Vehicle Description
Fans and aficionados of vintage Plymouths: prepare to be impressed.
First off, that's not a type-o in our headline, Mopar actually made
a Road Runner GTX. They were very rare with only 672 total
production cars built in 1972, but if you ordered a 1972 Plymouth
Road Runner with a 440 V8, well, you were one of the lucky few that
got a real-deal Road Runner GTX. About 5-6 years ago, this
particular example received a meticulous, higher-end restoration
that's left it in stellar condition - ready to dominate your local
car show circuit. Frame-off restored to stock standards and
highlighted by a slick Tor-Red paint job, sporty interior, and
thundering 440 V8 big-block, this is one of the coolest, yet
least-known Mopar creations ever made.
The color on this '71 is its factory original Code EV2, Tor-Red,
and what could be more fitting for a Plymouth from this era?
Tor-Red always looks closer to orange than it does any shade of
red, but it's a prototypical, high-impact shade that is the perfect
fit for a real Mopar muscle car. It's fairly obvious that a lot of
time and money went into the paint and body, with a lot of prepping
and high-end workmanship resulting in a bright shade that's still
in great form today. It's miles deep, with a luster typically
reserved for the creme-de-la-creme of the motoring world, and
although it's not a perfect show-car it's fairly close and will at
the very least dominate any local car show circuit. It's a
beautiful car too, and never has the term 'catfish-style' been more
applicable to the front end of a car: the dual chin spoilers mimic
the fins, the grille it's mouth, and even the lanyards attached to
the hood pins look like barbels. A sharp, contrasting pair of white
billboard stripes add the perfect amount of contrast to the unique
hood and big fenders, matching the big C-pillar stripes that crown
the middle of the body. The all-new fuselage styling of the 2nd
generation B-Body gave the Road Runner a big leg-up on the
competition and the swoopy design definitely looks the part of a
Mopar muscle car. The wrap-around bumpers that circle the front end
and taillights were a defining feature, and painting them to match
the bodywork gives this car a more modern and somehow more sinister
look without erasing its identity. As you'd expect from a
restoration of this caliber, all the finishing touches have been
looked after - the white decals look razor sharp, clean rubber trim
surrounds all the windows, and the body lines are as precise as can
be, allowing the doors, hood and decklid to open and shut as
smoothly as when this Plymouth first hit the road. Louvers over the
back glass are period-perfect touch we absolutely love, and with
its tall rear wing, bid dual exhaust tips, and correct Road Runner,
GTX, and 440 badges, this Mopar is deliciously conspicuous.
The two-tone, cloth-and-vinyl upholstery on the seats inside this
Road Runner GTX absolutely scream 1970's, and they've been
beautifully reupholstered back to an excellent standard. If you
were alive in 1972 you probably sat on a couch with a matching
pattern to the cloth inserts on these seats, and the contrasting
white vinyl is supple and looks surprisingly high-end. High-backed
bucket seats straddle a contrasting black-and-woodgrain center
console and beckon you to climb inside to assume the driver's
position where, as you grab hold of the stock steering wheel,
you'll see a woodgrain instrument cluster full of clear factory
gauges. A black dash pad runs across the top, there's a bit more
woodgrain further down that helps warm things up, and between the
plush black carpets on the floors, the bright white door panels at
the flanks, and the taut white headliner above, everything in the
cabin was attended to during the build. Like many Mopars that were
strictly about the business of going fast, options are limited,
although you do get a working heater, seatbelts fore and aft, and
an upgraded retro-style AM/FM/AUX stereo in the stock dash slot.
The rear seats look completely untouched but do offer plenty of
room for friends, while the trunk houses a full-size original spare
tire and jack set and is really as sharp as can be, with a clear
view the beautifully finished sheetmetal.
The beautifully detailed engine bay looks pretty much exactly like
it did when it left the factory, with Corporate Blue engine paint
covering the powerful 440 big-block V8. Nestled neatly in between
the Tor-Red inner fenders, the block is topped with a stock,
dual-snorkel air-cleaner adorned with proper 440-Four Barrel
stickers. With a Holley 4-barrel carburetor feeding it fuel and
air, the engine's running great, with plenty of horsepower on tap
and a healthy torque curve that helps it get-up-and-go in a flash.
A throaty dual exhaust system means this 440 sounds wonderful at
full bore, and it pairs with a 3-speed automatic A727 Torqueflite
transmission that's shifting with slip-free precision today. One
look underneath and anyone can instantly see why this Road Runner
GTX needs mirrors when it's being shown, with painted floorpans and
fresh components everywhere you look. Power front disc brakes help
the car stop on a dime, while power steering makes navigating this
rare Plymouth a breeze as it cruises on a set of 15" original
Plymouth wheels outfitted with period-perfect Goodyear G60-15
bias-plys.
If you're looking for an upper-echelon Mopar that's at the top of
its game both in terms of looks and running condition, you'd be
hard-pressed to find anything better than this seldom-seen 1972
Plymouth Road Runner GTX. Call today!
