OK, I’ll admit it, this 1976 Plymouth is a Road Runner, but it’s far from the version that I fondly recall, and it’s more a performance car in name only. Then again, the ’70s were a trying time automotively speaking, so you got what you got. Considered the fourth generation of the Road Runner, let’s see what this final version was all about. This Plymouth is located in Golconda, Illinois and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $7,700 with twenty-seven bids tendered so far.
The four-generation thing had me confused at first but the 1975 B-body version is considered by many to be a one-year-only generation thanks to its very unfuselage-like, formal, squared-off Fury-inspired design. For ’76, the Road Runner moved to the new F-body Volare platform where it stayed through the 1980 model year. By ’76, the Road Runner option was mostly a $205 trim and appearance package though it did incorporate heavy-duty suspension, and 70 series tires on rally wheels. A V8 engine was required too, no sixes allowed.
And that’s how our subject Road Runner is equipped, it is powered by a 150 net HP 318 CI V8. The seller advises, “The vehicle is drivable and is mainly used for weekend drives” – not exactly a ringing endorsement, but he does enhance his assessment by claiming, “runs good“. I was expecting that in spite of the 114K mile recording as the engine has been modified with a four-barrel carburetor. Unbeknownst to me, a four-speed manual transmission was still available in ’76, but the original owner of this bird specified a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission.
The appearance of this Plymouth is still pretty sharp at a distance, but close-up shots show some significant rust-through. And of course, it looks like a malaise-era car with the stripes, oversized name graphic, and louvered quarter windows. The wheels may be Ansen Sprints, a popular model from the late ’60s and ’70s, but the tires seem too short as this Road Runner is showing lots of wheel well.
The interior, other than the shredded driver’s seat is in fair shape. The upholstery would be considered parchment, one of five colors offered in ’76 and it’s not as yellowed as one would think. The carpet is a bit rough looking but the rest of the environment is OK. Considering the noted body rust, it might be wise for prospective buyers to check the underside/floors.
OK, so it’s a genuine Road Runner, though maybe not the one most of us would pine for. I had stopped following cars like this by ’76 and my clearest recollection of the Volare and its Dodge cousin, known as the Aspen, was their propensity to rust. You have to appreciate ChryCo trying to keep their hand in the performance game, however, and both the Road Runner and the Aspen R/T actually gained some more go by ’79 and ’80. But by then, Chrysler itself, was in serious need of a complete makeover if they were to survive. This one doesn’t float my boat but eight bidders seem to like it, and since this is a no reserve auction, someone will take it home. This car will have its place in history, don’t you think?
Jim Wangers, of GTO fame, coined the phrase ‘Decal GT’ for this era of striped wonders. ‘Low horse, high sport.’ This one is right in that mix.
My brother’s classmate got one of these new from his Grandma for high school graduation. His is a 318 (floor shift) 3 speed manual…
I’ll bet this one still has that exhaust note that I will always crave, the (almost) same one a ’68 Road Runner has. That ’68, and modern EV is faster – but the sound of a Mopar starter, followed by the rumble of the pipes, and the vision of cold start shimmy of the tailpipe(s), then the two trails rising up from the tips…no EV can replace that!
I (almost) feel bad for the next generation…
The rust cancer in the quarters appears to be easily repairable, and decal kits are still available, IIRC. Fix the interior, maybe return to stock height, add a little TLC and cruise! GLWTA!! :-)
Good Luck With That…
I would need a mask to drive this
I simply find these cars so ugly and cannot shut up about it
Being silent is like agreeing and i cant do that
I would need a mask with a name like Claudio
I know, everybody loves raymond ❤️
Silence equals tacit approval.
Thanks
You wrote that much better than i did !
Always thought these “Decal Muscle cars” would be good to dump a modern day Hemi in for fun. Wonder if you could wedge in the new elephant hemi.😄
Has this thing had a 4-wheel-drive conversion?! Holy nosebleed territory!
These malaise muscle machines just make me smile. Of course they don’t perform. But their just so freindly and harmless lol. The owners are obviously very light hearted and good times people. Like the guy with the mullet haircut throwing the party 🥳 🎶 its going to be great, fun, and all are welcome.
The year was 1977, I was going to trade my 1964 F-100 on a new Road Runner. The dealer let me have it for 24 hours, I took it back in less than 12. Bet thing I ever did. My truck was much better.
Funny , you’ve either owned, or looked at buying Mopars for years, but you seem to hate all of them , so why would you even test drive one ?
It’s sitting nice & high if you wana do ez oil changes & go down really bad roads & take speed bumps a bit faster.
Ridiculous you could get an optional tach in the duster only in ’70 & even this, it’s successor, still did not have that option with a brand new dash.
This does look best in orange, tho there’s no hood scoop, even with the 360 & all these spoilers & stripes? I don’t get it.
Humbug! to the naysayers. Let’s give some credit to the folks in Detroit who read the writing on the wall but said “Damn the torpedos, Full speed ahead!” and continued to provide something a bit different while being overwhelmed by Insurance and Environmental watchdogs whose jobs were to make sure nobody was having any fun. That same attitude was what gave us the ZR-1 and Viper in later years.The human desire to always go further (Farther?) is what made America great.
Ok then
Congratulations chrysler for putting lipstick on a pig
You are young, Masked Claudio. Someday you may be wise. Highly unlikely, but possible.
A fraternity brother had one of these and I always wondered why he opted for the automatic. It was nothing like the 383 powered original Road Runner (that car was a beast, and that’s a compliment). His was just a nice driving car dressed up to look hot.
Frank
You have your opinion
And
I have mine
And i am not masked more than you are
Probably less , because i refuse to wear the facediaper
If you feel that your opinion is better than mine and you feel big enough to put me down , well all the power to you BIG man …
At $7500 now with 2 days left. The rust isn’t anything a little fiberglass couldn’t fix and the stance is probably due to cranked up torsion bars in the front and air shocks in the back. Nice looking Mopar in driveable shape. It will probably hit $9k when the auction ends.