Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: modelmakerinc]
#2946445
07/23/21 06:02 PM
07/23/21 06:02 PM
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,850 Castlegar, BC, Canada
That AMC Guy
master
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master
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 4,850
Castlegar, BC, Canada
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I guess never having lived through the muscle era, I don't quite understand the disdain for the "Disco"-era cars. Specifically: Cobra II, Hornet AMX, Volare/RoadRunner, Aspen R/T, Monza Spyder. They're all pretty cool cars and are very much a sign of their times. Are they fast? No. No question about it. But there are a lot of 50's and 60's cars out there that aren't fast either and they're more popular than ever!! Not every vehicle needs to do a 9-second quarter mile. Some people just like to drive and have a funky car to drive in. My name is Darrin. I like wire wheel covers, vinyl tops, tan interiors, fender flares and 8-track players. I'm here because I've been told I have a problem.
Last edited by That AMC Guy; 07/23/21 06:03 PM.
Bloody Mary, Full of Vodka, Blessed art thou among cocktails....
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: That AMC Guy]
#2946499
07/23/21 08:54 PM
07/23/21 08:54 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,006 Freeport IL USA
poorboy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,006
Freeport IL USA
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I guess never having lived through the muscle era, I don't quite understand the disdain for the "Disco"-era cars. Specifically: Cobra II, Hornet AMX, Volare/RoadRunner, Aspen R/T, Monza Spyder. They're all pretty cool cars and are very much a sign of their times. Are they fast? No. No question about it. But there are a lot of 50's and 60's cars out there that aren't fast either and they're more popular than ever!! Not every vehicle needs to do a 9-second quarter mile. Some people just like to drive and have a funky car to drive in. My name is Darrin. I like wire wheel covers, vinyl tops, tan interiors, fender flares and 8-track players. I'm here because I've been told I have a problem. You see, the problem was, in the late 60s and into the early 70s the muscle cars were actually fast, and powerful. Very fun to drive, and consumed a lot of cheap gas. Then in 1974, Insurance companies were trying to kill performance cars, the EPA started choking them. gas prices more then doubled overnight, and we actually ran into a time when there were days we couldn't even buy gas, even at 2x the price it was 6 months before. Most family budgets couldn't fund feeding the muscle cars, the new car sales tanked, everyone that was buying a new car wanted something that got better gas mileage. Detroit (The center of the car industry at the time), responded, but it took a couple years before the response actually hit the show rooms. By that time, most of the muscle car problems were history, except the now powerful insurance industry, and the newly empowered EPA.. Unfortunately, all Detroit had to offer were choked down (thanks to the EPA), lower power cars that got slightly better gas mileage. Those new cars were not fun to drive, compared to the cars offered only 2-3 years before. New car sales still were pretty low. Detroit, in their infinite wisdom decided that reviving the not so long gone muscle car names would bring people back into the showroom. It did to a certain level, but those new car buyers soon learned that the new version of the old muscle car name plates were not the muscle cars of recent history. Some were content with having a muscle car nameplate on a new car that got slightly better gas mileage, and were slightly more powerful the the non-muscle car name plate editions of the same car, but it was a hard sell to the real performance car guys. It took several years before Detroit could muster much more power out of the new era of performance cars, and most of those were downsized turbo charged versions with again revived muscle car name plates.. The real performance minded guys that lived through those times never really accepted the late 70s disco era name plate muscle cars, nor did many accept the 90s downsized turbocharged muscle car name plate cars. Its gotten to the point that every time the car companies revive the muscle car name plates, most of the guys that lived through the disco era think "Here we go again!" Its kind of like the response from most of the guys here when some speak of the current name plate performance electric cars. Acceptance may never fully come from those that remember the original muscle cars, or those that enjoy the current Hell Cats and what ever durative they come as. If the current crop of performance cars disappeared next year, and it took 5 years before something came along at 1/2 the power, with the same revived name plate, how do you think the guys current owners would respond to the new version? Gene
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: poorboy]
#2946730
07/24/21 05:28 PM
07/24/21 05:28 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,737 Shopping @ HoBo Fright
340SIX
Doc Flappergas's Evil Twin
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Doc Flappergas's Evil Twin
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 28,737
Shopping @ HoBo Fright
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Just a,FYI the guy who loved across from.my dad's home bought a 4 door F body slant super six as it was a beer deal than the 318. Salesmen and Dealer wanted it gone so he got a smoking deal. He always bragged on how it ran well.
Last edited by 340SIX; 07/24/21 05:41 PM.
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: 340SIX]
#2946754
07/24/21 06:08 PM
07/24/21 06:08 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,416 Park Forest, IL
slantzilla
Too Many Posts
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Too Many Posts
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,416
Park Forest, IL
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Just a,FYI the guy who loved across from.my dad's home bought a 4 door F body slant super six as it was a beer deal than the 318. Salesmen and Dealer wanted it gone so he got a smoking deal. He always bragged on how it ran well. The Super Six motors did run nicely, as long as you didn't get one of the infamous porous 2 piece intakes. Those led to vacuum leaks that were almost impossible to find.
"Everybody funny, now you funny too."
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: That AMC Guy]
#2946760
07/24/21 06:16 PM
07/24/21 06:16 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,701 S.E.Ohio
Magnumguy
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,701
S.E.Ohio
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I guess never having lived through the muscle era, I don't quite understand the disdain for the "Disco"-era cars. Specifically: Cobra II, Hornet AMX, Volare/RoadRunner, Aspen R/T, Monza Spyder. They're all pretty cool cars and are very much a sign of their times. You forgot one in your recital........
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: roadntrack]
#2947256
07/26/21 09:32 AM
07/26/21 09:32 AM
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 804 central CT
cudazappa
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 804
central CT
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Seller claims it is an original Road Runner 225 /6 sent me this photo! Looks like b.s. to me but I dont know these cars that well In 1979 the Road Runner package required the 318 2bbl with the 360 4bbl optional. In 1980 the Road Runner package came with both the slant and 318 (the 360 was no longer available)
1971 Challenger
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: NachoRT74]
#2947313
07/26/21 11:50 AM
07/26/21 11:50 AM
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Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 10,647 Super Spudsville
Mr PotatoHead
Half Baked
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Half Baked
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 10,647
Super Spudsville
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This is sad, its like saying I took the fat ugly girl to prom because all there was were fat ugly girls so we made the best of it. But at the end of the night, you still had a fat ugly girl on your arm.
STOP POTATO HATE!
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: Mr PotatoHead]
#2947334
07/26/21 12:23 PM
07/26/21 12:23 PM
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,391 Iowa
burdar
Owen's Dad
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Owen's Dad
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 7,391
Iowa
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ne thing I think we can agree on, 75 was not the high water mark for RR's. What, am I the only one on here that likes the 75 Road Runner?
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: poorboy]
#2947622
07/26/21 10:51 PM
07/26/21 10:51 PM
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Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 10,647 Super Spudsville
Mr PotatoHead
Half Baked
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Half Baked
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 10,647
Super Spudsville
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They are OK, like a honda 50 @ the age of 50. A lot of fun till your friends see you on it.
STOP POTATO HATE!
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: larrymopar360]
#2947930
07/27/21 07:40 PM
07/27/21 07:40 PM
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Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 10,647 Super Spudsville
Mr PotatoHead
Half Baked
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Half Baked
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 10,647
Super Spudsville
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Ya know what sucks? I had two honda 50-s as a kid, loved them.... why do I want one these days to tinker on? I have no clue, so I understand the love for these cars.
STOP POTATO HATE!
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: Kern Dog]
#2948586
07/29/21 03:26 PM
07/29/21 03:26 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,942 Calgary, Alberta Canada
a12rag
master
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master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 2,942
Calgary, Alberta Canada
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It is clear that by the time the Road Runner name was applied to the Volare, the game was over. The entire principle of "Road Runner" was a stripped down mid size car with a potent mid sized big block V8. I never warmed up to the 71-74 B body cars. The 1975 Road Runner looked like a Chevy Monte Carlo to me. The Volare Road Runner could have been a decent car if it would have had an E58 360 4 barrel and dual exhaust. Add 3.55 gears and a Sure Grip diff and it would have been serious competition for the Trans Ams and Camaro Z28s of the day. I had a 76 Road Runner, orange with the spoilers/louvres, stripes, etc . . . 318, 4spd OD, fold down rear seat. Was original with 57k miles on it. Needed a bit of tlc, but got it up and running, and looking great. Have to admit, it got the looks for sure. Drove it to Mopars at the strip and they didn't even have F body category that year !!! LOL . . . not fast, but it was what every manufacturer was doing then, graphics to "wow" you. The super coupe package in 77/78 (??) with the E58 360 was as good as it got. Gotta remember what was going on at the time, and Mopar was doing what it could to try and keep the performance alive - heck, look at "The Little Red Express" - with E58 360, was faster than factory Corvette !!! The F body is totally overlooked, kinda "orphan" machine, but even they are starting to get some respect and prices coming up. I am amazed at A body prices these days !! . . . Still think the 75 RR is cool . . .specially getting it as Big block, swap out for 440 and some performance gearing . . . go baby go !!
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: a12rag]
#2948589
07/29/21 03:30 PM
07/29/21 03:30 PM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,228 Colleyville
3hundred
I Live Here
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I Live Here
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 10,228
Colleyville
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Don't I recall you saying it'd knock down 25 MPG on the highway? FWIW, that's the highway rating of my '16 300
'68 Fury Convertible '69 300 Convertible '15 Durango 5.7 Hemi '16 300 S Hemi
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Re: 1979 "Road Runner"
[Re: Mr PotatoHead]
#2948590
07/29/21 03:31 PM
07/29/21 03:31 PM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,874 Wichita
GY3
master
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master
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 4,874
Wichita
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They are OK, like a honda 50 @ the age of 50. A lot of fun till your friends see you on it. Hey, I resemble that!
'63 Dodge 330
11.19 @ 121 mph Pump gas, n/a, through the mufflers on street tires with 3.54's. 3,600 lbs.
9.92 @ 135mph with a 350 shot of nitrous and 93 octane pump. 1.43 60 ft. 3,750 lbs.
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