OK, strictly a subjective statement but I have always thought the ’73 Plymouth Road Runner, such as this Spring Valley, Wisconsin example, got the styling right, in the way that the ’71 and ’72 got it wrong. Beyond that, this one is also in very sharp shape – it presents beautifully! High performance was on the way out in ’73 but a few players were still trying to keep the flame alive and dear, departed Plymouth was one of those players. This Road Runner isn’t going to be a pavement scorcher the way a ’69 or ’70 would be but it’s still worthy of a look-see. We have T.J. to thank for discovering this listing and this Mopar is available here on craigslist for $26,500.
Based on the intermediate-sized Satellite, the Road Runner’s basic standard equipment included “A 318 CI V8 with dual exhaust and bright chrome exhaust tips. Floor-mounted three-speed all-synchromesh manual transmission. Front and rear sway bars. Front disc brakes. F70x14 raised white letter tires mounted on Rallye wheels. A performance hood. And special Road Runner dress-up stripe and identification“. Considering the times, it was a reasonable and typical package. Popular? Sorta, about 17K would find new owners that year.
The seller tells us that the Sahara Beige finish is original and while it’s not exactly an archetypal muscle car hue, it really works in this case, especially with the red stripe and hood bulge trim. The Cragar S/S wheels are obviously a step up from the standard Rallye wheels and are certainly period correct – especially with the deep-dish offset pieces that are holding up the rear. Oh, and the chrome bumpers and stainless trim look great too!
The original owner of this Road Runner was looking for more oomph than what the standard 318 CI engine could muster, so a final year, 240 net HP 340 CI V8 was specified right along with a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. “Excellent running condition” is claimed by the seller. While probably not a barn burner, I imagine the performance is still robust enough to be enjoyable. Of note is the non-original Edelbrock carburetor and “bugeye” air cleaner.
The light vinyl beige interior, which is also claimed to be born-with, is in fine nick. This is a tough shade to maintain presentability and the seats, in particular, are surprisingly clean. The only change from stock that I can detect is the console-mounted tachometer. I would have to issue a demerit for the stained door panels – I don’t know what’s up with them.
I’ll give this Road Runner two thumbs up for its stellar condition and low mileage. It also gets points for its originality, and in particular, for the fact that it hasn’t been the victim of a backyard hack job in an attempt to coax more power, or a go-fast attitude, from this emission-controlled era muscle car. I like it, how about you?
I love it. A running, drivable, well preserved mopar with a factory 340 for under 30k, no 50k restoration needed, how refreshing! I don’t think I would let this one go so cheap if it was mine. Somebody is going to get a nice car for a good deal here.
After viewing the pictures this is original with 56,600 miles with out seeing in person.. 14″ was standard on Mopars like this. Opt. Was 15″. You can get road wheels at 16″ which would look great on this runner. Glad to see the machine gun tips are still there. The price is fair. The door panels needs a good cleaning or a respray. It’s not fast but looks good. You can take out the 340 and rebuild it to 69 or 70 specs. Since it’s a non AC car go with 6pak camshaft and 6 pack carb setup. This will move the Runner down the road quickly. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
Jim….
I always liked this 73 model design too.
While a lil bland paint to me but being in such good shape one can easy overlook.
This car screams 70s which I like 👍
Good luck with sale 👍
Think about it, this car celebrates its 50th birthday this year. 1100 miles per year on average! This has to be the mopar deal of the year. I wish I had an extra inside space, I’d snap this beauty up, if I did.
I agree with chasbro. Nice affordable mopar. Drive it enjoy it so other ppl can enjoy it also.
Right, I mean, what kind of new mundane bean shaped, white, silver, or Grey hunk can you buy for 26k? I would daily drive this baby, but never in the winter. Imagine the looks you’d get pulling up in this ride. Then reveal that you’re into it for under 30k. It should be sold already at the asking price.
As stock and original as this is, it would be getting a face lift in the engine compartment. You can really make those 340’s sing with just a little work and 500hp isn’t out of sight with a basic overhaul.
This car would be incredible with some power
Finally, a fairly priced, somewhat muscle car…..never cared for that body style though, and the little 340 emissions compliant engine trying to pull around that heavy B body never impressed me…for the most part, great condition except for the horrible door panels (easy repaint, if you could find the correct dye or paint) why someone would drill out the console for a Tach escapes me too, as does the adaptor/carb changeout….as for me, gotta’ have the Cragars for that price….overall, a nice Mopar…..
I painted one of these years ago and the client asked that I deliver it back to him in person. It was a lot more interesting to drive than I expected it to be. For the size and weight, it felt surprisingly tight and sporty. It had a 400/auto.
Sold a 73 360 auto loaded in rough shape but it had a kilometer speedometer so come to find out it was an export to Germany for a gi kinda weird triple green with gator grain vinyl roof
I owned a 1974 Sebring Plus for about two weeks in 1984 – bought it for $100 and could not get the keys out of my pocket fast enough when offered $400. It was a 400-auto with a sunroof and power windows. I liked the styling but not as much as my ’71. The rear wheel details are from 71 and do not match the front fenders. It always made me thing that the front clip was meant for another car. This one is pretty in its colors though.
These 73s look great, especially w no rear spoilers 😍
Great offering of motors and transmissions from the Plymouth division.
This model came w 3.23 ring and pinion ⚙️ std. So its ready for cruising.
Some 3.91 gears can really help wind out the stout 340 motors and are a quick combination with the 727 automatic.
Far better looking than the hideous 71 and 72 Birds. I know of a red 73 riotting in a farmer’s field in Bucks County, PA. He won’t sell last I checked. As mentioned here, an inexpensive car you can enjoy without spending $50,000 to replace rotted metal.
Not even a FM radio in 1973? What was Chrysler thinking?
Color correction it’s called hearing aid biege