Plymouth entered the pony car market with the somewhat compact Barracuda in 1964. Two years later, it rolled out the midsize GTX, a more upscale but also boxier coupe. Unlike the Cuda, the GTX was limited to the big-block V8, namely the Hemi and 440. While it's not the most popular classic muscle car out there, it's always great to see a first GTX ripping it at the the drag strip, especially when it lines up against a Buick Gran Sport.
This particular GTX, a bright red convertible with a white top, flexes the big 7.2-liter V8 under the hood. While not as powerful as the 7.0-liter Hemi, the 440 packs a solid punch at 375 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of twist. All that oomph hits the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic. Yes, a four-speed manual car would have been more entertaining, but I'm not complaining.
The GTX goes against a Buick Gran Sport Stage 1 from 1970. Fitted with a 7.4-liter V8, the GS packs similar power at 360 horses and 510 pound-feet of torque. And it also features a three-speed automatic. However, the Stage 1 is more suited for drag racing thanks to its bigger valves, heavy-duty radiator, beefed-up cam, stiffer valve springs, and the higher compression ratio.
Driver skill is a big factor in drag racing, but the Stage 1 bundle definitely helps the Gran Sport smoke the boxy Plymouth. The first two races are of the no-contest variety. The GS runs really low 13s, while also hitting trap speeds of 107 mph (172 kph). The Plymouth is more than a second slower, crossing the line in 14.24 and 14.41 seconds, respectively. Its trap speeds are far from impressive either at 94.14 and 93.97 mph (151.5 and 151.23 kph) for the first two runs.
The third race is a bit more entertaining, but mostly because the Buick driver has a really bad start. The GTX gets in front and it seems like it could win, but the Gran Sport driver fights back gets it front toward the finish line. It's notably slower than before at 13.81 seconds and 103.93 mph (167.25 kph), but fast enough to gap the GTX again.
Last time we saw a Gran Sport Stage 1 at a Pure Stock Muscle Car Drag Race event, it ran 14s and it was no match for a 1969 Chevy COPO Camaro 427. The COPO is hard to beat, but this 1970 GS would give it a better run for its money.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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