Vehicle Description
This 1970 Plymouth Road Runner isn't going to last long on the
showroom floor. They never do. It must be the combination of
in-your-face audacity with Limelight Green paint, big block power,
and the no-frills attitude that makes these cars so popular year-in
and year-out. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Chrysler's High-Impact colors were the talk of the industry in 1970
and today when you show up in a car like this it gets everyone
talking. And yes, this car is wearing FJ5 Limelight Green and
completely unapologetic about it. It was painted a few years ago
and it's holding up well, although a good buff and wax would really
work wonders. The color is just about right, no metallic, no modern
takes on an old favorite, just the bold fluorescent green that
practically defined Mopar muscle. And if you're going to attract
this kind of attention, you'd better get the bodywork right, too,
so they took their time to put it together far more carefully than
the factory could manage. Not perfect, but you can see the hours of
block sanding that went into it before the glowing paint went on.
It wears a correct standard hood, along with a set of proper Road
Runner dust trails running down its flanks (experts will note that
there is a left side and a right side, and this one was done
correctly). Out back there's a Go-Wing that matches the black vinyl
top, making for a rather handsome presentation. Nice chrome bumpers
are almost subtle on a car that looks like this and the
fine-toothed grille remains in very good condition.
The interior is a combination of stock and modified, and it's as
intense as the bodywork. Yes, it's industrial-strength with a front
bench, which has been custom upholstered in black and tan vinyl
that makes it feel upscale. The carpets have been replaced, and the
reproduction threads use the correct nap and weave for a
factory-correct look and the remaining original stuff is so nice
that nothing really looks out of place. It's got a full complement
of Rallye gauges, so the guy spec'ing out the order form knew what
he was doing. Other options include A/C (needs to be serviced) and
an AM/FM radio, which replaces the original AM unit. The trunk is
tidy, carrying some cast-off carpets that make it look finished and
help control noise.
The original 383 is gone, replaced by a later 400 cubic inch V8
under the hood. It was rebuilt about 1000 miles ago and offers a
very stock look, from the chrome air cleaner with Super Commando
decals to the Hemi Orange paint on the block itself. There's a
4-barrel carburetor underneath, and thanks to proper tuning, it
starts easily and pulls through the gears like it's trying to
escape from something. A TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission
is an eager travelling partner, always picking the right gear and
eager to downshift for a punch of acceleration. The underside shows
off years of clean living down south, and it includes power
steering to make it easy to handle around town. Twin Flowmasters
sound spectacaulr and with air shocks out back, you can fine-tune
both the ride height and the launch. Weld Pro-Star wheels are
always a great choice on 1970s muscle and they're wrapped in
205/65/15 front and 295/50/15 rear radials.
Not for the faint-of-heart, this high-visibility Mopar more than
delivers on the promises made by the outrageous paint job. Like I
said, you probably shouldn't be waiting on this one, call now!