Having a V8 four-speed still meant something in 1976, and though Plymouth’s Road Runner wasn’t the bare-bones rubber floored tire-shredding street racer that tempted gearheads in 1968, it held its own in the mid-’70s. This 1976 Plymouth Road Runner in Clarkston, Michigan leaves little to complain about. A rebuilt V8 promises more power than stock and an apparently flawless interior and shiny paint have this claimed 55,000 miles Plymouth ready to prowl. Check out more pictures and details here on eBay, where at least two bidders have the Road Runner’s market value over $2500 with about four days to go. Thanks to reader Curvette for spotting this claimed 1 of 254 classic.

Running and driving condition escaped the listing, but the “professionally built” 318 cid (5.2L) V8 boasts a host of Edelbrock parts including aluminum intake, cam, and heads, plus a four-barrel carburetor. The undercarriage looks clean and shows full-length headers as well. It would be hard to make less than 300 HP (net) with that combination, about double the original mill’s 145 HP rating. Thanks to the library of factory brochures at Lov2xlr8 for some details.

Just like the ’68 Road Runner, this ’76 sports a date-friendly bench seat and Hurst floor-shifter. I learned to drive on a similar powertrain thanks to my parents factory-ordering a ’78 Volare Premier wagon with wood grain, a 318, and a floor-shifted three-speed manual. Ours had the factory black 8-ball style knob with the shift pattern in white. My Step-Dad explained what he was doing with his feet and hands, stopped the Plymouth part-way off the road, and said “OK; it’s your turn.” No parking lot practice, just a verbal description of how to shift and, “Good luck, kid.”

Though not fully explained in the listing, MuscleCarClub counts 8769 Road Runners in 1976, so we’ll assume 254 is the subset with the 318 and four-speed. You could get a 360 (5.9L) but only with automatic. During a time when gear ratios dove numerically to save fuel, this car’s 2.76:1 cogs were snappier than most and probably bring a decent combination of thrust and highway RPM with the (presumed) added horsepower.

Only the chin spoiler and blacked-out grille distinguished the Road Runner from your local Librarian’s slant-six Volare, but that was enough to catch someone’s attention in the rear view mirror. Luckily this one promises some extra ponies under the hood. You could do worse in the world of ’70s American cars, and we hope this turn-key classic finds the right owner for some immediate good times. Would you change anything on this rare four-speed Road Runner?