* My history, Restored *
Pedigree:
- 1972 Plymouth GTX (any 440 equipped roadrunner was a GTX in 71)
- VIN: RM23U2G136077 (G code = sunroof)
- Rare Factory sunroof car (only 34 roadrunners had these in 1972)
- Originally a demo car by a professional hockey player
- Cost more than a Corvette when purchased ($5502.35)See the Window Sticker
- I purchased in Abilene, Texas, brought to Colorado, then sold to a man in Spokane, Washington
Fender Tag (thanks to Galen Govier)
 | |
|---|---|
| E86 | 440 Super Commando (GTX) |
| D21 | A833 4 Speed Manual Hurst Pistol Grip |
| RM | Model: Road Runner |
| 23 | Body Style: 2 door hardtop |
| U | Engine: 440 4bbl 280hp V8 |
| 2 | Model Year: 1972 H-Series |
| G | Assemply Plan: St. Louis, MO |
| 136077 | Assembly Plant Sequential Number |
| EV2 | Body Paint: Tor Red Hi-Impact |
| D | Trim Grade: Deluxe |
| 6 | Front Seats: Vinyl Buckets |
| XW | Interior: White & Black |
| EW1 | Upper Door Frame: White |
| B02 | Production Date: Tuesday Nov 2, 1971 |
| G99073 | Vehicle Order Number (G is sunroof code) |
| V1W | Full Vinyl Roof - White |
| U | USA Specs |
| B41 | Front Disc Brakes |
| B51 | Power Brakes |
| C16 | Center Console |
| C56 | Bucket Seats |
| G11 | Tinted Glass |
| G36 | Left Remote, Right Manual outside mirrors |
| J52 | Inst. Panel Hood Release |
| L31 | Fender mounted turn signals |
| M21 | Drip Rail Moldings |
| M31 | Body Belt Moldings |
| N23 | Electronic Ignition |
| N41 | Dual Exhaust |
| N85 | Tachometer |
| N96 | Fresh Air Package (Air Grabber Hood) |
| P31 | Power Windows |
| R36 | Radio: AM/FM/MX Stereo w/Cassette and dictaphone |
| 26 | 26 inch radiator diameter |
Looking Oh-so-Good:
- TorRed Hi-Impact (Dodge name Hemi Orange) (1 of 810)
- Full white vinyl Top (1 of 176)
- Air-Grabber vacuum operated forced air induction (1 of 1022)
The muscle that matters:
- 440 Cubic Inch Four Barrel 370 Horsepower Super-Commando (1 of 672)
- A-833 Four Speed, Hurst Pistol Grip shifter (1 of 219)
- Suregrip Dana 60 9 3/4 3.54:1 Axle
- Power Brakes
All the interior goodies:
- Power Windows (1 of 177)
- Cassette player / dictaphone recorder (1 of 144)
- White interior
As a student at Abilene Christian University, I built a 426 max wedge engine in a 1973 Challenger and stored it to collect later as I set off to serve my country.
In late 1984 I returned to pick up the Challenger and a prior owner of the max wedge wanted his engine back so badly, he offered up this 1972 roadrunner as trade. I had to think about this carefully, as I had a beautiful 1965 426 Plymouth Satellite I wished to install the max wedge into, but a precursory glance at the roadrunner told me it seemed to be a fairly unmolested, original (except paint and wheels) Roadrunner GTX 440 with all the luxury options, yet oddly sported a 4 speed with pistol grip shifter (Why the luxuries and a standard transmission?). I decided to take the trade and flat trailered the car back from Texas to Colorado (I had the trailer for my Challenger, which was way too radical for such a trip).
After arriving in Colorado, I had the car checked out thoroughly and found it was, indeed, an all-original numbers matching factory sunroof car. Wow!. Being still in the Navy, I continued to drive the car when I made it to Colorado, but that was not very often, so generally, the car tended to sit for a good portion in a protected environment. I never could trace the history of the car prior to the owner I received it from, someone spent an awful lot of money in 1972 for this thing!
I was then forced into a situation where I had to sell my vehicles (long story about corrupt people here), and to make the long story short I ended up selling off all my dreams very cheaply (luckily while I was in the Navy I was still building up my 1969 Dodge GTS 340).
Anyhow, I had been looking for this GTX for years afterward, and out of the blue in 2002 I get a call from a gentleman in Ohio who had just restored the car. Woo-hoo! I secretly wanted the car back but it's obvious it had developed a rust issue after I had owned it (the man that bought it took it to the Washington area. Ugh! Thankfully though, it appears he kept everything intact). And being the new owner put in thousands dollars not to mention buckets of sweat and blood, I didn't go down that alley.
January 2003 Mopar Collector's Guide featured this car on page 54 (with some obvious publisher's creative interpretations and typos).
March 2006 Mopar Muscle featured this car on the cover and pages 24 through 28 (and its' time in Colorado didn't even get a mention).
A big, big thanks to David B. who restored the car (then subsequently sold it), he restored it properly, and stirred up some good old memories. The pictures of the car with gold paint and wheels (yes, that's how I received it - yuck!) were taken by me, all of the new pictures are courtesy of David Bardeen
Now, the car has been sold to someone else and Mr. Bardeen is onto another great project.
Will this rare GTX ever find a home? I don't know.
Do I regret letting it go? Most Definitely!
Sold January 2011 Russo and Steele auction for $121,000.00
Meep Meep!
(Click on any picture for larger image)
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January 2003 Mopar Collector's Guide and a couple of pictures from it.
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March 2006 Mopar Muscle. Here is the article.
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Thanks to David Bardeen, Galen Govier, and many others that all contributed to the history of this car.
Any information that you would like posted about it, (especially if you were an owner) including who the mysterious hockey player was (Red Wings or no?), can be sent to me via e-mail and I will post it here
If there is any information that you wish removed from this page please also let me know. This is meant to be a running history of the car, because after all, isn't that what it's all about?