1968 Plymouth Road Runner - Page 9

Rick Blake · 09-25-2011, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

Rich Blake,,,,,

What do you mean you have no idea of what I'm talking about,,,,???
1968 'Standard Equipment'

By the way,,,,,,,the car photo you posted is of a 1969 Road Runner...not a 1968.
Don't you know what year car you owned,,,,,

The 1969 had more standard 'bells and whistles'....

1968 Road Runners, when first introduced in October 1967.
Coupes (pillared post) cars only.
* 383 Standard engine (335 Horsepower) ('H' Code)
* 4-speed transmission (standard equipment)
* Inland 4-speed shifter
* 8 3/4" rear end, with 3.23 open rear
* Bench seat (Fleet Grade; Cloth and vinyl)
* Rubber floor mats (full floor)
* Heater
* Dog Dish Hub caps
* F70 x 14' Goodyear Polyglass GT red-line tires
* 14 x 5.5" steel wheels
* Drum brakes (11" x 3" front) and (11" x 2.5" rear)
* Heavy-Duty Suspension

Car Cost $2896
Car Weight #3424 lbs.
NHRA Class: E/S or E/SA

Mike,
The A-833 transmission (23-tooth spline)
1st gear - 2.66
2nd gear - 1.91
3rd gear - 1.39
4th gear - 1.00

The stock flywheel weight: 36 lbs.
Clutch disc: 10.5"

Thats It,,,,,,,,Oh,,,,,,,,,,,'Plymouth, is a out to win you over'

Correct and thanks........the first part of my post was meant jokingly.....the 68 was a typo.....yes it is a 69 and a nice one at that....!!!!!!!

Rick

bill dedman · 09-26-2011, 01:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueOval Ralph

Lamb use to make a pinion brake that bolt on the front of the rear end air operated, this deal would hold.

Boy, that sounds like a deal...

Any chance Lamb still has one for sale???

Maybe I need to call them??????

Thanks, Ralph!

Paul Ceasrine · 09-26-2011, 10:09 AM

Cheech,

Performance results of the 1968 383 Road Runner were all over
the board,,,,,,,,depends on what magazine article and review analysis
you read.

Originally, Plymouth advertised the Road Runner as 'a $3000 car,
and 100 MPH'.

Also, advertised it as 'a low 14.00 second car and 100 MPH, for less than $3000'.

Here are some of the 'Magazine' results I found;

15.31 @ 91 MPH (Car Life),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.23 gears

15.10 @ 94 MPH (Popular Mechanics),,,4-speed with 3.23 gears

15.01 @ 94 MPH (Cars Magazine),,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.23 gears

15.00 @ 96 MPH (Car Craft),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.23 gears

14.74 @ 98 MPH (Hot Rod),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.55 gears

15.03 @ 94 MPH (Car & Driver),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.23 gears

14.89 @ 94 MPH (Hi Performance),,,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.23 gears

14.86 @ 94 MPH (Super Stock),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.55 gears

14.99 @ 95 MPH (Popular Hot Rodding),,,4-Speed with 3.23 gears

15.09 @ 93 MPH (Detroit Auto News),,,,,,,Automatic with 3.23 gears

15.01 @ 93 MPH (Motor Trend),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.55 gears

14.90 @ 93 MPH (Road Test),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,4-Speed with 3.55 gears

All tests were performed between October 1967 and December 1967.

pc

X-TECH MAN · 09-26-2011, 10:55 AM

Most (not all) magazine writers couldnt drive a nail with a hammer. Put a decent driver behind the wheel and they could shave about 1/2 of a second off of those times.

bill dedman · 09-26-2011, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by x-tech man

most (not all) magazine writers couldnt drive a nail with a hammer. Put a decent driver behind the wheel and they could shave about 1/2 of a second off of those times.

x-2...

Dan Bennett · 09-26-2011, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by X-TECH MAN

Most (not all) magazine writers couldnt drive a nail with a hammer. Put a decent driver behind the wheel and they could shave about 1/2 of a second off of those times.

I agree. Don't forget, we were lucky enough to have guys like Rick Voegelin (Project X) and Steve Collison (IHRA record holder in 396/375 Chevelle) writing back in the day. They would fit the "not all" segment. Steve was my last editor before he passed away and I think of him a lot. I can't think of anyone more dedicated to class racing than he was.

But to illustrate your point, we also had the editors whose favorite thing was to get kicked out of a press day by abusing the cars and doing donuts.

Edit - can't believe I left out John Dianna before he joined the suits in the boardroom.

Paul Ceasrine · 09-26-2011, 02:53 PM

To be fair,,,,,,,,,,,some of the automotive and performance car magazine
writers were a little 'jaded' in their views.

Of course, if the car was pulled off a dealer lot, or out of the showroom, and without a minor tuning and carb tweaking, the quarter-mile results
could be disastrous.

And if the driver was weak with the 4-speed shifting, another calamity
could occur when logging 1/4 mile times.

On the magazine automotive editor front, Motor Trend Magazine did try to put a proper driver behind the wheel, to get the lowest possible elapsed time with a stock car.
Motor Trend did question Chrysler-Plymouth's claim of 14.00's @ 100 MPH,
and did prove it 'false', when the Automatic Transmission '383' Road Runner with 3.55 gears that they tested, only pulled 15.00s @ 93 MPH.

Thus giving the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1968 Motor Trend Car of the Year Award.

Mike Comp T/A #57 · 09-27-2011, 08:18 AM

Here is a picture of the 68 Roadrunner that I owned in 1983. It was originally built and owned by Wally Booth of Pro Stock fame. Hemi

k.pascoe · 09-27-2011, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Ceasrine

To be fair,,,,,,,,,,,some of the automotive and performance car magazine
writers were a little 'jaded' in their views.

Of course, if the car was pulled off a dealer lot, or out of the showroom, and without a minor tuning and carb tweaking, the quarter-mile results
could be disastrous.

And if the driver was weak with the 4-speed shifting, another calamity
could occur when logging 1/4 mile times.

On the magazine automotive editor front, Motor Trend Magazine did try to put a proper driver behind the wheel, to get the lowest possible elapsed time with a stock car.
Motor Trend did question Chrysler-Plymouth's claim of 14.00's @ 100 MPH,
and did prove it 'false', when the 383 4-speed Road Runner with 3.55 gears that they tested,
only pulled 14.80's @ 96 MPH.

Thus giving the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1968 Motor Trend Car of the Year Award.

Makes you wonder why didn't one of the "rags" find a stripper 4 speed w/a 3.91 gearset.

Dan Bennett · 09-27-2011, 12:03 PM

Someplace around here I've got the Car & Driver magazine from 66 or 67 when they did a comparison test of the latest supercars - which is what they were being called. Musclecars, to my mind, didn't start getting popular until the 80s.

Anyhow, the Ford entries arrived on the back of a Holman and Moody transporter and C&D wouldn't accept them. That's what they got for not playing games as I'm sure most of the rest of the test cars had also had that "special" treatment.

And while Jim Wangers has never admitted it, a whole bunch of people are convinced that the original GTO sent around to the magazines had a 421 between the front fenders.

09-26-2011, 10:09 AM	#83
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: 1968 Plymouth Road Runner Cheech, Performance results of the 1968 383 Road Runner were all over the board,,,,,,,,depends on what magazine article and review analysis you read. Originally, Plymouth advertised the Road Runner as 'a $3000 car, and 100 MPH'. Also, advertised it as 'a low 14.00 second car and 100 MPH, for less than $3000'. Here are some of the 'Magazine' results I found; 15.31 @ 91 MPH (Car Life),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.23 gears 15.10 @ 94 MPH (Popular Mechanics),,,4-speed with 3.23 gears 15.01 @ 94 MPH (Cars Magazine),,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.23 gears 15.00 @ 96 MPH (Car Craft),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.23 gears 14.74 @ 98 MPH (Hot Rod),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.55 gears 15.03 @ 94 MPH (Car & Driver),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.23 gears 14.89 @ 94 MPH (Hi Performance),,,,,,,,,,,4-speed with 3.23 gears 14.86 @ 94 MPH (Super Stock),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.55 gears 14.99 @ 95 MPH (Popular Hot Rodding),,,4-Speed with 3.23 gears 15.09 @ 93 MPH (Detroit Auto News),,,,,,,Automatic with 3.23 gears 15.01 @ 93 MPH (Motor Trend),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Automatic with 3.55 gears 14.90 @ 93 MPH (Road Test),,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,4-Speed with 3.55 gears All tests were performed between October 1967 and December 1967. pc Last edited by Paul Ceasrine; 10-19-2011 at 04:44 PM.

09-26-2011, 10:55 AM	#84
X-TECH MAN Banned Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Lake Placid, Florida Posts: 3,203 Likes: 1,047 Liked 235 Times in 110 Posts	Re: 1968 Plymouth Road Runner Most (not all) magazine writers couldnt drive a nail with a hammer. Put a decent driver behind the wheel and they could shave about 1/2 of a second off of those times.

09-26-2011, 02:53 PM	#87
Paul Ceasrine VIP Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,546 Likes: 0 Liked 10 Times in 10 Posts	Re: 1968 Plymouth Road Runner To be fair,,,,,,,,,,,some of the automotive and performance car magazine writers were a little 'jaded' in their views. Of course, if the car was pulled off a dealer lot, or out of the showroom, and without a minor tuning and carb tweaking, the quarter-mile results could be disastrous. And if the driver was weak with the 4-speed shifting, another calamity could occur when logging 1/4 mile times. On the magazine automotive editor front, Motor Trend Magazine did try to put a proper driver behind the wheel, to get the lowest possible elapsed time with a stock car. Motor Trend did question Chrysler-Plymouth's claim of 14.00's @ 100 MPH, and did prove it 'false', when the Automatic Transmission '383' Road Runner with 3.55 gears that they tested, only pulled 15.00s @ 93 MPH. Thus giving the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1968 Motor Trend Car of the Year Award. Last edited by Paul Ceasrine; 09-28-2011 at 11:27 AM.

09-27-2011, 08:18 AM	#88
Mike Comp T/A #57 Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Batavia, Ohio Posts: 13 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: 1968 Plymouth Road Runner Here is a picture of the 68 Roadrunner that I owned in 1983. It was originally built and owned by Wally Booth of Pro Stock fame. Hemi __________________ Comp T/A 10.89@128 mph~ SRT Hellcat 10.65@ 129 mph Last edited by Mike Comp T/A #57; 09-27-2011 at 08:48 AM.

09-27-2011, 12:03 PM	#90
Dan Bennett Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 439 Likes: 853 Liked 595 Times in 136 Posts	Re: 1968 Plymouth Road Runner Someplace around here I've got the Car & Driver magazine from 66 or 67 when they did a comparison test of the latest supercars - which is what they were being called. Musclecars, to my mind, didn't start getting popular until the 80s. Anyhow, the Ford entries arrived on the back of a Holman and Moody transporter and C&D wouldn't accept them. That's what they got for not playing games as I'm sure most of the rest of the test cars had also had that "special" treatment. And while Jim Wangers has never admitted it, a whole bunch of people are convinced that the original GTO sent around to the magazines had a 421 between the front fenders.