Hidden away in this garage is a 1968 Plymouth Road Runner that I suspect might have a bit of a story behind it. The owner doesn’t say it outright, but there is evidence to suggest that it might have seen a bit of competition work. It runs and drives, and while it would benefit from some restoration work, it can be driven and enjoyed immediately. The Road Runner is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Interest has been high on the Plymouth, and this has pushed the price along to $9,000. Making this one even more tempting is the fact that it is being offered for sale with No Reserve.
The first piece of evidence for the prosecution on this car is the writing on the doors. “Unfinished Business” is an appropriate name for this classic to wear because it is an unfinished car. However, there is now a chance for someone to change that story entirely. There are plenty of stickers on the windows which also tend to support the fact that this Plymouth may have spent part of its life going fast a ¼-mile at a time.
It is probably no great surprise to discover that the Road Runner has some rust issues that will need to be addressed. It has afflicted all of the usual spots, including the floors, trunk pan, rear quarter panels, and around the rear windows. The owner does supply some photos of the underside, and while there is plenty of surface corrosion, the frame rails look to be structurally sound. The rust in the floors is not dramatic, and it has progressed to the point where there are plenty of small holes but no yawning chasms. I can’t see any reason why they would need immediate attention, and there is the possibility that the car could be driven and enjoyed as it stands.
The owner supplies no photos of the Road Runner’s interior, so I grabbed a screenshot from his YouTube video. It generally looks pretty tired, and a full retrim is going to be in order. There are some aftermarket gauges fitted, but this would potentially be in keeping with a competition life. The lack of carpet, underlay, and other trim items might have been the result of weight-saving. The seats are present, so an interior trim kit would seem to be the most obvious solution if it is all to be returned to its former glory.
The owner believes that the Plymouth is a numbers-matching car, but he doesn’t seem to be sure about this. What we find is a 383ci V8, a 3-speed automatic transmission, and a Posi rear end. Adding further fuel to the fire about a possible racing past is the fact that the rear of the Road Runner wears slick tires. Some noticeable external changes have been made to the motor. These includes a set of headers, along with a heavy-duty radiator and an electric cooling fan. The 383 doesn’t appear to be standard when we delve inside it. The ower describes the camshaft as being “lumpity lump.” That’s not the most technical term that I’ve heard, but the description is pretty appropriate. I have included a video at the bottom of this article. It provides a walk-around, and you get to hear the 383 running. It sounds seriously tough. It isn’t all about the sound either, because the owner describes it as a blast to drive.
Restoring this 1968 Road Runner would be rewarding because the end product would be a potent and desirable car. It has had many changes over the years, but if it is a numbers-matching vehicle, returning it to its factory specifications would be possible. Fully restored to its original specifications, the potential is there for its value to nudge $50,000. Alternatively, the buyer might choose to treat it to a cosmetic restoration and leave it mechanically untouched. The owner describes it as a blast to drive, and I believe that it would have you grinning from ear-to-ear the moment you buried the right foot. That can’t be a bad thing, and enjoyment is what owning a classic car should be all about.
“Yack-ity-Yack-ity-yack! Would be another term to describe that wonderful noise. Tech stuff is boring.
Oh man, what a machine! Now that’s a Road Runner as I remember. Forget the dumb horn, the silly cartoon bird, all that funny stuff. Stickers, slicks, worked over engine and that sound of action coming out of the exhaust. Its day three entrance. Dont even restore it, unfinished business is waitin’.
That air cleaner is off a 440 super commando, or am I wrong again?
The dual snorkel air cleaner would have been standard on the car new if it was sold in California.
This is the original essence of the Roadrunner and it’s nice to see. 2 door coupe, 383, Sure-Grip differential. Ideally should have bench seat and column shift Torque-Flyte or New Process A833, 4 speed with a Hurst shifter. Can’t tell if the bucket seats and automatic floor shifter are stock. Maybe this originally had a console. If it stays around $10k it might be worth it to a hobbyist who loves Roadrunners. Has typical Mopar rust issues in the usual places which will require real work.
Agreed – $10k is a reasonable price. The ‘69 bucket seats (‘68’s had benches in two levels of trim), orange motor (‘68 rr motors were turquoise, as would be any wedge motor installed in a ‘67 MoPar) and anodized aluminum grille (rr’s were painted flat black) all point to this ride being enjoyed, not preserved, over its life.
” and a Posi rear end” so it has a Chevy rear in it?
Those factory headers make it a 383 magnum and increased the HP. Am I correct?…
Along with the stripped interior, the rusted sheet metal is obviously a weight saving treatment :-) Brother-in-law courted my older sister in his new, medium blue metallic, 383 4-speed ’68 Road Runner. I say preserve it, don’t restore it because the story of the rusty racer is more interesting than a showroom model – we’ve got thousands of those already.