Where'd they all go? 73-74.....

[Root2812]

Hi guys, I haven't posted since I sold my Roadrunner last fall. I have regretted selling that car since the day it left the driveway despite a good reason for having to let it go. I've had a good change of circumstance and decided to find another 73-74 Roadrunner.

When I hunted for my last one in the winter of 2015-16 I found lots of them for reasonable prices. The next summer I was going to shows and having a blast. I had a few mopar guys come and bad mouth my car as an undesirable body and year. I did lots of research online and found lots of posts saying the same thing. I always disagreed because I love that bodystyle.

So here I am two years later hunting again and I expected to have as easy of a time as last time, especially with all the talk about them being "less desirable". No such luck........ All i am finding is over priced rusty hulks or cars that are nice but priced like they are a 68 Charger RT or something. There seem to be very few cars for sale right now. When I got my last one it ran but with problems, needed body and paint, and had trash interior but was a solid body. It only cost me $7300 and it was a little extra being a sunroof car from California.

I want to find a fairly solid and close to drive able true roadrunner and prefer bucket seats and console car because I liked the slap stik so I don't think I'm too picky. So my question for all of you is... Where did the they all go? And what the hell happened to the prices in just a year since I sold mine. Its like all the 73-74 cars vanished but I see a ton of 71-72 cars.

 

[PP1RT]

Patience grasshopper...

A lot of garage doors froze down in the midwest right now. When the weather warms they will come out of hibernation...

 

[idrivemopar]

The people that bad mouth them just haven't seen one in excellent condition and restored properly! LOL, like mine, I get nothing but praise, even my appraiser said he had never seen one as nice as mine. So, you could have gotten one today from the Barrett Jackson auction, 74, 360 car for 18K, needed some work still but nevertheless a good driver. I'm sure you will find one before you know it!

 

[FrnkNsteen]

Like PP1RT said,.... They will be back out. I never had a Roadrunner, but back in the day I had a '73 Satellite 318 car with column shift and bench seat. Loved that car. Nothing fancy, but ran like a charm. Also had a '71 Satellite Sebring Plus. I like all of them, and as idrivemopar said, the people that bad mouth them have probably never had one, or seen a nice one.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I would take either of them before a Duster, Demon, or Dart Sport any day of the week. I know they have their place, and I drove a '73 Dart sport with a 3spd /6 in high school. Had a lot of fun in that car. Just never really got into the body design of those cars personally. To each their own.

Patience,.... You will find one!

 

[YY1]

There's a really nice tan clone for sale on this site, reasonable price IMO,

Just needs fresh recovered buckets and console transplant, otherwise is pretty damn nice.

 

[Bb70charger500]

I believe there's one or two around FL. For a decent price I'll have to take a peek again I don't bother looking anymore people are very proud of there stuff lately

 

[Bb70charger500]

https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/d/1974-plymouth-road-runner/6459307498.html

 

[Bb70charger500]

Guess that's it there was a few in project form

 

[YY1]

There was a 73 that looked pretty good (from the bad pics), but needed work...up in the Homasassa area last month.

3K IIRC

 

[YY1]

Check out the one here on FBBO. IIRC it's in OH.

 

[Bb70charger500]

I kinda like the brown one I found for $10,000 I keep looking at it I like the color too

 

[Root2812]

The people that bad mouth them just haven't seen one in excellent condition and restored properly! LOL, like mine, I get nothing but praise, even my appraiser said he had never seen one as nice as mine. So, you could have gotten one today from the Barrett Jackson auction, 74, 360 car for 18K, needed some work still but nevertheless a good driver. I'm sure you will find one before you know it!

Yikes $18k for a good driver.. That's what I mean by prices seem crazy lately for 18 I'd hope to get a really nice car. My 74 was a 360 car and it needed a little work to be a reliable driver but when I got it two winters ago I bought it and shipped it across the county for less than $8500. I paid $7400 for the car. I hope I find another like that one.

Like PP1RT said,.... They will be back out. I never had a Roadrunner, but back in the day I had a '73 Satellite 318 car with column shift and bench seat. Loved that car. Nothing fancy, but ran like a charm. Also had a '71 Satellite Sebring Plus. I like all of them, and as idrivemopar said, the people that bad mouth them have probably never had one, or seen a nice one.

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I would take either of them before a Duster, Demon, or Dart Sport any day of the week. I know they have their place, and I drove a '73 Dart sport with a 3spd /6 in high school. Had a lot of fun in that car. Just never really got into the body design of those cars personally. To each their own.

Patience,.... You will find one!

I agree. They are great cars. I have no idea why they get spoken bad about. I'll be patient for sure.

There's a really nice tan clone for sale on this site, reasonable price IMO,

Just needs fresh recovered buckets and console transplant, otherwise is pretty damn nice.

I may be crazy but for some reason clones have always bothered me. I don't like to lie to myself so I know I'd never be happy with a clone. I'm probably in the minority with feelings like that though.

https://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/cto/d/1974-plymouth-road-runner/6459307498.html

Pretty nice car. A few grand above my price range. I know it probably won't happen but I'm hoping to find exactly what I had before. Bad paint and bad interior but solid metal for under $8k. I never should have sold that car...:/

There was a 73 that looked pretty good (from the bad pics), but needed work...up in the Homasassa area last month.

3K IIRC

Where was this ad listed? I'm not sure where Homasassa is either.


Thanks for all the replies. I'll do my best to be patient. I got my last RR on eBay so I lucked out to find it. Here in Mn they are all too rusty I think.

 

[Root2812]

Here are two photos of the car I had until last year. The interior was toasted by the California sun but it was a bucket seat console shift car.

 

[Bb70charger500]

The add yy1 is referring to I can't seem to find I know what car he's talking about I thought about buying it a few times I looked and it's not on c.L. right now but I'm sure it will pop back up soon this guy has been trying for awhile . It will be cl. In FL. Just do a search and let it do near by c.L. you can check off all of FL. And some in ga. I bet you can get that brown one a little cheaper I like it make him an offer you never know . But when the others pop back up one of us will see them there was two in project form .

 

[YY1]

If the clone thing bothers you too much, just take off the stripes, or remove the bird decal.

 

['68 Charger]

For the majority the 71/72s are more desirable. I have no dog in this race. But I know someone who has a rust free 71 complete car project and has a hard time selling it for $3500.00. His is a Satellite but $3500.00? No way would I pay more than $8k for a 73/74 RR/SAT unless it was completely restored to stock.

The minute you put any money into the 73/74 RR/SAT you'll never get you're money back. But if you're buying for yourself and plan on driving it for a long while then that's rewarding in itself. Grilles alone for these go for $400.00+. The headlight bezels in good shape $200.00. And if doing a Satellite, try finding the wheel well trim that won't cost an arm & a leg.

Here are some examples for comparison, but they're all Satellites:
https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/1973-plymouth-satellite/6434519661.html

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/plymouth-satellite/6438176801.html

https://inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/1974-plymouth-satellite-383/6452450333.html

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/1974-plymouth-satellite/6444919411.html


This guy is feaking out of his mind, that's 2nd gen Charger money territory. Oh and you might need some more gauges and gadgets there, not sure you if have enough lol.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/d/1973-plymounth-restomod/6455520817.html

 

[FrnkNsteen]

I may be crazy but for some reason clones have always bothered me. I don't like to lie to myself so I know I'd never be happy with a clone. I'm probably in the minority with feelings like that though.

I can understand where you are coming from, but I look at it this way. The only real issue is when someone tries to pass it off as the real thing. I don't think it's always about trying to fake a rarity thing.

For instance,.... My '69 Charger is a confirmed factory S/E car. The original engine was long gone when I bought it years ago, along with the fender tag and build sheet. I will never have a numbers matching car, so I am doing what I want with it. The car was originally a 383/auto car with column shift, buckets and a middle buddy seat. It was B3 blue with a black top. When I am done, it will be a 440 4 spd no-console car with the original buckets and buddy seat. Color will be 1968 LL1 turquoise with white interior, possibly a white top, and white bumble bee stripe. Since the only stripes I've seen are either blank, say R/T, or "500", I will probably go with the R/T option and add the other R/T emblems.

If it were a rarity thing, I would stick with an original S/E as they made far less S/E's than they did R/T's. The build numbers I have seen show that 89199 Chargers were made in 1969. Of those, only 9,245 were straight S/E's, while there was 20,057 R/T's built in various configurations. So if I was trying to go from a rarity stand-point, I would go with the straight S/E since there were half as many of them made.

Bottom line,.... My opinion is build what you want, but be honest about it and own it. My build will be a combination of years and styles between '68 and '69, but I will own it and answer honestly to anyone who questions it. Truth is, I am building my car to look the way I like,... for me to enjoy, and will have it til the day I die, so what do I care if it is original or not. I know the purists will argue, but which is worse? Building it the way I want, or the people that make up a list of what features they "Think" the car had and getting a replacement fender tag made to make it look like it officially did. How are we to know if that's true??

 

[YY1]

Again, take off the stripes, or paint out the bird, and drive around with a built 440 in a clean, shiny Satellite Sebring with a RR hood.

 

[Root2812]

If the clone thing bothers you too much, just take off the stripes, or remove the bird decal.

The thing is I want a real roadrunner. I personally don't like clones and I'd never want to own one. Even if I built a satellite to be the exact roadrunner of my dreams its still not a roadrunner to me. A roadrunner is what my mother had when I was young and that's what I want.

I can be patient and wait for the right car. The thread wasn't meant to be a "find me a car" thread but I do appreciate all the leads everyone is giving. I just haven't paid much attention to the market and when I started looking again these last few months I've been shocked by the lack of cars and the ones that had been posted were insane prices for rusty junk.

For the majority the 71/72s are more desirable. I have no dog in this race. But I know someone who has a rust free 71 complete car project and has a hard time selling it for $3500.00. His is a Satellite but $3500.00? No way would I pay more than $8k for a 73/74 RR/SAT unless it was completely restored to stock.

That's the general sentiment I was talking about seeing out there. The point of my thread was if so many people see them as undesirable why does there not seem to be very many listed forsale lately. 2 years ago there was a lot forsale for just a few thousand and now I look and they are gone. I'm starting to think the insane prices of the 68-70 B bodies is driving these prices up because its all a normal guy can afford.

 

[Root2812]

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