Dusted Off The Road Runner

[Old Moparz]

The plan over the weekend was to simply roll the 1970 Road Runner out of the garage so I can get to the wall next to it where I had to do some wiring for a couple of exterior floodlights. Of course nothing goes as planned, I had to clean out the car when I found rodent droppings.    I think they got in through the holes where the body plugs in the floorpan go, so I put what few plugs I had in & duct taped the others until the rest come in the mail. I thought it would be on the road by now, but with the usual family stuff & the major repairs I've been doing on the house, all I managed to do was add some NOS dog dish hubcaps.  

My daughter came outside & said, "What car is that?"

I said, "It's the Road Runner, the one that's been under the car cover in the garage."

"I didn't know we had that car, where did we get it?"  

I replied, "You were there when we went to get it, you don't remember?"  

She answered, "No, it must have been a long time ago when I was little."

[Ghoste]

Car looks great!

[tan top]

  nice roadrunner 

[71ChallengeHer]

Sweet. Love the 70 RR.    Put some bars of Irish Spring soap in the car mice hate it.

[Old Moparz]

Thanks for the vehicle compliments. 

I haven't had a big rodent problem in the garage, mostly my basement. I have the electronic repellers, Cling Free dryer sheets, & try to keep the cars in accessible. I'll add the Irish Spring after I pick some up on the way home. It'll smell much better than moth balls.

[PocketThunder]

Why dont you drive it more often?  I remember when you bought that car.  How many miles have you put on it since you bought it? 

I put 1,500 miles on my Charger in the last 4 months.

[Brock Samson]

I'd drive the snot out of that thing,.. or at least the rodents... Cute kid Bob.  

[nvrbdn]

it would handle better with a steering wheel!! nice looking car. wish my projects were that far along.lol

[moparstuart]

 hands down the best looking plymouth body ever ,  great looking car  

[Old Moparz]

Why dont you drive it more often?  I remember when you bought that car.  How many miles have you put on it since you bought it? 

I put 1,500 miles on my Charger in the last 4 months.

Hmm, let's see....

1)  Redoing a lot more on my Scamp than originally planned, as well as whatever else I've touched, or looked at on it, breaks.   
2)  House repairs that never end, as well as whatever else I've touched, or looked at on it, breaks.   
3)  Now I'm afraid to touch the Road Runner.   

it would handle better with a steering wheel!! nice looking car. wish my projects were that far along.lol

Two pairs of Vise Grips locked onto the steering shaft work pretty good too. 

[TeeWJay426]

Bob, dude, it looks like the only thing that car lacks to be tearing up the roads IS the steering wheel.... why is it functioning as a garage dust collector??

[Ghoste]

Clearly your child must want it on the road.

[Old Moparz]

Yeah, she wants me to drive her to school in it, & I'd love to, but it needs a lot more than just a steering wheel.  

The biggest obstacle to doing anything on it right now is the z-bracket on the front frame rail. I don't know how, bit it's mangled from whoever had the car before me. The previous owner gave me the new bracket, but I assumed it was a bolt on part since I never had an old stick shift car, just automatics. In order to get to this project, I have to get my Scamp back together to be able to move it off the lift so I can get the Road Runner over there, & under the chain hoist to pull the motor.

The Scamp is still on the lift resting on a pair of jack stands with the rear up in the air. I was doing "just a rear end swap" from the original 7-1/4" to an 8-3/4" and started finding more things under there that were worn, needed to be swapped along with the rear, or just simply wanting to refinish things to look decent & be safe. The new rear got a sure-grip, shock plates, pinion snubber, stainless brake lines & is almost ready to go in. The leaf springs got cleaned up, painted, new bushings & hardware, & also ready to go in. I'm almost done scraping & painting the underside & will start reassembly & have the drive shaft cut & balanced.

Some of the grungy looking areas under the car, like the wheel wells, frame rails, & other parts, have no rust & still have the original undercoating, but it just looks nasty next to the new stuff. I'm now contemplating a gas tank swap since it's the original one. I have all new stainless fuel & brake lines & the tank is the only part of the entire fuel system that's still original. While everything is out of the way it looks to be the best time to make the swap under there.

As far as what the Road Runner needs, I have to cut or grind the old mangled z-bracket off so I can get a friend over to weld the new one on. Once I have that taken care of I can put the fresh 4-Spd. in with the new clutch & scatter shield. Then I can do the brake & fuel lines, put in the carpet, headliner, door panels, interior trim, package tray, & pistol grip. It also needs some dash pieces put back on, the steering wheel, & some air grabber parts. There's a radiator with it but I need to get it tested or just get a new aftermarket one. At some point it'll need an exhaust, but that won't stop me from firing it up & taking a test spin. 

[PocketThunder]

Sounds like you need to get down to PT's motto "one car and one money pit only".   

[Old Moparz]

 

Money wasn't the real issue with the Road Runner, it's the lack of time & the projects on the house that were burying me. That was one of the biggest reasons for selling the '71 Barracuda. I knew when I bought the Runner it wouldn't be on the road right away & actually turned the car down when I first looked at it because of it needing to be assembled & also find a few things missing. I looked at several other cars after that were too much money, needed way more work, or both. The seller then dropped his price another $1500 from the time I first looked at it, & after I had seen the other overpriced junk. It was a no brainer that I'd never be able to buy or build one at his price, even if it sat for a while.

My goal over the next several weeks is to at least get the Scamp assembled enough to where I can trailer it over to someone I know to do a few things to it. Once it's out of the way I'll roll the Road Runner out & over to the other side of the garage to yank the motor.