440ci 6-Pack V8/NM A833 Manual/Air Grabber Hood/Clean Interior/True Road Runner

1970 Plymouth Road Runner Hardtop  

For consignment, a converted to 440ci V8 1970 Road Runner with an Air Grabber hood, some replacement steel, and bathed in orange with black accenting.  We have a classic that was a key right in the middle of the muscle car era, and created a bar for the other manufacturers to try to meet as to toughness and reliability with the power to outrun the Po Po…

Exterior
Screaming Vitamin C Orange paint on this car is pretty much top notch with just a few areas where filler work is seen on the rockers and a drip or two is noted along with rear quarter panel repairs on the lowers.  As to the hood, an N96 fresh air version, also known as the Air Grabber option is on and very straight steel, well minded gaps and shiny trimmings are abounding on this example, with its dual round horizontal headlights flanking either side of a deeply inset blacked out chrome trimmed egg crate grille.  Badging on the hood states 440+6 and that is no dress up, but more on that later.  A wide black stripe runs rearward from the hood to the windshield and is dressed with outboard thinner black stripes.  Up high is a near perfect black vinyl top that works with the polished window molding to highlight the clean and clear glass.  One has to love the detail on the rear glass with its “ogee” bottom window trim shape just adding some interest to the overall lines of this pretty much square and rectangle design car.  The rear quarter corners are “canted” inward with a rectangular tail light on each corner.  Also, below is another shiny pristine bumper and dual exhaust pipes peeking out from below.  Polished and chrome laden 15-inch Cragar S/S wheels are wrapped by new BFG blackwall rubber,  225/70's for the front, and 275/60's for the rear yielding a slight rake to the car's stance.  Neat Road Runner cartoon badges are noted on the front fenders and trunk lid back.

Interior
Options are king on these early muscle cars as at this time they all cost extra money, which with the original buyer was no object.  So currently, we note black steel sills in the doors that sport black vinyl in their centers which provide a field of play for the armrest/actuator, and window crank.  More black steel is on the bottoms of the doors and these have like new rubber seals and no rust on the edges at the thresholds.  The seats up front are bucket style with black vinyl covering the smooth bolsters and charcoal black vinyl inserts separated by white piping as well as tall integrated headrests on top of each seat.  For the back passengers a rear bench in the same black vinyl pattern allows for extras to go along for the ride in the Fratzog emblazoned glory.  An original dash showing in near perfect condition in black padded vinyl up top and black textured vinyl for the background of the gauges which include a factory Tick-Tock-Tachometer.  Fronting the dash is an original 3 spoke wood rimmed steering wheel that has a padded center with Road Runner central badging.  In the dash center resides a newer aftermarket AM/FM/CD player and just below a single aftermarket gauge is hanging below the dash.  Racing between the buckets is a black plastic console with an applique dressed insert providing the home for the Hurst pistol grip shifter before disappearing under the dash.  A like new, tight, black vinyl headliner is above, and it has a working dome light in the center.  Below all floats some black clean carpeting.  

Drivetrain
Getting right to the heart of the matter, we fling open that N96 hood and are greeted by a like new engine which is not the original engine...its better!  We note an orange painted block in 440ci size.  This engine is circa 1973-1978 and has polished chrome valve covers, a beautiful matte silver intake with a 3 some of 2-barrel carburetors on top that were rebuilt by Holley in 2020.  This fits neatly under the oval shaped rubber gaskets air cleaner covering which is badged as a “Coyote Duster”.  It fits neatly into the cowlings under the hood taking its air from the outside through the Air Grabber scoop on the outside in the black stripe.  On the back is a factory numbers matching  A833 4-speed manual transmission and way back the pumpkin weighs in at 8-3/4 inches.  We see clean headers and a Dynomax muffler system, a rust and corrosion free engine bay with clean supple wires and hoses and a like new radiator.  Just a beautiful 1970 replicated engine bay.

Undercarriage
Not to be outdone by the topside, the undercarriage goes along for the show too with jet black painted frame, floor pans and rockers.  Just a smidge of surface rust and patina is spotting the underneath, but is overall showing unremarkable.  A newer fuel tank is now installed, and independent torsion bars are up front providing the ride, and in back are leaf springs both with new shocks in 2022.  Newly added in 2020 power disc braking is on front, and power drums for the back.  All looking good underneath. 

Drive-Ability
A fight nearly broke out as to who was going to test drive this beauty and I lost!  So my cohort decoder and muscle car madman took the wheel and reported back with a Cheshire cat grin.  He rarely does this, so when I witnessed it I knew he was impressed.  He confided in me that he loved it's handling, acceleration and overall performance, commenting it was all buttoned up, and all working and in order as things should be for such a good looker save for the heater blower not blowing and the Air Grabber hood not opening.  

An orange piece of muscle car history showing very well in this example.  The right color, the right drivetrain, and the right car from the height of the muscle car era in the Mopar camp.  Nice job folks, right here ready for the Road Runner taking.  Beep Beep!

RM23N0A123582