patrick66
I like Dart GTS 440s!
Nearly 25 years ago, I owned what was then one of the nicest restored '69 Dart GTS 440 cars around! I bought the car out of Farmington, NM in May 1988 as a nearly completed restoration. I finished the car and drove it to local events and such until February 1989, when I had orders to Europe for three years. With nowhere to store it for three years, I reluctantly sold it to a guy in Massachusetts. The same guy bought a 19K mile '66 Hemi Coronet 500 hardtop. It was a white 4-speed car with red interior, and was sold new in Oklahoma.
My car was a T5 Bronze Metallic hardtop with black interior and vinyl top. It had body-colored steel wheels that were slightly lighter than the car, with '69 Dodge cop caps. When I had the car, I put a black stripe on it. The buyer put a white stripe on it, which was actually the correct stripe, but looked sooo wrong on the car! Now, this car had factory DISC brakes on the front, which were not available on a 440 car. Through research I did on the previous owners (seven owners in three states!) in 1988, all seven; including the original owner, confirmed the car always had front disc brakes. Well, the buyers' so-called "Mopar expert" insisted the car did not have factory discs on it, and thus converted the car to DRUMS in the front! What a bonehead! The buyer then had the car featured in one of the Mopar magazines (with the white stripe and drum brakes) about a year later.
Anyway, I've always wondered what happened to the car. Last known in Massachusetts in the Spring of 1989. I do not remember the buyer's name, unfortunately, as this info would make this search sooooo much easier!
PM me here of you have a lead on where the car might be. Right now, I'm interested in simply finding the car. I have several photos of the car from my ownership that I need to find, scan and post.
Thanks! --- Patrick
EDIT - Here is the description of my '69 440 off of the gtsregistry1969.com site:
LS23M9B2455**: GTS#510: Patrick (who so graciously sent me his old GTS Registry paper work) tells me of his former 1969 M-code 440 GTS that he sold in 1989! I have decided to enter this GTS into the GTS Registry because it is a KNOWN GTS and because Patrick led the way for other GTS owners to register their cars waaaay before the internet! Patrick's GTS was sold new in Utah at Hinckley Dodge. Pat was the eighth owner when he bought it in 1988. The GTS was on its fourth engine (2-383's and 2-440's) and was painted silver. The owner before Patrick painted it back to its original T5 Copper Metallic and had a 440 back under the hood. Other options included a black bucket seat/console interior, black vinyl top and black bumble bee stripe. The 440 had the only trans available behind it (727) and a set of 3.91 SG gears. It came with dog dish hub caps, AM radio, rocker and drip rail mouldings, bumperettes, and is the ONLY documented M-code to come with front disc brakes! Patrick sold the GTS to a fellow in Massachusetts in 1989. Where is this 440 M-code now?????
My car was a T5 Bronze Metallic hardtop with black interior and vinyl top. It had body-colored steel wheels that were slightly lighter than the car, with '69 Dodge cop caps. When I had the car, I put a black stripe on it. The buyer put a white stripe on it, which was actually the correct stripe, but looked sooo wrong on the car! Now, this car had factory DISC brakes on the front, which were not available on a 440 car. Through research I did on the previous owners (seven owners in three states!) in 1988, all seven; including the original owner, confirmed the car always had front disc brakes. Well, the buyers' so-called "Mopar expert" insisted the car did not have factory discs on it, and thus converted the car to DRUMS in the front! What a bonehead! The buyer then had the car featured in one of the Mopar magazines (with the white stripe and drum brakes) about a year later.
Anyway, I've always wondered what happened to the car. Last known in Massachusetts in the Spring of 1989. I do not remember the buyer's name, unfortunately, as this info would make this search sooooo much easier!
PM me here of you have a lead on where the car might be. Right now, I'm interested in simply finding the car. I have several photos of the car from my ownership that I need to find, scan and post.
Thanks! --- Patrick
EDIT - Here is the description of my '69 440 off of the gtsregistry1969.com site:
LS23M9B2455**: GTS#510: Patrick (who so graciously sent me his old GTS Registry paper work) tells me of his former 1969 M-code 440 GTS that he sold in 1989! I have decided to enter this GTS into the GTS Registry because it is a KNOWN GTS and because Patrick led the way for other GTS owners to register their cars waaaay before the internet! Patrick's GTS was sold new in Utah at Hinckley Dodge. Pat was the eighth owner when he bought it in 1988. The GTS was on its fourth engine (2-383's and 2-440's) and was painted silver. The owner before Patrick painted it back to its original T5 Copper Metallic and had a 440 back under the hood. Other options included a black bucket seat/console interior, black vinyl top and black bumble bee stripe. The 440 had the only trans available behind it (727) and a set of 3.91 SG gears. It came with dog dish hub caps, AM radio, rocker and drip rail mouldings, bumperettes, and is the ONLY documented M-code to come with front disc brakes! Patrick sold the GTS to a fellow in Massachusetts in 1989. Where is this 440 M-code now?????
