The 1972 model year was not a good one for muscle car fans. Emissions detuning was in full swing, so compression ratios were down. And engine output was now measured as SAE net, so horsepower looked even less impressive. Demand for the Plymouth Road Runner was way off, so you’ll find fewer of them out there today, while the record numbers built in 1969 are easier to come by. The seller has lost his/her passion for this ’72 Road Runner, which has a rebuilt replacement 440 V8, so it’s available here on eBay. From Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this Mopar has attracted bids of $8,800 thus far.

After selling 81,100 Road Runners in 1969 (the peak year), Plymouth could only find buyers for 7,600 of the “budget birds” three years later. Following a redesign in 1971, the 1972 Road Runners underwent minimal changes. The big news (and not in a good way) was the engine line-up. A somewhat anemic 400-cubic-inch V8 was standard (replacing the 383), and a 340 small-block was a no-surcharge option. A 440 with a 4-barrel carburetor was still on the list (sorry, no 6-Packs or Hemi’s anymore).

The seller says a relatively fresh 440 is under the hood of this Bird. The VIN provided says the car was built with the more mundane 400, so a swap was made at some point. If the Plymouth had been assembled with the 440, it would be rare, as only 453 copies left the factory with an automatic transmission. We suspect the car doesn’t run, given its awkward perch in the seller’s driveway, and no apparent battery.

We’re told there is some rust (well, the car lives outside in humid Florida) that is evident in a couple of the pics. The Mopar has air conditioning, though the compressor is not the factory Chrysler unit. It’s sad when an owner has lost interest in a vintage car, but that just means someone else gets a chance once the decision to sell has been made.