1968 Plymouth Road Runner

[Hemi Moose]

For 1968 the Road Runner came in either a coupe or a hardtop model, the high-performance 383 4-barrel was the standard engine, the 426 Hemi engine was optional...There were no 68 Road Runners built with 440 4-barrel engine, and no Road Runner convertibles were built that year.

[Jim Wahl]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

All that sticks in my memory was that a 340 Duster/Dart Swinger A-body car, was about two tenths quicker in pure stock trim, than the 335/383 Road Runner package with any given drive train and that really surprised me. Took me a long time to reconcile that fact....

As I posted before I wanted a Road Runner, but when it came time and I could afford a new car I bought a 1971 340 Demon with and auto and 3.91 suregrip. It took some driving finesse but bone stock with headers and E70/15 Goodyears it ran 14.11 @ 99 . I still own this car which served me well as a bracket racer, a Stocker and a Super Stocker for many years. It has 15,003 original miles on it. I love that car! Jim

.

[Don Morris]

After a 3 year stint with a '70 429 SCJ Torino, and with cash burning burning a hole in my pocket, I bought a '68 Hemi RR off a used car lot in Denver in '74. That thing ran so bad, it would hardly rev up. Needless to say, I was a bit dissapointed. Soon enough though, I started learning about tuning on a hemi. It was such a kick to drive. You just wanted to put your foot in it all the time. Turns out someone had installed 4.89 (4.88?) gears in it. No wonder it thrilled.

One of the most memorable times on the street was a Boss 429 that took three beatings one evening, before he resigned himself to the fact that he did not have the beans to beat the Hemi.

At the risk of embarrassment though, I must admit I got beat pretty badly by a very stock appearing '701/2 Z28 on another occasion. I suspect that he was not sporting a 350. All I saw was his tailights as he kept pulling away. Ouch!

I later turned that car into my first Stock Eliminator ride in about 1976.

That's my Road Runner story.

[greg fulk]

My Grandfather said he loved to see 390 Fairlanes, Comets, & 383 Road Runners @ the track with his 66 Impala SS 396/325....But said the 57 Chevy FI cars were another story!( he had the trophys to prove it)

[Greg Reimer 7376]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

As I posted before I wanted a Road Runner, but when it came time and I could afford a new car I bought a 1971 340 Demon with and auto and 3.91 suregrip. It took some driving finesse but bone stock with headers and E70/15 Goodyears it ran 14.11 @ 99 . I still own this car which served me well as a bracket racer, a Stocker and a Super Stocker for many years. It has 15,003 original miles on it. I love that car! Jim

.

Glad to hear about your experiences. I remember the 340 Dusters. They would really surprise you if you didn't know about them. Back in that day, there were so many muscle car combinations that there were several that didn't get the attention they deserved.

[Ron Ortiz]

Purchased a 1968 1/2 in Viet Nam, had delivered to Miami, FL for pick up. It was midnight metallic blue. The '68 1/2 were slightly different in the tail lights. Had a 383 Sure Grip 3:23.
Had a friend who weighed about 300 lbs and worked at Miami Hollywood Speedway. He took me out and showed me how to shift and introduced me to drag racing. I thought he was going to rip the shifter out of the floor with his bang shifts, thought that was really cool.
The motor must have been one of the first off the assembly line as it was way quicker than any of the RR I ran Best time was a 14.03. Managed to acquire 3 speeding tickets the first month I owned it.
Entered my first race, the East Coast Winternationals and won the Eliminator running F/Pure Stock. Now I hooked. Had a six foot trophy riding in the front seat on the way home. This Mustang pulls up next to me and like an idiot I had to show what I had. Blew him off the line as he turned left down the road a piece and I noticed the blue lights behind me for ticket #4. Have not street raced since.

Put a giant hood scoop on it painted in multi colored snake skin. Won a buch of local races and then ended up working at the track also. Sold the car for a motorcycle.

Now I own a station wagon as it is convenient to haul around friends in the pits.

Ron Ortiz
U/SA and I'm still going 14's

[Paul Ceasrine]

The famous 1968 Road Runner 'Beep Beep Horn'

Developed by the Spartan Corporation, for $10,000.

The first Road Runner horn was all back, with no decal.

Near the end of the 1968 production year, the decal with
"Voice of the Road Runner" was added.



Road Runner Fun Fact;
When Chrysler Corporation struck a deal with Warner Brothers
in 1967 for $50,000 for the rights to name the new car the 'Road Runner' and brand
emblems on the car, it was based upon a production number of
2500 cars......More or less, $20 per car.

Of course, sales for the 1968 production year reached numbers beyond Chrysler's wildest
dream at 46,000+.

And at Warner Brothers, viewership increased by over 28% for the Saturday Morning
Bugs Bunny & Road Runner Show,,,especially with males between the ages of 18 to 25....

[bill dedman]

Originally Posted by Jim Wahl

As I posted before I wanted a Road Runner, but when it came time and I could afford a new car I bought a 1971 340 Demon with and auto and 3.91 suregrip. It took some driving finesse but bone stock with headers and E70/15 Goodyears it ran 14.11 @ 99 . I still own this car which served me well as a bracket racer, a Stocker and a Super Stocker for many years. It has 15,003 original miles on it. I love that car! Jim

.

In early 1972 I was driving a 1964 Valiant 2 door sedan, bone stock 273 car and wanting more beans. I couldn't afford a new car, but spied a rolled-over 4-speed '71 Demon 340 in a junkyard that they were pulling the powertrain out of. I bought everything from the fan to the 3.91 Sure Grip 8.75" and it all went into my unsuspecting, sad-looking '64 Valiant.

Now, I had my 340 A-body...

With the the addition of a 3,000-pound clutch, a 4.56:1 limited slip, headers, slicks, a "Riddler" Stock eliminator Lunati cam, and blocked heat-risers, I now had a 12-second street ride that was still the saddest-looking sleeper you ever saw...

The only car I've ever owned that was never outrun...

Here's a picture of the "Trojan Horse".... and the "business office... hee hee...

[Paul Ceasrine]

Bill,

Didn't they call those camshafts 'VOODOO',,,,,,,,

On the subject of the 1968 Plymouth Road Runner.
Despite it's 1968 success,,,,,,,the 68' Pontiac GTO won out as
the 1968 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

The 1969 Plymouth Road Runner was the 1969 Car of the Year.
Motor Trend Magazine, February 1969.

[Dennis P Chapman]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

In early 1972 I was driving a 1964 Valiant 2 door sedan, bone stock 273 car and wanting more beans. I couldn't afford a new car, but spied a rolled-over 4-speed '71 Demon 340 in a junkyard that they were pulling the powertrain out of. I bought everything from the fan to the 3.91 Sure Grip 8.75" and it all went into my unsuspecting, sad-looking '64 Valiant.

Now, I had my 340 A-body...

With the the addition of a 3,000-pound clutch, a 4.56:1 limited slip, headers, slicks, a "Riddler" Stock eliminator Lunati cam, and blocked heat-risers, I now had a 12-second street ride that was still the saddest-looking sleeper you ever saw...


The only car I've ever owned that was never outrun...

Here's a picture of the "Trojan Horse".... and the "business office... hee hee...

Bill
That would of been a good street race make some money with it.