About this Mopar:
Here is my 1970 Plymouth Road Runner, limelight green with black interior. 383/727, 8 3/4 sure grip with 3:23. It is a power steering, A/C, power brakes, hood mounted turn signal,center console, bucket seat equipped car. Also had a black vinyl roof. My dad bought this car in 1978 for $750 when his 1973 RR was totaled. I remember riding in both cars, but especially remember riding in this car. Dad drove this car for only about 2-3 years before he just let it sit. So basically, it was only driven for 10 years. Fast forward to 1988 and since the car was "taking up room", he decided to sell it. (little did I know at this time that was the plan) Dad sold the car running and driving for $200! I remember watching it drive out the driveway the day he sold it. I was 12 years old at the time and remember thinking I would never see that car again. I always thought about this car and wondered whatever happened to it. Well, fast forward again to 2009 and I decided one night to try and find the car. Anytime my dad, brother, uncle and I got together, we always talked about all of the cool cars that should have never been sold and this is always one that was brought up. So I decided to find it. I knew where dad had originally bought the car (Easy Jack & Sons Auto Salvage in Junction City). They used to buy and sell used cars in the 60's, 70's and 80's). So I called up Jamin Welsh at Easy Jacks and asked him if he had records from back then. He said he did and it would take him a little bit, but he would get back with me. About an hour later, he called me back. He said dad had bought 2 Road Runners. One was yellow and one was green. I told him it was the green one. He gave me the VIN number, how much dad had bought it for and the day he bought it! I couldn't believe it because now I had the VIN and that was a big step in the right direction. I traced the VIN back to a guy named Robert in Hope, KS. He is the guy my dad sold the car to. So, one Saturday a buddy and I drove down to Hope and knocked on Roberts door. An elderly lady came to the door wearing a bath robe and holding a spit cup (yes, a spit cup). I introduced myself and then asked her if Robert was home. She told me he wasn't and then asked what I wanted. I explained to her that my dad had sold him a green Road Runner in 1988 and I was trying to find it. She said she vaguely remembered it. I left her my card with my cell phone number and asked her to have Robert call me when he got back. We started driving back home and Robert called. He proceeded to tell me that he remembered the car and that it was very fast. He said he blew the 383 up and they ended up putting a 318 in its place. (my heart sank at this moment). I asked him if he remembers who he sold the car to. He told me he didn't remember who he sold it to, but does remember where it used to sit in Enterprise, KS. Hope is only about 15 miles from Enterprise, so we started driving around the town. (these 2 towns are very small farming communities so it doesn't take that long). I found the house that Robert described and was for sure it was the one. I walked up to the door and a younger guy opened the door. I introduced myself and explained why I was there. He said he didn't know anything about the car. I asked him how long they had lived there and he told me only 5 years. I then asked him if he knew the name of the people that lived there before him. He did and told me their names. I recognized the name because they used to own a business in Enterprise. I thanked the young man for his time and couldn't wait to get home. Once I got home, I got on the computer and put the name in. It brought up Texas and Enterprise, KS. There was a phone number on there so I called it and got an older gentleman. I told him who I was and that I was in KS. I told him my story and asked if he knew anything about the car. He told me that he did remember the car and knows where it is! I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. He said his son had bought the car in 1990 and still had it. He told me his son still lived in KS, in the southwest part. I thanked him for his time and left my number so his son could call me. Well, after 2-3 days of not hearing anything, I decided to look up the son on the internet. Sure enough, it brought up his name in Garden City, KS. I called the number and a lady answered the phone. I told her who I was and asked to talk to her husband. She said he wasn't home, but gave me his cell phone number after I explained why I was calling. Before we ended the call, she told me the same thing the father did: "I don't think he is going to sell the car". So I called the son and talked to him for 2 hours. I told him the story about the car and how I tracked him down. He told me about how he had bought the car when he was 16 years old and how he had dreamed of fixing it up some day. After a couple days of emails, I asked him if he would send me pictures of the car. He said he would and a day later, I got to see the car that I hadn't seen in over 20 years. There was no motor or transmission, but EVERYTHING else was there. It was complete, but very rough and rusty. I asked him if he would sell me the car and he said he would have to think about it and talk it over with his wife. I told him to take his time and let me know. After a couple days, he said he has decided to sell me the car because of my connection with it and what I had to go through to find it. You can only imagine the excitement of this news. I called my Dad, brother and uncle. They still couldn't believe that I found the car, let alone getting to buy it. Of course, I had to pay ALOT more than the $200 my dad sold it for! My wife and I made plans to drive the 5 hours from Manhattan, KS to Garden City, KS to go pick the car up. I had already sent the guy 1/2 the money so he knew I was serious. When we got there, a lot of emotions started coming over me. It was like losing that favorite item and then after a long time passes, you find it in the most obvious place. It was just very surreal. To look at a car that at one time you rode in as a kid and your dad drove, then to see it in the condition it was. It was just emotional. But, I now had the car in my possession and it was never leaving again. We have a son that is 2 1/2 years old. The same age I was when my dad first bought this car. This car will never be sold or traded. This car will be my sons car when I am long gone (and probably way before that). Once we got it home, I started assessing all of the damage and the work that the car would require. It took me almost 4 months to just disassemble the car. I very carefully disassembled the car, took photos of every part and labeled every part. I have saved everything, even if it is not useable anymore. I have started locating parts, which many of you know can be frustrating since this car is a one year only. The original hood was not useable, so I located a hood in St. Louis, MO. Ironically it is the same color as my car and the guy had it in his garage since the 80's! I have located a deck lid in Omaha, NE that we will pick up next month in September. I have already had the bumpers chromed and have located a 440 with A/C and all the accessories. I am going with a 440 since the 383 is long gone, but will still use the 383 call outs on the hood. I am going to do all of the mechanical, interior and reassembly myself, but will have the body restored by a professional restoration shop. This car will require a lot, but it will be worth it in the end. Especially since my boy will be helping and will be by my side the whole way. And of course my wife, who I know will be patient with the late nights and the dollars that will be taken from the checking account. Our goal is to make this car nice, but not so nice that it sits in the garage. It will be driven. Like I stated earlier, this car was only driven for 10 years in its 43 year life. It deserves better than that. Hope you all enjoyed my story and got a kick out of it! I have added some pics of it and will get more up when I get some more time
