1977 Plymouth Road Runner

Now heres something you just dont see every day. I know that everyone looks at the mid-1970s as the black hole of automotive performance, but maybe if more people had known about cars like this 1977 Plymouth Volare Road Runner, things would have been different. 360 cubic inches, T-tops, and enough attitude to fill a hockey rink? Its time to re-evaluate your thoughts on Mopar performance in the 70s. This is a heavily optioned car, too, with two fender tags worth of information. It was also one of the tougher ones weve had to decode, since so little information exists on these cars. E57360 2-barrel engineD33Torqueflite 3-speed automatic transmissionHL29Volare 2-door coupeK7B360-2 BBL 5.9L, 1977, Hamtramck267098Sequence numberMV1Paint color: Spitfire OrangeD6XWDeluxe black and white bucket seats000Upper Door Frame: Full Door PanelB18Build date: November 18, 1976161209Order Number: 161209MV1Top color: Spitfire OrangeUUSAA57F-Body Road Runner PackageA66F-Body Super Pack PackageB41Front Heavy Duty Disc Brakes with 10" Rear DrumC15Deluxe seat belt groupC16ConsoleC56Dual reclining bucket seatsF1865 amp HD alternatorG01Electric heated rear window defrosterG11Tinted glassallG54LH Outside Race MirrorG66UnknownG76F-Body Dual Remote MirrorsH51Single Air Conditioning with HeaterJ52Inside Hood ReleaseK6VUnknownK8XUnknownM21Roof Drip Rail MoldingsM31Belt and Hood MoldingsCTDContinued on 2nd tagM43Grille Surround MoldingsM55T-Bar RoofN37UnknownP25Power Left Seat Bucket or 50/50, Power Driver's SeatR11AM radio2626-inch radiatorL1Unknown03Unknown275Unknown So this is definitely a high-option car with a good pedigree. Someone took a lot of time and money restoring it, and it is full of NOS parts to make it possibly the nicest 77 Road Runner in the world. Tell me thishave you ever seen another one this nice? The body work is straight and clean, with no signs of massive surgery. There arent any reproduction panels available for these cars as far as I know, so any patches would be immediately obvious. Im seeing none. The panel gaps are factory equivalent, which is amazing considering how much this body must move around with those T-tops. The 2-stage Spitfire Orange paint was well applied, and Im guessing those are NOS decals on the body, because I cant find any reproduction stuff on the Internet. Where the heck did they find things like that? As a product of the wild 70s, you theres a lot of chrome and other trim on this car, and it is all present and in good condition. The bumpers have obviously been rechromed, since theyre nicer than factory chrome ever was, and things like the grille and headlight bezels must be NOS or perfect originals. The glass is probably a combination of new and original stuff, but the T-tops are definitely originals and seal up very well with new weather stripping. The rear quarter windows are also likely original, and the original plastic louvers over them are excellent and undamaged. Mechanically, this car has had some serious upgrades in the horsepower department, and thats a good thing. Originally an emissions-choked 360 2-barrel, the car now sports a built 360 topped by an Edelbrock intake manifold and 4-barrel carburetor, all underneath a correct 4-barrel air cleaner with authentic decals. An expert will be able to spot the difference, but the builder went the extra mile to make it look factory authentic under there, despite the upgrades. The engine is dressed in the correct turquoise paint, and like the muscle cars of yore, the ground cable was attached to the engine before it was painted, so theres correct overspray on it. Youll also note the giant factory A/C compressor and lines, all of which have been restored right down to the decals and tags on the compressor housing. The hoses are NOS pieces with the correct clamps, the correct electronic ignition module is mounted on the fender, and the original emissions equipment is all present, although without the original 2-barrel carb, it is not currently connected. Seriously, do you really want it sucking the horsepower out of the engine? The transmission is a dead-reliable Torqueflite 3-speed automatic that was rebuilt at the same time as everything else, and it seems to have a high-performance torque converter and shift kit in it, because this isnt a mushy luxury car transmission. The rest of the chassis has been restored to much better than factory new, and theres no undercoating hiding any of the details. The same base/clear paint used up top makes the floor pans look like a million bucks, and the suspension has been highly detailed in a variety of authentic colors and finishes. The suspension and brakes are fully rebuilt and ride like it just rolled off the showroom floor, and theres a new true dual exhaust system without catalytic converters that sounds great and really lets the small block under the hood breathe properly. Rolling stock consists of 14-inch Rallye wheels with 215/70/14 Goodyear Eagle ST radials. Open the doors and find a great-looking white interior that was restored in the not-too-distant past. The seat covers, carpets, door panels, headliner and even some of the trim pieces are either new or NOS pieces. The dash pad and visors are original, and the gauges have been rebuilt. The steering wheel is a NOS Tuff Wheel and theres a new Mopar Performance tach on the console ahead of the shifter. The console has been refinished, and the AM radio works perfectly. The power drivers seat has been replaced with a lighter and more reliable manual model. In back, the trunk has also been restored to new condition with a new mat. If youre into the unusual, the overlooked, or the just plain rare, then you really should take a second look at this Volare Road Runner. No, its not Hemi powerful, or Superbird outrageous, but I guarantee youll never see another one at a show. With the warmed-over small block under the hood and a nice restoration, it will be something unique and an absolute blast to drive and own. Im quite certain that they spent more on the restoration than were asking for the car, so its a very inexpensive way to get into the Mopar club in a big way. This is exactly the kind of car that doesnt last long here at RK Motorsreasonably priced, ready to drive and show, and rare enough to make it worth collecting. If youre one of those guys who grew up in the 70s like I did, then give us a call on this rare piece of nostalgia.