plymouth GTX was among the luxury performers that combined big-block power without scrimping on the amenities, with features such as bucket seats and a console, and even available air conditioning. They’re all included in this restored example, in B5 Blue Fire Metallic, which also includes the rare ‘Go Wing’ rear spoiler. 

Having purchased this GTX through a selling dealer who handled the selling for an estate, consequently, some of the car’s history remains unverified, but the car has a 440 engine, TorqueFlite transmission, and the fender tag, which corroborates much of this Plymouth’s equipment, from the EB5 paint code to the J81 Go Wing and R22 8-track player. The car also reportedly underwent a restoration that began in the Nineties and was completed around 2008. It is described as being in “beautiful” condition and the photos appear to support that assertion. 

POWERTRAIN 

According to the seller, the 440 engine under the hood is not original, but a reportedly well-built replacement. It appears to be in stock condition, which carried a factory rating of 375 horsepower when new, but the seller reports that notes from the previous owner suggest it was upgraded internally to produce more than 400 horsepower. That is unverified, but the seller states the engine starts easily and without smoke, and runs well. The complementing TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission is also said to shift smoothly, and the seller says there are no powertrain leaks. Images of the underside of the car show the engine, transmission, and rear axle as apparently dry and very clean in appearance. 

EXTERIOR 

The B5-code Blue Fire Metallic exterior color was reportedly resprayed in 2008 and appears to show very well, with a few small bubbles in the paintwork detailed in the accompanying photos. The exterior trim and chrome also appear in very good condition, and the rear wing was a factory option, as detailed on the fender tag. Additionally, the glass is said to be “perfect,” with the seals also noted as being in “excellent” condition — and apparently replaced during the car’s restoration. All of the exterior lighting is reported functional. The car is also said to be rust-free, with the restoration including rust repair with new steel panels. 

INTERIOR 

This MoPar’s blue vinyl bucket-seat interior was also restored and it shows very well. According to the seller, virtually everything on the interior, from the seat covers and carpet, to the door panels and more, was replaced with new components. The seats appear to be virtually free of wear and the same goes for the carpet, but the headliner will need attention, per the seller, because it is loose around the rear window. All of the interior trim appears to be intact and in good condition, including the center console and crack-free dash pad. Additionally, all of the gauges are said to work normally, including the clock and the factory 8-track radio. The air-conditioning system is also reportedly in working order. 

CHASSIS 

The chassis, suspension, and brakes appear to be in stock, well-maintained condition, with no known issues or needs. All of the components were replaced or refurbished during the restoration, according to the seller. The GTX rolls on factory Magnum 500 wheels wrapped with Goodyear Eagle GTII tires. The age of the tires is unknown, but the seller reports the fronts show 10/32-inch tread depth remaining, while the rears measure 8/32-inch. The car is said to drive smoothly without any vibrations.

 DOCUMENTATION 

The seller, states that they will provide a clean and open Florida title for the proper transfer of ownership for this vehicle. Additional documentation includes the broadcast sheets, along with photos depicting the restoration. Although some of the car’s history remains unverified, the important elements are well-established: This 1970 Plymouth GTX is an apparently rust-free and clean MoPar muscle car with rare options, a healthy 440 engine, cold-blowing A/C, and the all-important broadcast sheets and fender tag. With its perch atop Plymouth’s muscle car ladder, it’s a vintage performer that doesn’t skimp on the amenities.

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The post Old Cars Reader Wheels: 1970 Plymouth GTX appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

By Yvette VanDerBrink

For a MoPar man you wouldn’t expect that his first car would be a 1926 Ford Model T. But for Jim Gesswein, that 1926 Ford Model T would lead to one of the Midwest’s most successful dealerships and an amazing collection of MoPar collector cars.

Jim Gesswein grew up in Milbank, SD and learned the car trade from his father. Jim’s dad had the Oldsmobile, GMC, Harley Davidson and New Idea Farm Equipment franchises. Jim learned from the best. His father was a great car salesman and knew how to “make the deal!” Jim watched his dad make all kinds of deals. His dad once traded for an airplane, which he jumped in and flew home, with only a few lessons. Jim learned that the art of the deal was “making the customer happy” with a good trading experience. Jim’s dad could always get the “deal done” and even during WWII was able to get what the customer wanted.

Any good salesman knows there was always a need for a “draw” to get the customers in to make the deal, and in Jim’s dad’s dealership, it was JoJo the bear! That’s right – a black bear named JoJo would be at the dealership greeting customers and entertaining them by drinking a bottle of pop or beer, whichever was handy at the time, and then throwing the bottles away when he was done! It became Jim’s job to take JoJo on his daily walk. Motivated to move with candy, JoJo would always follow along. Jim’s dad had a big heart that motivated him to make the deal ensuring that the customer was happy. But as fate would have it, Jim’s father passed away at a young age in 1961.

The Ford dealer in town came to pay his respects to the family, and invited Jim to come sell Fords for him at the dealership in town. Jim was a natural. He had learned from the best. Selling Fords left and right, he soon saw that he wanted more for himself. With a loan from his uncle, Jim started Gesswein Motors in 1967, a used car lot that also sold Kubota farm equipment in Milbank, South Dakota.

Shortly after, Jim also became the Rupp franchised snowmobile dealer. That tied into Jim’s “born and bred” South Dakota upbringing. Jim and his brothers, Art and John, enjoyed snowmobiling and decided to try their hand at racing their Rupps. In a short amount of time they were racing Stock and Modified snowmobiles with success. In the 1970-1971 season Jim was named Rupp Rider of the Year! Jim was also on the Factory Rupp Racing Team in 1974! An unfortunate racing accident shortened Jim’s career on the circuit.

As luck would have it, Chrysler came to Milbank looking for someone to sell their vehicles. With Jim’s local reputation he was a perfect fit. Jim married in 1973 and consistently worked on growing the dealership eventually adding a GMC Truck franchise. In the 1980s Jim had the only franchised Shelby dealer in South Dakota. Just like his dad, making the deal with a happy customer was most important. Jim has sold cars all over the US and the world and has had his fair share of wild deals. Jim said that he even took 30 dozen eggs as part of a trade on a car. He even had a farmer that bought a new car at another dealership and drove it straight to Gesswein’s to make a deal with Jim. Jim learned that making the customer have that “good feeling” about their purchase and making relationships was crucial to his success.

Jim also believed that surrounding yourself with a good team and staff was key to making the customers happy. Jim worked to build a service department that was top notch which also kept customers coming back not only for service, but a chance to make more deals. This led to Gesswein Motors, Inc. receiving multiple awards for sales and service. In fact, receiving the Chrysler Pentastar Club Award 15 times, multiple awards of excellence and many sales awards to name just a few of the dealerships accomplishments. Jim has served on multiple factory advisory committees including the Minneapolis Advertising Board and the National Chrysler Dealer Council, among others.

Jim is always appreciative of his community for their support. Jim has served on the hospital board for 18 years, Grant County Economic Development board and many other chairs in the community. Jim also served on the volunteer fire department for many years as well. Jim appreciates everyone that helped him and is always looking to give back to the community that has served him throughout the years. His philanthropy and overall contributions to his community are impressive.

Classics often got traded in on new cars and Jim would sell them and soon saw that there was a market them. Jim himself has said, “I have never met a quality car that I didn’t like.” Jim began pursuing classic cars as another avenue to make money. This allowed him to also build his private classic car collection. Jim has sold classics all over the world and made many relationships through deals. Sweden and Norway have been big markets for many of the MoPar classics. Jim has also sold more than 100 classics to a Prime Minister in the Middle East.

Jim always knew how to get people the cars that they wanted and helped make their deal. This led to many referrals and leads to many classic car purchases. Over the years Jim has had hundreds of Classic MoPars in his collection, including at one time 14 Superbirds, 6 Vipers, Cudas, Chargers and more. Imperials have been a favorite of his for their luxury and design. Jim has grown a reputation for his MoPar collection, but he has never really shown it to the public. Jim’s name is well known through the classic car community for his collection and now has decided to offer his collection for sale. Many of the collection have never been offered for sale before. The collection not only hosts and amazing assortment of MoPar collector vehicles, but hold back cars that were set aside as an investment and still on MSO.

It is with a heavy heart that Jim has decided to offer the collection for sale, but his head has won out over his heart and on July 18th, 2020 at the Gesswein dealership, he will host an auction of his classic car collection. VanDerBrink Auctions will offer approx. 54 vehicles at a public auction at 10AM.

There will be a preview on July 17th, 2020 and the auction will be hosted live and also with online bidding for the world to bid on these fabulous cars. The collection has high quality, investment grade vehicles that have been meticulously cared for through the years. There are an amazing 23 Chrysler Imperials including rare models and many convertibles from 1955-1974. A rare 1963 Chrysler 300 Indy 500 Pacesetter convertible with a 413 V8 is absolutely stunning and would be a great addition to any collection. Some of the stand outs are a Pink 1960 Chrysler Imperial convertible, 1964 Chrysler 300 Silver Edition 2dr HT, 1968 Chrysler Imperial Crown convertible, and more. The collection boasts some muscle with 2 – 1970 Plymouth Superbirds, one from the Tim Wellborn collection. A 1970 Plymouth GTX with less than 37,000 miles in sublime green that is a 1 owner car. A 1987 Franchised Shelby GLHS Omni with less than 7,000 miles and is #6 of 500 built. Jim also held back some new cars that will be sold on an MSO, which will be an investment well spent – a 1987 Dodge Shelby Charger, 1989 Dodge Daytona Shelby, 2018 Dodge Charger SRT 392 Scat Pack and even a 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, will be some of the offerings. This is an amazing collection and any one of them would be an investment for you to drive and have in your portfolio.

Jim’s sure that he will be making deals for years to come, but it’s time for someone else to enjoy his collection. He wants all his cars to go to people that appreciate quality and will enjoy them as much as he has. So, plan now to come to the preview and stay for the auction at Gesswein Motors, Inc. in Milbank, South Dakota on July 18th, 2020 at 10AM. For more information on the auction along with catalog, online bidding, and more. www.vanderbrinkauctions.com and make sure to make your next deal at Gesswein Motors, Inc. in Milbank, South Dakota.

The post It’s Worth the Drive – The Jim Gesswein MoPar Collection auction appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

By Angelo Van Bogart

In 1970, ads screamed, “Plymouth Makes It,” but not everyone could afford to ride with the “Rapid Transit System.”

“I couldn’t afford [a GTX] as a kid, but I wanted one. When I looked at cars, I liked Road Runners and GTXes, but the insurance was more than the car payment for us guys who were under 25,” said Roger Wilson of Moville, Iowa.

At a base price of $3,535, the 1970 GTX would have cost more than $100 per month over three years and been priced at more than half the $6,200 average wage. That’s a heavy chunk of change for any American, let alone a horsepower-crazed teen or 20-something. Many of those young Plymouth fans had to grudgingly walk past the muscle cars lined up at their local dealership to the more wallet-friendly intermediates upon which muscle cars were based, Wilson included.

“I ended up buying my Sport Satellite with a 318 in 1970, because it was a lot less insurance,” Wilson said.

Although the Sport Satellite didn’t make Wilson a card-carrying member of the Rapid Transit System — represented in 1970 by the Plymouth Duster 340, Road Runner, ’Cuda, Fury GT and GTX — the Satellite series shared the body and chassis with the intermediate-size Road Runner and GTX which were based upon it.

With a 116-inch wheelbase and a 204-inch overall length, Plymouth’s 1970 intermediates were anything but intermediate-sized in today’s world. However, when the body was originally introduced in 1968, Plymouth’s intermediate fit its class well, and thanks to a Coke-bottle-shape, it fit handsomely. It was the perfect time to uncage the bargain-priced Road Runner as an intermediate-size muscle car for the masses, and bring back the hairy-yet-plush GTX for an encore presentation after its 1967 debut.

When introduced, the flashy GTX was the James Bond of the Plymouth line. It had the square-jawed looks of the Belvedere/Satellite line, but was dangerous when confronted, thanks to its standard 440-cid V-8 with 375 hp or its optional 426-cid Hemi with 425 hp. This secret agent of the Plymouth line also packed such features as a heavy-duty three-speed TorqueFlite transmission (when equipped with an automatic) and heavy-duty brakes, suspension and battery.

The sharp creases of the Belvedere/Satellite body were made more sharply dressed on the GTX by way of rocker panel and wheel opening trim plus a “pit stop” gas cap, redline tires, dual fiberglass hood scoops, dual sport stripes and a blacked-out grille. Inside, the GTX was appointed with front bucket seats, a console, 150-mph speedometer and a woodgrain three-spoke steering wheel. At $3,178 in base hardtop form and $3,418 as a base convertible, the GTX was the most expensive Plymouth, beating out even the VIP two-door hardtop and the Sport Furys. Just 12,010 hardtop and 680 convertible GTX models were built for 1967.

The high-line muscle car from the entry-level car maker caught on and GTX production rose when the model returned on Chrysler Corp.’s new intermediate body for 1968. Combined GTX sales for the convertible and hardtop were nearly 19,000 in 1968, followed by a slight decline to 15,602 versions for the little-changed 1969 GTX models.

When the GTX returned for its fourth go-round in 1970, it was only available as a two-door hardtop wearing the heavily revised 1970 intermediate body. Although the basic structure was unchanged from 1968 with lineage still apparent in the roof, the 1970 Plymouth intermediates wore new front and rear fenders, each protected by new bumpers and dressed with new telephone receiver-shaped grilles and rear tail lamp panels with arrow-shaped tail lamps. The doors were also changed and, in the end, the intermediate 1970 Plymouth Belvedere, Satellite, Road Runner and GTX were up to 204 inches end to end, a total of 1.3 inches more overall length than in 1968 and 1969.

The basic idea behind the GTX remained unchanged for 1970: the GTX was a gentleman’s hot rod built to compete with such muscle cars as the Pontiac GTO and Oldsmobile 4-4-2, while the Road Runner combated against the Chevelle Super Sports and Torino GTs. To give GTX clientele a greater choice of power for 1970, Plymouth added the 440-cid Six Pack engine to the arsenal of engine options, which already included the 426-cid Hemi; either could be ordered in place of the standard Super Commando 440-cid four-barrel V-8 good for 375 hp.

For owners with a wilder side, Plymouth offered the GTX in one of eight Hi-Impact colors for 1970, and a grocery list of the requisite blues, shades of white, red, green and black. However, Plymouth left off silver from the standard GTX pallet from 1969 to 1970. That didn’t stop at least one person from getting one of the 7,748 GTXes built for 1970 painted silver.

“Silver was only offered in a Fury that year, but back then, you could go to the dealer and say, ‘You offer it on a Fury’ and special order it for a GTX,” Wilson said. When a non-standard color such as silver was special-ordered for a Plymouth model, the factory inserted “999” for the paint code on the car’s fender tag.

Those 999 paint codes grab Wilson’s attention, especially when they’re attached to a 1970 GTX. His affinity for the GTX is so strong, he co-founded the 1970 GTX Registry 20 years ago (www.1970gtxregistry.com). Today, the registry is an online forum through which Wilson helps fellow 1970 GTX owners and enthusiasts. Sometimes, those enthusiasts also address Wilson’s needs, including his desire to learn about unusual 1970 GTX models.

“A guy called me concerning decoding the fender tag [of a 999 paint code GTX] and having it in the registry, and a little later it came up on eBay,” he said of the EA4 Silver Metallic GTX shown here.

Although the GTX was rough, Wilson’s fascination with the car didn’t die. The weathered paint showed signs the car had panels off a rainbow of different 1970 Plymouths. The Dana 60 rear end installed as standard equipment on GTXes was gone, the original 440-cid, four-barrel V-8 had been replaced by a 318-cid V-8 that no longer ran and the original 18-spline Hemi four-speed and its Pistol-Grip shifter had been replaced by a column-shifted automatic. The interior also needed a complete makeover. And although he had no idea what color the GTX was originally painted, Wilson forged ahead and made a deal with the online seller. That was in 2004.

“I realized it was pretty rough, but I realized it was the second one that was a 999 paint code car that I am aware of,” he said. The other 999 paint code 1970 GTX is a burgundy metallic car.

“At first, I thought it was Petty Blue, because under some emblems, it was Petty Blue and that was a 999 paint code color in 1970. Then I found Petty Blue overspray and realized I had to dig deeper. Then we took off some mouldings and looked under the seats and the package tray and there was bright silver,” he said. That Plymouth color was only available on Furys in 1970.

“When we tore the car completely apart, we took pics of every part of the car that was silver. Somebody had painted the engine compartment black and it was silver under that. We were able to determine it was a silver metallic color. But the build sheet and fender tag just list 999 as the paint code, so there’s no clue as to what color it was unless you look the car over really well.”

While documenting all the signs of the original silver color in the GTX before its 2009 restoration, Wilson and his restorer also noted what parts the GTX would need to get back on the road. It was a long list.

“When I got the car, it had a yellow hood, purple fenders and a blue door, so the original pieces were long gone,” Wilson said. “The pieces on it weren’t that good, so we had to replace every panel. The doors, the hood, the fenders, the trunk lid that were on it needed more work than it was worth.”

Making the search for body and mechanical parts more difficult is the uniqueness of 1970 Plymouth intermediates. While the aforementioned 1968 and ’69 B-body Plymouth intermediates are very similar, the 1970 B-body was different, and then it was succeeded by an all-new body and chassis design for 1971.

“The problem with the 1970 Road Runner/GTX is that so much of that stuff is one year only, even the radio,” Wilson said. Fortunately, the silver car was Wilson’s second 1970 Plymouth GTX project and he could retrace his tire marks in the search for parts.

“Parts came from swap meets, online sales and friends,” he said. “There are more and more places reproducing parts, for example, including the correct bolts for the transmission and engine.

“I spent in the thousands of dollars from Year One, the Paddock and Battleson,” Wilson said. “I bought a lot of stuff from Roger Gibson [Auto Restorations] because their stuff is top notch.”

Wilson noticed that some reproduction parts have even been improved since his first 1970 GTX was restored.

“On my earlier restoration, the woodgrain dash was a decal, but now you can buy the silk screen so it looks original.”

For the quarter panels, Wilson said his restorer, Benton Warnke of Total Performance in Carroll, Iowa, used reproduction quarter panels from Auto Metal Direct (AMD) and found the fit to be superior.

Despite the availability of some new parts and Wilson’s connections to other GTX hobbyists, piecing together the correct parts to make the silver GTX match its build sheet had its challenges.

“For the silver GTX, we got a 1970 block, transmission and we figure that is as close as we can get [to matching numbers],” he said. “The carburetor part numbers are for a 1970. Rounding up that four-barrel, four-seed carburetor for a 1970 was really hard.”

By late 2010, all the pieces to the GTX puzzle were found and assembled, and the result is as close to the picture of a stock GTX as one will find.

“It had a manual front seat and I put the factory six-way driver’s seat base in it,” Wilson said. He also had some internal tweaks completed to the engine to give his “Gittix” more giddy up.

“The 440 motor was bored out so it’s a little beefier than the original, but it has the original Six Pack rods and damper,” he said.

Since the car was completed, Wilson spends a fair amount of time looking out the windshield to the road ahead. “We try to take it to local cruises within a 50-mile radius,” he said. “I have a 3-year-old grandson who is car crazy, so we drive to his place and put him in his car seat and he’s as happy as can be.

“I have always enjoyed a four-speed and it’s a fun car to drive.”

Wilson is also keeping an eye on the rearview mirror, in hopes of learning more about how his GTX came to be silver, and if there are others.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize how rare this car is,” he said. “We do have a sign that has the fender tag broken down. It’s the only one known to be painted silver.”

If there’s another silver GTX with a 999 paint code, Wilson would love to hear about it. He’s also looking for information on his GTX’s past. Drop him a line at 1970gtxregistry@gmail.com if you can add to the story.

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The post Car of the Week: 1970 Plymouth GTX appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.