The height of the muscle car market was probably 1969. That’s when Plymouth produced the greatest number of Road Runners at more than 84,000 copies. Just three years later, in 1972, fewer than 7,000 units left the assembly line. That may have been the biggest drop for any of the performance brands. The seller has a 1972 edition with a 440 cubic inch V8 and a 4-speed transmission. It’s been tucked away in a barn for who knows how long, and the buyer will get it without the tranny. Located in West Topsham, Vermont, this well-used Mopar is available here on craigslist for $11,000.
Besides rising insurance premiums in the late 1960s, the detuning of fire-breathing engines was another coffin nail for performance cars. By 1972, compression ratios were down so they could run on unleaded fuel, and automakers began stating horsepower in terms of SAE net, which were lower numbers. So, a 440 V8 that produced 375 hp in 1970 now measured 280 on paper. The final blow came a couple of years later when gasoline prices jumped thanks to the OPEC oil embargo.
We don’t know much about this Road Runner. The seller says it’s in “excellent condition,” but the photos suggest otherwise. Digging it out from its perch in a barn and then cleaning it up would make it much more marketable. It may be wearing Vitamin C paint, the equivalent of Hemi Orange, or it could be Tor Red. We’re told the odometer reads 23,000 miles, but the counter has turned over. No mention is made of numbers matching or why the transmission is excluded from the sale.
Though the photos are far from great, corrosion or other damage doesn’t seem to be here. And we can’t tell about the interior, which is probably black vinyl with bucket seats. One steel wheel appears visible, so no sport wheels are likely included. This car should be considered a project, but how much of one will it be once you source a transmission and get the engine running? The Road Runner would soldier on through 1975 and then become a trim option on the Volare (why?).
No transmission is dumb!! Some people…
The pros:
any MoPar fan with a penchant to redo a Road Runner of this vintage might be interested.
The cons:
any MoPar fan with a penchant to redo a Road Runner of this vintage should be skeptical.
This is a crapshoot.
It’s in Vermont-home of the great VTrans truck mounted salt shakers I’m told. There’s no way to get a real idea of its worth without a firsthand exam by a knowledgeable person with what there is showing. Maybe moving the busted up Camaro behind to bring it out of the shed into the daylight is too challenging-or too telling. No outside photos, no underside photos, no interior photos, no close up engine photos, no history listed and no transmission. IIRC, even the base 440 came with color matched or black rims with dog dish hubcaps.
If it’s halfway decent it might be worth bartering for but Caveat Empor.
Unless someone had a time machine and brought a 1973 RR back to 1972 before the new body change, this listing is a mistake.
This is not a 440. The distributor.would be in the front and not in the back that might be a 340
Good eye.
Another reason on why i do not own a barn.