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All Stock: 1971 Plymouth Road Runner

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An expired registration was all it took for this 1971 Plymouth Road Runner here on eBay to end up in the barn. Fortunately, the barn provided the shelter necessary for keeping this Mopar preserved from the elements, surviving in near-original condition with its only current ailments (besides not running) being a rusty trunk floor and non-stock chrome air cleaner. The car also comes equipped with desirable options like front and rear spoilers, which remain with the vehicle to this day. 

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The interior has also survived in good condition, with some minor tearing of the seat fabric and cracking of the dash as the only obvious issues with the insides. For this Road Runner to remain in near-stock condition for all of these years, the original owner that the seller purchased the car from must have been one of those types that buys a car for life. I’ll bet there’s a little notebook with each fill-up noted and average fuel consumption recorded. It should be noted there is some bubbling underneath the vinyl top, which could reveal more rust.

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Even though the air cleaner isn’t stock, the original is in the trunk. That’s how it goes with this car, and from a project standpoint, it’s hard to fault. Even the build sheet is still with the car. The 383 makes good power and the TorqueFlite automatic is a willing accomplice for moving this Mopar down the road. The 71’s actually didn’t sell all that well, which may have been partly due to the design – apparently, the wider rear track and improved handling wasn’t enough for some people.

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It’s amazing the lengths sellers will go to keep the dust intact on the exterior. I’m guilty of doing this with my own project car / farm find, which still wears its grime proudly. In this case, the seller has likely owned this car for all of a hot minute before flipping it onto eBay; but hey, that’s what all the cool Mopar owners seem to be doing these days. If I were in the market for a Road Runner, this looks like a great candidate for a mechanical restoration and some rust repair – that’s it!

Comments

  1. Avatar AMC STEVE

    OH MY! Big big dollars on this one

    Like 0
  2. Avatar piper62j

    Sombody goonta grab this puppy for shooah!!

    Very nice find.. If I were a Mopar lover, this one would already be in my shop..

    I like it.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar TBall

    Whoa! This is rare indeed! A muscle car era Mopar that isn’t a rust bucket. Should fetch more than it’s worth, however since there are so few that survived… Thanks for sharing.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar JW454

    FM Converter, hang under 8 track player, chrome air cleaner, and the add on tachometer… All standard equipment for a seventies car. All you would need is a cal-custom 3 spoke steering wheel and a set of Cragar SS – 15X6 front and 15X10 rear with some L60’s, and you’d be set.
    I love it.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Franke

    Some purple fur on the dash, set of side pipes, Jack up the rear and put some wide meats on it…. Back in the 70’s.. Best to look at the pics closer, maybe even go see it for yourself, I spy rust under that black top.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Jack NWPA Member

    I’d rather see a car flipped one “hot minute” later than (gone through) like the Gremlen because they usually use the cheapest parts,labor and materials to protect their investment.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Woodie Man

    Slushbox alert! I dont get it…..looks like a Satellite to me :)

    Like 0
    • Avatar Cracr jak

      To:Woodie Man,
      Any Mopar enthusiast knows that this is a low buck, oddly optioned true Road Runner.
      The Dodge Boys did do some oddities in their days the way they released their Michigan Muscle !

      Like 0
  8. Avatar redwagon

    no rust, rust free, lack of rust ….. yada, yada, yada.

    i think i have heard them all. not to pick on this seller (because just about everyone does it) rust free except – here, here and here……

    i am “here” to tell you that if it has rust, then it is not rust free. and every car that has been in a barn for more than 2 years has rust people!!!

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Jubjub

    Strangely optioned. But cool. Blew their budget on the outside.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Blyndgesser

    Wouldn’t a ’71 have come with a 400 rather than a 383?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve B

      The 400 was introduced in ’72. N code is correct for a 71 383 car.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Blyndgesser

        Got it. Thanks.

        Like 0
  11. Avatar stillrunners

    There were still plane jane’s out their but the options it has are the neat ones. And that engine compartment – that’s what it should look like with those kinda miles !

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Ed P

    Nice to see a Road Runner without terminal cancer. This one should be saved.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    I want the horn….

    Like 0

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