If you're on a highway and Road Runner goes beep beep. Just step aside or you might end up in a heap. Road Runner, Road Runner runs down the road all day. Even the coyote can't make him change his ways. Road Runner, the coyote's after you. Road Runner, if he catches you you're through. Road Runner, the coyote's after you. Road Runner, if he catches you you're through. That coyote is really a crazy clown, When will he learn that he never can mow him down? Poor little Road Runner never bothers anyone, Just runnin' down the road's his idea of having fun.
I woke up one morning as a child, and looked out my bedroom window, to see what I thought at the time was the ugliest car I had ever seen! It was a sort of copper color, with what I now know were dog dish, or poverty caps, it had red stripe, side walls, copper colored, steel wheels, it looked so plain Jane to me! I was only eight years old! I remember thinking, who’s ugly car is that? So,I went out into the kitchen, and it was, my Uncle George, from Pennsylvania, who was home on leave from Vietnam! I didn’t know that then,and they didn’t tell us kids much back in those days! I said, Hey, Uncle George, is that your ugly car in our driveway? He said, I don’t know, let’s go look! So, we went out there! The closer I got, the uglier it looked! It had a bench seat, no bucket seats, no carpet, the back windows had no hand crank they just popped out at the rear,the interior was as ugly as the outside, at least to me! It was a brand new, 1968, Road Runner! I remember seeing the roadrunner on the door, so the cool factor for me was starting to kick in! What is my Saturday morning hero doing on the door of this ugly car ? I remember thinking! There was one other fact ,I forgot to mention, it had these letters on it, on the hood, that said HEMI . I had no idea what that meant, except a few years earlier, I remember being with my dad in ,English-town, NJ ,on the starting line, watching this car called the Hurst Hemi under glass doing 1/4 mile wheel stands! Uncle George said, you wanna go for a ride in my ugly car? I said, okay I guess! My Mom, who had been watching us from the front steps of our house said, don’t you kill my baby George! He just gave her a shit eating grin, and strapped me in on the passenger side front seat! He fired her up, intently monitoring his gauges! I remember the rumbling, and feeling the vibration of that engine, My little heart started to beat a little faster. Well, after about two minutes or so,he put it in reverse,eased out the clutch,and we backed out! We crept up the street, turned left,and went up the road a ways, we came to a stop sign,and he said, let’s make Her breathe a little bit! He brought the rpm’s up and dumped the clutch and the next thing I knew my head was glued to the seat, I remember feeling like I needed to pee! It only lasted for about 10 seconds and he slowed down! He looked over at my wide eyed face and said, what do you think of my ugly car now?😂 We went back to my house and I begged my mom to trade in her Chevelle and get an ugly car like uncle George had! 😂 she never did! Her Chevelle was no slouch either but that Ugly Hemi Road Runner was in a whole different League! Uncle George is gone now! But his smile, and his memory, lives on !
Jeff that was one the best stories I've ever heard. There was a guy where I lived that had a Hemi Road Runner, and he would take people for a ride he would would put a 10 $ bill on the dash . If you could grab the money while he was shifting thru the gears you got to keep it. As far as I know nobody got the sawbuck.
Sad ending for this car. Thanks for the dad joke at the end! Of course, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. And thank you Super Shane for outstanding camera work!
Hi Steve great revisit video of this crispy 🐦bird. 😂 I didn't tell this in the last video. My very 1st car accident was in a 68-69 Roadrunner it was a 383 4spd car, dark green black stripes black interior etc. It had the pop out side window. I was 5yrs old and was about to start school fall. My mom was driving the car, it was my uncle's car. I remember it being newish and the smells that a new car generate. Mom had borrowed the car and we were heading home from the farmer/flea market. Mom had 6 younger brothers with her being the 1st born. Mom drove a 64 Ford Galaxie 390 that had been hoped up by my father. Mag wheels and traction bars etc. I'm not sure but it was broken down or something so she borrowed his car to get to home in. My uncle was going to get the Ford home. He was a great guy and got me into collecting LPs. He was one of those who were into electronics and had to have the latest greatest version of stereos TV etc. So we're traveling down the rd and I'm in the backseat (no child safety seat back in the day) buckled in. I can see over mom's shoulder. Of course at the time I didn't know this. But a 4dr 57 Chevy turquoise and white ran a stop sign and T-boned the driver's side door of the Roadrunner sending glass all over Mom and me. I remember the paramedics pulling me out of the car and sat me down across the way on a hill above the wreckage. So I had this sort of elevated view of the entire seen. The ambulance, fire truck and wrecker and the 2 cars involved were in clear view. As they put band-aids on my cuts etc, I could see them cover the window of the Roadrunner with a sheet as they worked frantically. The driver of the 57 had been drinking and was put in the back of the State Trooper's Dodge. I remember them carrying Mom into back of the ambulance and it speeding away. Mom died soon after from a neck and back injury. My grandma had came to pick me up. I remember her being strong and trying not to scare me. I didn't understand any of what was going on until later on. Mom had been a heavy drinker herself but hadn't been drinking on this day. I was told after my father was killed she began to drink. My father was killed over a yrs' worth of tobacco money in his pocket. Not to long after the crop was sold at auction so they got away with quite a bit of money. He was shot twice in the chest and left on the railroad tracks where he died. I guess the killer was hoping the train would come along and run him over. It was noted in the report that he was shot somewhere else and then taken to the tracks. It happened in a town called Danville VA. The same town The Band referenced in their songs. It's the same town where the wreck of the 97 occurred, also the last Confederate Capitol. They never found the person(s) responsible for his death. So now for all of you who are keeping track. This is why you only hear from me about my grandparents and not my folks. Sorry I'm slow to the show today. I had something in the hen house this morning and so I went out quick as I could with a shot gun in hand. I'm out there in my shorts and as I opened the door and pointed the shotgun into the hen house. My old hound dog came around and stuck his cold nose up my butt. I only lost a couple of hens but what a mess a shotgun makes of a chicken.🤣 Have blessed day everyone 🤙🏼 Namaste 🙏🏼
Wow, a sad story of senseless loss. But the UPSIDE is that you have come through it with a level of wisdom that is about as positive as anyone I've met. Your Mom - and Dad - would be proud of you. But you knew that! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
What a sad story. You went through so much that no child should never have to endure. Clearly you came through it strongly. You were blessed to have your grandparents there to take care of you. My wife was raised by her paternal grandparents as well.
That’s a lot to go through so young,losing your Mother,and Father?Thank God, for your grandparents! Quite a transition from the sadness of your loss, to the cold wet nose of your hound dog in you butt! I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh! Keep your finger off the trigger, or get your hound a nose mitten! Peace Brother!😢😂
In 1971 an older classmate bought a used '69 Roadrunner. As a passenger, it was the first car I ever went 100 mph in! It actually was in his father's name to get a much cheaper insurance rate. His previous car? A Renault Dauphine! 😅
Didn't Dauphines also have an odd sounding horn? Push the horn stalk one way for a tinny 'city' horn and pull for a louder 'country' horn? I remember an old commercial featuring that. 🤔
Yup, Chrysler had to pay a fee to Warner Brothers to use the likeness and the character. They paid WB $50,000 for the of Wile E. Coyote and the horn development cost $10,000. Later on, Chrysler would try to use "Taz" as the character for the Duster, but it didn't work out, so they used the "Duster" moniker instead which was done in house. Of course, the Road Runner would continue through the 1980 model year and was a trim package on the Plymouth Volare from 1976 to 1980. My coworker has one, along with a stable of 1960s-1970s Mopars, including, not one, but two 1970 Charger 500s. No VIN, can't win, but somewhat can be figured out: R for Belvedere/Satellite, M for Medium price class (Road Runner), 23 for two door hardtop, maybe H for 383 V8 with four barrel, or J for 426 Hemi V8, or K, L or M for various possible 440 V8 engines, 9 for 1969 model year, A for Lynch Road, Detroit, MI assembly or G for St. Louis, MO (Fenton) assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Lynch Road facility closed in April 1981 and a powder coating business is on the site now. The Fenton plant complex operated from 1959 to 2009 and was the main minivan plant for a time. No tag, can't brag, but possible RM23 for Plymouth Road Runner, and maybe B3 for Ice Blue exterior paint, among other codes.
There are actually multiple businesses at the old Lynch Road plant. The Detroit school system uses part of it for book storage. The parade company uses it to store the Thanksgiving Day parade floats.
@@tomwesley7884 Yes, I did cover this car before but I always notice new details or leave good stuff out of just about every vehicle I document. In the case of this sad Road Runner, I figured a "second helping of Bird" wouldn't be a bad thing! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Right now in Springfield, Oregon, Mark Warman is saying "that's restorable". My uncle had a '69 Roadrunner. He bought it used in '73 after he graduated high school, right when everyone was offloading them for dirt cheap due to the aforementioned fuel crisis. But he'd gotten into construction right out of high school and was in the union, and was making some good cheese compared to other 18-20 year olds at the time. So for $800 he bought a 383 4-speed equipped '69 Roadrunner. Had it for 4 years. Sold it when he got married and the kids came as the same old story goes for everyone who owned a muscle car before values went through the roof. Unfortunately the guy he sold it to wrapped it around a tree.
Steve, I’m glad you came back to this one.I live in Massachusetts. Back in 1972-73, when I was in high school, I had a 69 roadrunner and it was a beauty. Dark green, black racing stripes on the hood, black vinyl roof, 383, 4 speed, bucket seats. I traded it in in 73 for a New F-250 ford pickup. I won’t even tell you what they gave me for a trade. It’s been a lifetime regret and I’ve always wondered what happened to it. The only distinctive feature besides what I described was that it had hood pins. Did not have a air grabber hood.
When the road runner first came out in 68 my dad said that it was a 2 door taxi with a big engine because it had no carpet plain vinyl seats no chrome heavy duty suspension and brakes but that was the point
Steve, please be vigilant about ticks. Just yesterday I found four inside my layers of clothes with one about to latch on and it was crazy fast a few days before when I felt something on my neck and after running inside for the mirror it had bitten my shoulder blade area which is now a large scab which I didn't even feel. Glad I checked and didn't assume I brushed it off. Dave Milton NH
So sad to see one go that way. My father owned a black on black 68. He had installed a considerable amount of day two mods that were popular at the time. And Pops had that Birds number. Made for one hell of a fun ride for a kid.
An what a sad sight to see!! I can picture that beauty in its hay day condition! What beautiful car must have been! Thanks for sharing the history of that beauty Steve!
I remember going to the Plymouth dealer in Thousand Oaks CA in 1969. They always seemed to have 10 or more Roadrunners on the lot. Total sticker price was about $3300.
I remember looking at a 1969 Roadrunner sitting at on the used car lot of a Chevy dealer in 1975. It was as base as it got with the 383, automatic on the column and bench seat. Taxi cab hub caps and it was that medium blue color as well. The asking price as I remember was $1,300.00 but one could have probably got for $1,100. as known muscle cars were frowned on by insurance companies at the time so they charged a big premium to insure them.
Another couple roadrunner facts. Early road runners were only available as the sedans with the pop out windows. Hard top was a mid-year availability change. They were also only available with bench seats in 1968. I noticed in the video of the holes in the front fenders for the turn signal indicators. This one had the light package.
The father of a young friend of mine lost a Marina Blue 4-speed 427 '67 Corvette convertible in a garage fire when she was still young. She told me about how she would "help" him work on the car, starting when she was 4 or 5 years old! Naturally, she became a gearheadimpact. (Sadly, she died in her own Corvette about 10 years ago when forced off the Interstate by a semi, right into the back of a breakdown on the shoulder. They estimate that she was doing between 70 and 80 on imact.)
When I was 17, more years ago than I care to admit, I had the chance to buy a '68 383, 4 speed, bench seat car for $1200. The only catch was, it had just been restored, and, was all in boxes. I had a project already, and, didn't have the energy, or, space to take on another. I still kick myself for passing that one up.
I built that very same JoHan '69 Roadrunner kit back in '69 when JoHan was making the yearly Plymouth kits. They switched from full size c-body Furys in '68 and before to the Roadrunner in '69 and '70. MPC got the Plymouth job after that. Anyway JoHan "mistakes" were fun to find. Hemis in Furys? Bucket seats in the Fury III? Notice the box art on the '69 Roadrunner depicts Richard Pettys #43. I guess JoHan produced the model before realizing Richard Petty drove a Ford Torino in "69! Another great video Steve and an absolute shame what happened to that car and the owners property. They must have been devastated. I hope everyone made it out ok.
Another odd detail I've found in the original JoHan '69 Road Runner kit was the separate head rests on the bucket seats. The re-release has the one-piece high-back bucket seats from the 1970 Plymouth GTX and Superbird kits! Ol John Hanley (founder / owner of Jo-Han Models Inc.) probably figured "nobody will notice". We do! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
My uncle sold his 68 charger he bought for $300 bucks for $500 he said he sold it because in 1976 a front caliper was $72 dollars. So he drove a vw wagon. I know he misses that car, but loves his family more. H told me a fridge full of food is better than any car.❤
Interesting details offered here. There was a light yellow 68 Road Runner offered for sale just down the street from me in 70. Pristine condition, had 383, gray aftermarket mag wheels, the car was cherry, low miles, not abused. The thing was late model and cared for. Why do I remember it? Because it was reasonably priced!
Had a 69' Plymouth Satellite sedan for a daily driver decades back. Loved that car, still miss it till this day. So painful to see a Roadrunner in that condition.
My uncle came home from the conflict in Vietnam and bought a 69 roadrunner , dunno if it was a dealer optioned thing never heard any talk about it but came with a muffler that had a flap of some sort design that after X amount of pressure / rpm / speed? It opened to straight pipe by passing baffles ! Cop pulled him over for no muffler he told the cop it was factory he didn’t write him up! Cuz he looked and the factory sticker was still on it didn’t burn off yet 😝 just another forgotten tidbit from the muscle car era!!! ✌️🤙
I often think about that, not only with cars like this, but hot rods too. This thought is one of the main reasons that I detest the "patina" look. Thinking about that long ago new car being proudly driven home from the dealer, all I see in "patina" is sad neglect. Sad as this Road Runner is, at least it never had to put up with the indignity of being driven and shown off looking like a junkyard refugee.
Steve these were the go to car in my high school during 68 thru 71. As you said which was true in my high school the guys working after school that bought a new car with their own money bought a new stripped Roadrunner and might upgrade to a bigger engine at the expense of air conditioning, auto transmission, and power steering and power brakes which in Houston,TX driving a car without air was miserable. After the Roadrunner a 442, GTO, Chevelle SS, and a few Mustangs and Cougars but many of those were bought used when they were a couple of years old. I drove my father's red 62 Chevy II 300 with a 196 I-6 and Powerglide which those guys with the performance cars jokingly asked to race me which was a good laugh because they would be way down the street before I got started. There were many ordinary compact cars and full size cars that students drove as well that were hand me downs from parents but there were a lot of performance and muscle cars. I went to high school during the golden age of muscle cars. Compact cars such as Chevy IIs, Darts, and Valiants were popular because they could be bought cheap and a hopped up V-8 could be transplanted in them and the rears would be jacked up for racing. Many of those were street raced as well and some the rear ends would fall out because they were done with whatever junk parts were cheap. My Senior year the redesigned 71 Roadrunner came out and a I saw maybe 1 of those but they were not the same car and by that time the new Challenger became very popular. Did see Mustangs at my high school (a few Cobras) but they were vastly outnumber by the more affordable Roadrunner.
Bought a pre-owned 68 RR, 383,Auto,No AC, Bench Seats, in 69. I had no chance against those 396 Chevrolets. I needed a Hemi for sure. Thanks Steve. 🙏🏻😎
My first car, hand-me-down (did have to give $$ less than trade value) that dad bought NEW as '69 leftover September of that year! Hardtop, no vinyl top, N96, 4 speed, rear defogger, AM radio with rear seat speaker, PS, NO PB, deep dish wheel covers (weighed almost as much as the steel wheels), silver/gray bench and Seafoam Turquoise Metallic. Sadly, Oil Embargo of '72-'73 with rising gas prices, teenage part-time wages and high insurance costs for under 25 males forced me to trade this for a MOPAR small blocked car. 38K miles when let go, imagine value of that today😂😂
Insurance costs were pretty high for an unmarried, under 25 yr. old male. Several older friends looked into it. The car payment might be $110 a month. Insurance would be $160 !! Any intermediate sized or pony car with over 350 c.i. was hit with a hefty surcharge!
What a shame the 69 roadrunner A12 was and is my ultimate muscle car. I got my driver's license in 1974 at 16 1/2. The closest I ever got to owning one was a 69 sport satellite 383 four speed duel exhaust all factory I bought in 1977 It had a blown engine and had been beaten pretty bad but I had to have it. I bought an engine and transmission out of a wrecked 68 roadrunner. And put it in mine. I sold it after about two months at a loss. Oh well live and learn. Keep up the good work with the channel love it.
When I was 18, I had moved out of state to go to school. Somehow, trading cars around, I ended up with a 69 Road Runner. This was back in the 80's, they weren't as popular as they are today. At some point, I traded it for a V8 Vega that I eventually got rid of because the frame was torqued from me racing it. I still kick myself for letting that Road Runner go... One of my biggest life regrets
Worked at a Gulf station in the late 60’s.Had a customer that was a regular customer with a Hemi Roadrunner. Put a many qt of Gulfpride Oil in it on a regular basis
Reminds me of the scene in American Graffiti where Milner was walking through the junk yard talking about the wrecked cars with Carol... if only the Road Runners full history was known beyond the sad ending ....to be told on some moonlit night
*GRUMMPA SEZ:* Not said but worth mentioning, most Satellite's and Belvedere's of the era had a 22" radiator unless it was ordered with a/c or 'max cooling' but all roadrunner and gtx used the larger radiator opening. Also on factory elephant (426 hemi) and sixbarrel (440+6) cars the "k" frame had a 'skid plate' to protect the oil pan.
I think it was the Hurst Super Shifter that necessitated cutting out the rear of the shifter hump. The shifter mounting bracket raised the shifter head as well as moving it back, all to make the shifter rods perfectly straight, and less likely to bend.
Good Morning Steve, This is the Year road runner, I swap for my 69 Pontiac Gran Prix SJ 4 speed, I liked My road runner pistol grip 383 it was a fun Car ,But I really wanted the Grand Prix ,Had to sell when I went over the Road driving Tractor trailer moving furniture,
I still remember my brother bringing home his first new car. A 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner from North Shore Chrysler Plymouth in Peabody MA in the summer of '69. Blue with a white vinyl top... Gorgeous car!
True story about 20 yrs ago found a guy that found a real Plymouth Superbird that was in a junkyard like this and crushed to to be as high as roof but wrecked and stolen and total loss in early 80s sent to a salvage yard where it was set aside by the yard owner. After sitting few years in yard, when snow got inside and in the block and intake valley he sold it to a shop teacher, as his own car he taught kids body/ mechanical work and they resurrected it years later, never asked what was original or what it took$. He had to get another nose and the rear spoiler but took the rest off other mopar's and patched the rust but got together with a lot of restoration parts and turned it a cruiser but it was still 440 with 727 auto trans and big dana rear. It was white over black and black vinyl top. It' amazing story car for cruise nights. He said that he could get his money back now but would never sell it. Anyway, these are the cars that tell a story.
I’d bet a lot of ‘68 RR ended up in similar condition when their young owners wrapped them around poles or rolled them into a ditch ... or otherwise found ways to accelerate the rusting process .... still I’d take one in a heartbeat
My best friend and I bought a '68 Satellite 2-door back in 1983 for the cost of 2 rear wheel cylinders that the owner just replaced, this burnt out car in the video reminds me of it. Mine was trashed as well however it was fun to wrench on when I was 13 years old. I sadly went to the crusher as the frame was shot.
My friends dad had an orange 68 or 69 when we were kids... I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the 68 to 70 road runners... dont jump on any cars at barrett jackson Steve.. its a sweet gig lol... thanks for sharing
Very interesting, once again, I learn something new from you. I also enjoyed converting the prices you mentioned to 2023 values. In 2010 I drew a "phamtom" budget super car that Pontiac should've built to go after the Road Runner. It was basically the 1968 LeMams HO 350 with benches front and back, steel wheels, no trim, 3 speed manual, and a picuure of Willie E Coyote running down the side. Was their any difference in price from the hardtop and post car?
Only Steve can take an unrecognizable piece of metal and make it so interesting
Even bring it back to life.
Some say that he can walk through a junkyard blindfolded and identify cars by smell.
@@rebelscumspeedshop great guy Steve is
@@rebelscumspeedshop I doubt that this one would smell much like it would before it got roasted. Maybe like Thanksgiving dinner? KFC? 🍗
@@rebelscumspeedshop😂👍
If you're on a highway and Road Runner goes beep beep.
Just step aside or you might end up in a heap.
Road Runner, Road Runner runs down the road all day.
Even the coyote can't make him change his ways.
Road Runner, the coyote's after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you're through.
Road Runner, the coyote's after you.
Road Runner, if he catches you you're through.
That coyote is really a crazy clown,
When will he learn that he never can mow him down?
Poor little Road Runner never bothers anyone,
Just runnin' down the road's his idea of having fun.
only Steve can pick over the bones of a burnt out car and make it interesting
I woke up one morning as a child, and looked out my bedroom window, to see what I thought at the time was the ugliest car I had ever seen! It was a sort of copper color, with what I now know were dog dish, or poverty caps, it had red stripe, side walls, copper colored, steel wheels, it looked so plain Jane to me!
I was only eight years old! I remember thinking, who’s ugly car is that? So,I went out into the kitchen, and it was, my Uncle George, from Pennsylvania, who was home on leave from Vietnam!
I didn’t know that then,and they didn’t tell us kids much back in those days!
I said, Hey, Uncle George, is that your ugly car in our driveway? He said, I don’t know, let’s go look!
So, we went out there!
The closer I got, the uglier it looked!
It had a bench seat, no bucket seats, no carpet, the back windows had no hand crank they just popped out at the rear,the interior was as ugly as the outside, at least to me! It was a brand new, 1968, Road Runner! I remember seeing the roadrunner on the door, so the cool factor for me was starting to kick in!
What is my Saturday morning hero doing on the door of this ugly car ? I remember thinking!
There was one other fact ,I forgot to mention, it had these letters on it, on the hood, that said HEMI .
I had no idea what that meant, except a few years earlier, I remember being with my dad in ,English-town, NJ ,on the starting line, watching this car called the Hurst Hemi under glass doing 1/4 mile wheel stands!
Uncle George said, you wanna go for a ride in my ugly car?
I said, okay I guess!
My Mom, who had been watching us from the front steps
of our house said, don’t you kill my baby George! He just gave her a shit eating grin, and strapped me in on the passenger side front seat!
He fired her up, intently monitoring his gauges!
I remember the rumbling, and feeling the vibration of that engine, My little heart started to beat a little faster.
Well, after about two minutes or so,he put it in reverse,eased out the clutch,and we backed out!
We crept up the street, turned left,and went up the road a ways, we came to a stop sign,and he said, let’s make Her breathe a little bit!
He brought the rpm’s up and dumped the clutch and the next thing I knew my head was glued to the seat,
I remember feeling like I needed to pee!
It only lasted for about 10 seconds and he slowed down!
He looked over at my wide eyed face and said, what do you think of my ugly car now?😂 We went back to my house and I begged my mom to trade in her Chevelle and get an ugly car like uncle George had!
😂 she never did!
Her Chevelle was no slouch either but that
Ugly Hemi Road Runner was in a whole different League! Uncle George is gone now! But his smile, and his memory, lives on !
Jeff that was one the best stories I've ever heard. There was a guy where I lived that had a Hemi Road Runner, and he would take people for a ride he would would put a 10 $ bill on the dash . If you could grab the money while he was shifting thru the gears you got to keep it. As far as I know nobody got the sawbuck.
@@saddletramp6935yes there was no way that I was coming unglued from that bench seat!
The feeling was amazing, and scary at the same time!
Great story, Great memory. Thank you for sharing...
Well written Sir! -Steve Magnante
Hey! 🤦♂️ I got a uncle / roadrunner story too! Not as impressive as yours 👍 .. ✌️
We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon
Sad ending for this car. Thanks for the dad joke at the end! Of course, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. And thank you Super Shane for outstanding camera work!
It’s to bad Motor trend got rid of Junkyard Gold. It was a better show then some of the new ones they have. Prayers for a full recovery Steve.
Best presenter on RUclips! Motortrend's blunder is RUclips's gain...
Don’t die , don’t retire , keep on going , you know your stuff , we need more like you❤
First! Thank you Steve for all of your knowledge.
Nice going !
Those tree eighty tree's will grow on you! Excellent video!
Classic....🤣
Hi Steve great revisit video of this crispy 🐦bird. 😂 I didn't tell this in the last video. My very 1st car accident was in a 68-69 Roadrunner it was a 383 4spd car, dark green black stripes black interior etc. It had the pop out side window. I was 5yrs old and was about to start school fall. My mom was driving the car, it was my uncle's car. I remember it being newish and the smells that a new car generate. Mom had borrowed the car and we were heading home from the farmer/flea market. Mom had 6 younger brothers with her being the 1st born. Mom drove a 64 Ford Galaxie 390 that had been hoped up by my father. Mag wheels and traction bars etc. I'm not sure but it was broken down or something so she borrowed his car to get to home in. My uncle was going to get the Ford home. He was a great guy and got me into collecting LPs. He was one of those who were into electronics and had to have the latest greatest version of stereos TV etc. So we're traveling down the rd and I'm in the backseat (no child safety seat back in the day) buckled in. I can see over mom's shoulder. Of course at the time I didn't know this. But a 4dr 57 Chevy turquoise and white ran a stop sign and T-boned the driver's side door of the Roadrunner sending glass all over Mom and me. I remember the paramedics pulling me out of the car and sat me down across the way on a hill above the wreckage. So I had this sort of elevated view of the entire seen. The ambulance, fire truck and wrecker and the 2 cars involved were in clear view. As they put band-aids on my cuts etc, I could see them cover the window of the Roadrunner with a sheet as they worked frantically. The driver of the 57 had been drinking and was put in the back of the State Trooper's Dodge. I remember them carrying Mom into back of the ambulance and it speeding away. Mom died soon after from a neck and back injury. My grandma had came to pick me up. I remember her being strong and trying not to scare me. I didn't understand any of what was going on until later on. Mom had been a heavy drinker herself but hadn't been drinking on this day. I was told after my father was killed she began to drink. My father was killed over a yrs' worth of tobacco money in his pocket. Not to long after the crop was sold at auction so they got away with quite a bit of money. He was shot twice in the chest and left on the railroad tracks where he died. I guess the killer was hoping the train would come along and run him over. It was noted in the report that he was shot somewhere else and then taken to the tracks. It happened in a town called Danville VA. The same town The Band referenced in their songs. It's the same town where the wreck of the 97 occurred, also the last Confederate Capitol. They never found the person(s) responsible for his death. So now for all of you who are keeping track. This is why you only hear from me about my grandparents and not my folks. Sorry I'm slow to the show today. I had something in the hen house this morning and so I went out quick as I could with a shot gun in hand. I'm out there in my shorts and as I opened the door and pointed the shotgun into the hen house. My old hound dog came around and stuck his cold nose up my butt. I only lost a couple of hens but what a mess a shotgun makes of a chicken.🤣 Have blessed day everyone 🤙🏼 Namaste 🙏🏼
Wow Chris,really sorry about your parents,this life can be very unfair,be well my brother...
Wow, a sad story of senseless loss. But the UPSIDE is that you have come through it with a level of wisdom that is about as positive as anyone I've met. Your Mom - and Dad - would be proud of you. But you knew that! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
What a sad story. You went through so much that no child should never have to endure. Clearly you came through it strongly. You were blessed to have your grandparents there to take care of you. My wife was raised by her paternal grandparents as well.
That’s a lot
to go through
so young,losing your Mother,and Father?Thank God, for your grandparents!
Quite a transition from the sadness of your loss, to the cold wet nose of your hound dog in you butt!
I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh!
Keep your finger off the trigger, or get your hound a nose mitten!
Peace Brother!😢😂
The 68 Satellite body produced some of the nicest Mopars of the day.
Steve, It sounds like 1969 was the last time MT got their Car of the Year right. 😉😂
You mean the Vega was a MT fail? Lol
Every time I hear "you know the drill" I assume the position and await handcuffs😂
In 1971 an older classmate bought a used '69 Roadrunner. As a passenger, it was the first car I ever went 100 mph in! It actually was in his father's name to get a much cheaper insurance rate. His previous car? A Renault Dauphine! 😅
Thick Morton ruddygore?
I would love to have a dauphine!
Dauphine’s always made me think a VW and an early-50’s Studebaker had a baby!
I had mine up to 120 and it was a litter hairy. Only did it once. They were big cars that tended to swim around a bit.
Didn't Dauphines also have an odd sounding horn? Push the horn stalk one way for a tinny 'city' horn and pull for a louder 'country' horn? I remember an old commercial featuring that. 🤔
Yup, Chrysler had to pay a fee to Warner Brothers to use the likeness and the character. They paid WB $50,000 for the of Wile E. Coyote and the horn development cost $10,000. Later on, Chrysler would try to use "Taz" as the character for the Duster, but it didn't work out, so they used the "Duster" moniker instead which was done in house. Of course, the Road Runner would continue through the 1980 model year and was a trim package on the Plymouth Volare from 1976 to 1980. My coworker has one, along with a stable of 1960s-1970s Mopars, including, not one, but two 1970 Charger 500s.
No VIN, can't win, but somewhat can be figured out: R for Belvedere/Satellite, M for Medium price class (Road Runner), 23 for two door hardtop, maybe H for 383 V8 with four barrel, or J for 426 Hemi V8, or K, L or M for various possible 440 V8 engines, 9 for 1969 model year, A for Lynch Road, Detroit, MI assembly or G for St. Louis, MO (Fenton) assembly and the rest is the production sequence. The Lynch Road facility closed in April 1981 and a powder coating business is on the site now. The Fenton plant complex operated from 1959 to 2009 and was the main minivan plant for a time.
No tag, can't brag, but possible RM23 for Plymouth Road Runner, and maybe B3 for Ice Blue exterior paint, among other codes.
There are actually multiple businesses at the old Lynch Road plant. The Detroit school system uses part of it for book storage. The parade company uses it to store the Thanksgiving Day parade floats.
Did Steve present one of these on the other channel? Maybe why he wanted to revisit?
@@tomwesley7884 It may have been on this one, but it was some time ago.
@@tomwesley7884 Yes, I did cover this car before but I always notice new details or leave good stuff out of just about every vehicle I document. In the case of this sad Road Runner, I figured a "second helping of Bird" wouldn't be a bad thing! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
Always wanted a J for the fifth digit or letter in a 69 Roadrunner.
A Road Runner getting burnt up in a house fire is like a Klingon dying in his sleep. There is no honor in it.
Damn those klingons!
Right now in Springfield, Oregon, Mark Warman is saying "that's restorable".
My uncle had a '69 Roadrunner. He bought it used in '73 after he graduated high school, right when everyone was offloading them for dirt cheap due to the aforementioned fuel crisis. But he'd gotten into construction right out of high school and was in the union, and was making some good cheese compared to other 18-20 year olds at the time. So for $800 he bought a 383 4-speed equipped '69 Roadrunner. Had it for 4 years. Sold it when he got married and the kids came as the same old story goes for everyone who owned a muscle car before values went through the roof.
Unfortunately the guy he sold it to wrapped it around a tree.
Steve, I’m glad you came back to this one.I live in Massachusetts. Back in 1972-73, when I was in high school, I had a 69 roadrunner and it was a beauty. Dark green, black racing stripes on the hood, black vinyl roof, 383, 4 speed, bucket seats. I traded it in in 73 for a New F-250 ford pickup. I won’t even tell you what they gave me for a trade. It’s been a lifetime regret and I’ve always wondered what happened to it. The only distinctive feature besides what I described was that it had hood pins. Did not have a air grabber hood.
Funny how wheels weren’t considered part of a performance package in those days. In the 80s they were sometimes the entire performance package.
Don't forget the tape stripes... they account for at least 10% of the increase in performance! 😂
When the road runner first came out in 68 my dad said that it was a 2 door taxi with a big engine because it had no carpet plain vinyl seats no chrome heavy duty suspension and brakes but that was the point
Steve, please be vigilant about ticks. Just yesterday I found four inside my layers of clothes with one about to latch on and it was crazy fast a few days before when I felt something on my neck and after running inside for the mirror it had bitten my shoulder blade area which is now a large scab which I didn't even feel. Glad I checked and didn't assume I brushed it off. Dave Milton NH
Tree Eighty Tree !😂 I see what you did there very good . 😊 Although I must say its looking a little ruff . Bark ! Bark , gett it ? 🤣
A sad ending to a sweet car. I always preferred the GTX myself. The Roadrunner was all business, but a little bit of flash is still nice.
So sad to see one go that way. My father owned a black on black 68. He had installed a considerable amount of day two mods that were popular at the time. And Pops had that Birds number. Made for one hell of a fun ride for a kid.
An what a sad sight to see!! I can picture that beauty in its hay day condition! What beautiful car must have been! Thanks for sharing the history of that beauty Steve!
Don't be sad that's why they're called MUSCLE cars. Takes some grunt work and a bit of buffing maybe some new tires.....
I remember going to the Plymouth dealer in Thousand Oaks CA in 1969. They always seemed to have 10 or more Roadrunners on the lot. Total sticker price was about $3300.
I remember looking at a 1969 Roadrunner sitting at on the used car lot of a Chevy dealer in 1975. It was as base as it got with the 383, automatic on the column and bench seat. Taxi cab hub caps and it was that medium blue color as well. The asking price as I remember was $1,300.00 but one could have probably got for $1,100. as known muscle cars were frowned on by insurance companies at the time so they charged a big premium to insure them.
A tree-eighty-tree...LMAO...Nice one Steve. Great video. Sad ending for such a great car...Thanks Steve...
Another couple roadrunner facts. Early road runners were only available as the sedans with the pop out windows. Hard top was a mid-year availability change. They were also only available with bench seats in 1968. I noticed in the video of the holes in the front fenders for the turn signal indicators. This one had the light package.
If Motortrend had better judgement they would have recognized that the Roadrunner was a winner and named it car of the year in '68.
Looks like someone got a bit angry with a backhoe with that RR.
Just imagine the feelings of the owner of the house and car on that unfortunate day 😳
The garage might have collapsed on it during the fire.
The father of a young friend of mine lost a Marina Blue 4-speed 427 '67 Corvette convertible in a garage fire when she was still young. She told me about how she would "help" him work on the car, starting when she was 4 or 5 years old! Naturally, she became a gearheadimpact.
(Sadly, she died in her own Corvette about 10 years ago when forced off the Interstate by a semi, right into the back of a breakdown on the shoulder. They estimate that she was doing between 70 and 80 on imact.)
When I was 17, more years ago than I care to admit, I had the chance to buy a '68 383, 4 speed, bench seat car for $1200. The only catch was, it had just been restored, and, was all in boxes. I had a project already, and, didn't have the energy, or, space to take on another. I still kick myself for passing that one up.
Tree eighty Tree! Yer so funny Steve! Great video my friend!😂
A little buffing she’ll be good as new!
I built that very same JoHan '69 Roadrunner kit back in '69 when JoHan was making the yearly Plymouth kits. They switched from full size c-body Furys in '68 and before to the Roadrunner in '69 and '70. MPC got the Plymouth job after that. Anyway JoHan "mistakes" were fun to find. Hemis in Furys? Bucket seats in the Fury III? Notice the box art on the '69 Roadrunner depicts Richard Pettys #43. I guess JoHan produced the model before realizing Richard Petty drove a Ford Torino in "69! Another great video Steve and an absolute shame what happened to that car and the owners property. They must have been devastated. I hope everyone made it out ok.
Hey - buckets and nice flow-through console would be cool as hell in a Fury III…….!!!!!
Another odd detail I've found in the original JoHan '69 Road Runner kit was the separate head rests on the bucket seats. The re-release has the one-piece high-back bucket seats from the 1970 Plymouth GTX and Superbird kits! Ol John Hanley (founder / owner of Jo-Han Models Inc.) probably figured "nobody will notice". We do! Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante I have that newer kit too. High back buckets not available until 1970. Ooops
I enjoy mornings with Steve's Junkyard crawl ☕ Even the occasional, really bad dad jokes. 😏
My uncle sold his 68 charger he bought for $300 bucks for $500 he said he sold it because in 1976 a front caliper was $72 dollars. So he drove a vw wagon. I know he misses that car, but loves his family more. H told me a fridge full of food is better than any car.❤
Great video, brother. Sad to see something with so much history be dead like that. But at least the car can still be seen and admired.
Interesting details offered here. There was a light yellow 68 Road Runner offered for sale just down the street from me in 70. Pristine condition, had 383, gray aftermarket mag wheels, the car was cherry, low miles, not abused. The thing was late model and cared for. Why do I remember it? Because it was reasonably priced!
Thanks Steve, another great Mopar story. Loved that "tree-eighty-tree" !
Had a 69' Plymouth Satellite sedan for a daily driver decades back. Loved that car, still miss it till this day. So painful to see a Roadrunner in that condition.
I love the post cars! That’s crazy that those models did not melt in the 🔥
My uncle came home from the conflict in Vietnam and bought a 69 roadrunner , dunno if it was a dealer optioned thing never heard any talk about it but came with a muffler that had a flap of some sort design that after X amount of pressure / rpm / speed? It opened to straight pipe by passing baffles ! Cop pulled him over for no muffler he told the cop it was factory he didn’t write him up! Cuz he looked and the factory sticker was still on it didn’t burn off yet 😝 just another forgotten tidbit from the muscle car era!!! ✌️🤙
Steve is every car guys uncle. Your knowledge is second to none sir
Just needs a little paint no big deal get well soon Steve
Good morning from Canada. 🇨🇦👍👍
Can you imagine this car was brand new in a showroom at one time. 😢
I often think about that, not only with cars like this, but hot rods too. This thought is one of the main reasons that I detest the "patina" look. Thinking about that long ago new car being proudly driven home from the dealer, all I see in "patina" is sad neglect. Sad as this Road Runner is, at least it never had to put up with the indignity of being driven and shown off looking like a junkyard refugee.
Steve these were the go to car in my high school during 68 thru 71. As you said which was true in my high school the guys working after school that bought a new car with their own money bought a new stripped Roadrunner and might upgrade to a bigger engine at the expense of air conditioning, auto transmission, and power steering and power brakes which in Houston,TX driving a car without air was miserable. After the Roadrunner a 442, GTO, Chevelle SS, and a few Mustangs and Cougars but many of those were bought used when they were a couple of years old. I drove my father's red 62 Chevy II 300 with a 196 I-6 and Powerglide which those guys with the performance cars jokingly asked to race me which was a good laugh because they would be way down the street before I got started. There were many ordinary compact cars and full size cars that students drove as well that were hand me downs from parents but there were a lot of performance and muscle cars. I went to high school during the golden age of muscle cars. Compact cars such as Chevy IIs, Darts, and Valiants were popular because they could be bought cheap and a hopped up V-8 could be transplanted in them and the rears would be jacked up for racing. Many of those were street raced as well and some the rear ends would fall out because they were done with whatever junk parts were cheap. My Senior year the redesigned 71 Roadrunner came out and a I saw maybe 1 of those but they were not the same car and by that time the new Challenger became very popular. Did see Mustangs at my high school (a few Cobras) but they were vastly outnumber by the more affordable Roadrunner.
Love this one Steve. Have you done a video on that B series Dodge truck in the background?
Bought a pre-owned 68 RR, 383,Auto,No AC, Bench Seats, in 69. I had no chance against those 396 Chevrolets. I needed a Hemi for sure. Thanks Steve. 🙏🏻😎
3:50 - does the horn work? Please test it?
We have Burn Out contestant absolute winner!
A $2900 muscle car and add a 426 Hemi option for $800, gives you a $3700 supercar for the day.
My first car, hand-me-down (did have to give $$ less than trade value) that dad bought NEW as '69 leftover September of that year! Hardtop, no vinyl top, N96, 4 speed, rear defogger, AM radio with rear seat speaker, PS, NO PB, deep dish wheel covers (weighed almost as much as the steel wheels), silver/gray bench and Seafoam Turquoise Metallic. Sadly, Oil Embargo of '72-'73 with rising gas prices, teenage part-time wages and high insurance costs for under 25 males forced me to trade this for a MOPAR small blocked car. 38K miles when let go, imagine value of that today😂😂
Insurance costs were pretty high for an unmarried, under 25 yr. old male. Several older friends looked into it.
The car payment might be $110 a month. Insurance would be $160 !! Any intermediate sized or pony car with over 350 c.i. was hit with a hefty surcharge!
I watch only your videos nowadays on RUclips. I’m 27 with a 63’ Cadillac DeVille and definitely have an old soul in me!
send it over to mark at graveyard cars!
Maybe Mark Worman could breathe some new life into that carcass.
Love those fung shui bars.
What a shame the 69 roadrunner A12 was and is my ultimate muscle car. I got my driver's license in 1974 at 16 1/2. The closest I ever got to owning one was a 69 sport satellite 383 four speed duel exhaust all factory I bought in 1977 It had a blown engine and had been beaten pretty bad but I had to have it. I bought an engine and transmission out of a wrecked 68 roadrunner. And put it in mine. I sold it after about two months at a loss. Oh well live and learn. Keep up the good work with the channel love it.
If it was destroyed in a house fire how did it get all crushed up
"The cool thing about this one is, it has a Tree Eighty Tree".... that's priceless!!!! Good one Steve!!!
I had a1970 Roadruner 383 4speed hard top . Pos rear Ps am/for. Cost with tax was 3300.😊
When I was 18, I had moved out of state to go to school. Somehow, trading cars around, I ended up with a 69 Road Runner. This was back in the 80's, they weren't as popular as they are today. At some point, I traded it for a V8 Vega that I eventually got rid of because the frame was torqued from me racing it. I still kick myself for letting that Road Runner go... One of my biggest life regrets
I currently own the exact car , pillared coupe, 4 speed 383
Worked at a Gulf station in the late 60’s.Had a customer that was a regular customer with a Hemi Roadrunner. Put a many qt of Gulfpride Oil in it on a regular basis
Hold the phone,......... I think those bumpers are still good on that road runner.
Reminds me of the scene in American Graffiti where Milner was walking through the junk yard talking about the wrecked cars with Carol... if only the Road Runners full history was known beyond the sad ending ....to be told on some moonlit night
*GRUMMPA SEZ:* Not said but worth mentioning, most Satellite's and Belvedere's of the era had a 22" radiator unless it was ordered with a/c or 'max cooling' but all roadrunner and gtx used the larger radiator opening. Also on factory elephant (426 hemi) and sixbarrel (440+6) cars the "k" frame had a 'skid plate' to protect the oil pan.
I think it was the Hurst Super Shifter that necessitated cutting out the rear of the shifter hump. The shifter mounting bracket raised the shifter head as well as moving it back, all to make the shifter rods perfectly straight, and less likely to bend.
Two thumbs up; great video, Steve!😁🛠️
Good Morning Steve, This is the Year road runner, I swap for my 69 Pontiac Gran Prix SJ 4 speed, I liked My road runner pistol grip 383 it was a fun Car ,But I really wanted the Grand Prix ,Had to sell when I went over the Road driving Tractor trailer moving furniture,
As always Steve, fascinating! 🇦🇺🍺🍺
I still remember my brother bringing home his first new car. A 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner from North Shore Chrysler Plymouth in Peabody MA in the summer of '69. Blue with a white vinyl top... Gorgeous car!
I used to ride to high school in a friend's 69 Road Runner, a very beautiful and powerful car! I still think about that car 40 years later.
Mr. B. Here ! ☕️☕️🍩 👁️👁️ Morning Mags ! Steve will you be at Barrett-Jackson this week ? Very interesting and informative, very cool 👍👍
Morning
@@tomwesley7884 ☕️☕️🍩👍
I will be there! In fact, I fly out this afternoon. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante
@@SteveMagnante- you are probably landing about now. 1610 pacific time.
Noooooooooo.😢 Char if the Year.♨️
absolutely love the tree eighty tree bit!
True story about 20 yrs ago found a guy that found a real Plymouth Superbird that was in a junkyard like this and crushed to to be as high as roof but wrecked and stolen and total loss in early 80s sent to a salvage yard where it was set aside by the yard owner. After sitting few years in yard, when snow got inside and in the block and intake valley he sold it to a shop teacher, as his own car he taught kids body/ mechanical work and they resurrected it years later, never asked what was original or what it took$. He had to get another nose and the rear spoiler but took the rest off other mopar's and patched the rust but got together with a lot of restoration parts and turned it a cruiser but it was still 440 with 727 auto trans and big dana rear. It was white over black and black vinyl top. It' amazing story car for cruise nights. He said that he could get his money back now but would never sell it. Anyway, these are the cars that tell a story.
Tree eighty tree. Pure comedy gold!
I’d bet a lot of ‘68 RR ended up in similar condition when their young owners wrapped them around poles or rolled them into a ditch ... or otherwise found ways to accelerate the rusting process .... still I’d take one in a heartbeat
Oh wow.................... Great vid!!
Steve, there weee a few different Mopars around that big ol Mack truck video. Can you cover some of them please!
My best friend and I bought a '68 Satellite 2-door back in 1983 for the cost of 2 rear wheel cylinders that the owner just replaced, this burnt out car in the video reminds me of it. Mine was trashed as well however it was fun to wrench on when I was 13 years old. I sadly went to the crusher as the frame was shot.
My friends dad had an orange 68 or 69 when we were kids... I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the 68 to 70 road runners... dont jump on any cars at barrett jackson Steve.. its a sweet gig lol... thanks for sharing
Plymouth management did good imitation of Lee Iacocca with the RR.
No worries, AMD has the parts to rebuild it !!
Im 16 reading all these comments about this car and it really makes me wish I was around in the 60s and 70s
Love the videos, thanks!
The tree 80 tree got me 😂
Definitely one of my top 5 favorite cars!
Steve 2 other places for the vin the trunk with the rubber trunk molding goes drivers side and under the top of the core support.
You doubled the value of that hood by straightening it 😂
Excellent video as usual, tree eighty tree.....LMAO 😂😅😂 good one 😅😂😅😂
Very interesting, once again, I learn something new from you. I also enjoyed converting the prices you mentioned to 2023 values.
In 2010 I drew a "phamtom" budget super car that Pontiac should've built to go after the Road Runner. It was basically the 1968 LeMams HO 350 with benches front and back, steel wheels, no trim, 3 speed manual, and a picuure of Willie E Coyote running down the side.
Was their any difference in price from the hardtop and post car?
Great video, that poor thing is really mangled, lots of old Motor Trend magazines, thumbs up
Radiator bracket's look useable for re-core, may have #'s on them.
Yo yo !😊 Good morning my Man Steve !
Love your videos Steve ..
We need to get Steve over 100k.
Spread the word everyone!
Its a Chrysler the owner probably torched it to get rid of the pos......or it caught on Fire Chrysler had the worst electrical systems