I can’t wait for the Barn Finds faithful to weigh-in with comments on this first generation Roadrunner! Listed at $4,700, this B-body classic is available here on Craigslist in Corinth, New York. The seller, although admitting some rust repair is needed, states that “overall [it is] a complete car.” But just how much rust repair, you ask? Without even looking any further the price more-or-less gives that away combined with the fact that, at the time of this writing, the listing has been up for over a week and the car is still for sale. Mopar muscleheads are a savvy bunch and not easily deceived by dimly lit, somewhat far-off photos. And although the price is reasonable for a classic like this compared to others in similar condition (go here to read Andrew Tanner’s January 2018 Barn Finds write-up about a similar ’68 Roadrunner) the amount of work and money needed to bring this one back is certainly discouraging to potential buyers.
To credit the seller he specifically mentions the trunk and floor pans being in need of rust repair and provides a picture in the ad of the interior of the trunk that is quite frightening. Fist-sized holes can be seen with daylight popping through on the left side of the trunk floor along with what looks like a giant crater forming in the center. In the photo above, prominent rust can also be seen on the roof above the rear window and throughout the lower edges of the rear driver side quarter panel. The seller states that the frame is solid “except for the very end in the rear” but fails to provide any pictures to back-up his claim.
Although dark this photo of the interior shows the rotting floor pans the seller is referring to. More rust can be seen along the roof where the metal is receding back from the door frame looking very much like winter ice thawing on a warm spring day. Although stained and grimy, the front bench seat is in one piece. The roof liner is sagging and it’s hard to determine the condition of the dash, door panels, and without any photos of the rear cabin, we can only assume it’s in a similar state of deterioration.
Kudos to the seller for providing at least one photo of the presumed to be numbers matching Roadrunner 383 V8. Things look mildly encouraging despite the absence of some parts, most notably the original Roadrunner air cleaner. A reproduction cleaner can be found for around $50 online or perhaps the car’s new owner will spring for a vintage piece on eBay for $150. The seller doesn’t reveal the car’s mileage but states that although he hasn’t tried to get it running, the motor “turns free” and the automatic transmission is “still in the car.” So what do you think of the seller’s asking price? Can anyone take a stab at what it would cost to restore this classic Roadrunner? Even in it’s deteriorated state it’s great this car has survived. Now we can only hope there is a brave and talented soul out there willing and able to bring this classic example of Mopar muscle back to its heyday.
What kind of wuss orders a ’68 Road Runner with an automatic? The whole allure of this car was stomping the gas, side step the clutch, and row through the gears. That’s all they were good for. And they took it, time after time, a testimonial to Chryslers quality. Tinny, cheap, low buck cars which made them fast. I had a work buddy once that had a blue ’68 RR with a 4 speed. I’ve driven trucks that took less of a beating than he gave that car. That was a stout combination and all for $2,695 ( ’69 shown, ’68 similar) Heck, the paperboy could almost afford one.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/356628864233769264/
The same one who would order one with a 383. I had a number of these engines in different Mopars til I could fine a 440. Way under powered for a car this big.
You boys care to re-think that a bit?
The Road Chicken 383 had 440 heads, intake, exhaust maniolds, windage tray, stiffer valve springs, etc. 15 sec 1/4 mile times weren’t bad. All this is well documented. The Torqueflite was quicker than the 4 speed through the 1/4 with some tuning.
Don’t forget, the insurance companies were getting wise to muscle cars at this time.
What kind of driver would order this car? Somebody who didn’t want a Marlin, Howard and Bobby.
The 383, 4 speed was the standard issue for RR’s. It’s what made them cheap. They sold almost 45,000, 383, 4 speeds the 1st year. They probably had warehouses full of 383’s, everything else, was an option. 440 was a different crowd and not available until late ’69. The hemi was offered, but at $714 dollars extra, almost another 1/3 the cars price, few were ordered that way.
Howard A! The 383 in the Roadrunner and Superbee was different then the other 383’s in the lineup. Did you ever drive or ride in one of these cars back then? Or were you a wuss?
Nope, I’m 63 years old and all I did was tap on a computer keyboard, kind of like you. Wuss indeed, you don’t know me.
And another thing, I said “wuss” as a general term, not targeted at anybody, but the way you use it, it could be considered a “personal attack”, not that anything is ever done about that. Yes I have driven RoadRunners, possibly before you were born.
I owned a year old 68 Road Runner coupe. It had the 383 Magnum engine, auto trans, bench seat, shifter on the column, Beep Beep horn, 120 mph speedo, factory Firestone 500 thin stripe Wide Oval fiberglass tires. At full throttle it would burn rubber and cherp the tires at the 1-2 and 2-3 shift points and bury the 120 mph speedometer while still accelerating. I was 20 years old and was forced to sell it when drafted into US Army. Great times !
Maybe one that knows just how good a torque flight was against the competition and sold the wife on the “well you can drive it too dear ” line.
Howard, I could have sworn most of the ‘members’ were old doggies in your 70s or 80s. Someoftheother sure act like it. You, on the other hand are still a youngster. I’m 67 and am still not used to being in the older set. I have owned most, if not all, of the American muscle cars when new at various times, though I have an affinity for Corvettes and Camaros, owned 4 of one, various years and 6 of the other of various years. 69 Z28 the best Camaro, 68 L88 427 T-top best Corvette.
This looks like a ’69 to me. Rectangle corner reflectors. The ’68 had small round lights. It also had the honeycomb grill. Wish I could see the taillights.
There should be a sub-section of this site, rustfinds.com.
Or, advertise on PATINARAMA
Lets hop into our time machine to 1980. This car in this shape (and there were plenty like this by then as I recall) was not even a hundred dollar car. No one wanted it. The price of gas was (gasp!) a dollar a gallon! Plus, even if you could get this 8 MPG wonder to run, it would gas you alive due to all the rust holes. All this was worth was scrap value, and that is if you could get it there. In 1980 I PAID to have my 1970 HT RR hauled away and crushed because it was with its second bad tranny. Mind you, mine ran very well, (but not too much good without a running tranny that I could not afford because I was finishing up college) and had rust only in the rear lower corners, perfect interior and glass, plus it had that nifty factory AM/FM that I still own. The junk man wouldn’t even haul it away for free, that was the kind of world we lived in. The best a car like this could have achieved was some crazy person with enough talent and free spare parts, would take it off your hands as a give away. He would fix it to running, then bondo the rust holes enough to keep from letting all that sweet exhaust back into the cabin. Prob a winter beater for a few years that used other peoples used motor oil to save bucks. How could have things changed so much in 38 years? I feel the modern B Body landscape is just as absurd as it was in 1980, just flip flopped. People need to get a grip here, after all, they really were crummy cars for most practical purposes. How many streaks of black rubber can you make on the roadway anyhow? Isn’t it all a bit childish? After you put tens of thousands of dollars into it, would you even think of abusing it like we all used to in the 1970s? Would you even drag it? Guys, buy something cheaper and use whats left over to make your wife happy, maybe a nice trip or something.
+1 just for writing it.
Not to mention the penalties for reckless driving(laying rubber) TODAY are quiet expensive, compared to back then. Plus, unlike then, today you get a whole BUNCH of letters in the mail from lawyers wanting to defend you. They all know what law you broke!! I never got letters from lawyers in the mail in the 90s or earlier!! Where are the privacy laws regarding moving violations? I wonder if anyone ever tried to sue the police or whoever it was that spilled the beans to the lawyers. lol.
Oddly tho, back then, cops ticketed you for too loud exhaust. But not today.
Waah,Waah,Waah. The last thing I need is a daddy figure. I am 66 yo and will love the gen one and gen two cars forever, not for what they were delivered by the factory but for what we, with a little enginuity, could make them into. With the exception of Mopars perhaps, the new one handle just like the old one. If I wanted to make my wife happy I would divorce her. More money to spend on classic cars of all kinds. Oh lordy they even make new unibodies, fenders and hoods for the old cars life is good!.
@Bastic, who would ever divorce a charming guy like you?
It’s a 68, just has 69 front fenders. Rear quarter has the round side markers. I second you on the 3 or 4speed.
Parts. Period.
There’s one of these near me that has been in a shed for many many years. The body looks better than this one except the front which sticks out of the shed less than 4 feet from the road. Years of salt laden snow plowed up on it has taken its toll. I don’t know what hold the grill in. Maybe if one could get their hands on both they could build a car, but I’m not sure it would be worth the investment in time or money. Buy the best car you can for what you can afford ( THIS AINT IT!).
You can probably find a nice Satellite sedan with a similar drivetrain for that price that needs nothing. I don’t see the value in crap-condition, crap-spec coupes.
A bit rough, but this is the body style I think of whenever the Roadrunner is brought up. A lot of automatic haters out there, to each his own really, but those 4speed shifters in these looked like they came out of a dump truck! Yeah, I know Plymouth wanted these to be cheap in price and all, but….can’t change history so whatever.
Only two engines available were the new high performance version of the 383 and for a whole bunch more money the 426.
Nobody did cheap better than Plymouth, first with this and then with the Duster.
The front and hood are 69 and the rear is 68. Maybe a front end accident.
It’s a 69 front end and 68 back maybe she was in a front end accident ,the hood is 69 .68 is different.
I just never fully understood why their timing gears were outer nylon. I get the quiet/smooth thing, but really, I can’t tell y’all how many I’ve seen failed, with missing teeth.
Really dave? Nylon gears wear out a lot faster than metal. It’s why many vehicles went to timing belts, and Briggs and Stratton went with plastic camshafts.( ever wonder why the old lawn mower doesn’t have the zing anymore?) Can’t have those things last forever, like my Packard.
Speaking of which, have you changed your cam belts on your GW lately? I just put a pair on a neighbor’s ’78 GW. A bit frayed they were. Probably original.
Hi Dick, you’ve mentioned that before, and it’s truly the “Achilles Heel” of GoldWings. Yes, they have been changed, but that will be the last belt-driven cam vehicle I will ever own. And if I buy another bike, it will be another H-D, with chain drive! Belts are for holding your pants up.
Not just MoPar. Nylon is great for ladie’s hosiery (is that word even used anymore?) and 396s were chewing these gears like Pop Rocks. Dang Howard, I’m really gettin’ up there.
Nylon hose is great for straining paint, nylon in engine components?????
Only thing I can say is if you have a
Dump truck full of money!
And if you have nothing else better to do.
Than why not!$$$
No back window ? Thats 3000 bucks alone.
No VIN. No fender tag details.
Car is scrap.
On second look appears there is a back window.
But a 69 front clip on a 68 means that this was probably in a bad crash.
So I will advance it to parts car …🤣
Looks like Tetanus in the making. We used to call these shoe top cars. You know open the trunk and see your shoe tops. Open the doors, same thing. Junk is junk and nothing says it like a rusty Mopar.
In 1971, I bought a 1969 Roadrunner, Orange with black vinyl top. 383 automatic, bench seat, no a/c, AM radio. My dad told me not to but most of my money was mine.
For the first few months it was great fun to drive and went really really fast. Soon enough, my dad’s doubt about started to come through and a mechanic told me that it had been “rode hard and put away wet”. I managed to sell it, after about 18 months(there’s a whole ‘nother story) and bought a new 1972 Nova with one of those sliding fabric sunroofs. It was more fun and ran much better!
4+ G’s for 2 wiper arms?
Those are the only decent parts I saw on the whole car. Well, they are stainless after all……
I like it as it looks, fully restored its a futile expensive anachronism. Put some floors in get it stiff and drag it now and then, it’s a fun hobby.
Guy I worked with had a 68 RR 383 4 speed, that bird was a blast to drive, that was around ’80, think he picked it up cheap. That sucker would really scoot. Mucho work in this one, Good luck to the new owner.
Cheers
GPC
Wow….and most of you didn’t comment on the SS396 basket case for $2500 the last few days…..what a world what a world……
I bought a new one in July of 1968 after my discharge from the USAF. Cost on the street, tags, taxes and dealer prep was $3175. Owned it for seven years. Went thru tires as fast as I could put them on. Put 150,000 miles, two motors in it. I knew very well that the car would go past the speedo’s 120 MPH. Never knew how fast it would really go. A house and two little ones change everything. Sold it in 1972.
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
Yup. Seven years.