1969 Plymouth Road Runner | Hemi Mopar Muscle at its Finest
April 16, 2020
An iconic muscle car, this Hemi-powered 1969 Plymouth Road Runner is owned by Ken Stonebrook of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The car has been in his family since it was new, and belonged to his father, David from 1973 until 2014. That’s when Ken bought the car and decided to give it a much-deserved restoration. The B-body Mopar was originally Rallye Green in color, with black interior and lots of great options. There were less than 800 Hemi Road Runners produced in 1969, making them highly sought after and very valuable. During the 1970s, the car was repainted black and fitted with drag racing equipment, including an inline shifter, mag wheels, a hood scoop and a few modifications to the original Hemi engine. Subsequently, the car got banged up a little, and was parked in his father's barn in 1973 with a little over 30,000 miles on the odometer.
Luckily, the car and all of its original components, including the 426ci Hemi engine, had been stored in the dry for more than 40 years, giving Ken a solid foundation to build upon. Even though the car had been modified for drag racing, many of the stock components remained untouched.
The Hemi engine produced 425 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque, thanks to 10.25:1 compression, an aggressive camshaft and dual four-barrel carburetors. Behind the monster motor is a four-speed manual transmission and a Dana 60 rear end with 3.54:1 gears.
Other options include power steering, power brakes and the famous Air Grabber hood.
Ken performed a complete, by-the-book restoration on the low mileage Road Runner, using original components throughout. He was able to clean and re-use the original interior, which had survived many years of neglect. The black bucket seats, door panels and dash are beautifully preserved pieces.
After Ken straightened the body panels, he enlisted the help of Ken Meredith at Byrd’s Automotive when it came time to apply the paint. Ken used Sikkens materials on the rare Mopar and then sanded, buffed and polished the fresh finish for a show-car appearance. Satin black was added to the hood and tops of the front fenders for the correct look, and Ken reassembled the car with its original emblems and new Road Runner decals.
Standard 383-powered Road Runners came with 14-inch wheels and F70-14 tires, but the Hemi cars rolled on 15 inch stamped steel wheels with dog dish style center caps.
Knowing the obscurity and price tag on original Mopar 15-inch wheels, Ken opted for our high quality Mopar Standard Steel Wheels, which are made in the USA to fit specific Mopar applications.
As for tires, Ken went with the Firestone Wide Oval bias ply tire, sized at F70-15. The tires feature a 3/8-inch red line and the classic look of an original bias ply tire. The redline tires and painted steel wheels are the perfect combination for this low-mileage Mopar muscle car that’s rich with rare options and family history.
You Always Get Free Mount & Balance with Nitrogen Fill when you purchase tires and wheels together as a combo. They will arrive ready to install on your vehicle.
