1970 GTX Four Door!?!

[ralphie361]

Hello everyone, its time to start a build thread on this car, I've only owned it for close to twenty years! The car is a 1970 Plymouth Belvedere four door sedan, originally B3 blue, blue interior, slant, auto, with 8 3/4. My dad towed me home with a rope after buying it for $300 in the Volare coupe that I had been working on for my first car. The car had many dings and creases down the sides, and some rust in the rear of the car, but it was an honest to goodness 38k mile car. I bought it from a woman whose mother lived on Put-In-Bay island in Lake Erie, so the car never really went very far. It was not a survivor however, and she said her mothers one car garage was almost falling off the foundation from her hitting it with the car. So although I was a young kid and I regret some of the work I did to it, at least I didn't chop up a clean old lady survivor! Through high school I went through three junk yard big blocks before finally building a 361 for the car in college. Unfortunately driving the car in Ohio didn't help the rear spring perches, and the floors started to go away. Life and other projects took over, and I let the car sit in my dad's barn for almost nine years. So the next chapter started about two years ago, and I decided to slowly start playing with it without getting burned out.

I always wished the car was a two door when I was younger, and dreamed of grafting the door scoops from a roadrunner into the rear doors, along with corvette door handles. I'm glad I waited until my skills progressed before I tried it, but now I've got my high school dream car. That's what this build will be about, just building the car that I wanted in high school, with my current skills and (slightly) better budget. This means some sort of big block, scooped doors, GTX stripes and emblems, and an air grabber hood. The car will go back the color I painted it in high school, Dodge Intense Blue Pearl, with black stripes and accents. It is not going to be a show stopper, but a fun family cruiser with an obnoxious big block. Should be a fun build, and long overdue!

 

[Riverdawg]

looks like a fun project, good luck with it.

 

[ralphie361]

I had to start with repairing the rust damage to the rear of the car. I fabricated new spring perches, and about the last foot of framerails on both side, then welded in a new rear panel under the bumper. I also fabricated a new trunk floor. Its not perfect, but it looks good enough to put a mat over! I learned how to use the bead roller on the trunk pan, and then was able to move on to the main floor pans of the car. They once again are not restoration correct, but they are strong and look decent enough for my liking.

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I bought cheap two door quarter skins and they donated the scoops for the doors, and the lower quarter and dogleg patches I need. I've got to say, I had my doubts after I cut my original doors, but it worked out nicely. Also the corvette door handles on the door tops fit perfectly, but I am glad that I waited fifteen years to do it, they were a pain in the rear to get working properly.

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For the engine for now, I pulled the dead 361 out and put a running 400 with a mild cam in it. Its not fast, but it sounds nice. Also painted the engine bay while it was out. After the floors were done, I had my seats recovered by a lady my grandma knows. They need to be restretched, but they turned out pretty nice. I could get front seat covers from legendary and year one, but nobody offered a matching rear. I put a new carpet in while I was there, and the rest of the interior is in pristine condition overall.

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I had the car running and driving in primer last year, and played around with masking tape laying out the stripes. I decided that I wanted to get it ready for paint this past summer. Then I got distracted with my Dart project, and not much happened other than my lower quarter patches, and most of the car being disassembled. I did manage to score an original air grabber hood though, and so next summer will be the summer of paint. I'm hoping to be able to smooth out the car as soon as the weather breaks in Ohio next spring, and hopefully have it painted by the end of the summer. We will see, but I've had this car so long, whats another year?:headbang:

 

[Coronet 14]

Another 4 door rescued Car looks good

 

[Deleted member 214]

Cool project, Ralphie!

 

[Photon440]

Nice customizing. Are you going to do the same to the front door handles?

 

[1971 plymouth roadrunner]

I always liked it when people would rescue an otherwise bland four door, and make it into something that looks tough

 

[BigBlock61]

Cool project and way to make it your own. Nice work on the scoops and handles. You are planning on putting the Corvette handles on the front doors as well ?

 

[smyythe68]

Always nice to see something different from the norm. The slight customizing is very cool, subtle. Very well done keep it up and I believe it will be very popular at cruises and shows.

 

[440+6]

Great project You have there, I saw this 1970 four door Roadrunner that looks pretty good.
It will be nice to see your GTX done, keep working on it.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Needs a police light on the roof.

 

[ralphie361]

Thanks guys, I think the 68-70 four doors are pretty sharp cars, and other than the roofline look just about as cool as the coupes when done right. As for the front door handles, I think I am going to leave the stock ones for reliability sake, the rears look great but I don't know about the reliability of my linkage. The rear door top is wider than the front and fits the contour of the handle perfectly while the front wouldn't fit quite as well too.

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Great project You have there, I saw this 1970 four door Roadrunner that looks pretty good.
It will be nice to see your GTX done, keep working on it.

View attachment 222337

I saw that car on ebay a while back and loved it! Unfortunately I know building a four door costs as much or more than a coupe and will never be worth the same. But I don't care, I like the pick-a-doors!

 

[hotrod Al]

Awesome 4door you have going there. Im loving the mods, especially the vette handles! I was looking at CL this morning and saw a 68-70 Ralley cluster if you're looking for one: https://columbus.craigslist.org/pts/4759990799.html

 

[ralphie361]

Thanks for the find on the cluster, with my interior being the only thing in good shape, I think I'm going to leave the stock cluster for now at least.

I finished up today a project I started over the summer, I finally have both lower quarters and doglegs welded in. They need some more grinding and dolly work, but the rust is gone! I still need to fab some trunk drops, but I'm not worried about originality so it shouldn't be too hard. Once that is done, a few small rocker patches and some trunk lid repair is all that is in the way of springtime mudslinging!

 

[plumgtx]

love the vette door handles. takes some balls to try that. definitely one of a kind

 

[super-bee_ski]

Great thread, great project and great car Ralphie!

 

[HT413]

Looks cool. Another belvedere saved!

 

[Runner 68]

Needs a police light on the roof.

Or a Taxi sign.

 

[HT413]

Or a Taxi sign.

Nah, mini tub that biatch, sling some serious rubber under it, lower it a hair and put a nasty motor in it. Poor little cheby 2 doors will wet themselves in its wake.

 

[Runner 68]

Nah, mini tub that biatch, sling some serious rubber under it, lower it a hair and put a nasty motor in it. Poor little cheby 2 doors will wet themselves in its wake.

Yea, do that and a Taxi sign, yellow paint.... really hook them in plus you could pick up some extra change taking old ladies to the airport. Give them the ride of their lives.