Vehicle Description
1971 Plymouth Road Runner
Road runner - a slender fast-running bird of the cuckoo family,
found chiefly in arid country from the southern US to Central
America. Plymouth Road Runner - A mid-size car with a focus on
performance built by Plymouth in the United States between 1968 and
1980. By 1968, some of the original muscle cars were moving away
from their roots as relatively cheap, fast cars as they gained
features and increased in price. Plymouth developed the Road Runner
to market a lower-priced, basic trim model to its upscale GTX.
Plymouth paid $50,000 to Warner Bros.-Seven Arts to use the Road
Runner name and likeness from their Wile E. Coyote and the Road
Runner cartoons, (as well as a "beep, beep" horn), which Plymouth
paid $10,000 to develop. The Road Runner was based on the Chrysler
B platform as a back-to-basics mid-size performance car.
1971 was a pivotal year for muscle car production, the end of an
era if you will. Between upcoming pollution control and insurance
companies raising rates to be borderline unaffordable for most,
1971 was the last year for truly masculine muscle. Leave it to the
White Hat boys to keep things going strong at the end, not only did
they keep the big muscle car engine options available, but they
also kept the wild colors flowing. For consignment, a first year
body style and last year true muscle car in the form of a 1971
Plymouth Road Runner, add in large cubic inches, a 4-speed manual,
a wild and crazy Inviolet paint scheme with white stripes and you
have eye candy in steel form.
Exterior
In 1971, the coupe bodywork was completely changed to a more
rounded "fuselage" design in keeping with then-current Chrysler
styling trends, including a steeply raked windshield, hidden cowl,
and deeply inset grille and headlights. Laser straight steel panels
with well minded gaps are found all over this fuselage body and are
drenched in a deep smooth Inviolet, (purple for the common folk),
paint. A shiny ovalesque chrome front bumper surrounds the quad
headlights, grill assembly and iconic Warner Brothers Road Runner
character. Signal markers are mounted down below on a valance which
also has twin chin spoilers attached at the outboard sides. A large
flat Inviolet hood wears not only hood pins but call outs denoting
the cubic inches in black and white. Smooth rounded body sides have
a white strobe stripe which runs from mid rear quarter panel and up
over the roof along with the cartoon logo stirring up a cloud of
dust. The flat rectangular trunk lid has the essential muscle car
rear wing, or Go Wing in Moparese. On the back is a large chrome
bumper with combination tail and reverse lights integrated within.
Down below are a pair of machine gun exhaust tips. Mopar road
wheels on all 4 corners are wrapped in Futura raised white letter
rubber with a slight size stagger, 235/60R15 in the front and
295/50R15's for the rear.
Interior
A swing of the doors and we see very nice black tuck and roll upper
door panels, then a trim strip, then a line of wood applique, then
some molded vinyl below in black. A shiny door actuating paddle and
window crank are also in this differing field of texture and
surfaces. Upfront we note a split front bench in black vinyl and
nearly perfect condition. In back is a pattern matching bench which
is also presenting very nicely and perfectly clean. Some extra wood
applique is on the dash and frames the rounded gauges, radio and
black knobs and sliders while down below the AM radio a CB radio is
mounted along with a small tachometer. In front of the passenger
seat is a large glove box door that has been signed by Shirley
Muldowney and The King, Richard Petty, (photo documentation of the
autographs is included with the purchase). On the steering column
is the original 3 spoked black plastic steering wheel with the Road
Runner logo in the center. On the hump and offset toward the driver
is a Hurst Pistol Grip shifter perfectly within the driver's reach.
The is within a field of black carpeting and above is a tight black
headliner and nice B pillar coverings with some embossing in
back.
Drivetrain
Under the long hood resides a non original orange 383ci V8 of 1970
vintage. Within this engine is a Comp Cams camshaft that specs out
at .507i .494e lift and 243i 257e duration. It is topped with a
factory 4bbl intake manifold and a Holley carburetor. On top of
this carb is a twin inlet air cleaner assembly with the Road Runner
likeness again, who's name by the way is actually Beep Beep. On the
back is a non original, (circa 1973), A833 4 speed manual
transmission that sends power back to a 8 3/4 rear axle assembly.
Everything is looking good here with shiny paint, supple hoses and
attention paid to every detail.
Undercarriage
The underside of this car is just as nice as the top. With the
unibody and floor pans done in the body color matching Inviolet no
rust or corrosion is seen. All suspension parts are either painted
black or left in a natural finish. Torsion bars are up front while
leaf springs with chrome traction bars are on the rear. Dual
exhaust runs the length of the car and has Flowmaster one chamber
mufflers mounted before sending spent gasses out of the machine gun
tip tailpipes. Drum brakes are noted on all four corners for
stopping power.
Drivability
I left my partner in crime and crack decoder to take the wheel for
this test drive. The car started easily and idled with a sound
letting the competition know that this purple muscle car means
business. Blistering acceleration, tight steering and bias free
braking was noted. He wouldn't, however, fall for my trick when I
asked him to stop in the X I marked off in the parking lot....I
think we watched the same cartoons growing up. All functions were
working properly during our drive, and we were even able to raise
some chatter on the CB.
With the muscle car era dying off due to EPA regulations and rising
insurance rates the powers that be at Plymouth gave one grand
hurrah with a new body design that still had the oomph of a muscle.
A big block engine, 4-speed transmission, and a high impact paint
job will have you the talk of the cruise nights. Hurry on down to
the Classic Auto Mall and take this bird home before that pesky
coyote gets a new contraption from Acme that will put this runner
in his garage.
RM23N1G171334
R-Road Runner
M-Medium Price Class
23-2 Door Hardtop
N-383ci V8 4bbl 300hp
1-1971
G-St. Louis, MO Assy Plant
171334-Sequential Unit Number
FENDER TAG
E65-383-4 Barrel
D13-3-Speed Manual Transmission Floor
R-Plymouth Road Runner
M-Medium
23-2 Door Hardtop
N-383ci V8 4bbl 300hp
1-1971
G-St. Louis, MO, USA
171334-Sequence Number '171334'
GF7-Dark Green Metallic
M2X9
Trim Grade/Style/Color
M-Medium Price Class
2-Vinyl Bench
X9-Black
TX9-Upper Door Frame: Black / Black Velvet
127-Date Built: 1 / 27 / 1971
009230-Order Number: 009230
GF7-Roof Type OR Color: Dark Green Metallic
U-Built to Specifications for USA
B11-Standard Duty Front Disc Brakes
G33-Left Hand Outside Mirror - Manual / Chrome
M21-Roof Drip Rail Moldings
N41-Dual Exhaust w/o Tips
R11-Music Master Radio AM
V8X-Transverse Stripe - Black
END-End of Codes
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 600 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find col...for more information please contact the seller.
