Life can change without warning, forcing us to alter well-established plans. Such is the case with this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner, which the seller purchased with visions of a restoration dancing in their head. However, the lure of a Challenger Redeye proved irresistible, prompting them to send the Road Runner to a new home. It is a promising project candidate, due to its lack of significant rust and the original 383ci V8 hiding under the hood. The seller has listed the Plymouth here on eBay in Newman Lake, Washington. Bidding has raced past the reserve to $15,160, meaning that someone is days away from becoming this Road Runner’s new owner.

After the badge’s introduction in 1968, Plymouth made only minor changes to its Road Runner muscle car for the 1969 model year. The biggest news was the release of a Convertible variant, providing a very rapid wind-in-the-hair motoring experience for the 2,128 buyers who shelled out for one. This Road Runner Coupe looks tired after spending most of its life in Nevada. Its Ivy Green Metallic paint isn’t the most baked that I’ve seen, but it’s fair to say that the deterioration is well beyond the point where polish will bring it back. Therefore, this Plymouth is a prime candidate for a cosmetic restoration. Life in a dry climate is good news for potential bidders, because this classic isn’t riddled with significant rust. The seller identifies areas in the lower rear quarter panels, the floors, and the trunk, but it seems the crucial areas like the rails are solid, indicating this Road Runner is structurally sound.

Road Runner buyers in 1969 received the company’s 383ci V8 as the entry-level motor. Producing a factory-quoted 335hp and 425 ft/lbs of torque, these vehicles comfortably wear the tag of muscle cars. This Plymouth’s first owner teamed the 383 with a three-speed A-727 TorqueFlite transmission, and the good news for potential buyers is that this beast is numbers-matching. The motor currently sports a Holley Street Avenger carburetor, which was added as part of a fuel system clean to coax the V8 back to life once the car was safely parked in the seller’s garage. This Road Runner runs and drives, but the seller advises that it would be best for the winning bidder to transport the Plymouth to its new home on a trailer.

With bucket seats and a console, this Road Runner’s interior would have been comfortable in the car’s prime. It is begging for a retrim because the vinyl is quite shredded. It is unclear whether the pad is cracked beneath the cover, but the radio is definitely AWOL. The listing images confirm that the console is present, and the owner includes additional parts as a starting point for this build. There are no major components, but most enthusiasts welcome anything to get the ball rolling.

If you crave a classic muscle car project, this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner deserves a close look. It requires plenty of TLC to recapture its former good looks, but its numbers-matching status makes it a prime candidate for a faithful restoration that would maximize the future investment potential. It has already attracted forty-one bids that have pushed the price beyond the reserve, and the listing statistics suggest we may have only scratched the surface. Are you tempted by what you see, or will you sit this dance out?