Remembering the 1969 Roadrunner

[snowman]

The '68 GTX, with the same body style as the Roadrunner plus a few enhancements, is in my view the most attractive car ever made. I've always preferred cars with square lines rather than curved ones -looks more masculine, or something. Several of the Mopars of that era were like this.

The change in the taillights from '68 to '69 always bothered me somewhat, but the '69 is still pretty nice.

One time I looked up the weight of a 426 Hemi with cast block and heads -863 lb., if the internet is to be believed. I wondered how on earth one could hold that thing on a curve.

Thanks for the post, Narragansett; sure brings back memories.

Regards,
Andy

 

[SPEEDGUNNER]

I was never a Mopar guy, but I always thought the 1970 GTX/Roadrunner were the best looking of that genre. Of all of the Mopar offerings I would own a 1967 GTX for sure. 383/440/426 Hemi, I am not picky. 727 TorqueFlite was legendary.

 

[wyo-man]

Ordered my 1969 Roadrunner from the factory. $3,600. Had 3 miles on it when it arrived at the dealer.
Bronze Fire Metallic paint with the wide black stripes on the hood.
4 speed Hurst on the floor. Black interior.
383 with 335 hp. No air conditioning. No power steering and no power brakes. Bench seat, because that is what the girlfriend, later wife wanted (to sit next to me, of course).
Sold it when I moved to Wyoming.

wyo-man

 

[Narragansett]

I was never a Mopar guy, but I always thought the 1970 GTX/Roadrunner were the best looking of that genre. Of all of the Mopar offerings I would own a 1967 GTX for sure. 383/440/426 Hemi, I am not picky. 727 TorqueFlite was legendary.

You read my mind. The 1967 GTX ( first year) was one classy car, as was the sleeper low end Belvedere. The Belvedere below is a Hemi.

 

[Retired W4]

My Dad purchased a new 1966 Dodge Coronet, white w/burgundy buckets and automatic on the floor. The 318 2 barrel was no hot rod but way cool.

 

[ZGrand]

You read my mind. The 1967 GTX ( first year) was one classy car, as was the sleeper low end Belvedere. The Belvedere below is a Hemi.

If I had unlimited funds, I'd like to build a '67 GTX tribute car. For the engine I'd use a new MOPAR supercharged 426 crate hemi (with A/C which was not available on the original hemi GTX), a 6-speed manual, modern disc brakes, and modern (upgraded) suspension, wheels, and tires. I'd leave the exterior and interior as stock looking as possible. Then I'd drive the heck out of it!

 

[4barrel]

How about a look at the 335 383 at my shop?

 

[NYlakesider]

I will give you a roadrunner story. While it was illegal street racing in Albany was extremely popular, back then!

I had a highly modified 67 Dodge RT 440CI (same as the Plymouth GTX). It was a very quick car on the streets of Albany NY in the late 60s. I also worked part time at my buddies speed shop garage. A customer bought a new RR with the 383 4spd. We did our super tune on it and after driving and racing against many RR this one had some serious power to it.

Was on the street and watched a Chevy SS 396 beat the RR on 2 traffic light races. The RR driver was not a good stick shifter. I caught him at the next light and said lets change cars I'm going to give that SS a lesson in Mopar power.

Got up next to the SS and said lets go. He replied I already beat that car 2 times. I said you beat the driver not the car. So the next light we went at it. I got a good launch and power shifted 2ed so hard the seat went back all the way on the rails, hit 3rd gear and blew open the glove compartment.

Beat the Chevy quite well and we all pulled over in a lot to BS a bit. Then I happened to look at the kid that was riding shotgun in the road runner he was as white as a ghost. He finely said I did not realize this car could go that fast ))

 

[ladder13]

You read my mind. The 1967 GTX ( first year) was one classy car, as was the sleeper low end Belvedere. The Belvedere below is a Hemi.

Gimme a 67 Hemi GTX in triple black please.

69 Dodge Daytona rolled off the Mecum block in Dallas for $375G's.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

Road runners are expensive these days. Come to think of it I never seen one in person. I bet it was a amazing car

 

[Narragansett]

This is today's toy. I bought it in 1991 for 70 100 dollar bills. These run stronger than the 375 horse rating. When the L78 engine was put in the Corvette, it was rated at 425 hp. This is the exact same engine, but rated at 375 hp. All they did was pick a different point along the hp/rpm curve to come up with a rating. Why? As it was explained to me by a 30 year GM Corvette mechanic, the Corvette was the flagship car. Nothing could have equal to or greater than horsepower. This one is pure stock with 4:10's in the rear end and a TH400 tranny. Gages are in the console. 1970 year, 66K miles. Has not had a drop of rain on it since I got it

 

[poprivit]

OK, gentlemen - those are my two brothers and my girlfriend Jeri in the middle. Hey - someone had to take the photo

 

[prairieviper]

Me too moment - also my first new car. Mine was a hard-top, metallic brown with a cream color roof. I remember the sticker being about $3,200.

It actually had the 330 hp police interceptor 383 and a 4 speed with the 3.23 rear end. It would fly on the long straight Texas highways.

I got married the next year and my new wife couldn't drive a stick. Bye-bye Roadrunner.

Wow! I thought everybody could still drive a stick in those days! The Roadrunner was a car I always wanted but never got. I couldn't afford one back then.

 

[Retired W4]

I would take my 69 Runner to the NHRA track in Dothan AL. They ran in F Stock and, back then a straight show room car ran in F Pure Stock. I would win a couple races, but then I would eventually come up against a 69 Torino Cobra (428 CJ). Ford was lying through their teeth when they rated the CJ at 335 HP and that was the car that would win in class.

On a side note: Back then the Chevy dealer on Rucker Blvd. in Enterprise sold more Vettes than any other dealer in the USA. Lots of helicopter pilots there looking for...everything.

Corrected the association thing.

 

[gmarshall99]

I had a 1970 in blue with 383/ 4 speed. The pistol grip rattled so bad i swapped it for a Hurst shift handle with a white ball. Man that car would move out.
Sold it during the gas crunch.

 

[ladder13]

This is today's toy. I bought it in 1991 for 70 100 dollar bills. These run stronger than the 375 horse rating. When the L78 engine was put in the Corvette, it was rated at 425 hp. This is the exact same engine, but rated at 375 hp. All they did was pick a different point along the hp/rpm curve to come up with a rating. Why? As it was explained to me by a 30 year GM Corvette mechanic, the Corvette was the flagship car. Nothing could have equal to or greater than horsepower. This one is pure stock with 4:10's in the rear end and a TH400 tranny. Gages are in the console. 1970 year, 66K miles. Has not had a drop of rain on it since I got it

You are right about the HP under rating.
We used to go out to The BQE aka Connecting Highways in NYC on Sat nights circa 1968/69. Cars stopped and lined up right on the highway and raced down to the next overpass. Hundreds of people were lined up on the overpasses and in between.

One of the older guys, Jim McCue, had a SS 396/375 Nova, all black.
He won every time he raced the 1/4 mile on the roadway. The rumor was his car had a factory blueprinted engine. It sure ran like one, that Nova screamed down the roadway.

The NYPD had their hands full trying to stop the racing. It was cat and mouse all night. They would go down on the roadway, chase the racers, only to see them come back again and again.
Eventually, the cops opened the hydrants on the street above the roadway and flooded it.

Most drag races, most tickets handed out.

There's a page dedicated to the memory of the folks who raced there.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...highway.com/&usg=AOvVaw0d8R9bni6jFQJPEvPuOWze

 

[TheHobbyist]

Amazing how big the interiors were then. Pistol grip shifter and the wood dash. Some of the cleanest lines ever on a muscle car.

 

[Greyman50]

Had a 68 Roadrunner, 383 " improved", 4 speed with long Hurst shifter. British Racing Green with Goodyear raised white letter tires. Glove box would open when racing. Beat a Torino one night the guy said he had a 351 Cleveland. After the race he was PO'ed and opened his hood and it was a 428. My buddies laughed, IIRC got around 8 mile per gallon. Wish I had it now just to drive on weekends.

 

[M1Garandy]

I went to college with a guy from downstate that had a '69 Roadrunner that had been built from several wrecks. It had an 413 in it that came out of an earlier 60's Chrysler product. Didn't take much to break the tires loose in all four gears.

Another buddy from the same school has the '70 Plymouth 'cuda with a 383 and a four speed that his dad bought new off the showroom floor. Maybe someday he'll put it back together......

 

[Ruger Nut]

You are right about the HP under rating.
We used to go out to The BQE aka Connecting Highways in NYC on Sat nights circa 1968/69. Cars stopped and lined up right on the highway and raced down to the next overpass. Hundreds of people were lined up on the overpasses and in between.

One of the older guys, Jim McCue, had a SS 396/375 Nova, all black.
He won every time he raced the 1/4 mile on the roadway. The rumor was his car had a factory blueprinted engine. It sure ran like one, that Nova screamed down the roadway.

The NYPD had their hands full trying to stop the racing. It was cat and mouse all night. They would go down on the roadway, chase the racers, only to see them come back again and again.
Eventually, the cops opened the hydrants on the street above the roadway and flooded it.

Most drag races, most tickets handed out.

There's a page dedicated to the memory of the folks who raced there.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...highway.com/&usg=AOvVaw0d8R9bni6jFQJPEvPuOWze

RAPID RICK needs to be horse whipped for doing that to a 1969 Z/28.