Yeah; It’s Got a Hemi! – 1968 Hemi Road Runner
Just when we think that SURELY all the real Hemi muscle cars have been found and restored, we discover one like this 1968 Plymouth 426 Hemi Road Runner. Located in Pipersville, Pennsylvania, this highly desirable Mopar could be considered exceptional because: A. It shows no evidence of having been wrapped around an oak tree, B. It’s not burned up or rusted out or otherwise largely destroyed, and perhaps most impressive, C. It retains its original numbers-matching 426 Elephant motor. If you’re currently choking on your Wheaties while considering the consequences of cashing in your IRA, check out the listing here on eBay where $41,999 will make it yours. The price is perfect for everyone who said they would never spend $42,000 on such a car.
Mary Poppins offered the sage wisdom that “Well begun is half done,” and this Plymouth comes with a number of key restoration steps complete including having its body acid stripped, and the underside painted and assembled “properly,” to borrow the seller’s word.
I can’t behold a vintage Hemi without hearing a heavenly chorus… “ahhhhh.” When it comes to uncovering something hidden under a sheet, the Hemi engine ranks right up there with scantily clad supermodels. And, nothing against supermodels, but I suspect the Hemi will obey your wishes more consistently over time.
Plymouth marketed the Road Runner as a bargain bruiser with rubber flooring like a pickup truck, and often a bench seat as seen here. The sale includes a ton of parts not shown, and the listing details steps taken to authenticate the vehicle. Does the $42,000 asking price leave enough meat on the bone, or will it sell to someone who’s willing to break their piggy bank to get a Hemi car for under $50,000?
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Comments
Okay I would of felt better if the line
”I I purchased the car from an avid multiple Mopar collector who was gathering parts over 18 years and started the full restoration. So far , The entire car was acid stripped, underside was painted and assembled properly for concourse restoration.”
Hmm did they collect tags or engines to build a hemi ?
Sorry just more hemis registratiions than built comes to mind
Mopars are not cheap…Hemi you restore one by throwing more money at it
Too bad it has a PRNDL
I agree….
A Hemi cries out for a FOUR speed!
Yep! It’s been my experience that it was cheaper to buy a brand new car back then with a red fluid free transmission ( manual stick). Then get a lot more money for the car when selling it with that same stick gear box. Problem is that manual transmissions are harder to find in brand new cars since at least the 80’s. I just remembered something that happen when i change the 5 speed gear oil in my 1984 Camaro for it’s first time. It poured out thin, & red. Boy was i shocked when the Chevy dealership parts dude where i bought the car at, told me that my “gear box takes the thin red automatic transmission fluid instead of thick gear oil”. After talking to 5 different Chevy experts i put fresh red fluid back in. Two of my 3 cars are sticks, & my 5 speed 2 door 05 Blazer was really hard to find in 2010. All my friends want to buy it for around $7,500oo with only 80,000 miles on it. I keep saying nope.
Mopar manual transmissions came from the factory with ATF in them, even in the 60’s and 70’s
I had a parts guy show me the oil pump in my TR7s 5 speed. That tiny opeing was all i needed to see to put ATF in it.
I have mixed emotions about this. If it is indeed a true numbers matching 1 of 61 Hemi RR as the seller claims, then in my opinion, it is worth the 40K all day long. However, as much as I love the classic musclecar ( I have a 69 Coronet Hardtop in my garage), I am now in my mid fifties and either attempting to reassemble this rare Mopar correctly would prove expensive and time-consuming, no matter if I did it myself, or paid someone else to do it. For many of us, the type of money needed here is not feasible, and time is precious. Ten years ago, I may have felt differently about this, but my priorities have shifted, and I am myself considering selling my Coronet. I will always love this era of the musclecar as like many of you, I grew up on them. Maybe just a peaceful morning with a good cup of coffee, a kiss from my wife, my faithful dog next to me, and being thankful that I am still healthy is enough.
Cmon Gunner, you ain’t that old. I’m the same age and have 4 project cars. It’s only a number man.
Its only a number until you hit 60. The mid 50’s are some of the last years where you will wake up most days and FEEL like taking on a big new project. I’m with Gunner, now wrapping up the projects I have for the final glide, rather than struggling to stay at altitude. Mid 60’s aint for sissies.
Yea Jay everything turned to doo doo when I turned 60- a-fib, diabetes, arthritis. on huge regimen of pills. Keeps everything good.yep getting old aint for sissies…
These projects are slow going for middle class income guys. My Nomad is a work in progress for to many years and I’m 62. I’ll never stop, half the enjoyment is the build for me. Whiling enjoying the coffee and my favorite pup.
Please do not install terrible 6.2 liter diesel in said 56 nomad. Use one of them 4 speed transmisseyones and one of dose 327 Chevrolet moters you got.
Be thankful for all that Gunner, and everyone else! Death can change from “someday, years from now” to “well, better start wrapping things up”. Take it from me, its a shock when the doc starts whistling “Happy Trails” when you’re there for results from that CAT scan or MRI
Hey Gunner, in another 10 years (good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise) you will have the opportunity to have all the above. Just something to think about.
This Road Runner does not have “its original numbers-matching 426”.
EBay lists the VIN # and if there was a conflict over the inclusivity of that particular VIN # with respect to the only 61 possible VIN numbers known in existence there would be a conflict, and an identifiable case of fraud that is objectively observable to anyone with access to the list of VIN numbers. If when presenting to the ministry to get the required paperwork the buyer is informed of a fraud on the VIN # the buyer has legal recourse to be compensated for the fraudulent marketing that the car had provenance making it an original factory hemi.
If I had cash I would likely buy this Roadrunner given the low price.
Bob
Todd is the only one to say that it has the original numbers matching engine. The seller only claims that the date codes are correct on the engine and exterior accessories. He does claim that the transmission is numbers matching.
Looks like a stripped shell that someone spent a lot of time and money to collect the parts to rebuilt correctly.
I read the ad and it’s not the correct numbers matching engine. However in reading the ad the engine block sounds more like it came from one of the 1968 Hemi Dart/Barracudas built for racing in the Super Stock class? Stamped as “high compression” on a 68 Hemi block? Confusing. Hopefully someone here can enlighten me on that. Otherwise the car appears to be the real deal given the description.
mary poppins.and hemi powered road runners should not be mentioned in the same article! tsk,tsk.
Chrysler would be smart to bring back/retro the best of Plymouth. How about the Chrysler Cuda with the Hemi, the Chrysler Hemi Roadrunner, & my Favorite the Hemi GTX? Dodge must be do well with it’s retro Challenger, because i see them as often as i see the Ford F-150’s in SoCal .
I read that Mopar was bringing back the Cuda, but had run into manufacturing issues. Anyone else read about this?
Fiat has Chrysler on the chopping block. It’s a brand that’s on its last legs and not long for this world. Being an AMC guy I can say what comes around goes around.
Ten years or so ago when I was building my ’65 A990 “tribute” Coronet this would have been considered real cheap on the ask. Since then it looks like Hemi Fever has subsided a bit. It used to be that a very desirable hemi car, project or not, wouldn’t have to be advertised as the word of mouth world spread the word and special cars changed hands quickly. Still, if all the claims made are provable/verifiable there will likely be a buyer out there. The grey underfloor is an accurate start on a respectable restoration, though the amount of color overspray seems a bit excessive from what I recall.
It’s an auto??? Of forget it….. actually you had me at hemi. Maybe someday I will have an elephant, even though I’m a Chevy Pontiac guy. I’m glad to see they are still in the bushes, what will we do when the last one comes up for bid?chances are I will be worm bait by then, it’s probably the same, if I knew then what I know now
Don’t get me wrong, I am an old diehard MOPAR fan, but as to the Hemi I never thought they were no more than a curiosity, and I go back to old Firedome semi hemi days
, yes semi hemi.
There are more Hemi Road Runners today than yellow cabs on East coast, and as for finding an original, other than restored at auction houses or collectors dens, is ultra rare.
If indeed is a full #’ s matching with all papers in order and beyond doubt, then I can see an even higher price .
As to age being a detriment to taking on an oldie redo, ever think of it as possibly being one of best inheritance when one is gone.
Neighbor in 80′ has a primo low mileage mid 60’s convertible with arrangements for sale at death for undisclosed amount, with a cash holdiing in advance of his demise.
Another way is to claim it as an investment in some retirement plans, keep all records of expenses so whomever you designate in will gets deducted when they sell.
Darn lot of those auction autos are being written off by many means.
Our futures may be short but may be somewhere in family one can find a way to brighten their futures.
One reason prices fluctuate and keep within high out of sight range.
Well, I’m 67 and am just finishing off an AAR ‘Cuda restoration to bone stock. I don’t feel anywhere too old.
I know a gent in my local AACA chapter who is currently doing a full on ’70 Boss 302 restoration and has two more planned after that.
Age is a number..If you have physically taken care of yourself and have decent genes, age shouldn’t hold you back. It just might take you a bit longer to do a big job, but that offset by experience on the other jobs that you can do faster than the young guys.
Can’t believe all the false posts you guys make.
I agree. If nothing else there are some at have poor reading comprehension skills. The ad is done well and goes into detail about the Hemi being “date code” correct and clearly not the original. It would be huge to verify if it was in fact a Sox and Martin mill. The body numbers match and for all purposes looks like a factory built Hemi car. I wasn’t aware that there were more Hemi Roadrunners than yellow cabs these days but with the proliferation of clones being built it stands to reason there are alot more vintage mopar cars with Hemis than the factory produced. I guess that’s not news to one with basic common sense. It’s funny how many old authorities appear when such a desirable car comes up on the market. This car is priced very fair for the condition it’s in and if I had the means to finish it I’d be thrilled. Esp. in Turbine Bronze.
there was a 68 hemi road runner here in Paris On up until a couple of months ago. was bought new here in town and sat in a driveway in town rotting into the ground, bench seat column shift auto , all there and complete just rotten.
This looks like a B-body project to finish that comes with a fresh engine. Half of the work is done, and you can finish how you want. Hemis just a Big bonus! Let the snobs worry about the numbers matching or not. Get it done and enjoy yourself while your still able.