1969 Plymouth GTX: From racer to rusting to restored

Gary Simpson’s 1969 Plymouth GTX isn’t just a lairy Mopar muscle car – it’s also family transportation and after a succession of slightly less family-friendly Mopars, this one seems to offer the best of both worlds…

Words and photography: Jon Cass

First imported into the UK as long ago as 1973, it’s fair to say Gary Simpson’s stunning 1969 Plymouth GTX has lived an eventful life. Rescued from a garden which so easily could have become its final resting place, this 440cu in Mopar in gleaming gloss black has now been treated to the full restoration it deserves.

In the last decade or so we’ve become quite accustomed to a calendar packed full of car shows and meets, almost to the point where many of us must now prioritise the events we’d like to attend. It wasn’t always like this though and Gary Simpson remembers a distinct lack of any form of local car scene while growing up in Eighties Glasgow. “I only ever really saw American cars on TV and in films,” he recalls, “shows and meets in my locality were virtually unheard of.”

Despite this noticeable lack of automotive events, Gary was fortunate that his dad Alex bucked the trend with a strong passion for classic cars. “He was often to be found tinkering with an old Mercedes of some kind,” Gary recalls, “I began to show an interest too and couldn’t wait to work on my own cars.” Gary currently owns no fewer than nine cars, including a handful of mouthwatering classics. Among these is a Nissan skyline R34 while, no doubt inspired by his dad, he also owns a ’79 Mercedes 450 SEL, an ultra-rare ’65 Mercedes W111 SEB coupe, along with a ’68 Mercedes four-door saloon. Meanwhile a Bentley is sometimes used for family duties.

While that may be an impressive collection in itself and would probably keep many an enthusiast content, Gary had always toyed with the idea of owning an older American car as well. “It was an itch I had to scratch!” he laughs. “Finally, eight years ago, I came across a ’66 Dodge Coronet which I couldn’t resist.” Dismissing any form of practicality, the stripped out, race-prepared Coronet arrived, with a tuned 440cu in V8 and no heaters. “I loved it,” Gary enthuses, “I drove this car as often as I could, but the lack of heaters in winter was a major drawback.”

The Coronet later gave way to an equally impractical ’67 Plymouth Barracuda with a 496cu in V8 under the hood. “It also had bucket seats, harnesses and a full roll cage just like the Coronet,” Gary recalls. “My wife Maxine was pregnant at the time, so it came as no surprise to hear she wasn’t really a major fan of this car!” This led to a search for a more sensible and practical replacement, but rather than opt for a dull people carrier or SUV, Gary limited his search to another Sixties Mopar. To give him credit, Chryslers of this era were often marketed with families in mind. “I never mentioned what I was buying until it arrived on the back of a transporter,” Gary smiles, “I guess by now she wasn’t surprised when a 1969 Plymouth GTX turned up!”

As a lifelong fan of the iconic and now staggeringly expensive Plymouth Superbird, Gary had been drawn to the GTX as this was the next best thing. “It was more practical than my previous Mopars too, as it still retained a full standard interior,” he adds, “Maxine had nothing to complain about!” Unusually for a surviving Sixties Mopar, this GTX had been imported into the UK as long ago as 1973. “Most American cars of this era around today were imported from the States much later in life,” Gary explains. “Many of those that arrived into the UK decades ago have long since succumbed to rust, before eventually being scrapped.”

Looking into the car’s history, Gary discovered the GTX spent its early years in the UK on the drag scene, running a supercharged 440 V8. “It was originally painted silver, but had later been resprayed blue and fitted with ZZ Top style stripes,” Gary tells us. “The car changed hands a few times and was eventually retired from racing.” Sadly, that retirement wasn’t about to do the GTX any favours, as its new permanent residence turned out to be nothing more than a grassed garden! “I’m told the car had been left to sit there for years,” Gary says. “Luckily, a Mopar enthusiast spotted it and chose to save it.”

The GTX’s saviour turned out to be Shaun Senior, chairman of the Mopar Muscle Association at the time, who was willing to put the effort in to begin a restoration. “Shaun started the process and did much of the work before passing the project on to Kevin Thompson,” Gary explains. “He in turn took the car to Jim Smith at Jim’s Autos muscle car specialists for the restoration to be completed to a very high standard.”

That time spent sat on damp grass had done the metalwork no favours and required the fitting of new wings and a rear quarter panel, along with a fresh fuel tank, not to mention hours of welding. The blue paintwork and ZZ Top stripes were erased and, in their place, the GTX now wears its current mean and attractive deep gloss black. Meanwhile, those black Mopar cop car wheels and lowered front end with sway bar all add to those imposing looks. Luckily, the full vinyl interior was deemed salvageable and the only change inside is the fitment of a useful larger rev counter.

“The supercharged V8 had long since gone and Shaun refitted a stripped and cleaned 440cu in V8, just like the GTX would have had from the factory.” Gary continues: “This is mated to a 727 Torqueflite transmission with reverse pattern valve body, via a Hurst shifter so it can be operated manually.” Reverting to a standard carb and radiator, along with MSD electronic ignition all improve the car’s reliability which so far Gary has been really impressed by. “Other than snapping a gear cable the first time out, the GTX has proved almost faultless,” he explains. “The ride is quite firm, but I’ve happily covered 6000 miles in this car in just 18 months!”

Gary will admit his addiction to tinkering has led to a few minor changes to the GTX with a focus towards retaining reliability and improving practicality. Don’t forget this is a family car! “I’ve had Black Sheep Customs fit a new tailshaft, replaced the wheel bearings and given the power brakes an overhaul with new discs and pads,” Gary points out: “I’ve also removed two of the four exhaust silencers and lowered the back end slightly with lowering blocks to improve the stance.”

Routine maintenance is a must as far as Gary is concerned and other than that first miserable night where he spent an hour underneath the GTX rerouting gear cables just to get home, the only other issue he’s suffered is a snapped throttle cable. “I regretted selling my Barracuda the minute it’d gone,” he says, “luckily, this GTX which I spotted just minutes after the advert appeared has turned out to be a perfect replacement.” What’s more, Gary’s wife Maxine is quite happy with the comparatively practical GTX too, while his young son George may well go on to follow in his father’s footsteps. Here’s hoping the Simpson’s addiction to Mopars and classic cars in general will continue for many generations to come!

Restoration