1968 GTX project

[1968_GTX]

First project arrived at my home Thursday night. So I'm already starting out a little backward. I have the car first and now am starting the research part of the adventure.

As far as plans I'm working on figuring that part out. I know I want to keep the original look of the car. The car does not have a matching numbers engine and I'm struggling with the decision as to what to put in the car and whether to go with a 4 speed or automatic. I'm told it was originally an automatic but someone had put a manual transmission in it at one time. I believe the car was originally Dark Green with a vinyl top. Any advise is greatly appreciated. I hope to work on this with my two sons 15 and 12 Hope to finish the project within the next 2-4yrs. Not a show car just a really nice driver.

I suppose you run into issues when you purchase a car before you begin research. I should have been here months if not years in advance of starting this car. Little history many years ago I was at a car show with my very young sons at the time and spotted a car that I at the time did not recognize. It was a 1968 GTX and not knowing how hard they would be to find I made up my mind to go find one. Needless to say it wasn't as easy as I had first thought. I really had given up on the idea and was thinking of getting a 1969 mustang to work on with my boys. This was a car I was very familiar with. (First car I owned when I was 16). As fate would have it during the search I stumbled across a 1968 GTX less than an hour from my home. In my haste I purchased the car (almost sight unseen) in fears it wouldn't last long. That brings me to where I am now.

After further inspection the car is light not Dark Green. Car at one point was disassembled and put back together in a hurry (Gathered from all that isn't bolted down and all the missing bolts screws etc.) I took the windshield and dash out last night and the question occurred to me. The VIN is attached to the dash. Is it common practice of moving a GTX dash to another B body? The car doesn't have build sheet or fender tags. The number on the radiator support doesnt match the VIN. I couldn't locate a number in the trunk area I might be looking in the wrong places. Next question would be does it really matter? Car will never be original.

Plan
Car is going to need a massive amount of body work. The front floor needs replacing, Truck floor is rotted out along with passenger side wheel well, Drivers side quarter and rocker need replacing, and the channel around the rear glass is rotted.
I'm thinking of starting on the suspension and brakes first along with other parts that need attention while I practice welding panels ( I have Plenty of metal from bad pieces taken off the car) once I have all the suspension, brakes and misc components complete I can determine 1) Do I have the ability to attempt the body work? 2) Do I have the time? If the answers are yes I will begin the metal work needed on the car. This will also allow for much needed time to do research that will definitely be a positive. Thoughts?

 

[bobtile]

Congratulations on the purchase. The first thing I would say is build the car the way you want. Next I would say take your time. I got my car in 2003 and it needed everything from the frame rails on up. You need to have a lot of patience. It took me about 7 years and tons of mistakes to get the car on the road. I also have a 68 GTX so I'm partial to the cause. Mine didn't come with a motor, trans or fender tag. I built it for the way I was intending to use it. And to this day, keep modifying to go faster as it is morphing into more of a track car at this point. Keep posting updates and pictures and if I can help in any way, let me know. Good luck with the project.

Just so you know, the grill is from a satellite or roadrunner. Do you have a picture of the vin on the dash? Pictures of the interior or back of car?

 

[1968_GTX]

Just so you know, the grill is from a satellite or roadrunner. Do you have a picture of the vin on the dash? Pictures of the interior or back of car?

Yes the entire front clip on the car is from multiple b bodies. The back seats were Dark Green with Light Green inserts (Not even bolted into the car)

 

[Propwash]

Having the Fender Tag/Broadcast sheet for a 1968 Mopar is pretty paramount for proof of model originality. In 1968, the radiator core stamp and the driver side trunk gutter samp is a Sales order number, not the VIN number (like seen starting in 1969)

To creep a little bit towards unraveling the cars originality, the first three digits of the sales order would be letter coded for; where it was built, then the year, then the model line. Example:

G8R = G = built at STL plant, 8 = 68 model year R = Belvedere line of cars.

If you had the fender tag, that would have your sales order, as well as the VIN...as well as many of the other options. Anyways, just of it is, without a fender tag or broadcast sheet, trying to prove 100% car model originality (for say resale) really isn't going to happen, but a VIN & Title is nothing to complain about either, when going to sell.

Now, for some good news. You can find original OEM metal or decent replacement metal (AMD) for your GTX fairly easily. As far as your skills and time.....well that all falls on your plate. Take some time to check out the member restoration threads on this site. There are plenty of folks that were in your situation (as far as skill set), learned the trades of metal work through trail & error and have themselves one heck of a awesome Mopar they're driving down the road now a days. The brutal truth of car restoration is the project will cost more than you think it will and it will take more time than you think it will. It will also bring a lot of headaches, a ton of work and probably plenty of episodes of second guessing your decision to restore. That being said, it takes a lot of drive and determination to pull through. You really, really have to want it. Not trying to scare you or deter your decision, but we see a lot of folks that come into a restoration with guns a blazing, only to fizzle out over complications, budget, time and eventually ambition. If you're dead set on you and your boys grinding away on this old Plymouth, really have an addiction to have you and them put her back on the road, and are willing to have the over budget, late nights, weld burns, hands full of shavings and lungs full of rust...I'd say heck yeah! Get on it. Once she's on the road and you can look back saying "I did that", you're gonna have so much pride and respect for the car in your pockets, you'll love the car even more.

Good Luck.

Little motivation for you....my last restoration: It can be brought back!!

 

[69 GTX]

Like propwash said, it isn't easy but can be done. I have a 69 GTX I'm doing right now. I will say the trim pieces for the GTX over the RR are a lot more $$$. But the up side is you don't see many X's running the streets either. My build is like yours in I didn't have all the #'s matching stuff so I'm building it to lokk somewhat period correct street rod. Have fun and feel free to ask ?s. BTW my thread is 69 GTX

 

[1968_GTX]

BTW my thread is 69 GTX

Thanks for the advise and yes very familiar with the thread it was the first one I read followed by speedfreak's
I hope the work done will be 1/2 as good as I have seen on your cars

 

[super-bee_ski]

Congrads on your 68 GTX!
As the guys in the Forum said, a "Great Car" and "Great Project"

 

[747mopar]

Congrats, nice project.

 

[Basket case]

great project, keep the updates coming!

 

[Ron 73]

You'll get it and it sounds like a good deal, 2-4 years, i hope it works for you, i set myself up for 3 years with my car and its two now and looking more like 6-8 years lol, oh well whatever it takes! Good luck to you and "enjoy"...

 

[BumperMan]

This is why this site is so awesome, it's people like you and me that is new to restoring Mopars and it's so awesome to have knowledgable people on here to answer questions that we have. I'm going on 13 months of my project, mine sounds nothing like yours but I'm still experiencing the headaches and late nights that other guys are experiencing.

Did your car have a motor? If so was it the 440 or 426? I'm in the process of putting my motor back in, mine had the 440 in it.

Good Luck and have patients, it's a awesome feeling bringing something back to life.

 

[1968_GTX]

Did your car have a motor? If so was it the 440 or 426? I'm in the process of putting my motor back in, mine had the 440 in it.

No it didnt come with a motor, its originally a 440 Car. Might not be reborn as a 440 car though:sign18:

 

[69 GTX]

I'm about 1.5 years into my project, hoping to have it complete by Jun 15, hoping.

 

[Pistol Pete]

Congrats on your project.

I would strongly consider buying a complete donor vehicle, such as a '68 4 dr Satellite. Get a rusty one so it's cheap enough, but one that hasn't been scavenged. This will do two things for you:

1) It will show you how the car was originally assembled (four doors are not that much different).
2) It will provide you with all of the correct fasteners, saving you countless hours.

Good luck.

 

[1968_GTX]

Still in discovery mode on the project. Last night my son and I removed the trim and back glass. I thought at first it had been glued in but it looks like there may have been a small fire at one time that melted all the window molding. This in turn has rotted the window channel all the way up the sides and some on top near the roof line. I'm still ok but hope that someone tells me when I should be scared...lol

I will be posting pics soon

 

[1968_GTX]

I will be posting pics soon

 

[Ron 73]

You'll get it, ive seen great repairs on these window channels here at this site, A doner car would be good but these have been repaired, I do wish i could show you exactly where and you could make up your own mind but try a search on rear window channel repair, maybe that alone would bring it or them up!
I know i saved a few pictures of one someone was doing but my computer is at the doctors, i get it back ill be glad to post a couple up and you can see a little of how it was done...

 

[Propwash]

Rot in the rear window channels is a very, very common for the 68-70 B-Bodies. Cool looking design, but holds water like a dutch dike. AMD makes all the new pieces for that area, or go the donor car route. Might be a little tough finding one that isn't rotten back there though.

http://www.521restorations.com/index.pl?page=bbody&sub1=Deck%20Filler

 

[1968_GTX]

Rot in the rear window channels is a very, very common for the 68-70 B-Bodies. Cool looking design, but holds water like a dutch dike. AMD makes all the new pieces for that area, or go the donor car route. Might be a little tough finding one that isn't rotten back there though.

http://www.521restorations.com/index.pl?page=bbody&sub1=Deck Filler

Yes I've seen several with window issues in other members threads. What concerns me and you can't see it all that well is the rot up the sides and along the top of the rear window. In places it is up into the roof slightly. So question is do that make replacement parts for that area or will it require an entire roof skin?

Right now this is how it looks as far as metal replacement

Both front fenders
driver side inner and outer rocker
Front pans
Trunk pans
Both wheel wells
One quarter for sure maybe both

The metal isnt outrageous $$$ so not to much concern there but am concerned that it is way beyond my skill set. I do have plenty of time to practice but want to be realistic. Good news is that when complete it will be a brand new 1968 GTX.
I know that a donor is probably the more sensible way to go but (please don't be offended for those that have taken that route) for me it seems like cheating. If I have to sacrifice another to save one.

So any replacement pieces for upper rear window channel excluding the roof?

 

[Propwash]

Full quarters will get you about halfway up on the sides of the rear window opening. From there you would either need to get a different roof skin, or fab repair sections yourself. Plenty of folks here have had to hand fab small sections either by puzzling in small patches, or even using a metal shrinker/stretcher:

http://www.eastwood.com/shrinker-stretcher-combo-set-two-bodiestwo-jaws.html?fee=5&fep=3199&srccode=ga220010&gclid=Cj0KEQjwh96hBRCnsefbvZrKrpcBEiQAF7oMdLpLegNNC3ZtFasGEB5WCx6-txXL_VAehXpRun6c9kMaAvzP8P8HAQ