1978 Plymouth Road Runner

[old tired rebel]

Theres no 80 Magnum. Mirada? Yes, Magnum, no!
The 400 was never standard, the 318 was, 360 first notch up and 400 being the biggest. P codes were the only other option to the 400's. 360's had 2 and 4 bbl. options and there was a few, depending on where you lived depended on what you could get.

Being the "Smog Years", the power levels sucked on every car produced. Bar none.

Old Rebel, the 318 is an under powered people mover in the B bodies which needed a jump in the comp. ratio (2pt.'s min.) and a reasonable cam to compolment. Just to start along with the 4bbl.

If you just added the 4bbl. and expected anything more than the most mildest gain, you were not on the same page as everyone else.


Just a FYI, My Magnum (79) with a '78 400 is only updated with a orange box and headers and a added 3.55 gear set. It ran a garbage mid 15 at the best. A swap to a AFB 750 didn't help matters at all.



Go for it. I know a fella around my way that did just that minus the shaker hood. He actually popped on a , er, crap! I can't remember if it was a Challenger hood scoop or a A body hood scoop.

Dang! I hate when that happens. Anyway's, it's on a Magnum, white with black accents. Nice ride.

I can say in all honesty I did expect more,but I wasn't expecting a lot at one time. A decent burnout would have been nice. Which I have been able to do with past 318 Mopars. But the car is too heavy.

A 440 or 451 Stroker is the right choice for this car. It doesn't have to have a 6 BBL. But I do want tire shredding performance and I will put it in this car one way or another. I do plan on taking weight out of the car.

 

[KingElvis]

Theres no 80 Magnum. Mirada? Yes, Magnum, no!
The 400 was never standard, the 318 was, 360 first notch up and 400 being the biggest. P codes were the only other option to the 400's. 360's had 2 and 4 bbl. options and there was a few, depending on where you lived depended on what you could get.

Being the "Smog Years", the power levels sucked on every car produced. Bar none.

Old Rebel, the 318 is an under powered people mover in the B bodies which needed a jump in the comp. ratio (2pt.'s min.) and a reasonable cam to compolment. Just to start along with the 4bbl.

If you just added the 4bbl. and expected anything more than the most mildest gain, you were not on the same page as everyone else.


Just a FYI, My Magnum (79) with a '78 400 is only updated with a orange box and headers and a added 3.55 gear set. It ran a garbage mid 15 at the best. A swap to a AFB 750 didn't help matters at all.



Go for it. I know a fella around my way that did just that minus the shaker hood. He actually popped on a , er, crap! I can't remember if it was a Challenger hood scoop or a A body hood scoop.

Dang! I hate when that happens. Anyway's, it's on a Magnum, white with black accents. Nice ride.

Beg to differ rumblefish:

Read em and weep.

Would acknowledge many Cordoba's actually came through with something smaller. 400 4bbl appears to be largest engine available, since the dual exhaust 400 was cancelled that year - apparently due to the necessity of catalytic converter.

One thing people forget about the Lean Burn settup - at least as originally conceived for '76 - it allowed Chrysler to throw away the A.I.R. pump, the EGR system AND catalytic converters. Look at the 210hp 400 of '76 - it was stronger than the 455 Pontiac T/A engine, rated at 200hp.

 

[KingElvis]

Here's the '75 (I think applies to '76 too) 360 was standard.

 

[69 Runner]

Looking at specs from NHRA, the 440 police and 400 with dual exhaust had higher lift cam so it could have been just valvetrain with the same basic heads.

Same valves, rockers and shafts, just different valve springs

 

[old tired rebel]

Here's the '75 (I think applies to '76 too) 360 was standard.

360 was a optional engine not Standard. 318 was the base engine. How do I know? I also had a 1976 Doba with a 318/904 trans and T Tops. There was 3 different 360 option engines,360 2
BBL,360 4 BBL,and 360 4 BBL High Performance the last 2 are not the same engines.

 

[old tired rebel]

This is from my first post.

Now by 1980 these cars were changed into the M body line except for the Fury and Magnum. The Cordoba and Mirada continued for a few years.

Theres no 80 Magnum. Mirada? Yes, Magnum, no![quote/]

Now I posted from my first post where did I say there was a 80 Magnum?

 

[torontotony]

To my great regret, I've never been able to track down a magazine road test the era - I'd bet they would e.t. in the 16s with the 3.21 rear - pretty tough for a 76.

Not even the 400 helped these monsters out. Car and Driver tested a 75 Runner with the 400 and 3.21's out back...car ran a 17.1. I have a copy of the article, I'll scan it on Tuesday and post it up.

 

[droptop]

I feel they ruined the Road Runner in 75 all it was a Fury with decals and in 76 they moved it to the F body. :head_smack:

Ouch!! That's going to leave a mark. I happen to think that they are a very good looking car that is the last to have the true Road Runner vin and the last Road Runner to have a big block.:yes:

 

[old tired rebel]

I feel they ruined the Road Runner in 75 all it was a Fury with decals and in 76 they moved it to the F body. :head_smack:

Ouch!! That's going to leave a mark. I happen to think that they are a very good looking car that is the last to have the true Road Runner vin and the last Road Runner to have a big block.:yes:

I agree they are a great looking car but like all auto makers they all dropped the ball. Why couldn't a 75 RR be had with a 400? The Cordoba had small and big blocks until 1978. There wasn't anything around that could compete with Pontiac until 79 which very few T/A could be had with a 400.

 

[MagnumGT_79]

That 75 Runner is beautiful!!!

 

[iraqivet01]

Everything with performance was scrapped after 73. Just about everything from 74 to 80 was choked down to nothing. It was pretty much the end of the muscle car error as we knew it.

The gas crisis was in full bloom and the government was cracking down on all the auto makers to stem the pollution coming from the tail pipes. Along come the smog heads, lower compression, cats, and unleaded gas. They tried to make up for it by dolling up the cars with spoilers, decals, and selling the cars with names that were once high performance models(Road Runner, Charger, Firebird, Camaro, Chevelle, Nova, and let not talk about 74 - 78 Cobra mustang.

A 440 or even a stoked out 360 would be great in that 75 RR. Definitely would be Cool. and turn that lead sled into a real tire fryer.

 

[droptop]

I agree they are a great looking car but like all auto makers they all dropped the ball. Why couldn't a 75 RR be had with a 400? The Cordoba had small and big blocks until 1978. There wasn't anything around that could compete with Pontiac until 79 which very few T/A could be had with a 400.

They were available with the 400 HP. That is the engine in my '75. It was sold late in '74, so there is no cat. conv. true dual exhaust, and a dual snorkel air cleaner. There are no "Unleaded Gasoline Only" stickers on the gas gauge or on the rear bumper. It even had the larger diam. fuel filler neck for the leaded fuel filler nozzels. The engine responded very well to some bolt on parts that woke it up quite well. I used 906 heads, cam, intake, carb, and exhaust manifolds from a '69 Road Runner. It is no quarter miler, but I am not afraid to pull out in front of someone on the highway either.

 

[droptop]

That 75 Runner is beautiful!!!

Thank-you.