Our first “heap” belongs to Jim Johnson (Class of ’61). You probably recall Jim as one of our inveterate hot-rodders “back in the day” and his ’34 Ford Pickup and ’50 Olds were well-known around Campus and Wichita.
When Jim returned to Wichita from his stint in the Navy in December of ’66 he needed a car and the just-released Plymouth GTX was high on his list. Instead, he bought a new ’67 Chevy Nova SS with a 283/4-speed setup (partially, he freely admits, because his best bud Bob had a ’65 Chevelle SS and thought Jim was nuts for even considering a Mayflower)!
But largely because he absolutely fell in love with the Black Vinyl over Butternut Yellow exterior color scheme. He had tried to order a 350 hp 327 L79 Nova SS but was told they weren’t being produced for the ’67 model year, although he learned later that 6 somehow slipped under the radar, including the triple black one he’d had on order at Yingling Chevrolet!
However, that urge for some Mopar muscle never quite left the back of his mind and many years later when he saw the car below for sale in the Penny Power he simply couldn’t help himself. It’s now a high-mileage “driver” that he hopes to keep for many years to come (he swears the “work in process” brake job will be completed soon). Jim is definitely still a gear-head and we’re also featuring his ’73 Stingray in another “Heaps” column here.
Remove the GTX emblems, change the hood to a stock Belvedere unit, replace the mags with painted rims & small Belvedere hubcaps and you’d have a serious sleeper!
Prior to introduction of the GTX, bucket seats in full-size Plymouths were reserved for Sport Fury and Satellite models
With 375 hp, the Super Commando 440 wedge had more than enough muscle to move
the GTX aggressively, much to the dismay of many a Chevy, Pontiac and Ford owner
Year/Make/Model: 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX (RS23)
Color: Silver
Body: Two-door hardtop, special grille and tail panel, simulated hood scoops, “pit stop” chrome gas cap
Interior: Bucket seats, embossed vinyl, wooden steering wheel, lots of brightwork
Engine: “Super Commando 440” 440 cubic inch OHV V-8 (double-breaker distributor, revised camshaft and valve train, free-flowing intake and exhaust systems)
Horsepower/Torque (SAE gross): 375 hp @ 4,600 rpm/480 lb-ft @ 3,200rpm
Bore x Stroke (in): 4.32 x 3.75
Compression Ratio: 10.1:1
Fuel Delivery: Carter AFB 4-bbl carburetor (had 3 dueces installed when Jim
purchased it but he returned it to stock due to gasket problems)
Drive Train: 4-speed Synchronized Transmission w/larger ring gear & reverse
lockout floor shifter, 3.23:1 Sure-Grip Limited-Slip Differential (was delivered
from the factory with a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic and converted later by
a previous owner)
Suspension: Independent, non-parallel control arms on torsion bars (front),
live axle on semi-elliptic six-leaf springs (rear), heavy duty shocks, torsion bars
& ball joints
Brakes: Power-assisted, 11.0” discs (front) and 11”x2.5” drums (rear)
Steering: Rack-and-sector, 3.5 turns lock-to-lock
Wheels / Tires (in): 14x5.5 / 7.75x14 Goodyear Red Streak
Performance: 0-60 in 6.6sec, ¼ mile in 15.2 sec @97mph
Wheelbase (in): 115.0
Overall Length (in): 200.5
Overall Width (in): 76.4
Overall Height (in): 54.1
Track (Front/Rear, in): 59.5/58.5
Trunk Capacity (cu ft): 21.6
Fuel Capacity (gal): 19.0
Curb Weight (lbs): 3,545
Base Price: $3,178