1970 Plymouth Road Runner 440+6
Quality is NOT relative. Good cars are good cars, and if you are someone who understands that buying the best is always smarter than buying cheap and trying to make it better, then this 1970 Plymouth Road Runner will talk to you in a big way. We’ve had quite a few spectacular cars pull through our showroom, but this In Violet Six-Pack Road Runner might just be the highest quality car we’ve ever had. Hard to believe? Look closely at the photos and understand that this is a fresh restoration by guys who know these cars better than almost anyone (because they were there on the assembly line in 1970 when they were going out the door). It is a real-deal V-code Six Pack car. It is a real In Violet car. It’s a real Super Track Pack car. It has a very long list of options, plus a few smart upgrades that transform it into a car that drives just as amazing as it looks. In short, if you want amazing, this Beeper delivers.
Only 429 V-code Road Runner sedans were built, and you know the guys who picked these cars did it on purpose. The B-pillar adds strength and torsional rigidity that you can feel from behind the wheel. Combined with a lifetime in the warm, dry Texas heat, this is the most solid-feeling Mopar we’ve ever driven. Not a squeak or rattle anywhere in the car and closing the door feels like you’re snugging the hatch on the space shuttle. It is PRECISE. Since it comes from Texas, 100% of the sheetmetal is original, including floors, trunk, trunk extensions, quarters, fenders, doors, and the hood. All means all. No patches, no reproduction parts, and no questionable bodywork hiding underneath. That is probably a good part of why it feels so solid—you just can’t patch a car back together and have it feel the same. It was covered in gorgeous two-stage urethane paint that accurately replicates the original FC7 In Violet purple but with a depth and gloss that they couldn’t even imagine in 1970. The blacked-out hood stripes, dust trail decals, and other exclusive Road Runner details were all accurately replicated. And yes, the Air Grabber is fully operational. There’s also a black vinyl top that really makes this car look slick, and it was replaced with proper material that looks factory fresh (and obviously there are no issues underneath). All the chrome and stainless was either restored or replaced and even the grille is in spectacular condition. You will not find a better one.
The black bucket seat interior is all-new as well, and you can see that this is a very well-optioned Road Runner. In fact, here’s the fender tag breakdown:
RM21: Plymouth Belvedere,Satellite, Road Runner 2-door coupe V0G: 440 390 horsepower 3×2-barrel V8 1970 St. Louis, MO, USA 148921: Sequence number
E87: 440 cubic inch 3×2 barrel V8 (High Performance) 390 hp D21: 4-speed manual transmission FC7: In Violet Metallic exterior color P6XA: Trim – Premium, vinyl bucket seats, Charcoal/Black TX9: Black interior door frames A24: Build date: October 24 100557: Order number V1X: Full vinyl top, Black A33: Track Pak w/3.54 ratio A87: Road Runner Decor Package C16: Console w/woodgrain panel G33: LH remote racing mirror J25: 3-speed wipers M21: Roof drip rail moldings N85: Tachometer N96: Fresh air hood V21: Performance hood treatment 26: 26-inch radiator END: End of sales codes
The interior is just beautiful and totally erases any notion that the Road Runner was an inexpensive car built down to a price. The buckets are as comfortable as they look with fresh foam underneath those new seat covers, the carpets are protected by custom-made embroidered floor mats, and the wood-rimmed steering wheel is just gorgeous. A full set of Rallye Gauges keep a fairly accurate eye on the 440 up front, although there’s an auxiliary oil pressure gauge just for safety. And yes, they all work including the clock in the Tick-Tock-Tach. The radio is a correct Music Master AM unit that also works correctly, although a glance at the fender tag suggests that this was a radio delete car originally (like I said, you know why guys bought cars like this back in 1970). The pistol-grip shifter feels awesome in your hand and you’ll note that the gear pattern now shows five forward gears instead of four, thanks to a fresh Tremec TKO 5-speed manual transmission living underneath (the original A033 4-speed manual gearbox is included with the car). That overdrive makes the car very easy to live with, particularly with the 3.54 gears out back—it just loafs along at 1800 RPM on the highway, the middle two barrels of the Six Pack setup barely cracked open. It’s not thrifty, but at least it’s not going to drain your wallet. The bright red switch for the Air Grabber pops the scoop open properly, all the interior lights work, and the dash lights are LEDs so it’s nice and bright at night. In the trunk you’ll find a correct mat and an original spare wheel and tire assembly that’s probably worth $1000 all by itself (the wheels on Super Track Pack Road Runners are unique).
The highly detailed engine bay hosts a correct HP-coded date-code-correct 440 cubic inch V8 with its original Six Pack induction system. The engine was fully rebuilt during the restoration and has about 500 break-in miles on it, so it’s tuned and ready to enjoy. The rotating assembly and internals are stock save for an .030 overbore, and it was topped by a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads and fired by a Mallory distributor—modifications I doubt anyone will complain about. Hemi Orange paint on the block and air cleaner assembly looks awesome against the purple inner panels and those finned Mopar Performance valve covers are certainly part of the hi-po look. Correct clamps, fasteners, tags, and markings were used throughout, so it looks very much the way the factory intended—even the battery is a reproduction red cap unit. For a car with three carburetors, it starts incredibly easily and idles well, even when it’s cold, although you can instantly tell this isn’t a luxury car motor. There’s a lope to the idle that’s menacing as hell and you can feel a slight stop in the throttle travel that tells you you’re about to dip into the secondaries and you should probably hold on tight. It isn’t fussy, there’s plenty of oil pressure, it doesn’t run hot, and it makes plenty of electricity, just like it should. This car isn’t a trailer queen, it was built to be driven and we respect the guys who go the extra mile on a restoration like this.
The aforementioned Tremec 5-speed manual features a fresh clutch and hydraulic slave cylinder, so pedal effort is light and you’ll never miss another shift thanks to the bulletproof 5-speed. The Super Track Pack option included an indestructible Dana 60 rear end, with this one full of 3.54 gears on a limited slip—it’s punchy but quite comfortable on the highway. Power steering and front disc brakes have been on it since new and every single component in the suspension has been rebuilt from top to bottom. The shocks are new, the brakes are new, the bearings are new, the bushings are new, and, well, you get the picture. No, the front lower control arms aren’t rusty, they’ve been dipped in Cosmoline, just like when they were new. Ceramic-coated long-tube headers feed a custom X-pipe exhaust system that sounds awesome (the original exhaust manifolds are also included with the car) and terminates in polished tips under the rear bumper, just like it should. Again, correct markings and labels were used throughout the chassis and the floors showcase the spectacular original sheetmetal I mentioned earlier. This car is very right in every single way. Even the rear brake drums are painted red, just as they were when it was new (but only when you ordered Rallye wheels). Those Rallye wheels are corrected finished with Argent paint and polished trim rings, and fitted with staggered 225/70/15 front and 275/60/15 rear BFGoodrich T/A radials.
Documentation includes original manuals, a window sticker, and some restoration receipts.
This is the most incredible Road Runner we’ve ever seen and one of the most impressive cars of any kind we’ve ever featured. The detailing is exceptional, the workmanship is beyond reproach, and it’s just a flat out great-looking car. If you’re a Mopar fan, you know this is special and any smart collector understand that quality is all that matters. This car nails it. Call today!
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