The History Of The Plymouth Roadrunner, a brief history lesson on the rare yet might Plymouth Roadrunner #plymouthroadrunner #moparhistory #Dodgehistory
Worked at Chrysler Trenton Engine in 1968. Machined several hemi heads. Every time I see a 68-69 Hemi I wonder if it was one of mine. Also owned a new 68 Road Runner coupe. Built at Lynch Road assembly. All I have now is the window sticker and a factory manual and some pictures.
I bought my first Mopar, 1970 Roadrunner, I bought it in 1975, used, with 89,000 miles on it. I was 17 years old, just joined the Air Force. My 70 Roadrunner was 2 door, no post, coupe. 383, 4 bbl, 3 speed manual on the floor, very rare. B5 Blue, black vinyl top and B5 blue interior. Price.. $1395. original Mopar rally wheels had Goodyear Rally GT tires on the rear, Goodyear polyglass on the front. My previous cars were, 1965 Mustang, and a 1965 GTO, 389, 3-2's 4 speed. The Roadrunner was AMAZING... FAST, COOL, My old GTO was no match for my 1970 Roadrunner.
Dated a Girl back in High school who had bought a 1970 Roadrunner that had a 426 (Rated 425 but was pushing 525) she paid $900 for it the engine was in pieces. Her Uncle was an old Assembly man from a Plymouth plant and not only found all the parts, also painted it in Panther Pink for her. One of the sweetest looking rides I ever saw and one of our favorite past times was Eating 5 point slows and Iroc Z's for snacks. Great memories!
Warren Jansen 🤔 they died with the best engines!! We didn’t get to watch them transform into some weird late 70’s model. Like the chevelle and everything else. Think it was best that way. Most cars get better, but in the 70’s, they went backwards.
@hobby 4me My brother, who is 10 years older than I am, pulled up into my parent's driveway while on leave from the air Force, in a brand new 1970 Roadrunner. Lime green with a white vinyl top and white interior. I got to drive it once before I got my license. 383, automatic and it could sure turn heads.
Grew up with these cars. Had a few of my own, but my pride is the 69' Convertible which I inherited from my Uncle. I'm 47 now and been around that car since I was 3.
In 1971 the death nail was installed not by insurance companies nor emissions standards that were to come later. In a story that trips up most car companies at some point.... it was a new design too ugly to want that killed off the "classic" road runner as a good looking bargain muscle car. How Dodge body styling designers couldn't see it amazes me still to this day.
'71... owned by the wife of a Plymouth/Chrysler dealer; sapphire blue with white vinyl roof! it had fake wire wheel covers! i installed a Torker and a windage tray, and sold the wire wheel covers. most prettiest car Plymouth ever made.
The 1968 and 1969 383's had the tall, high compression pistons. The 1970 383 had shorter pistons and lower compression. Early 1971 383's were like the 1970, but late 1971 383's had even lower compression, with 2 barrel 383 pistons and a standard camshaft. In 1972, the GTX model was dropped, but there was a new GTX package option for the Roadrunner that included the 440 engine. The 1969 383 manual transmission models got special rear leaf springs that were one year only.
I watched the demise on muscle cars into the 80s. Back in the late 70s you could buy them cheap. It's amazing to see the return to muscle cars. He'll cats. ZL-1 Camaros and Coyote Mustangs got to l the the Vetts too. I still own a 73 Firebird, 1972 455 HO, 4 SPEED and a 1990 ZR-1 Corvette. I am helping a friend with his 1969 RR, 1970 440 engine. Just did all floor pans, complete front end rebuild with front disc brake conversion, power brakes and steering added. Mid range cam, headers, intake and carb with new ignition system. That ole 440 sounds great, she should pull strong too. I am enjoying working on the Mopar
I bought a new 68 coupe, dark metallic green, black vinyl interior (no carpets), 383 4 spd for $2900. Had a lot of fun street racing Chevelle’s and GTO’s. Favorite was the 69 440 6 pak.
I had 3 68`s all had 383`s that I quickly shit canned and dropped in 440 Magnums and changed out the gears to 4:56`s. They were good cars but had lousy electronics, ballast resistors and starter relays being the main culprits.
I always look for me in these videos. I was a mechanic/driver in Chrysler engineering. 440 6 bbl development but drove superbird, Daytona ,AAR ect. I sure messed up.
I always loved Road runners. Had many. Then i was given a 70 Duster. 383 6pack. Plum Crazy. Front scoop. Rear spoiler whit reflector decals, side and rear. Black buckets, console. It was taken from me during my divorce for attorneys, Dishonest Judge Donald Blydenburg , Suffolk county L.I. N.Y. we celebrated his death! My name is Glenn Svoboda. " DOWN BEATEN DAD "
Yeah. Been there dad. I lost everything I worked 20 years for to a cheating scumbag. Now she's dead so fck her! But my love for the Roadrunner is forever. Maybe a burnout on her grave. Just kidding. Got to move on.
You have a Czech surname. Svoboda means Freedom in the Czech language. I guess your ancestor came over to the USA from the former Czechoslovakia 🇨🇿. Driving an old muscle car...that's the ultimate SVOBODA to me 🗽
Ah, 71 blue white stripes. Black buckets. Slap stick 727! Wow. What a car! Playing Yes songs with the 8track. "I've seen all good people turn there heads so satisfied I'm on my way!"
@@jhenninger I remember it was B5, black vinyl top, black interior, bucket seats, console, 4 speed, 3.91 gears and manual steering..It was stolen and recovered, they removed the vinyl top and had it painted fire engine red at Earl Scheib, the motor was built by Ramchargers..I had it painted black with the flat black hood, then it was stolen again and never recovered, this was the summer of 1976, I still have the original Michigan title as when it was stolen, they applied for an assemblers title! 😠
Chrysler should bring back the Roadrunner and the Super Bee 🐝 . The body of these cars should have a sportier look 👀. These were really kool names for muscle cars.
@@chadhaire1711 I said Roadrunner and Super Bee. The R/T Charger has never left production. Go back to your cave, because you don’t have a clue about Muscle Cars.🤔
@@jhenninger Not only the 318 in the 73. I had a 73 with a factory 340 in it, Later I dropped a big block k-member in it and dropped a 440 in it after the 340 threw a rod through the block.
No no..Thanks GM, Mopar & Ford for making crappy cars that couldn't turn or stop; and thank the kids that drank and drove waaay too fast and killed thousands of people every year in those fast yet dumb garbage cans - I know because I lived through that era. What? Do you think Insurance companies exist to bleed cash because of morons?? I was just lucky (I'd like to think"good" but no) - but you have to thank idiots like me for raising the price of fun. On the other hand I remember being pissed (the Cuda got 7mpg when having fun) when the price of gas went to a f'd up 45¢ a gallon!!! The Horrrrrahhh!!! 🚗
@@cuda426hemi I grew up in those days too and I see your point, but... You think insurance companies are your friend? Seriously?? All insurance companies are the same, they exist because nobody have been taught to save. And they don't give a rat's behind about your well being. These companies handle everything from cars to houses to health, same companies! I watched as my Wife deteriorated and lost her battle with Cancer all because the insurance companies wouldn't budge on how they would cover things. So I kinda see what you are saying, kinda... BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE... Insurance companies are NOT the Noble human interest groups you paint them out to be.
Yea the insurance companies did not raise any of their prices and push for different standards because they were worried about people, they did it because it was hurting their bottom line. Money talks, was true back then and it is even more true today. People are disposable to them, it is what it is...
Everyone go out and find the 1970 Motor Trend (?) issue about Insurance Companies "Putting the Squeeze" on "Supercars". The front cover had picture of a large pair of hands, outstretched, holding a Limelight Superbird by the front and rear. On each successive page of the article inside, the hands were incrementally squeezing the Superbird until it was finally squeezed to about 1/5th its original length by the end of the article.
Wow, I threw up in my mouth a little bit around the 1974 roadrunner offering. My Girlfriend had a ... I think it was a 76 Dodge Charger front wheel drive with a 4 cylinder. The insurance co. still had a sur charge on that car because it was a Charger and we couldn't talk them out of it.
@@garyarnold5699 It has to do with proper horsepower figures.....this video says the 1970 440 has 390 hp giving the impression it had more power then a new one.......it was really 325 hp compared to the newer ones at 375 hp. What is it that confuses you....or you are just confused.
They ran them on the dyno with no accessories and full exhaust in the 60s and 70s so they did make that much hp just not when installed in the cars with accessories the new cars are tested with everything on
I had a 1968 hemi roadrunner with a 4-speed &bench seat. It Had an aluminum trim panel that I don't see on some cars on the back of the trunk lid and it had a wood grained 3 spoke steering wheel with a plain horn button I don't see on some cars that have fancy horn buttons can anyone tell me why?
a 69 rr 383 with headers, an 2 650 double pumpers on the 4 spd , beat the hemi all day long .i seen it , family had both ...one a 69 with two 650s had air ride ,4spd , headers..an notsure on cam .an 2 hemis..a 69 an 70 both maual as well .. an the 383 beat em by a half car..so the hemis hp was not what it bragged about as they got spanked by fords an chevs stock as well
There are 4 dislikes. Ayone to not like those beautiful machines has either got to be extremely envious, or deceived with the man-made global warming scam. My third Mopar was a 70, and love the birds 💪🏼😎
R/R lasted til '74, with '73-'74 being questionable at best, and I am being generous by even saying that. Everything else through '79 was other various pieces of shit with a R/R sticker on them, but they were NOT R/Rs.
Nothing wrong with 70's music at all, but It all went to shit in the 80's until Guns-N-Roses saved rock from extinction for a little while. But then it all went to hell...AGAIN ! I wasn't exactly thrilled with the hair bands so, I quit listening to radio in the 80s, and never started listening again.
What were they thinking back then? Modern technology sucks what would you rather have? New Cameros are lame however fast and expensive Challengers are cool 80000$ How much for a time machine?
Well, there are many European people that grew up without being able to even see classic muscle cars on the streets, let alone buy them and drive them, so for many of us it's a lifelong dream come true. Being an '80s kid that grew up behind the Iron Curtain, watching American movies and videoclips on pirated VHS tapes back in the day, I saw "Gimme All Your Lovin' " from ZZ Top and I promised myself "When I grow up, I'll buy an old muscle car and I'm also gonna get this cool ZZ Top keychain and hang it on the keys from the car." A little boy's silly dream? Maybe, but now I am closing in on 40 and I fullfilled my dream some time ago, even though it seemed impossible for a long time. And to be honest with you I wouldn't trade my ride for anything. Not even for a Lamborghini Countach or a brand new Ferrari. The '72 Demon 340 might not be the most sought after American classic or the most known, but I fell in love with it immediately. It's just perfect to me...to the last bolt. It has everything I'd have ordered myself, if I was the one buying it originally. What a hell spawn and extremely unique here in Europe too!! I don't need to own the latest iPhone, I don't need to wear expensive Swiss watch or eat in luxury restaurants, but I sure as hell need to just cruise down the road in my Demon... Hopefully for all of us, there are enough US classics for the whole world. From my experience instead of classic muscle cars young Americans/young people in general much rather want prestigious car brands from Europe anyway. These old classics are "difficult" to drive and some have a stick shift plus you can’t chase golddiggers in them, hahaha. I personally love the way American classics handle, but it might be way too challenging for many others. Have a good day, sir. American classics forever... Just so you know - old cars here in Europe need to be in a top shape, or you're not allowed on the roads, so we don’t drive neglected rust buckets. Most old American classics here are museum worthy 😍 Sorry for the language barrier.
Crazy just crazy how such an awesome in every single way car got noticeably worse looking and let’s face it sadder and sadder year after year after year...sorry but this car sucked by the end. Shamefully.. Just my opinion. Those first couple years though.💥.f’n glorious 🤘🏻😬👍🏻
