The white interior option...
The white interior option was rare, especially when matched with the High Impact paint outside.
In January 2008 new life was breathing through the project. "We had decided the time had finally come to complete our teenage project," he says. This time, they wouldn't stop until the car was finished and on the road. They cracked open the barn doors and revisited the cobweb-covered B-Body. It was loaded onto a trailer and taken to a local restoration shop where it was stripped down, put on a rotisserie, painted, and the engine was rebuilt. By November, the car was ready to be shipped to Lars' new home in Nashville. Over the next 18 months he put in over 500 hours of spare time to complete the restoration with the help of several members of the Music City Mopar Club. It was finally completed and ready to roll 23 years after he began the project with his brother.
"It was done just in time for the 2010 Mopar Nationals," he says. "My friend Mike Wilkins convinced me to bring the car to the event and boy am I glad we did." Lars' blistering yellow paint could be seen from any part of the show field which drew a great deal of attention. He took first place in the 1970-and-up B-Body category. Lars' GTX is a perfect example of Canadians' love for the hobby and we're sure he'll enjoy it even more now that it doesn't have to be tucked away every winter.
Here Lars' brother Tor is...
Here Lars' brother Tor is using a rattle can to paint some parts in the wheelwell back in 1989, before they fired the engine up.
Fast Facts
'71 Plymouth GTX
Owned by: Lars Skroder
Nashville, TN
Mopar Power
- Engine: The original 440 block was punched out .060-inch over to accommodate the anticipated rebuild. Filling the bores is a set of Keith Black pistons with 10.2:1 compression attached to Scat H-Beam rods and a stock crankshaft. A custom .494/.494 290/290 Comp camshaft spins inside the engine in addition to new pushrods. The stock heads were bolted back on, but an Edelbrock Six Barrel intake manifold feeds more air - sourced from the triple Holley two-barrel carburetors. There was no sense for Lars to continue using a stock exhaust, so he went with Hooker two-inch primary headers and Flowmaster system.
- Transmission: A 727 with a TCS 2,500 rpm stall and Slap Stick shifter sit behind the big-block.
- Rearend: An 8 3/4 SureGrip rear equipped with 3.91 gears.
Sure Grip
- Suspension: KYB Shocks are the only upgrade on this restored-to-stock suspension.
- Brakes: Factory rebuilt front discs and rear drums.
- Wheels/Tires: Staggered 15x7 front and 15x8 rear Magnum 500s give the GTX some killer outside appeal. They wear BFGoodrich Redlines, measuring 215/60R15 and 235/60R15, respectively.
High Impact
- Paint/Body: The body was in terrific shape, but the Skroder brothers wanted the car to be as impeccable as possible. They enlisted a not-to-be-named local shop in Canada to put the car up onto a rotisserie and straighten everything out. The resulting B-Body wearing the Curious Yellow was enough to grab our attention, as well as the best-of-the-best show judges at the 2010 Mopar Nationals.
- Interior: Only half of the interior needed to be restored, so the other half is original. The major pieces in need of replacement were the upper door panels and headliner, which were replaced with NOS and original parts. The Tuff steering wheel is original to the GTX.