The first generation of the Plymouth Road Runner would wrap up in 1970. That would include the only year of the famous Superbird. Production would be down over 1969 as demand in the muscle car industry, in general, was softening due to higher insurance premiums. This 1970 Road Runner has been in storage for 14 years and only recently come outside to see daylight again. The original drivetrain was replaced at some point with a “500 Stroker” and the car needs some mechanical and cosmetic work. It can be found in Gypsum, Colorado, and is available here on craigslist for $29,000. A nod goes to Barn Finder Gunter Kramer for this tip!

Plymouth’s Road Runner was a hit when it was introduced for 1968, a budget-minded mid-size muscle car. Underneath the performance trappings lay a Belvedere, and the car was available as both a coupe and a hardtop originally, though a convertible would appear for 1969-70.  We understand that Plymouth paid Warner Brothers the sum of $50,000 use the Road Runner name and likeness from their Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons. The “beep, beep” horn cost another $10,000 to develop.

The seller has owned this ’70 Road Runner since 2007 and it has been garaged most of that time. It was one of 7,993 hardtop Runners that left the factory that year with a 383 V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission. From the seller’s description, it looks as though that motor was replaced before he bought it with a 440 V8 that had been bored and stroked to 500 cubic inches (or more?). The motor is said to run strong and the transmission, gas tank, and dual exhaust are all new.

But it will need some other mechanical work. The steering box is worn out, the rear main seals are leaking, and the rear end is making some noises. There are also some gremlins in the electrical system. Although the floor pans have been replaced, we’re told there is a bit more rust in the car along with some dings and scratches in the red paint. The odometer reads at just under 31,000 miles, but there is no mention of the accuracy of that number. To help sweeten the pot, the seller will send along a 3.91 posi-traction with Sure-Grip that he bought years ago and it’s still in the box.

As is often the case with collectors, the seller has too many projects and not enough time, so the Plymouth must go. In Fair condition, Hagerty estimates a ’70 Road Runner 383/4-speed to be worth about what the seller is asking, so he knows what these Mopars are worth. Whether other collectors will see the engine swap as a positive or negative in terms of resale value will depend upon the buyer.