I noticed Plymouth’s Road Runner upon introduction in ’68, but it was the ’69 edition, with its wide, black hood stripes, that really caught my imagination. I wanted one the second I saw it, even though I wasn’t yet old enough to drive. I still have a “thing” for them today, though often they’re either high-dollar trailer queens, or rode hard and put away wrecks. Today’s find has a lot of originality going on, it has been used and enjoyed but it’s still in pretty sound shape – yeah, I’m interested. Located in North Fort Myers, Florida, this unmolested model is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $27,600 with the reserve not yet met. There is a BIN price option of $36,000 available too.
Knocking out 84K units, and earning Motor Trend’s “Car of the Year” award speaks volumes about the ’69 Road Runner. Yes, we were inundated with muscle cars in that halcyon year but Plymouth took a different take with their big power, stripped-equipped, low-price approach. Obviously, it worked. Three body styles were available, a two-door sedan (called a coupe), a two-door hardtop, and, new for ’69, a convertible.
Instead of paraphrasing, I’ll quote the seller, “This is a very unmolested rust-free Bondo-free California car. It appears that it has had one respray I would imagine years and years ago but I cannot find any Bondo in the car and it is all original sheet metal with Rock Solid floors and trunk only has some surface rust down in the bottoms of the grooves no Swiss cheese“. This vintage B-body is notorious for heavy rust but this example seems to have escaped that fate. The finish, F8 – Ivory Green Metallic and my favorite shade, is faded right along with those twin black hood stripes that I referenced earlier. There are some scapes and contusions, but all-in-all, this car presents well. The lack of an often-equipped vinyl roof covering, in my estimation, is a blessing as it can act like a sponge and do irreparable damage to the roof’s skin. American Racing wheels, perfect for this car, are supporting all four corners but the original steelies and doggie bowl hubcaps are included in the sale.
Standard power, still lurking under the hood, is a 335 gross HP, 383 CI V8 engine coupled to a non-matching number four-speed manual gearbox. The engine is wearing aftermarket valve covers – can’t tell much else beyond that. The seller claims, “The car runs and drives and stops fine“. Also mentioned is a shimmy that the seller attributes to a wonky throw-out bearing but it sounds, to me, more like clutch chatter from a flywheel or a pressure plate that’s in need of resurfacing.
Inside, we find optional bucket seats but no center console. The seats are wearing what the seller refers to as “the dealer-installed vinyl…” a material that is one of the most uncomfortable things that you can place your hindside upon on a hot summer day. Anyway, they’re shot and so is the underlying green vinyl upholstery, at least in the case of the driver’s seat. It’s hard to imagine that someone, way in the past, didn’t peel these protectors off but they are certainly a tribute to this car’s originality.
I’ll give this Plymouth points for staying the course and having avoided both poorly facilitated modifications and the rusting away that so often befalls this vintage Road Runner. It’s really remarkable as so many that I discover are either beyond help or, as suggested earlier, are trailer queens restored to perfection with a price to match – this one has played it right down the middle. So, what do you think of that $36K BIN price, about right, or not quite?
“…rode hard and put away wrecks.”hilarious play on words, Jim. 🤣
A decent project at what may be a reasonable BIN.
I remember when you could hardly give these away, say, 1980ish, after the second oil shock. I think some old people who had the cash, bought them up for pennies on the dollar and stored them away. The rest went to kids (with irresponsible parents) who trashed them and often killed themselves along with the car in the process. Even after all this time, I still can’t get over the prices of what they once were. I recall thinking at the time that if for no other reason, the gasoline prices being so high would rid the world of so many unsafe machines and the nation would be better off for it. I was wrong.
The safety lies with the user, not the machine.
Interesting idea. Can we agree that some machines are safer then others? For instance, a nerf gun is safer then a Tommy gun. A car with proper balance, steering you can actually feel the road with, brakes that stop the car better then the drums most of these had-should be safer, correct? What you say has merit, but a great number of these were originally driven by under qualified young people, and then the fun begins. Perhaps, cars, then and now, need a safety ranking. A skilled driver would be allowed to drive a less safe machine, and others would have have to drive what they were safest in. Mario Andretti would be allowed a Lambo, but not some 16 year old. What do you think of my idea? It would be true meritocracy, isn’t that something popular these days?
I think what each of you is saying can be true at the same time. I don’t see any conflict between the two statements. Think about it.
well I’m not sure that what your saying is 100% correct look at the new Mustang, Camaros, and such they are a ton safer than what the older car had to offer but yet you go on U tube and can sit there all day just watching young kid smash up their new cars cuz they just don’t know how to drive and handle all that power, just my thoughts!!!
Rank as a familiar smell… Something like Grant or Gary…or the “everything was better with a 318 or slant six guy” could be wrong but that post reads similar.
Amen. I’ve owned the same roadrunner since 86. No I don’t believe my plymouth is the reason young men died it didn’t cause gas prices to skyrocket. It’s a car and one I happen to adore. I’ve raced it on the strip. 440 4speed the rear-end has been narrowed slightly. It’ll turn low11s. I respect my car and all it can do and all it can’t do. That’s called common sense and it’s taught and learned daily. Some people would rather blame and inadament object for their own poor judgment. Cars, guns, climate change growup learn to let people be people. AND LEAVE OUR CARS ALONE. Go watch CNN and blame who ever you want .Rank needs this car more than anyone else on the planet. Learn to respect something.
Totally agree. I was getting into these cars in the mid-late 90s when you could still get a project car for $1500-3000 and it ran and drove. Later in the 2000s I put my 68 R/T project up for sale and got an offer of almost 8k…The writing was on the wall. I sold it for a house deposit and haven’t been able to get another Mopar since.
The subject car is exactly how I’d want one now, and I’d drive the tar out of it. But it’s hard to stomach 36k. The market what it is, and I don’t begrudge folks, but a lot of cars seem overvalued now. Then again, a basic commuter car is 30k, so who knows…
I feel your pain. I sold a really nice 1970 Cuda convertible with 340 and pistol grip around ’86 or ’87 for $7000 and thought I made out like a bandit! I had purchased it for $4500 about four years prior and done some work on it but still made a profit. If I had kept it one more year I would have gotten about $15K for it. It’s funny now cuz I’m looking at this price thinking, wow, that’s not too bad. And then I start thinking I’ve looked at way too many cars tonight and I need to go to bed.
Irresponsible? I bought those cars with my money earned from part time jobs like newspaper delivery. My parents taught me to work, earn money, and pay may own bills.
Some have made similar Rank arguments to justify taking away other’s freedoms, rights and privileges. Long list including two stroke cycle engines, now even four stroke cycle engines, guns… The progressive removal of other people’s rights.
As a mechanical engineer, I enjoy high performance, and exercising my judgement on how much and what form.
As a society, we should not worry about an educated person as yourself, you presumably have good judgement. It is so many other people that endangers society. With proper governmental over sight, people who are qualified such as you, can still own and enjoy all the things you mentioned, but we can also protect the greater good by with holding dangerous things from under qualified or mentally dangerous people. Common sense.
Rank is the same guy who wants to disarm the country.
Remember the 80’s when they were a dime a dozen. Even the GTX. They were relegated to race car circuits & the die hard fans of the Road Runner, GTX & Super Bee. Nostalgic to see one on Barn Find. At 27g probably will go higher!, yet remember a used one back then only a couple hundred bucks one could be had.
I had a ’70 Roadrunner that I bought for $200 from the dealer I worked at in ’83. It was a 383 3-speed car. I was married with a young daughter. I enjoyed it but never did anything stupid with it. I sold it for more than twice what I paid. It wasn’t my favorite car ever but it’s right up there.
Conversely, when I was 17 I tried to buy a ’70 GTX, 4-speed 440 Magnum. I was being raised by a single grandmother so she had my uncle come out to check out the car. The thing was flawless, only 4 years old and it would have taken every penny of my hard earned savings to buy. At 16, I believe I would have killed myself in that car.
I was really mad at my uncle for telling my grandmother not to let me get the car but it was the right thing to do.
That car haunts me to this day.
“The greater good” always precedes crimes against humanity.
Meritocracy has been under assault for a long time, only way to have even distribution. It’s extremely popular to be against “ableism”.
There’s always going to be people who make mistakes, harm others, etc. The only way to make sure that doesn’t happen is with extremely harmful controls.
When the covid hit I was amused to see that public transit was failing. To be safe we were told to drive a personal auto. Mopar used to call their cars a 😀Rapid Transit System.
The Plymouth 383s were valu-leaders for enthusiasts.
I remember 383 Roadrunners with torque flight transmissions and cheater slicks at the drag strip when I lost to them in my 3-speed Hurst floor shift 64 Pontiac Catalina with stock tires, which just smoked off the line.
Love the two door ,post cars wish it were closer to home. Correct color for 1969
I’ve seen the prices that people want for rusted out wrecks w/o any motor or tranny. Rust free runs and drives, I think somebody will step up and do the BIN on it. When I was in H.S. ’73-’76 these were $1000 cars, but in N.E. Pa. by that time many were getting rusty.
Back around 79, my friend talked his dad into painting his white 68 Roadrunner hugger orange with white stripes, yes, Chevy Camaro orange! It had Cragars with M50’s on the rear and 6’s on the front with air shocks.The damn thing looked pretty good! 4 of us were in that thing in Bowling Green late one Friday night and were all pretty boozed up when flashing lights appeared. He pulled over and we all felt a big bump. The cop walked up and his eyes barely cleared the bottom of the door. He was a little fella anyway, but the fact that Tommy had pulled up on the sidewalk made him about 6″ shorter. We all busted out laughing and when Tommy stepped outta the car he faceplanted the pavement! Now the cop is even laughing! Believe it or not, he wrote a warning and let us go! Those were the good ole days. It’s a wonder we are all here!
Wow, now that’s just good old high jinks!
Yea, throw out bearings don’t cause “shimmy”. As one who drove big block Chevies at the time these were usually not much trouble. Even the 440s. Now the 340s in the Cudas and Challengers were a different story. These things rattled, squeaked and wind whistled at speed right off the show room floor. Granted that wasn’t a big deal to most of the potential customers at that time. At 80 on the bias ply tires that came on them the entire dash would be shaking. I do like them now tho.
I see the coil is mounted on the inner fender to keep it cool instead of on the engine Them hot southern nights
Everybody wanted a Roadrunner, even me, and I’m not a Mopar guy. Clean up the ports, do a Al Teague inspired 3 angle valve job and the 383 was stupid fast. The quarter mile ruled, so decent brakes and handling were not included.
I remember a Gulfport Miss. encounter with an automatic, just like this, around 1968……in my Sunbeam Tiger (260). Of course, he eased away from me.
Did this model come with the Dana 60 rear axle and 4.10 gear ratio?
The 4:10 Dana 60 was available in a ’69 Road Runner if it also had the Hemi engine and four speed transmission. In ’69, a Road Runner with the 440 6 barrel engine included one as standard equipment regardless of transmission.
The standard 383 engines didn’t need such a beefy rear end.
Thanks TS
The 4.10 Dana 60 was available if the buyer specified the Super Track Pack option, but very few ordered it with the 383s. The Track Pack or Super Track Pack is typically only found on four speed Hemi cars, because it was mandatory.
Along with the aftermarket valve covers, that looks like an Offenhauser dual port intake manifold. It was an innovative design, but some folks said they were junk.
It shows its age, and it’s all there. That being said, I would purchase this vehicle with no rust repairs compared to the ones coming out of the Northeast Salt Flats. DIY for most of us. Get rid of the vinyl covers. They are hot, like in burning hot! I know first hand, my dad had them in his 57 Olds.
Oh my, those seat covers had to be designed by the devil himself! My old man had a set of those put on the first new car he had, a 67 Ford. I still remember how they would burn your butt even with jeans on after the car had sat in the sun in the summer, and we didn’t have AC! And they were just as cold in the winter before the car warmed up, you’d be shivering so hard your teeth would chatter! At least they kept the upholstery looking new.
I’ve always wanted a Road Runner like this, but in B5 blue. Rally dash and console would be the only things different. Guy near me has my dream car, but he’ll never sell it, and I couldn’t afford it now anyway. I just enjoy looking his over every time I see it.
I bought a 1969 road runner back when I was in service in 1974. It was a 383 magnum 4spd. No options orange black hood stripes black interior bench seat no power steering. The ass end of these cars were super light and would roast tires all day long.
Between leaking oil from the rear main seal and possibly burning it as well it would soak the pressure plate and clutch disk in no time. As an E3 at the time I couldn’t straddle payment and repairs both so I ended up trading it. It was a rustfree California car BTW. Hindsight is always 20-20.
@Phil D
I couldn’t reply to you directly for some reason.
Early factory literature shows two packages in which a 4:10 Dana could be had: The A32 “Super Performance Axle Package” for automatics, which included power disc brakes and cooling upgrades; and A34 “Super Track Pak” for 4-speeds, which had the brake and cooling upgrades of the A32 package, but also added a dual point distributor for the 440. Both of these packages were available on 440 and Hemi equipped cars. The A33 Track Pak was the 3:54 Dana package for 4-speed cars, which didn’t include power discs. Again, Hemis and 440s only.
Since they were introduced mid-year, they weren’t in the regular literature, but as we know, the A12 cars all had 4:10 Danas, drum brakes and were all 440 6 barrels.
I had a 1969 383 Super Bee which had the “High-Performance Axle Package.” It was a 4-speed car with 3:91 gears in an 8.75″ Sure Grip, bigger radiator, a power steering cooler and heavier duty springs and torsion bars. Of all the ones that got away, That’s the one I wish the most I still had.
A man I worked for many years ago bought a new ’69 GTX with a Torqueflite, Dana 60, and fresh air hood. That was a sweet car. It’s too bad, but in ten years it had rusted away to nothing.
I was taken for a short ride in west Biloxi around 1969 in a very nice automatic GTX convertible. Don’t know which engine, but my friend was running it on the floor from stop sign to stop sign. That thing was ripping, and I remember having fear for my life. I was driving a Sunbeam Tiger at the time.