Our first and only Plymouth GTX for the 1967 model year, in 1:24th precision scale, was fashioned by TFM back in 1996. It came in Richard Petty’s #43 race livery. So for the muscle crowd who prefer their cars in street form, this becomes the initial 1967 GTX model. And thank you Danbury, for keeping us Mopar fans excited about new Chrysler, Dodge and Plymouth offerings. This Bright Red 426 Hemi replicates Plymouth’s very first year of the GTX. It was said to be their gentleman’s hot rod and that is just what it was. Basically a Belvedere performance creation, the GTX had all of Mopar’s ‘go-fast’ goodies. Just start up front with the optional elephant motor; a 426 hemi engine producing 425 stout ponies at 5000 rpm, it had 490 lb-ft of stump-pulling torque!
Plymouth saddled up its relatively light weight body over race-bred suspension including standard six leaf rear springs, heavy duty shocks and torsion bars. DM also equipped the little devil with standard three-speed auto and optional twin racing stripes. I like! Only 720 buyers bought the Hemi GTX for ’67. Great choice for a DM build. And the ‘boys’ did their usual magic trick by giving us a model that looks so realistic. You will swear that they miniaturized a real 100 point 1:1 GTX. One look at the interior will sell you. The chassis-view will convince you and by the time you thoroughly inspect the elephant’s quarters you will be a true believer. The magical illusions occur all over the car. Pull up the trunk mat to reveal the spare cover. The spare is displayed with the jack base and the jacking stand is seen to the side.
Inside the passenger’s compartment, DM paid lots of attention to intricate detailing. The belts are superior, the seatbacks fold forward and the floor pedals and door handles are scaled they way they should be. Dash gauges, inner roof items and steering wheel detailing are spot on. The doors feature the remarkable internal springs and they shut tight and straight. The lock pin and striker plate have never been better. Outside everything works in unison to complete the miniature insinuation. Just check out the sealed metal-foil scripts. Up front, across the hood, “Plymouth” is spelled out in block letters. Equally as striking are the, “Belvedere GTX” badgings are either side of the front fenders. The lower bottoms are adorned with, “HEMI” in metal foil. Bringing up the rear you can make out the tiny, “HEMI” and “GTX” monikers riding the upper trunk lid.
But be prepared to spend some time in awe as you ponder the refinement of the modeler’s art when you open that twin-scooped hood. DM’s well deserved praise for their working scissors-sprung hood assemblies are simply phenomenal. The battery cabling is just breathtaking. So are the radiator hose clamps. Talk about making a believer out of you; wow! The wiring and plumbing are shear perfection and the fuel lines and fittings and the firewall detail is only eclipsed by the tremendous work that went into the master cylinder fabrication.
Whether or not you collect Mopars, you simply have to love this new offering. I hope it leads to many more Mopar issues. DM, job WELL done!
-Tony F Perrone