71 GTX Build

[crahill39]

It took awhile, but I finally found another project car. The car is rough and is going to need a lot more rust repair than the Coronet 500 I sold, but the GTX has always been my favorite Mopar. I just got the car yesterday, and plan on spending a good bit of time this weekend getting prepped to tear it down for media blasting. I know I probably paid too much for a car in this condition, but it seems my luck with finding killer deals never pans out. The car is numbers matching, and has a pretty decent list of options. I am a little bummed that certain body parts will be harder to come by then the 68 - 70 models, but oh well. I recently moved, and my new home has a pretty nice shop on 5 acres, so there won't be any PITA neighbors this time to gripe about the noise. Here are a few pics:



Craig

 

[Photon440]

Hey, this is going to be a fun project to watch. Nice score...I'm liking these years more and more.

Oh, and congrats on the nice shop!

 

[steved033]

LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to watch it come together... I'm at 5years with mine, going mild custom, as it's a cars in boxes build and not matching...

sjd

 

[bee71]

The lead designer at that time had said that body style was his favorite.

 

[BumperMan]

Good luck with the build, another GTX saved. What was the original color for the top?

 

[69 GTX]

Nice, AC car!

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Nice score!!! I really like that body style. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions.

I feel your pain about nosey neighbors. Years ago when we lived in Daytona they development we lived in had a HOA. They had people riding bicycles around just looking for something to complain about.

I always worked on my cars in the garage, but still managed to get several warning letters. We kept our home up but they didn't like younger people living their, especially if you had a muscle car.

Anyhow we moved to where live now and I was able to build my work shop out back. It has to be one of the best choices we made.

You will be a lot happier too. Nice shop to go along with your great new project will keep you content for quite some time.

Congrats !!!

 

[Jacks_Runner]

Nice, good luck with your build.

 

[Ron 73]

Crahill, I do think you have a winner there! Very nice and i like the idea of "pretty nice shop on 5 acres, so there won't be any PITA neighbors this time to gripe about the noise You have the best of two worlds bud! HAVE fun!!!

 

[plumgtx]

Nice score. I just bought one in similar condition that pretty much needs everything, bit its purple with white guts and i have the original motor its worth restoring for me. Looks like yours had a vinyl top and the a pillars were destroyed just like my car lol. What is the best way to repair these? Get donor a pillars? Good luck and it will be awesome when your done

 

[Chase383]

Congrats on the new project!

Do I spot the correct GTX only rocker moldings? If so you are already in good shape. Don't get bummed on the roof, my '71 Satellite (which I'm turning into a RR clone) had the canopy top and the roof skin and A-pillars are toast too.

I've got a parts car that I'm hoping to remove the pillars from... and I'll probably break down and try to get a roof from moparmark when I'm ready.

 

[71gtx]

nice 71gtx i have 440 4 speed 354 dana 60 one

 

[PappyJoe]

Nice! Look forward to following your progress.

 

[1971 plymouth roadrunner]

I really fell in love with my first '71 road runner, the body style is so curvy. The '71 high performance cars were so interesting, the colors, the logos, and the horsepower

 

[crahill39]

I got started on the car today for a few hours. The roof and A-Pillars are pretty bad and there are a few other areas around the passenger door jam where the hinges bolt up that need to be repaired. The build sheet is gone, I found traces of it under the rear seat, but who knows what happened to it. From what I can tell the vinyl top was black from the remnants on the A-Pillars. The inside door panels had an interesting logo and maybe someone can fill me in on it. Here are some pictures of today's work.



We have a 18 month old boy who takes up a lot of our time and just getting a couple hours by myself in the shop felt amazing.

Craig

 

[Ron 73]

Been there with the young-uns..... years ago and now am doing it again with a 8 year old but still, i do know what you mean sometimes! You'll get this bro and when its done you can take your 18 month + by then im sure by a little anyway but you can go for a ride that will feel "amazing"!!! Good luck bud!

 

[Propwash]

Cool Beans. Looks like you got your work cut out for you, but never the less a fun project. Congrat's on the new digs! Looks like a real good laboratory to bring the GTX back to life.

 

[snume]

Wow, you do have a lot of rust to take care of. I don't have quite so much on mine so I'll be watching yours carefully to take notes for mine. I won't be able to do any body work till next year as I have no heated shop to put it in up here and it get's mighty cold in the winter. Gonna work on an engine and tranny over the winter. Keep us posted.

 

[73SwingerDart]

Love the 71 GTX! I have a 72 SSP and my good friend has a 71 GTX.
Ill be watching from up here in Tulsa, OK!
Good luck,
Todd

 

[crahill39]

Been a long time since I got to work on the car. I actually got pretty discouraged and tried to sell both of them on Ebay a few weeks back, but I guess fate has kicked in and they never got up to the reserve. After licking my wounds, I decided it doesn't matter much to me anymore if I am upside down in the cars because I am not a flipper and I just don't have the knack for scoring awesome deals. So with that said, I have started back tearing down the GTX. I got the roof off and will hopefully get time to pull the motor this weekend and dash. I am trying to figure out the best approach for replacing the roof. I have the 71 road runner with a rust free solid roof that I am using as a parts car. Would it be best to just cut out the rust and replace with the bracing from the RR or try to remove the entire roof from the factory seems and replace as one piece? Here are a few pics of the rust damage:



Thanks !