Let's Talk Cars, Motorcycles and Other Life-Changing Events

Month: May 2019 Page 1 of 3

Flash Back Friday: 1970 Plymouth GTX

1970 Plymouth GTX Front Burnt Orange

The clean styling of the 1970 Plymouth GTX made it my favorite year

Last week’s Flash Back Friday featured my 1969 Plymouth GTX, the third car I owned (before I turned 16 and got my driver’s license…) and my first car that actually ran when I bought it. That GTX provided me with a wealth of memories, enough to justify another blog of its own, but as much fun as it was my fifth car (second running car), a 1970 Plymouth GTX, brought me even more joy.

1970 Plymouth GTX High School Burnout

This car provided a lot of joy during my high school years

I actually owned both GTXs at the same time for over a year. I bought the 1969 Plymouth GTX in April of 1985 for $2,200. The car was far from mint, but it was complete and ran fine, which makes that price seem all the more amazing 33 years later. I bought the 1970 Plymouth GTX in September of 1986 for $4,000. The ’70 was in near mint condition and all original with just one repaint. I sold the 1969 GTX in December of 1987 for $2,500, which was a monetary loss because I’d put an easy $1,000 in that car before it left. I couldn’t justify keeping both of them on my high school car budget, and I loved my 1970 Plymouth GTX far more. I kept that one for 24 years.

1970-Plymouth-GTX-1969-Plymouth-GTX

Owning two GTXs in high school was a bit nuts…and expensive

Ford GT Owners Rally 11 in Austin, Texas

Ford GT Owners Rally 11 Yellow New Ford GT

The Ford Performance booth housed a Triple Yellow new Ford GT

In September 2016 the Ford GT Forum hosted the 11th annual Ford GT Owners Rally in Austin, Texas. Austin is one of my favorite towns, so having a really good excuse to go there was fine with me. Austin is also home to one of America’s better track facilities, the Circuit of the Americas (also known as COTA), which made it a great excuse to bring my car.

Ford GT Owners Rally 11 COTA Entry

Over 70 Ford GTs lined up to enter COTA for a parade lap during Owners Rally 11

New Ford GT Drive Modes

Ford GT Drive Modes

The new Ford GT features five drive modes for a wide range of driving conditions

The new Ford GT features five drive modes to handle everything from rain to going 216 mph (hopefully not at the same time). I’ve driven the new Ford GT in each of these modes and the breadth of vehicle settings and driving characteristics offered by these five drive modes is pretty amazing. Of course many cars offer multiple driving modes, but the transformation the GT goes through when switching modes is unique, even by modern supercar standards.

Ford GT Le Mans Winner at 2017 Detroit Show

Ford GT Le Mans Winner Detroit Auto Show Race Car

A grimy Ford GT race car sat in Ford’s booth at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show

Beyond the debut of a new Ford GT in Liquid Red there was another special car in Ford’s booth at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show. It was the 2016 Le Mans-winning Ford GT race car driven by Joey Hand, Dirk Muller and Sebastien Bourdais. It was covered in dirt and displayed several scrapes and breaks throughout its body panels. Many people wondered why the race car would be displayed at the Detroit Auto Show looking so beat up and grimy.

New Ford GT at 2017 Detroit Auto Show

New Ford GT Detroit Auto Show Liquid Red Front

The New Ford GT debuted in Liquid Red at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show

At the 2015 Detroit Auto Show the new Ford GT debuted in Liquid Blue (still one of my favorite colors for the car). A year later the new Ford GT showed up for the first time in Frozen White in Detroit, and looked stunning yet again. For its third appearance at the Detroit Auto Show the new Ford GT debuted in Liquid Red.

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