Plymouth’s Road Runner took the muscle car market by storm in 1968, with its raw performance in a budget package. If you were young, wanted a fast new car, and didn’t have a lot of money to spend, the Road Runner was the car to buy. This 1970 example is said to have low mileage and wears a recent restoration (at least partial), but the original engine has been upgraded. Located in Montrose, Pennsylvania, this bird is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $45,000.
By the time the third year of the first-generation Road Runner came around, demand had peaked and sales softened a bit. Plymouth built 38,796 copies of the car with the cartoon graphics and beep-beep horn for 1970, including the one-year-only Super Bird. The seller’s car was the solid door-post version with frameless doors, which was less popular than the hardtop. This car left the factory with a 383 V8 and an automatic, which means it was 1 of 6,888 built. But had it been built the way it is now, with a 440 cubic inch engine and 3×2-barrel carburetors (6-Pack), it would have been just 1 of 222.
As the story goes, this car sat in a garage for 41 years and managed to accumulate just 24,000 miles. Whether the inactivity killed the original motor or someone wanted a 440/6-Pack set-up, an engine swap was made for one having just 1,000 miles on it now since it was rebuilt. We assume the column-shifted TorqueFlite automatic is how the car was configured, to begin with. Besides the engine work, the gas tank, brakes, and tires and wheels were also replaced.
The new copper paint, whether the original color or not, looks nice. There is no mention if the body needed any work after 41 years, such as rust eradication. The matte black stripes were also redone, and the car looks like it just stepped out of 1970. The seller also renewed the interior, with a new headliner, upholstery, carpeting, glove box, and so on. We’re told this is a two-owner car.
If it had retained the original motor, Hagerty says a ’70 Road Runner would be worth close to $50,000 in Excellent condition. Would the 440/6-P have been from the factory, the number would shoot up from there. So perhaps it’s a wash now given that a swap took place. Assuming this car was rough after sitting for four decades, the seller’s asking price may only be allowing him to recoup his overall investment in the car. Some “before” photos and details would have been nice.
Not seeing anything I don’t like about this one! My second car was a 1970 Road Runner, I bought it in 1983 when they could be had for under $1500 running and in pretty decent shape. Seeing just about any Road Runner brings back great memories, especially a ’70.
My father’s cousin told me stories about his. Almost identical to this one- Burnt Orange, 440 6bbl, auto. He bought it new after coming home from Vietnam.
He came home!!!! had the class to buy his freedom. me? alway’s wanted a 70 GTX 440 6 pk 4spd. owned all forms of Mopes. couldn’t afford one now. owned a 70 super B in 76. best fun i ever had….at 17. late bloomer i was!
Well staged photographs, there is nothing to dislike about this car. I have always thought those lower bumper lights really make the front end. Great find, wish I had the 45k, it would be in my driveway.
someone dumped a stolen 70RR in our alley backin the day. only thing left were the bumper lights. being infatuated with the car; i took them. why? years later walking through an alley blocks away heading to school, the wind had blown the fence down. there were all the doors.hood.trunk! met the thief later when i had my Super B. He had a 70 GTX 440 matic same color as this one. a 70 RR 440 pistol grip. both had air grabbers.young Polish guy. whoda’ thought? went to jail tagging a Pantera later. whoda’ thought…a Ford powered!
The best of times !! Fast car for affordable money. Those were great years. So glad I got to enjoy them
Beautiful car !
Ah yes ! Big engine in lower end body, no frills, affordable performance!! So glad I got to experience those times. It was magic.
Plymouth was 6-barell ,dodge six-pack…brand identity meant more back then.
“They” might have named them different, but I don’t remember anyone calling it anything other than a Six Pack in real life. That was a great name for a cool feature. I had one on my 340 Duster.
Not sure of this in theeast but the black sestbelts seem odd.
I cant think of a car ive owned where the seatbelts arent the same color as everything else.
I had one of those early model roadrunners. Flake copper I believe. Don’t remember if it was 68 or 69. It was a 440 w a 6 pack. Chrome headers. 4-10 rear end. I spit that all back just from hearing it so much. Don’t know what it means. At least 135 in a quarter. I laugh at the idea of an original motor in it. My ex horsed that thing so much it seemed like he was changing the motor every other week. Haven’t decided if those were good times or not. Ha ha ha.
The 70 440 6pak RR engine I put in my 68 charger had a 750 double pumper in place of the 6 pack sand with 323 gears could push the needle to 150….. but so could the Kawasaki Concours I had but 150 speedo = 135 gps…..
Nice car, original engine or not!
My 68 Charger R/T I had back in 82 had its original driveline pulled to go into a dragster in the early 70’s, replaced with a smogger 400, so I bought a used 70 440 6 pack engine from a Roadrunner that was rusted out (I heard it run, couldn’t afford the 6 pack though, so that went to someone else). So that combo of 1 of 222 sold in 70 for sure is one less! Point is, as long as what you have is what you like, don’t worry about originality unless that’s what you want and can afford it at todays prices!
Sold the ad is gone!