Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a rare and no expense
spared fully restored example of this 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner with
a date correct 426/425HP 2x4BBL V8 Hemi engine (with casting #
2468330) matched to its date correct 1969 (C99129) A833 Hemi 4
speed manual transmission with bucket seats and a Dana 60 rear end.
This Roadrunner was restored by Julius Restorations in Chatsworth,
CA, who recently relocated their business to Texas, as is not
uncommon now in California! Reportedly this Roadrunner was an
original California Car with zero rust.The car was completely taken
apart and a date correct replacement Hemi engine block with casting
# 2468330 was installed with all other parts believed to be true to
the car. The original block is not longer available. The car was
stripped down to bare metal, removing all windows etc. The original
fender tag was removed and replaced with a reproduction tag but the
original is still available and will be sold with the car. The car
was repainted in correct 'Scorch Red' as per the VIN fender tag
with a 'Pewter' interior also reinstalled as per VIN. The
restoration took approximately two years to finish in 2004, at
which time the previous owner had purchased the Roadrunner.Original
Fender Tag decodes as follows:08132 - Gate 8, 32nd car to enter
that gate175988 - Body in White number (BIW), 75,988 car to enter
the BIW area9A159081 - 1969, Lynch road plant, 59,081 VIN
assigned.921 - 9/21/1968644 - Dana 60 Super Track Pak 4.10 gears
ratio with front wheel disc brakes, using 10" drum brakes in
rear.605 - Correct code for A833 4spd trans for 440/425 engines26 -
26" radiator1X - Black Vinyl Top7X - Black painted Accent StripeN96
- 'Air Grabber' Fresh Air Hood (1969-71)C16 - Console with
woodgrain panelR6 - 'Scorch Red'R6 - 'Scorch Red'M6S -
'Pewter/Black'A4 - Basic radio (1969-71)V21 - Performance Hood
Treatment (1969-71)RM23 - Roadrunner 2 Door HardtopE74 - 426 Hemi
2x4BBL 425HP V8 engine (1969-71)D21 - 4 speed manual trans
(1969-71)A30 -This particular car decodes from its original fender
tag and VIN as being an original 'J' code 426/425HP 4 speed Hemi
car but please note does now have a date correct, but not its
original matching #'s, 426/465HP Hemi V8 engine.The 426 RB block
was introduced to power the big and heavy Chrysler, Dodge and
Plymouth intermediates and full size cars in 1964. This street Hemi
engine was the ultimate big block after the 375HP 440 cid V8.
Chrysler was heavily involved with racing at the time and the Max
Wedge engines were doing well on the drag strip but they were not
as competitive on the NASCAR circuits. The Wedge just could not
breathe as well as their competitors and Chrysler knew that the
reintroduced hemispherical combustion chamber cylinder heads for
use on the 426 cid RB blocks was the best design for producing the
most power. Rather than build a completely new engine from the
ground up Chrysler chose to fabricate Hemi cylinder heads and use
them on their existing RB engine block. The result was the 426 Hemi
from which Chrysler built a great variety of Hemi-head engines
starting in 1964-65.The drag race Hemi engines were different from
the circle track engines with each using different intake setups,
internal components and with different displacements. The drag
engines were offered in 415 & 426 HP versions whilst the
circle track engine was rated at 400 HP with a single 4BBL
carburetor. Chrysler first used the engine in the most prestigious
NASCAR race of all - the Daytona 500. Hemi powered Plymouths took
the first 3 positions in the 1964 race and although Ford won 30
races that year compared to Chrysler's 26, it was obvious that
Ford's 427 Wedge days were numbered which resulted in Ford building
its own Hemi engine, the 427 SOHC.It should be pointed out that the
426 Hemi and other engines used in sanctioned racing were special,
low production engines that were never really intended for use on
any street vehicle. Indeed the engines were only produced for
street cars after NASCAR ruled that if either Chrysler or Ford
wanted to race their complex and expensive Hemi-head engines then
they would have to build a certain amount of street cars with these
motors and sell them first to the public. Ford famously declined
but Chrysler went ahead and so the legendary 426 street Hemi was
born in 1966. Ford eventually did build its own street hemi, the
Boss 429, but not until 1969.This particular car is the recipient
of a full restoration with no expense spared and still boasts a
date correct 426/425HP V8 Hemi engine with Hemi cast iron manifolds
matched to a 4 speed manual transmission and Dana 60 rear end. The
car looks very impressive in it's original 'Scorch Red' color and
'Pewter' interior.The 426 Hemi V8 engine is extremely strong and
powerful with only very few test miles since the build and this
particular car drives like a dream, the 4 speed manual transmission
shifts smooth and the engine temperature always runs cool. This is
one very rare and highly desirable and collectible example of one
of the outstanding muscle cars of the late sixties, which has high
repute amongst collectors for both it's beautiful lines and
simplicity and high performance.For 1968, the Plymouth lineup
offered the high performance Roadrunner packed with a standard
383/335 HP engine with an optional 4 speed transmission, heavy duty
suspension, GTX like hood bulges, a 'taxicab' basic interior,
little cartoon bird decals on the doors and the unique 'Beep-Beep'
Roadrunner horn!Combined with low weight, the 6-passenger Road
Runner could run the 1/4 mile in 13.5 seconds at 105 mph (169
km/h). It would prove to be one of the best engines of the muscle
car era, and the Road Runner one of the best platforms to utilize
it. The Roadrunner was not fragile. Unlike some sports cars (such
as the Corvette), it was built for serious street work, the
Roadrunner was reportedly a favorite of moonshiners, faster than
almost any police car and tough enough to take practically any
bump, with good ground clearance to boot. Everything essential to
performance and handling was beefed-up and improved; everything
nonessential was left out. The interior was spartan, lacking even
carpets in early models, and few options were available. A
floor-mounted shifter featured only a rubber boot and no console so
that a bench seat could also be used.An "Air Grabber" option
consisted of an air duct assembly bolted to the underside of the
hood that connected to twin rectangular upward-facing scoops in the
hood. When the hood was closed, a rubber seal fitted over a large
oval unsilenced air cleaner assembly that ducted air directly into
the engine. The scoops in the hood could be opened and closed via a
lever under the dashboard. Continued only until 1970 and a
'Milestone classic car status' vehicle today!With the four speed
shifter, the acceleration is unreal! Because it was a bare-bones
muscle car it's weight was kept as low as possible for an even
better power to weight ratio than any of it's competitors. Plymouth
needed a muscle car to really stand out from it's competition and
with 335HP this car really lived up to it's name and could beat
almost any other muscle car on the street, with the 440 6 Pack it
was unbelievable, and with the Hemi it was both unbelievable and
simply unbeatable!Dodge missed out on these low priced muscle cars
at the beginning of the 1968 season but soon added the Super bee to
counterpart the Roadrunner. The Roadrunner and Super Bee's
performance quickly silenced any laughter coming from those who
drove an SS, GTO or GTA, names that began to sound dated. Lean and
mean, meant for boulevard cruising or an occasional street race,
these vehicles offered the Mopar buyer the ultimate bang for the
buck and the proof was t...for more information please contact the
seller.
