Vehicle Description
1975 Plymouth Road Runner Hardtop
Plymouth threw down the gauntlet when it created the instant
sensation that was the original Road Runner. Properly equipped, it
and the redesigned editions that followed subsequently was the bane
of many a competing drag racer. Its glory days were short-lived,
however: Forces were gathering to quell factory performance, and
Speedius Maximus suffered along with the other iconic nameplates.
Yet while most of its competition was dead and gone by the
mid-'70s, the Road Runner lived on. Plymouth's decision to produce
a Satellite coupe that had a completely unique body-sharing no
sheet metal with the four-door-was unusual in the industry in 1971;
after the '74 model year, both Plymouth and Dodge dropped their
respective coupes and introduced new ones for 1975 that shared
styling with the existing sedans. At the same time, the Satellite
name was dropped and replaced with the Fury badge. Through all of
this, the Road Runner persevered, landing on the new B-body coupe
for what would turn out to be a one-year-only Fury-based Road
Runner. Period literature exclaimed that despite the then
modern-day consumer's appetite for personal luxury, the Road Runner
"...makes you forget that mistaken notion that cars can't be fun
anymore." An attempt to back up this claim was substantiated by its
availability only as a coupe sprinkled with special exterior
appearance items and access to a big-block engine.
This is only the second time one of the 7,138 Fury based Plymouth
Road Runners have graced our Hallowed Halls and what a treat it is
to have it here. While all the things we know and love about muscle
cars are essentially gone from this neutered performer, the basics
are still there. Eye-catching paint, out of this world graphics,
long nose and a short deck, and the all important V8. Wearing its
consignor-stated original yellow paint, original black vinyl
interior and having some recent service completed including a
rebuild at 46,920 miles on the odometer transmission, it's time to
get back out on the desert highway and keep on running from that
tenacious coyote. Speaking of which, stuffed versions of Wile E.
and his ever escaping partner Beep Beep are included with the
purchase.
Exterior
Bathed in its consignor-stated original Yellow Blaze and with
straight panels and well minded gaps, but some color fade on the
front and rear bumper inserts, this rare bird presents very well.
Chrome and black bezel headlights flank marker lights as well as
the grille with its pronounced rectangle divider sections. A large
chrome bumper hangs below this and shows in very good condition. A
long hood with black pinstriping sits between the fenders and leads
back to the clean raked back windshield. Black stripes run down the
length of the car at the belt line and follow the up the B-pillar
before looping over the roof. The iconic Warner Brothers cartoon
Roadrunner is just under the stripe on each door and is ready to
fly off in a cloud of dust. Combination tail and reverse lights
float outboard of the huge trunk lid and with its Star Wars deck
lid decal stripe and Road Runner decal harken back to the early
muscle car days. 14-inch Mopar Rally wheels are wrapped in like new
outlined white letter rubber adorn all 4 corners.
Interior
A swing of the heavy well balanced door and we see an all black
vinyl door panel with well padded tuck and roll vinyl mixed with
smooth black vinyl and a chrome surround in the center to give it
some wow. A black armrest floats in the sea of black and is fronted
by a chrome door release, window cranks, and mirror joystick. Down
below is a full length ribbed panel for some extra pizazz. Shiny
black vinyl high back bucket seats with a tuck and roll pattern are
floating in a sea of black carpet and are in splendid condition.
The rear bench seat mimics the buckets in material, design and
condition. A well padded 3 spoke sport steering wheel proudly sits
in front of the very basic instrument cluster in black with an
applique surround. Switches and dials in chrome are to the left of
the main cluster along with the heater controls and to the right we
see the factory AM/FM/8 track player. A small Road Runner logo is
in front of the passenger within a black and applique panel lest
your passenger forget what he/she is riding in. Racing between the
2 front buckets is a black console with its padded armrest/storage
bin, a forward storage bin, chrome handled shifter and aftermarket
tachometer. Black carpeting floods the floors and is believed to be
factory original.
Drivetrain
Resting in the unrestored and patinaed engine bay is the numbers
matching 318ci V8 in a nice blue hue. Chrome Moroso valve covers
break up the sea of blue and a 2bbl carburetor sits atop the intake
manifold providing the proper air/fuel mixture. A numbers matching
and rebuilt A904 3-speed automatic transmission sends power back to
an 8 1/4" rear axle. The very strong and reliable combo here!
Undercarriage
A fine mix of patina, road dirt, and factory undercoating is noted
below. No invasive rust is seen, just surface rust on the usual
suspects. An independent torsion bar front suspension is on with
new adjusters and blocks and for the rear we see new leaf springs,
new helper springs and air shocks along with a new rear sway bar
and . Fairly new front shocks are noted as well. A new master
cylinder controls the front power disc brakes and rear power drums
with new shoes and drums for the stopping power and headers send
spent fossils through the newer dual exhaust system with Flowmaster
mufflers.
Drivability
Since it was a glorious sunny day I took my crack decoder, partner
in crime and all around good guy along for my drive, (I do let him
out of his hole occasionally). With a twist of the key the 318ci V8
instantly came to life and settled into a smooth idle. Shifting was
smooth, braking was bias free, and handling was well above average.
I did notice that the dash lights and the passenger wiper were non
functional during my drive, the latter being the result of needing
a new bushing on the wiper linkage. The engineers at Plymouth hit
the nail on the head with this one, a sporty body and a luxury, and
we returned with an ear to ear grin on our faces.
If you are into the unusual, overlooked, and rare then you should
stop at the Classic Auto Mall and give this 1 of 7,183 built Road
Runner a look. Is it a Hemi, nope. A Superbird, nope. But it's
almost certainly guaranteed you won't see another one at a local
car show. A numbers matching drivetrain, original paint, great body
lines, and a touch of class you can have your muscle and luxury
too.
RM21G5G166555
R-Plymouth B Body
M-Medium Price Class
21-2 Door Hardtop Coupe
G-318ci V8 2bbl
5-1975
G-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
166555-Sequential Unit Number
FENDER TAG
E44 318ci V8 2bbl 150hp
D34 T904 TorqueFlite Automatic
RM21
R = Plymouth Road Runner
M = Medium
21 = 2 Door Coupe
G4G
G = 318ci V8 2bbl 150hp
5 = 1975
G = St. Louis, MO, USA
166555 Sequence Number '166555'
KY5-Yellow Blaze
B6X9
Trim Grade/Style/Color
B = B Class
6 = Vinyl Bucket Seats
X9 = Black
000 Upper Door Frame: Full Door Panel
C20-Date Built: 12 / 20 / 1973
117465-Order Number: 117465
KY5-Roof Type/Color Yellow Blaze
U-Built to Specifications for USA Order
B41-Front Disc Brakes Some Yrs. Power
C16-Console w/ Buckets
C56-Bucket Seats 1972 up
F1...for more information please contact the seller.