Police Car Suspension: 1977 Plymouth Road Runner
After eight years as a mid-size muscle car, the Road Runner shifted to the new Plymouth Volare platform for 1976. It would be largely an appearance option through the duration of the compact’s run until 1980. It would no longer be the performance powerhouse of days gone by as a 318 or 360 cubic inch V8 would be the only engine choice. This Spitfire Orange edition from 1977 has under 25,000 miles and is offered for sale in Orange Park, Florida. Available here on AutaBuy, the asking price is $18,500.
The listing for this automobile provides only a single photograph, so we borrowed the second one here from an earlier Barn Finds review. We’re told the car wears its original paint, which shines up nicely and there appear to be no issues with the body, as we can tell. The interior, motor, and transmission are also said to be in good condition, although we don’t get a peek. The only transmission choice would be the TorqueFlite automatic and the Road Runners outhandled stock Volare’s by having suspension components from the division’s police package. For its five years as part of the Volare family, less than 16,000 Road Runners in total were built.
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Comments
The paucity of details in this ad is criminal. For an asking price of $18.5K I would like to see/NEED more info about the car!!
I had a first year ROADRUNNER and with this thing, it turned into a VOLARE???????????? This is CRIMINAL to the ROADRUNNER
Largely forgotten now,, the Volare Road Runner was a punchline for many years. Perhaps the #1 poster child for the cynical tape stripe performance packages of the Malise Era.
Maybe the nicest one left will be worth 18,000 to somebody. It is definitely historic. Maybe not what most of us would consider good historic, but historic just the same.
Despite the fact they were the cars that nearly folded Chrysler, today, you have to admit, it’s certainly an unusually attractive car. The muscle car was wheezing it’s last gasp, and I think Chrysler milked it out the longest, 1980 was the very last RoadRunner, still on the Volare platform. It was put to rest, and as far as I’m concerned, along with it the muscle car age as well. If you dare to be seen with a car this outlandish in a sea of black and silver “jellybeans”, it’s a great blast from the past. Not sure about “police suspension”, I don’t remember many “police” Volares, maybe security cops, or city duty, but all road cops had the bigger Fury’s or Dodge Diplomats. Cool find, for sure.
They had 4 door Valare police cars believe it or not
These were used (the 4 doors), as cop cars everywhere for years.
Thankfully never had to ride in one, except in the front seat.
The Volare Police cars with the A38 police package and E58 360-4 V8 were as fast as the Diplomats and Gran Furys that followed them were slow. The 1978 Dodge L’il Red Express truck got its high performance engine from the Volare police package.
Howard, the Gran Fury/Diplomat/LeBaron/Fifth Avenue was simply a slightly lengthened Volare/Aspen platform. The transverse torsion bar front/leaf spring rear suspensions were identical. The Volare/Aspen police suspension package became the Gran Fury/Diplomat police suspension package when Chrysler elected to stop offering the Volare/Aspen to the police market and selling the Gran Fury/Diplomat police models instead.
Thanks for the replies, but in Wisconsin, I never saw a Volare/Aspen police car, and not to brag(?), but in my 35 years as a trucker, I’ve seen( and been in the back seat) of plenty cruisers, never a Volare. Relax, all for stupid vehicle citations, I never killed anyone. Like I say, I’ve seen security cops with Volares and Fairmonts, and such, but never state patrol.
“The only transmission choice would be the TorqueFlite automatic”.
No. The standard transmission on everything but the 360 was a 3-speed manual, with optional availability of both a 4-speed (“Overdrive 4”) and the TorqueFlite.
According to period rumors, Chrysler was planning a successor to this car. I recall reading rumors in magazines about a Road Runner based on the Plymouth Reliant, complete with a 426 Hemi which, in this case, was the Mitsubishi 2.6 liter 4 cylinder engine.
lol…
I knew Road Runner. Road Runner was a friend of mine. And you, my friend, are no Road Runner.
Yeah I drove a few of these new. The only way I would want one of these was if it had a 383 or newer Hemi. By 1977 the MOPAR V8s were pretty weak, and this was NOT a hi performance car by any stretch of the imagination.
It looks interesting but not 18K interesting.
I always say when you try to sell a vehicle on a site take your 4 sale signs down.
When you tell a car guy that you “Have a Road Runner”
this is not what comes to mind.
$18,000 pipe dream!!! Do not smoke CRACK!!!
One very similar to this just went for over 20 k in a Hemmings auction. I think that’s way to much but finding one in this shape is hard. Not a bad looking car, I like it but not at that price.
They did have a 4 speed for the export market
My buddy had a 77 Aspen R/T triple black w the red stripes, tough steering wheel, Chrysler wheels, 360,A/C, nice cruiser, handling was good, buckets were comfortable, within 2 years it had a balanced blueprinted 440 in it, turned it into a wild race car, then sold it off piece by piece in the 80s
Do a 1977same as pic 440 balance and blue print in Tennessee duel point Mallard
NEED MORE PICS. I like the car but for that money need more pics . The 4 door Volare cop cars were the K car on the 2.0 version. They were nothing to look at .LOL