This 1969 Plymouth Road Runner appears to be fairly entry-level in terms of equipment, but the whole idea here was to offer an inexpensive, no-frills muscle car with a standard big block and let the buyers choose if they wanted to select additional options. As the decades have passed, prices for lots of B-Bodies have skyrocketed, but this one still seems reasonably priced at $18,000. This Mopar does need restoration, so more capital will be required as you go along, but this one’s pretty much complete and appears to be at a decent starting point.
The seller mentions that his Road Runner has been sitting for several years and it’s stated as inoperable, although he hasn’t actually made any attempt to start the motor. There’s also no information on whether or not the 383 will still turn, plus the owner was only told that everything here is numbers-matching, so a few unknowns will be in store for the next caretaker. No battery is present and the fender tag is said to be only partial, but it’s good to see that this one’s a 4-speed.
The B5-code Blue Fire paint is stated as the factory color, but when you start getting close-up some blistering can be seen below the finish. I’m guessing that perhaps a respray happened some time ago without the proper prep first, so this one’s going to need stripping down plus some rust repairs made during the process. The corrosion doesn’t appear to be too excessive, with a few common areas present such as around the windshield and rear glass, but the quarter panels are claimed to be in very good shape.
Inside, both the front and rear seats appear decent, with the seller thinking they’ll be fine after a thorough cleaning. I’m not sure the same holds true for most of the dash, and that steering wheel has for sure got to go. This one is going to take a fair amount of work, but for a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, it seems like the results will be well worth the effort. If you’re ready to take this B-Body on as a project, it’s located in Lagrangeville, New York, and can be spotted here on eBay. Is $18k a fair initial investment here?
Oh boy, in NY state it’s bound to be crusty underneath, especially when the dash looks like it does.
This could be a great project to resurrect into a decent driver, for someone used to working on vehicles from the rust belt.
I left NY in ‘76 and moved to AZ, and rarely encounter a chassis that requires a large dose of penetrating oil or a torch to remove a fastener. For those reasons, I’m out!
I agree with Paul. And I left Illinois for Arizona in 1986. That dash looks scary bad. Is this a flood car? The underhood picture is a mess, too. I’m a firm pass on this one.
📞 1-800-the-hook 🛻🪝
Ya, while I do love a 4spd/bench combo, dat dash is a Rusty Red Flag!
The car has everything u want. Rust could be an issue underneath would suggest an in person inspection. Money and time fixes everything how much is anyones guess. Good luck to buyer and seller.
Maybe I’m missing something, but doesn’t the engine bay look better than the dash? Perhaps it was parked near the ocean with the windows rolled down? The cowl panel photograph seems to be an honest representation of the rust. Personally, I would be patient and keep looking if you want a Road Runner.
A water leak from a window/windshield of a car parked outside during the warm weather will turn the interior into a sauna, that’s what I think happened here. In my area, near San Francisco, cars or anything metal, exposed to the salty air will rust on horizontal surfaces or anywhere condensation accumulates, something parked under an awning or carport without direct exposure to the coastal on shore breeze doesn’t rust.
Steve R
Those fenders look like my popcorn ceiling in my family room
With the prices that the early mopars fetch, even in poor condition, it’s surprising that people aren’t reproducing the bodies. You can get 32 Fords, I think 40 Fords, Camaros, tri-five Chevys and even old truck cabs.
Dynacorn made Challenger bodies, but they have been discontinued and have been scrubbed from their website. Not sure if it’s due to licensing or lack of interest. Chrysler changed design so often you might get two model years out of a set of stamping, other than the 68-69 Charger or possibly the 68-69 Satellite/Roadrunner is there enough possible interest? At that point you’ve got to get FCA to license it. The owner them needs to factor in price, shipping and how to register the car once it’s done.
Steve R
Pat, do you remember what they sold them for? What do you think they should have charged? Where did you come up with the idea they should have sold it for 1/4 of their asking price?
Steve R
Oh yeah, a rust bucket for sure. No underside pics? I bet the frame is weak too.
I thought these were unibody?
This will date me,,,”What year should we set the Wayback machine for Mr. Peabody? ( Sherman was always so polite) Well, Sherman, today we’re headed to that magic year of 1969″. Richard Nixon, the moon landing, Easy Rider and the 1969 Road Runner. (meep-meep) This was the car for every red blooded American pump jockey or auto parts delivery person worked for. At $2945, this was the car those folks wanted, and for good reason. Not much delivered this kind of fun for under $3grand. I had a co-worker many years ago, that had a ’68 very similar. It went great in a straight line, but was really a tin can. It handled poorly, iffy brakes for this kind of performance, and got many in trouble. I read, this car out of the box, would do 0-60 in 5.8 sec. and the 1/4 mile, 14.5 at 96 mph.( just going into 4th) Bury the speedo, it would on top speed. Quite a handful for any novice, and with those speeds, many times there wasn’t half a mile shut down area, and many took the “oak tree” route. They sold over 84,000 of these with one purpose in mind, to go fast, and it did. I certainly don’t see the 5 figure attraction here.
“Haven’t tried to start the engine” = it’s probably frozen
Those bubbles are like poison ivy…it’s ready to pop out in little rust holes all over. Sad, too, that’s would be a really fun car.
If only we had a crystal ball. Some one with more time and money than brains will jump on it.
While there is not a good pic, the hood looks like the hood from a 68.
18k initial investment followed by 40k plus to bring it close to a really nice one. Check Pharoahs web site classified.
Cars like that used to get snapped up But not anymore a lot of time effort and money
Never been scared by a dashboard before today . . .
It needs way to much for this price, i would be on if 8,000 was the price
Pay a local hotrodder shop to give it a look. Then consider it.