FEATURED GTX CAR

 This featured 1970 GTX is a Lynch Road built Citron Mist Metallic, 440-6, torqueflite with 4.10:1 Dana rear axle car. 

The car was an early production Sales Bank car and was originally sold at Mark Motors in Arlington Heights, IL. The base GTX sold for $3535.00 in 1970 and this car included the A01 light group ($29.60), A32 Super Performance Axle ($221.40), C21 Center Seat Cushion with folding Arm Rest ($54.45), D32 Torqueflite transmission (No Cost), E87 440 Six Barrel Engine ($249.55), G33 Left Side Remote Mirror ($10.45), J45 Hood Tie Down Pins ($15.40), M05 Door Edge Protectors ($4.65), N85 Tachometer ($68.45), N96 Air Grabber ($65.55), R11 Music Master AM Radio ($61.55), S77 Power Steering ($105.20), V1X Black Vinyl Roof ($95.70), V21 Performance Hood Paint ($18.05), V6X Black Sports Stripes (No Charge), W21 Rallye Road Wheels ($43.10) and U84 Goodyear F60x15 Raised White Letter tires ($63.25). These options plus the destination charges brought the grand total up to $4695.35. That would be $36,981.96 in 2024 dollars which seems like a deal when considered against the cars of today.

Generally any options which are less than ten percent of the total production would be considered rare options. In this case, the 440 six barrel engine accounted for 9.5% of the GTX production engines installed, the F60x15 Goodyear Polyglass tires were 8.8%, the FY4 Citron Mist Metallic paint was 4.0%, the P6XY Gold and Black Bucket Seats were 3.8% and the combination of the 440 six barrel engine with the 4.10:1 Super Performance Axle accounted for just 1.5% of the total 1970 GTX production.

This GTX has had four documented owners since it was built in September of 1969. It was first sold on July 27th, 1971 twenty-two months after it was first scheduled to be built. The dealership that sold the car was Mark Motor located at 2020 E. Northwest Highway in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

The first owner of this GTX did not own the car for long. It was traded back into Mark Motors and resold as a used car on September 28th, 1971 for $2625.00 (including tax), just two months after the original sale. Why did the first owner trade this GTX in after so short a time? Was his number called for the draft? Could he not afford the payments on the $4695.35 list price plus the insurance costs? Sam Baker, the Mark Motors salesman who sold the car to the second owner was reported to have told the second owner that it was “too much car” for him

One thing is certain; he did not received much on his trade as the car was sold to the second owner on September 28th, 1971 through Mark Motors for $2500.00.

The following facts were provided by the daughters of the 2nd Owner!

The second owner was a real car guy and cherished this car. He was also a family man with four daughters and was married for 55 years before passing away in 2015. His fourth daughter recalls interviewing him for a third grade project. In this interview, she asked him “If you could choose a dream career, what career would it be?” His response was he would be a race car driver. While owned by the second owner, the car was used primarily as a second car for the family. It was mostly driven by his wife around town in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. This owner’s commute was longer than the errands his wife needed to perform around home. The gas mileage was poor with the 4.10:1 geared Dana 60 in the car so this became the wife's daily commuter car. His third daughter used the car to take her driver’s test at age 16 and failed. A spur of the moment decision to take her to be tested, and the suggestion she use the GTX, placed her in an unfamiliar car that she was not accustomed to driving.

This owner was also known to take the car out to Illinois Route 53 late at night and bring the car to a full stop when there was no traffic and then let it rip. Ultimately, in 1978, he decided that his family obligations were more important than indulging in his car passion and the GTX was sold for $800.00 in the spring.

This third owner also had a short history with the car. He was a car buff as well and had several Chevelle's and another GTX. At the time, he lived in an apartment complex and his cars were parked in the open parking lot. He ultimately needed to make a job related move to Phoenix, Arizona and couldn’t afford to move all his cars. In the fall of 1978, the car was once again placed for sale in the local Auto Trader, except, the advertised price was now $1500. This is where the fourth and current owner found the GTX.

The car was purchased for $1400.00 on September 19, 1978 by the current owner as his first car at age 16. At the time of purchase in 1978, the car had traveled just over 28,000 miles in eight years and was remarkably intact and original. The car was used as a daily driver for several years and after putting another 10,000 miles on the GTX, this expensive to drive car, was put aside for more practical transportation. Some of those 10,000 miles were clocked up at Broadway Bob’s Great Lakes Dragaway in Union Grove Wisconsin, which has been in continuous operation since 1955 as a purpose built racetrack.

This GTX has been a source of many great and long lasting friendships and has brought cherished memories for the owner over the years. After being long dormant, the car was treated to a full restoration to its factory correct configuration by noted restorer, Roger Gibson, in Scott City, Missouri.

The car retains its original drivetrain and as many original parts as could be used during the restoration. At the time of the restoration, the car retained its original sheet metal, original paint including the hood stripes, complete original interior, original wheels, trim rings and center caps as well as the original glass and many more components that were restored rather than replaced. This commitment to using the original parts or correct NOS parts resulted in a truly numbers matching car throughout.

The results of Roger Gibson’s work were on display at the 2022 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals in Rosemount, IL. The car was judged and received a Concours Gold Award Certificate in the 1968 to 1970 B Body category. The second and third daughters of the second owner were present at the show to see their father’s GTX once again. As it turned out, it was fifty years to the day since the third daughter failed her driver’s test in this car. She was thrilled to be sitting behind the wheel once again and recall her father’s passion for this car.

 In the 1970 GTX registry there are  41 FY4 Citron Mist Metallic 1970 GTX registered.  Of those 41 only 5 were 440-6bbl optioned cars.  Interestingly, all five are automatics.  Of those 5 only two had the P6XY gold bucket seat interior.   Of those two, our featured car has a black vinyl top while the other 6bbl automatic with gold interior had the FY4 painted top.  So at this time this is one of one with all the options considered. 

The owner of this GTX did not want his name used due to work issues however his wife made a website to document the history and restoration of the GTX.  Click on the link below for this website.

https://sites.google.com/view/1970gtx/home