Frame Up Restored Road Runner 383 4 Speed

The last time I saw a Sub-Lime 1969 Road Runner, it was a day before our big open house last summer. We didn't finish the photo shoot on it before the show, so we left it in the booth. When we opened Saturday morning, the fourth guy through the door saw it, fell in love, and bought it on the spot. Nicely restored Road Runners have that effect on people, it seems, and I don't know about you, but I LOVE Sub-Lime green. Add in big block power and a 4-speed, and you've got a great cruiser that will hold its head high at any local show you're likely to attend. And like the '69 Camaro we showcased a few weeks ago, this one is a car for you guys who want to drive. No irreplaceable parts, no 1-of-a-kind engines, just a straight, honest, high-impact car that is just itching to get out on the road and while away some miles. Oh, and look at that factory-correct A/C for hot summer nights!

The original fender tag is still on this car, and while it's a short one, I know how important it is to Mopar fans. Here's the decode:

RM21:Plymouth Belvedere,SatelliteMedium, Road Runner2 Door Coupe

H96: 383 330HP OR 335HP 1-4BBL 8 CYL1969ST Louis, MO, USA

274095: Sequence number

E63: 383 cubic inch 4-barrel V8 High PerformanceD21: 4-Speed Manual Transmission96E: Unknown Exterior ColorH2T: Trim - High, Vinyl Bench Seat, TanT7: Dark Bronze Metallic / Burnished Bronze Metallic Int. Door Frames523: Build Date: May 23 1969250552: Order number

M21: Roof drip rail moldingsR11: Radio Solid State AM (2 Watts)END: End of Sales Codes

OK, so it's not an extensive list of options, but the good stuff is there: a 383 cubic inch big block and a 4-speed transmission, items that most enthusiasts put right at the tops of their wish lists. That 96E paint code is puzzling and we've got a bunch of Mopar guys scratching their heads. Based on our analysis of how the car was actually built (those areas of the body that are impossible to blast clean), it appears this Road Runner was originally Bahama Yellow. Regardless, when the time came to restore it, the builder obviously wanted a little more zing! on display, and chose Sub-Lime instead. Who can blame him? The body was stripped down bare, and anything that needed to be fixed was addressed, including new quarter panels and a new trunk floor. Once all the rust was permanently excised from the body, hours of prep time were spent making the old and new pieces merge seamlessly and in preparation for that 2-stage High-Impact paint. Gaps were addressed, panels were aligned, and then it was time to spray. Several coats of color and clear went on, and once it had cured, the satin black performance hood treatment was applied. Up top, a new black vinyl top was installed and is in brand new condition. Correct badges were installed throughout the car, the chrome was re-plated, and the stainless was polished. All new weather-stripping was installed and the Road Runner has been driven 100 test miles only since the restoration was completed. The engine is a non-numbers-matching 383, rebuilt to stock specs and detailed exceptionally well. Bathed in correct Hemi Orange paint, it was nestled into the nicely painted engine bay, where it really stands out against the Sub-Lime paint. Kudos to the builder for seeking out original components to retrofit A/C and power steering to the car instead of purchasing the commonly available kits. It adds a lot of authenticity and works just as well. There's a correct wrinkle-finish air cleaner atop the recent Edelbrock carburetor, original exhaust manifolds in excellent condition, and an original 26-inch radiator up front. The 383s are great-running engines, with a willingness to rev that their larger brothers don't quite share. This one fires up easily and idles with a happy burble from the twin tailpipes, and pulls through the gears with a lot more authority than you'd expect from 383 cubic inches. Even with the A/C running, it stays cool, there are no leaks, and it goes about its business with a minimum of fussing exactly what you want from a hobby car. Yeah, you can have fun in the garage, but fixing something that someone else supposedly restored isn't my idea of fun, and this car will not give you such headaches.

The transmission is a correct but non-matching 4-speed, driving a heavy duty Dana 60 rear with 3.55 gears and a Sure-Grip limited slip. The floors sport original-style undercoating, though if you look closely enough, you can see that it was applied when the car was restored, not 40 years ago. New dual exhaust uses Flowmaster mufflers with correct tips exiting under the rear bumper, and it sounds killer. The suspension is original equipment, and power disc brakes have been added up front. New shocks hang at all four corners, and it rides on a set of gorgeous Magnum 500 wheels shod with 245/60R15 BFGoodrich T/A radials.

Look inside, and you'll find an all-new black vinyl interior. The Road Runners were no-frills cars, so the bench seat and non-console shifter should not be a surprise, and I think the basic nature of these cars are a big part of their appeal. The seat covers front and rear are brand new and were stretched over new foam so the car feels new. New carpets were installed along with a fresh headliner overhead. The gauges were rebuilt and nestled into a nicely preserved dashboard with bright chrome and a fresh pad. The rim-blow steering wheel is in excellent condition and still controls an authentic Beep-beep! horn under the hood. Seatbelts were re-webbed with new belts, the door panels were expertly restored, and, well, what else can I say? The interior in this car looks virtually new in every notable way. Pop the deck-lid and you'll find a correctly finished trunk with a new mat, full jack and tool set, along with a full-sized matching spare tire.

Documentation includes the original owner's manual and receipts for much of the recent work.

As I said earlier, the last Sub-Lime Road Runner we had in here literally sold within hours of arrival. This one is every bit as nice, and carries the added bonus of A/C, it's a factory 4-speed car, and all the work is done. I know what it costs to restore a car like this, and it's a lot more than the asking price, so it's always in your best interest to buy a car already done. Today, as when they were new, the Road Runners are great foundations for just about anything you'd like to do with a car, and this very solid, straight, well-presented car is as good as new in every way. It's not so rare that you can't have fun with it, and with the 383 under the hood, it will be stone-cold reliable for tooling around town or a cross-country haul to the Mopar Nationals. And nobody absolutely nobody will miss you with that brilliant paint job. I like this car a lot and I think you will, too. Call today!