The Black GTX is no longer a "bandit" after removing the flat-black stripe on the sides and swapping the wheels out with the Road Runner.
I also "rolled down" the rear passenger windows for cruzin ..
I think the overall look compliments each model. The GTX is more upscale so it needed some chrome..

Again,, GREAT detail in showing off the differences between models ,as seen in the rear-ends .

QUESTION..... regarding the tail light/ panel sections on a Road Runner. Many,many moons ago , my brother bought a 2-yr old one , with a 383 Magnum , hardtop , not coupe, and there was no chrome section between the taillights . I thought that was normal for all 68 RRs . Does anyone know which options result in the full tail sections? Is it strictly the engine choice that makes the difference?

Nice job!:thumbsup:
Although I still think the wheels on the GTX now look like 20-inchers.

...nice job Steve. I like what you did to these:thumbsup:
I had a '68 coupe in that same Y-1 yellow, basic Hi-Po 383 auto. It was an old drag car with real low, but hard miles.
It was devoid of the aluminum trunk piece. Only the GTX would come with that extra trim. RR's where sold as bare bones muscle - bench seat w/call'em shift auto or 4-on-the-floor.
I think the only options where under the hood pretty much.
If for some reason you required all that fancy bucked seat and racing stripe crap (like if you where a chick ;)) you ordered a GTX.

- LMX -

I thought that all 68 Road Runners had no trim between the taillights , which looks better ,, but I see quite a few RRs on-line that do ..
I think it's a HEMI thing ..???

Ooops! Guess I was wrong about the trunk trim piece!:o

It might be the '69's without the trunk trim ....

It might be the '69's without the trunk trim ....

Yup, your right about that one .. Just the GTX has the trim...

I have two full size 68 RR and both came with the RR trunk piece. I believe that it was part of a decor package. The 68 GTX had a differnet tail panel than the RR.

ALL 1968 Road Runner/ GTX / and sattelites had the chromme trim that ran across the back that had PLYMOUTH on it, also had the reverse light in the center of the tail light.

1969 didn't have the chrome piece, the tail lights were solid (red with no reverse light in the center) and they were turned in at a slight angle, while those on the 68' were almost straight across (flat).

The 68' Road Runner had a black and white bird standing still holding a helmet, the 69' had the birds in color with the one on the doors running towards the front of the car.

Differences that are very noticeable if you put the cars side by side.

For some reason though, you're 10 x more likely to see a 69' on the road than a 68'.

ALL 1968 Road Runner/ GTX / and sattelites had the chromme trim that ran across the back that had PLYMOUTH on it,

For some reason though, you're 10 x more likely to see a 69' on the road than a 68'.


Ahhh.. but that's where I began my quest at the beginning of my post.. There IS 68 Runners that have NO trunk trim .. In fact, I was recently suprised to see that 68s did exist with the trim . What constitutes the difference ? Any MOPAR salesmen out that sold NEW 68s ?

The more I research the less I can find for an explaination .. It's not that I will loose sleep over it, .. just a little anal about knowing ..
Maybe it's justa personal choice at the time they came out of the factory ...
Regardless... I AM DIGGIN ALL THE YACKIN ABOUT THINGS SO MANY OF US HAVE IN COMMON .......... a LOVE of CARS!!!:thumbsup:

Here's some pics of the "bald" butted versions of the 68 BBEEP

I like this sort of thing to. At my shop I have a B body restoration guide.
I'll try to remember to see if this info is in it . I think it is.
I'll let ya know!

- LMX -

I was in the same boat. I thought the '68's didn't have the trim. My neighbor had an orange one just like the previous pic. Love the look without the trim.

While we are trying to find out about the tail panel trim on the Road Runners, Am I incorrect in thinking all GTX's for 68 had wheel opening moldings, which the Black Bandit and Hobby Collection 2 cars are both missing? Every factory picture I have found and the few I remember seeing when these cars were new or nearly new had the moldings.

Are you guys ready for this?.
The 1968 satellite Road Runner had the trim between the tail lights.
The 1968 belvedere Road runner did not.

Both cars were identical twins and the ONLY things that made them different were the options. The "Lo line option" being the belvedere was the cheaper of the two.
The "HI LINE" option being the satellite had more trim and more options available.

Some of the options were:

HI LINE LO LINE

am/fm radio
a/c optional
carpeting rubber floor mats
rallye wheels dog dish/ steelies
heater optional
vinyl seats cloth

There were a few more options that seperated the two but you get the idea.
In those days you could order just about anything you wanted, you could mix and match alot of things.
If you wanted one of these cars loaded the odds were it was a satellite, if you wanted just a basic car it was the belvedere but you could get the nameplate of your choice basically.
In other words you could get the belvedere with "hi line" options but the satellite was the one that came that way.

I asked my father for this info because he worked at lynch road assembly in detroit from 1964-1980, where these cars were built.
He was a salaried worker in charge of trim, interior and exterior parts in the hardware and final assembly departments.

It was bugging me too, so I had to find out.

Are you guys ready for this?.
The 1968 satellite Road Runner had the trim between the tail lights.
The 1968 belvedere Road runner did not.

Was there really such a thing as a SATELITE Road Runner????
I thought they were all Belvederes.

That's pretty dang cool yer ol' man worked at Lynch Rd durring that era....wow!!!

I also worked at lynch rd from 77-80.
My grandfather worked at dodge main in hamtramck from 1948-1980 so mopar muscle is nothing new to me. I used to get all the stickers and emblems from those cars, you name the car and I had the sticker or emblem.
We also lived right on the I-94 service drive few blocks from I-75 and the trucks with all of those new muscle cars drove by, 2 in a row every 10 minutes, 6 days a week for years.
Belvederes, Cuda's, Challengers, chargers, coronets, dusters, demons, darts, satellites, valiants and even to the era of the volare and aspen.
Those were the good old days, the colors of those cars and the smell of the exhaust on them are something I'll never forget.

DETROIT just isn't what it used to be.

The 1968 plymouth b-bodies are all based off of the same body, but were all there own models.
1967 was the last year that the Belvedere had different "levels".

The first two numbers of the vin tell you which model it was.
For 1968
RL = Belvedere
RM = Road Runner
RH = Satellite
RP = Sport Satellite
RS = GTX
http://www.southernbushmotorsports.com/vin.htm


Here is a link that briefly mentions the Decor group option on the RR.
http://www.mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=SC0508-65533

A DECOR PACKAGE !!! Thanks MOPAR for digging that up .. That sure seems like a very good possibility for the 2 versions of backsides.. Although I don't know if can get totally behind someone that calls it a "rear panel applique" .. IT'S A HAULSASS PLYMOUTH FOR PETE'S SAKE.. !!!:thumbsup:

Yes, a decor package. The belvedere had to be ordered with that trim because it was not standard, but that "decor package" was standard on the satellite.
Road runners were both belvederes AND satellites in 1968.

Yes, a decor package. The belvedere had to be ordered with that trim because it was not standard, but that "decor package" was standard on the satellite.
Road runners were both belvederes AND satellites in 1968.

I don't know ... I think the horse is still kicking regarding that claim ..
The Satellites did have a standard trunk trim panel (see pic of a satellite) , but it's not the same as the one that is optional on the Road Runner, which has red panels that simulate the taillamps extending all the way across ..

:confused:, you might be correct,, :confused: or perhaps it's correctly situational :freak::drunk:

I don't know ... I think the horse is still kicking regarding that claim ..
The Satellites did have a standard trunk trim panel (see pic of a satellite) , but it's not the same as the one that is optional on the Road Runner, which has red panels that simulate the taillamps extending all the way across ..

:confused:, you might be correct,, :confused: or perhaps it's correctly situational :freak::drunk:


That looks a lot like the one on the sport satelites and GTX. I think they are the same. I had a friend that had a 68 sport satellite and have picked up an extra panel and sold it to a guy restoring a gtx.

I also believe that the satellite and road runner (with the decor option) were the same. They may have been painted/stickered/emblemed different but the same stamped alum piece.
Here are a few 68 gtx's.
http://musclecars.howstuffworks.com/classic-muscle-cars/1968-plymouth-gtx.htm
http://www.cars-on-line.com/38100/68ply38166-4.jpg
http://www.cars-on-line.com/36000/68ply36052-2.jpg

Satellite's
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2542600910033490409bQyodv
http://www.cars-on-line.com/37900/68ply37915-4.jpg

Road runner without the panel
http://web.dealer123.com/web/br/?ID=211379

Did you also notice how the blue hemi was a post car (coupe) instead of the non-post (hardtop) and the bird on the trunk was in black & white and standing instead of running?

The early cars had the post but a few months into production they stopped and the rest were all (post-less) hardtops, the bird on the decklid was changed to a running bird and in color.

There were so many different variations on those cars and you'll find that "nothing" was normal that's what made them special, not only the way you could order one but the factory changes as they went along.

If you really want to go crazy try chasing the "scat pack" and "coyote duster "options on the coronets, duster/demon and dart models.


Now after reading further on that hemi car, they have it labeled as a "sedan" because of that post but with that exception I always thought of a sedan as a four door.

I'm telling you guys you wouldn't believe the stuff chrysler offered back in the muscle car heyday.

I'm telling you guys you wouldn't believe the stuff chrysler offered back in the muscle car heyday.


McRooster , you are so right.. I miss the old Chrysler products that were just a normal site going down the road ..
Out of my three older brothers' cars when they were in their teens and early 20s , there was a 62 Polara 500 ragtop , 65 Monaco 2dr hdtp, 68 Road Runner and a 70 Coronet 500 2 dr hdtp.. Dad's were 62 Plymouth 4dr Belvedere and a 65 Chysler Newport 4dr sdn .( took my first date out in that one at 16 ... BIG seats... oh yeah...she kissed liked a big mouth bass)

If you took a blind man for a ride , he would know he was in a Chrysler product from the sound the doors made when they were opened and shut, the distinctive sound of that starter . sounded like "no-no-no-no" (with an British accent) , and who could miss the sound of the turn signal relays ... `

And don't forget the "ka-CHUNK" of the juke box drive push button automatics.
I still have a '62 Dodge 318 B-body 4-dr....haven't driven it in a while though.
Can't bring myself to get rid of it.

..nice job on the wheel swap..the BB '68 GTX is one I will have to add to my collection...great looking car.....sure is a lot of good information on GTXs and RRs on this thread.........:thumbsup: