Help "decoding" a 1970 Roadrunner

[HawkRod]

I purchased a 1970 Roadrunner that is largely unrestored, with 80,000 miles and is mostly unmolested. The problem is that the car does not have a fender tag or broadcast sheet, so I am trying to recreate what options this car was built with, to the best of my knowledge based on the evidence the car has.

A) 100% certain: Car is a FJ5 Limelight 383 with original engine and 4 sp. transmission. Original VIN found on them.

B) 99.9% certain: Car has the A36 performance axle package with 26" radiator, HEMI leaf springs and 3.55 sure grip. Car is also a N96 air grabber with all the parts in the correct places, and FJ5 paint in all the right places

Questions:
1) I am trying to determine if the car had the A01 light package. It has a trunk light, a glove box light, map/courtesy light and an under hood light. However, It does NOT have hood mounted turn signals or a time delay ignition light. I also don't think it has an ash tray light, although if this is hidden up in the dash I may have missed it.
Can anyone help me with what they think my car had with respect to these options?

2) Interior: My car currently has the custom decor seats installed with the silver piping. I think these may have been swapped in later because the door panels do not match. I can't find the door panel pattern in any reference (i.e. Legendary or Year One). Has anyone seen this pattern? If so, what seats match this pattern?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

Sherlock Holmes wannanbe....

 

[EV2 GTX]

Bird guts

Hope this helps 'ya...the scan isn't the greatest...it's out of an older book that I have titled Charger, Road Runner and Super Bee. It's a pic of a Super Bird but clearly shows the runner interior. I'll keep looking for some other photos....

 

[HawkRod]

Hope this helps 'ya...the scan isn't the greatest...it's out of an older book that I have titled Charger, Road Runner and Super Bee. It's a pic of a Super Bird but clearly shows the runner interior. I'll keep looking for some other photos....

Thanks for the picture. I have a couple of others that show the custom decor interior. As seen in the picture, it had the silver piping in the door panels and also had the chrome armrest bases. Mine has a different door pattern without silver piping, and also just has basic black arm rest bases, leading me to believe that the car didn't originally come with custom decor interior. Problem is - I can't seem to find my door panels anywhere...

 

[EV2 GTX]

Thanks for the picture. I have a couple of others that show the custom decor interior. As seen in the picture, it had the silver piping in the door panels and also had the chrome armrest bases. Mine has a different door pattern without silver piping, and also just has basic black arm rest bases, leading me to believe that the car didn't originally come with custom decor interior. Problem is - I can't seem to find my door panels anywhere...

Well I'm starting to wonder where those door panels came from...like you I can't seem to find that pattern anywhere..yet. I'm starting to think it's more likely your car had the custom decor interior, rather than the other way around... it's possible that someone had the door panels made up..??but still looking, this is interesting. For example, in the pic I sent, it says that the Road Runner hard top interior was standard on the Super Bird (meaning custom decor package?)....is your car a hard top or a coupe? Not srure if it really means anything...sorry if I missed this detail in any of your previous posts..

 

[HawkRod]

Thanks for your continued help - much appreciated!

My car is a coupe, i.e. RM21N0E...

According to the available reference material, the decor package came with the options shown in the attached image (courtesy of Hamtramck-historical.com)
I do have the bright B Pillar molding, but steering wheel is unknown (it had an aftermarket wheel when I bought it). Also, I am pretty sure it did not have the transverse stripe on the trunk due to the emblem on the trunk, which was not there when the stripe was included.

...all which leads me to believe the car did not have the decor package. But in searching the internet for pictures of Roadrunner interiors, I have yet to see this door panel pattern anywhere...

 

[696pack]

Here is your real problem. The people you are trying to satisfy (purists) are not going to take your word for many of the things based on your investigation and are going to walk away from it BECAUSE it has no fender tag or BS anyway.

If it were me I would not concern myself with more than the obvious easy to prove things such as the original paint color (it can be proven from original paint up under the dash area, under package shelf,etc.) and some of the other things that are easy to prove.
Make sure you take plenty of pictures of these areas BEFORE restoration for the naysayers.

I love a car like this because since it is not going to ever satisfy a purist it basically gives you permission to do want you want with the options without making yourself feel bad about modifing the car.

The car has the basic sought after items for a 1970 RR that ARE easily provable. V.I.N. i.d.s it as an RR, matching numbers engine/trans proves it to be a 4 speed, reminents of original paint for color. Put the trim level and color interior interior in it you would have ordered new in it and add options you would have ordered and call it good. It is likely that the buyer you find when ready to sell will like all of it anyway as most people are initially drawn to a car by model and exterior.interior colors and exterior seen options. In other words what they see at first glance.

 

[Fanofpetty]

I own a superbird with the deluxe interior, and the door panels do not look like those you have. Mine have a thin sliver piping like the bucket seats have. I'm thinking those door panels you have are out of a cornet or somthing or another style B body anyway.

 

[MoparBill]

Maybe you can check the Year One or Legendary catalogs or websites to fing a similar panel to see what it's for.

 

[tpodwdog]

if i were to venture a guess...i would say those door panels are out of a SATELLITE or a BELVEDERE.,,,theyre easily swappable.. because its the same car. id go more with satellite panels due to the shape of the impressions on top....but i could be wrong.... who knows...the seats werent swapped...the door panels were!

 

[HawkRod]

Here is your real problem. The people you are trying to satisfy (purists) are not going to take your word for many of the things based on your investigation and are going to walk away from it BECAUSE it has no fender tag or BS anyway.

Thanks for the replies. To 696pack: I appreciate your sentiments. However, note that I am NOT doing this to satisfy either purists OR to be able to make a buck when I sell it. For me, this car is my ultimate Mopar and I'll be pushing up daisys before I sell it.

I do actually plan on putting the deluxe interior in the car regardless of what I find out. In addition, I also want to add the hood striping, dust trails, etc. One of the main reasons I want to do my homework and document the car as much as possible is to avoid any future dishonesty. I also think it is cool to try and understand how this came from the factory.

Thanks also for the other replies as well. I have searched all the restoration catalogs I know of and I have not yet found this pattern for any B body. If I never get a good answer, I like tpodwdog's idea: The seats weren't swapped... the door panels were! Stranger things have happened!

Hawk

 

[696pack]

Thanks for the replies. To 696pack: I appreciate your sentiments. However, note that I am NOT doing this to satisfy either purists OR to be able to make a buck when I sell it. For me, this car is my ultimate Mopar and I'll be pushing up daisys before I sell it.

I do actually plan on putting the deluxe interior in the car regardless of what I find out. In addition, I also want to add the hood striping, dust trails, etc. One of the main reasons I want to do my homework and document the car as much as possible is to avoid any future dishonesty. I also think it is cool to try and understand how this came from the factory.Thanks also for the other replies as well. I have searched all the restoration catalogs I know of and I have not yet found this pattern for any B body. If I never get a good answer, I like tpodwdog's idea: The seats weren't swapped... the door panels were! Stranger things have happened!

Hawk

Hey no problem here, it is your car do as you want. However, ther are few things that will PROVE how the car came from the factory unless you have pictures from back in the say that will show how it was optioned. As an example lets say you find holes in the passenger door that indicate it had a mirror there, how do you know id didn't have the door replaced with one from another car that had the mirror?

I just would not lose any sleep over the minor things like this because what it comes down to for options on a car the value of the options will not outweight the cost of purchase of the parts and time or money to install them. I did see that you said it is not about the money or value but wouldn't you rather have a car equipped the way you might enjoy it more rather than find it DIDN'T have that option and keei it that way and deprive yourself of the pleasure of having what you would like?

 

[RubyredSavoy]

The panels in your car were the standard Belvedere M2X9 parts, that were also used in all '70 RR RM21 coupes that were NOT optioned with the RR Decor Pkg (code A87 IIRC). Does your bird have the chrome B-pillar trim or is it body color?

 

[RubyredSavoy]

BTW- carefully remove those panels, they are not reproduced and probably won't be since most guys "upgrade" to the decor style.

 

[RubyredSavoy]

Just noticed the rear pic of the car, it did not have the RR decor pkg since it has the metal pin style road runner emblems. Part of the decor pkg was the reflective tape stripe. Of course, if the decor pkg was ordered, I believe the tape strip could be deleted from the pkg (V88).

 

[RubyredSavoy]

Can you post up more pics of the car in and out to see what else it my have come with?

 

[HawkRod]

Can you post up more pics of the car in and out to see what else it my have come with?

Thanks for the help! Here is a post with some pictures that may help with light group (A01) determination. It also has a trunk light but I don't have a picture of that. Note under the hood there is a bulb socket to the left of the air grabber box.

Hawk

 

[HawkRod]

Here are some more pictures showing Chrome post, heavy duty cooling radiator, differential, HEMI leaf springs (behind diff), and tube for California Evaporative Emission Control (N95) required in CA. It has five tube out the bottom, four from the fuel tank and one that goes to the front of the car.

Got lots more if anyone wants! It's rough, but I still like it!!!

Hawk

 

[tpodwdog]

ok,,,heres what i see,,,or dont see...:

1. no hood mounted turn signal indicators ( you said it had A01)
2. you have the glovebox lens but no switch ( i just bought one for my 70 RR and installed it today....$42.00 for switch...waiting on lens delivery).
3. what is that tube behind the right wheel well?????? is that a roll cage part???
4. it DEFILITELY has hemi leafs
5.air grabber vacuum lines entering wrong place and wrong color ( thats not where mine go thru the firewall.) but that isnt really important.. is there a N96 on the fender tag if there is one at all?
6. headrests missing.
7. under hood color not car color....i think this air grabber may have been added


not picking...these are just things i noticed...this car is definitely worth restoring.. kinda reminds me of my first 70 roadrunner i had when i was 19.

good luck to ya...!

 

[RubyredSavoy]

I agree that the Air Grabber was added to the car and that is why you are missing the directionals in the hood. The hoses are not coming out of the right spot in the firewall (factory dimple appears unpunched). The tag would be coded N85 for the tach, A36 for the Perf Axle Pkg. Of course, the tach is easily added... I would have to say that the car probably had the decor pkg along with the V88 stripe delete (hence the pin on trunklid emblems). The low-line door panels probably came out of the car that donated it's air grabber for you car. This is all just educated speculation ;-)

 

[RubyredSavoy]

ok,,,heres what i see,,,or dont see...:
3. what is that tube behind the right wheel well?????? is that a roll cage part???

That tube is part of the California ECS emissions control pkg.