The 1968 Roadrunner (and its
companion, the Super Bee) were fairly unique. Based on the heavy
luxury
cars in the B-body line, the Roadrunner was lighter than the compact-based
'Cuda. To make it both light and cheap, the Roadrunner had few amenities -
forget about carpet, for example. Creature comforts gave way to sheer
performance and cost considerations. Though the Road Runner was based on
the Satellite, in
1970 it had a rallye dash and 150 mph speedometer, cost more than the
Satellite, and had a lot less "frills" (depending on the year)
in terms of carpet and insulation.
The Roadrunner was not fragile. Unlike some sports cars (such as the Corvette), it was built for serious street work, which might be why so many have survived. The Roadrunner was reportedly a favorite of moonshiners, faster than almost any police car and tough enough to take practically any bump. It also had good ground clearance. The only thing it didn't have was aerodynamics; for that, you'd have to wait until 1970 and the Superbird (or 1969 and the Dodge Charger Daytona), which had a drag coefficient many 1996 models would envy.
In case you were wondering, yes, the
Roadrunner was based on the cartoon. It even had a horn that went beep
beep! The steering wheel had a little Roadrunner, and the air cleaner had
a cartoon with the logo "Coyote Duster." (These were not on all
models or years). The Superbird went one further, putting a huge
Roadrunner (with helmet) onto its massive rear spoiler (which had plenty
of room for it). The Dodge Super Bee, to avoid being left out in the cold,
had its own cartoon character - one which did not require royalties for
Warner Bros. The Super Bee was a cartoon bee with a helmet, fat tires,
headers, and a stinger. Other than the graphics, the Super Bee was based
on the Coronet 440 (which, incidentally, often had the 318 engine). The
Super Bee package added heavier duty shocks and suspension components,
bigger brakes, and a different hood. It had one inch more wheelbase than
the Roadrunner.
In 1968, the base engine was a 383, with heads, intake, cam, and exhaust manifolds from the 440 Super Commando; those made it the fastest 383 ever, with 335 (gross) horsepower. A four-speed manual was standard (three speeds were par for the course in those days). The Road Runner was free of glitz and chrome, mostly to reduce weight.
Though it was a hefty price in 1968 and 1969, $714 extra would buy the ultimate street engine, one unmatched by any other (except the Viper-10): the 426 Hemi. That pretty much guaranteed the ability to win at streetlight races.
In 1969, Ford responded with the Cobra (a Fairlane with a 428), but the Road Runner kept going to win Motor Trend's Car of the Year award; the 440 6-barrel really helped, providing acceleration nearly equal to the Hemi (at least, up to highway speeds) with a much lower price tag.
The 440, 3 carburetor Road
Runner took the concept to its natural conclusion, even eliminating
hubcaps. The Super Bee, on the other hand, added the Ramcharger air scoop
on the hood; unlike many scoops, this one was functional and standard with
the deep-gulping Hemi. On the Dodge, the 3 2-barrel carb setup was named
the Six Pack, and it put out 390 hp (gross). Keep in mind as you read this
that horsepower meant more in those days when it came at lower rpms.
If you wanted wheels other than the 15 x 6 ones -
forget it. Also forget air conditioning and cruise control.
In 1970, the Road Runner added the Air Grabber hood, which was remote controlled from the passenger compartment. Press a button, and you have a scoop. Press again, and you have a normal hood.
Detuning
1971 brought the first major changes. The Road Runner's wheelbase went down from 116 to 115 inches. The four-barrel 440 was dropped, and the engines were detuned to meet emissions standards; for example, the 383 went from 335 to 300 hp, and the 440+6 went from 390 to 385. The Hemi squeaked through with its original 425 hp (gross; 330 hp, net). The Super Bee well and truly changed in 1971, its final year, moving to the Charger platform.
| In 1972, the Hemi and 440 six-barrel dropped out of the picture, and the 383 was bored out to become the 255 (net) hp 400. Electronic ignition, a Chrysler invention, became standard. The good news was an optional 240 hp (net) 340 engine - the shape of things to come, and a lighter source of power. You could also go for a 280 hp (net) 440. The 340 was later replaced by the 360, which had less power than the original 340; the 440 dropped out of the Roadrunner in 1974. (The 440 itself lasted until 1978). The muscle car aspect was dropping out, though; in 1973, the mild-mannered but indestructible 318, with 170 hp, was the standard base engine. |  |
One Furyous year
In 1975, the Roadrunner changed bodies to the Fury, which had just moved from the C to the B platform; by 1977, the Fury was only about the size of the 1991 Lincoln Town Car. It only stayed with the Fury for a year.
Volare Road Runner!?!
In 1976, Plymouth, trying to keep the name alive, stuck it onto the new Volare, which was designed to replace the reliable, sturdy, light, economical, and very popular Valiant. On the lighter side, the Volare had an improved suspension and somewhat more comfortable seats; and it tended not to drop water onto the driver's feet. On the other hand, the first year was an assembly disaster. The Road Runner had bigger engines than the Valiant; instead of starting at the 225 Slant Six and ending at the 318, it started with the 318 and ended with the 360 (both with two barrel carbs). The 318 was now 150 hp, the 360 was 170 hp. Most of this came in at the low end, so it was a lot of power for the weight; but hardly the equal of the 1968 version.
The Road Runner option seemed to be mostly a trim package. In 1977, the 360, equipped with the first on-board engine computer ever - the Lean Burn system - managed to get a 4 barrel electronic feedback carb.
In 1979, a four barrel 318 was set up as an option; since many people had improved the power of their 318, reportedly without gas mileage losses, by adding a progressively opening 4-barrel, this was a good idea, but way too late. Production was only a little over 1,000 vehicles.
1980 was the last year for both the Volare and Road Runner; they shared all the same engines except the 318 four-barrel, which was Road Runner-only. The name was never revived for any of its natural targets - the Omni GLH and GLHS, for example.
There is still a chance for the Road Runner to make a triumphant return (Chrysler engineers and staff, are you listening?). Take the Intrepid R/T, replace the slushbox with a five-speed... and strip out the sound insulation?
Instrumentation
(Courtesy lio45) In 1968 and 1969, Road Runners had the same 120mph speedometer as the basic Belvedere. The Sport Satellite and GTX were the ones who had the 150mph speedometer.
The rallye dash with round gauges (used by the Charger and Super Bee since 1968) only appeared in 1970 on the Runner. (For once, it was Plymouth who borrowed something from Dodge!) 1968 and 1969 Runners all had the standard B-body Plymouth dash, with a rectangular speedo with the needle going from left to right. (GTX of 1968 and 1969 had a very similar dash. No Plymouths had the rallye dash before 1970).
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1970 Plymouth Superbird
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The primary information source for this page was an April 1993 article in Mopar Muscle by Tom Shaw. lio45 provided some clarifications as well.