Back in 1969 I was looking for a used car. I came across a 1968 Dodge Dart GTS. Little did I know, at that time Chrysler Corporation only made 991 of these cars with a 383 cubic inch engine and a 4 speed transmission nationwide.
A few years later, with children and house payments- the Dart had to go.
Almost 20 years later my brother-in-law, who was a pastor in Crisfield MD, called me one day and asked me about the GTS I used to have. He said “ would you like another one on the cheap?” Naturally I said yes! So with trailer in tow, we headed to Crisfield to pick up my prize. When we got there we found a virtual “basket case.” However, the price was right so we loaded it up and headed home.
Over the next several years, I proceeded to collect the parts needed to restore my treasure. I even picked up three other parts cars. Hardly touched, they sat for ten years with the good intention of a complete restoration of the GTS. One day, after much soul searching, I said the my wife, “You know, I think I’m going to sell everything I have collected and put the money away to buy something in better shape.”
I advertised and sold all four cars, all the parts, and an old pickup truck (to haul the parts) to a fellow in Maine. He sent a car carrier down for everything in June of 2005. We pushed everything on the trailer, the driver left for Maine, and I went down to the bank to deposit the money from the sale.
The next few months were spent searching online, in magazines, and in newspapers for another car with limited success.
On Labor Day of that year we hopped on our motorcycle to go to lunch. Unbelievably, no more than five miles from our house, a dealership had a 1968 GTS on their lot for sale! I almost wrecked my motorcycle and killed my wife trying to stop to turn around and look at that car. When we got there, sure enough it had the 383 cubic inch engine. I looked inside expecting to see an automatic transmission, but amazingly enough, it was a four speed transmission. Another one of the 991!
After looking the car over and taking it for a drive, of course the memories of earlier times came flooding back to me in a huge rush. Unfortunately, the asking price was over what I had saved. My wife told me to “ just make them an offer. Like your father used to say, ‘they can’t say yes and no at the same time’.” Guys, I’m sure there is a lesson here about listening to your wife, but that’s a whole other story for another day. I went in and made them an offer and they accepted it! Being a holiday, I didn’t have access to my bank, so the sales manager said “Just come back tomorrow, we’ll hold the car for you.”
The next day we went back and picked up our car and brought it home. I really enjoy working on this car and taking it to car shows. It still turns heads 40 years later.
