1969 Plymouth Road Runner
Big Beep
by Bill Holder
photos by Phil Kunz
The 383 cubic inch engine certainly was strong, punching out 335 horses. The real force of this power plant was the amazing 425 pound-feet of torque. Many hemi and 440 Six Pack powered Road Runner owners dismissed the 383, until they ran against one.
The engine bay was performance oriented and proud if it. It was something Mopar excelled at during those years. It was painted in Hemi Orange with a sassy air cleaner cover printed with "383 road runner engine".
Getting up to speed with this example of the breed quickly is accomplished with the A833 Hurst-shifted, four-speed manual transmission with a 3.23 rear end.
This example is pretty much a 'plain jane' machine. You could order Road Runners with extras like a vinyl roof and two-tone paint. For additional performance, a fresh air hood could be ordered. David said it only added about five horses.
It was lean, clean and fast, and it didn't break the bank. That's why so many of them sold!
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