One of the dominant players in the late-1960s muscle-car game was the budget-minded Plymouth Road Runner. It was in production from 1968 to 1975, yet was only offered as a convertible in two of them (1969, 1970). Only 824 drop-top “Birds” were built in 1970, making the seller’s unfinished project a rare find. But it’s still going to need a lot of work and may or may not be complete. Located in a workshop in Joliet, Illinois (Blues Brothers!), this Mopar opportunity is available here on eBay for $30,500 OBO. Thanks for the interesting tip, “Curvette”!
Based on the Plymouth Belvedere, the Road Runner got off to a fast start in 1968 with its catchy name and “meep meep” horn. Sales peaked at 84,420 units in 1969 and, even with a styling refresh in 1970, demand dropped off to 43,404 for the B-body. No ragtop was on the agenda in ’68, but 2,128 copies were assembled in ’69. When the cars were redesigned in 1971, the convertible was no longer available on any B-body Chrysler.
No VIN or cowl tag data is offered on this Plymouth, so we don’t know if the rebuilt 440 V8 loosely living under the hood is period-correct, much less numbers-matching. And it has a rebuilt automatic transmission. A 383 cubic inch V8 and a 3-speed manual were standard in those days. The car has also gone through a color change from blue to orange (Hemi Orange?) with no mention of the original color of the top (interior was probably black).
With only a few hundred of these drop-tops built in 1970, how many could be left today, in any condition? Whatever body damage or corrosion was on the car seems to have been taken care of, and black stripes have already been applied to areas of the body. There are a lot of photos of parts and pieces, so we hope everything is there to finish the project off (except the front seat covers). New wheels and tires have already been put on. If you don’t mind finishing someone else’s work, would you give this Road Runner a try?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car with overspray on the steering wheel or turn signal lever. This seller has been featured several times prior, they appear to spray color bright colors on muscle cars, then sell them as unfinished projects. An in person inspection should be considered essential.
Steve R