1969 Plymouth Road Runner

Quick, whats B5 Blue, has 660 horsepower and goes, Beep beep!? The answer, of course, is this killer 1969 Hemi Road Runner tribute with a massive 528 cubic inch stroker motor under the hood. The Plymouth Road Runner was the rebirth of the classic muscle car formula: cheap car, no frills, big horsepower. They were stripped-down road warriors that were designed only to go fast in a straight line, and Plymouth gave buyers a wide variety of options to choose from to customize the car just the way they wanted. The standard engine was a 383, but there were optional 440 Six-Packs and the famous Hemi, too, for those who really wanted the ultimate street weapon. Unfortunately, the cost of the Hemi put it out of reach of the Road Runners core demographic, and very few were sold. Today, however, members of that demographic are older, wiser and richer, and have the means to recreate that special car that they just couldnt quite manage when they were younger. And thats where this gorgeous 69 Road Runner comes in. Yes, it started off as a base 383 4-barrel car with an automatic, but thats not important. What is important is that it was a super straight and clean Road Runner that would be the perfect foundation for this Hemi tribute car. Its a two-door post sedan body with all the original panels still in place. This was a near perfect car with no major rust repairs needed. The original quarters, trunk pan, floors fenders, hood, and trunk are all the factory parts. The car was mounted on the rotisserie, taken down to bare metal, E-coated and sealed, then every panel smoothed, including the underside, and any damage or wrinkles were removed to achieve a factory delivered look. Once it was straight, the owner specified DuPont Chromabase B5 blue base/clear paint in place of the original X9 Black Velvet, and it was applied to show standards. At the same time, all the original trim was refinished or replaced, as was the front and rear glass, giving the car a better-than-OEM appearance that will make jaws drop at shows. The paint and bodywork alone took over 2000 hours and cost more than $22,000, and it looks the part! No doubt about it, this car has a ton of eyeball appeal. Pop the hood and youre in for a real treat. Built by CompuFlow Engines in Cleveland, Ohio, this stroked 528 cubic inch Hemi is cranking out an estimated 660 horsepower on pump gas. It features a Mopar Performance block, Callies crank, Manley rods, a custom roller cam with almost .700 lift, topped with a dual inline intake with a pair of new Edelbrock 700 CFM carburetors. A set of 2.25-inch ceramic-coated headers with 3.5-inch collectors feeds exhaust to the 3-inch TTI exhaust system that features QTP electric cut-outs and factory tips under the rear bumper. On top, theres an authentic Air Grabber air cleaner complete with Coyote Duster decal. A real Hemi 054 radiator keeps everything cool. Theres an appraisal that comes with the car, and in it the appraiser has this to say about the engine: The 528 Hemi stroker is a beast. The test drive went well. The car pulls hard and doesnt stop. Definitely a car for a performance minded driver. Thats some endorsement! The engine is dressed in correct Hemi Orange paint, the valve covers are the authentic wrinkle finish, and it is all put together to make an engine compartment youll be proud to show off. The detailing of the entire engine bay is first rate, with no signs of sloppy workmanship or overspray. The paint on the fenders and firewall is as nice as the exterior, and its clear that someone took the time to sweat the little stuff. Of course, it drives even better than it looks, with enough power in any gear at any speed to absolutely incinerate the rear tires. The rest of the powertrain is certainly up to the job of harnessing and applying all that horsepower. The transmission is a full race-built 727 TorqueFlite automatic with a manual reverse valve body and a 3800 RPM stall speed torque converter, all controlled by the original column shifter. Out back, theres a correct 69 Dana 60 packed with 4.10 gears and a Sure Grip limited slip differential. It came to us sitting on a set of chrome Cragar wheels for a cool vintage speed look, but we dressed it up with a set of authentic-looking Magnums and redline radials for a truly show-stopping package that looks much more natural. Braking comes from the original manual drum brakes on all 4 corners, which have been fully rebuilt and stop the car reliably. They system has also been upgraded with a new dual-reservoir master cylinder and stainless steel lines. The steering is via the original manual steering rack, which, while slow, provides decent road feel compared to its over-damped power-assisted brothers. The entire suspension has been rebuilt and reconditioned. There are new shocks all around, and out back are new Mopar 3800-pound Super Stock springs with a new pinion snubber and factory sway bar. Up front, new bushings, shocks, sway bar and tie rods make the drive like new. Inside, youll find an all-new interior from Legendary and it looks, well, legendary. The deluxe interior in non-original medium blue was used to dress up the plain-Jane Road Runner and compliment the new B5 Blue paint on the exterior and it looks dynamite. Its all new, and you know how good the Legendary stuff is, so I dont need to tell you that its just perfect from behind the wheel. The gauges are clean, including the rare in-dash tachometer mounted to the right of the wide speedometer. The odometer shows just 54,453 miles, which are claimed to be authentic and original, and it has just 300 miles since it was rebuilt. This car looks the part of a low-buck racer with a radio-delete plate in the center of the dash, and a pair of Auto Meter oil pressure and water temperature gauges hanging underneath. The rim-blow steering wheel has been fully restored, and a gentle squeeze cues a cheerful Beep! from under the hood. The trunk is detailed properly with a correct trunk mat, spare and jack. Keep in mind that Best of Show churns out award winning restorations and custom builds. If you are a manual shift kind of guy, this Road Runner is the perfect candidate for a Keisler Tremec 5 speed manual conversion. We can install a complete conversion package with hydraulic clutch and center console for about $7,000.00. Image a nice freeway gear mated to this 660 HP HEMI car. Can anyone say 155 MPH! Tribute cars are all about second chances, both for the owner and the car. The builder of this car probably wanted a Hemi-powered Road Runner, but couldnt afford them when they were new and definitely cant afford a real one today. This car was certainly not cheap to build, and it is first-rate throughout, which should tell you how much real Hemis are worth these days ...For more information please call the seller.