Clicking on the link
provided in the MML member's email took me to eBay and
the '68 Road Runner that was being auctioned. There I
found a very brief description and 3 very grainy pictures
of a car parked against a wall in what looked to be a
warehouse. The description claimed that the 'runner had a
mere 65,000 mile s on the clock and was "barn fresh."
Just for giggles I emailed the seller with a few
questions on the cars condition and history. After a
couple of exchanges of mail, the story on the car was
this... after putting the 65k miles on the 'Runner over a
4 year period, the original owner parked the car and it
had not been started or driven since then... That's 25
years! The seller explained that he was a classic car
dealer and he had been trying to buy this car from the
original owner for over 7 years with the owner finally
giving-in in1997. The seller conveyed that the motor
looked as though it had never been removed and everything
looked original aside from headers, a hipo electric fuel
pump and coil mounted at the inner fender and some
traction bars. The seller continued that after buying the
car he "rebuilt" the carbs and attempted to
start the car but when he tried, the motor coughed and
backfired bad enough to scare him from trying again. That's
where he left it. I had a good feeling about the seller.
He seemed honest and straightforward with his answers and
description. He told me about the rust and minor damage
to the left rear corner. I felt that this car was worth
pursuing... for the right price.
The Road Runner was
located in Taunton, Ma. at the sellers classic car
dealership. I knew that I should really have more to go
on visually than the 3 pictures on the auction page but I
really didn't want to travel 1100 miles. I again turned
to the resources of the MML. I posted a message to the
group looking for anyone that might live in the Taunton
area that could possibly go by the dealership and check
the car out for me... maybe even click off a few pictures.
Within hours a fellow MMLer, Dave, emailed me saying he
drives past that area to and from work every day and was
even familiar with the dealer. This was a Friday and Dave
thought he could swing by there after work that very
afternoon! He was able to take a good 20 digital pictures
of all the areas I was most concerned about. That night
Dave uploaded the pictures to his company's website and I
was looking at them the next morning. Now things were
starting to happen. After a painful conversation with the
wife (the enthusiasm was very one-sided) I decided to try
for the car. I had a maximum that I thought the car was
worth and I tried to stick with it. After a few more days
the auction ended with the reserve not being met and the
car not selling. I felt the bidding went a bit higher
than the car was worth and I was not even the high bidder.
Fortunately the story does not end with the auction.
When I saw that the car failed to sell I
emailed the seller and told him I was still very
interested in the car and that if he would sell lower,
and the high bidder wasn't interested, he could contact
me. He asked just what I would pay for this car so I told
him... siting that the car was not running and in need of
much work to be road worthy. I tried to convey, without
being rude, that his price reflected a running driving
car. We went back and fort h a few times with no real
progress. It was left at that with me ending it with
"...if you change your mind, let me know. A good 2
weeks go by with no word from the seller. Then, one
morning I get an email offering the car to me at $1000
above what I said I would pay. This has my heart pounding
and I now needed to decide just how much I wanted this
car. I've been in this Mopar thing since the mid 80's and
I know just how unheard of it is to find an original,
unmolested Road Runner, especially a HEMI car. Would this
opportunity ever come again? Even if the motor needs
rebuilding, this is one hell of a rare find. I go back to
him and attempt to meet him halfway... again explaining
the fact that the car was "dead." I nervously
send the email and wait for a re sponse... a response
that didn't come until the next morning... a message that
read simply "the car is yours."
In December of 1967, an
engineer in a nuclear related industry (we'll call him Frank) strolled
into Central Chrysler Plymouth in ****, Mass and forked over the down
payment on a brand new 426 HEMI equipped Road Runner coupe. Over the next
5 years, Frank terrorized the streets of Milford, Ma., his home town, with
his medium green 4 speed Mopar, racking up 65,000 mile in the process.
Over that period Frank added a few aftermarket items to enhance the
performance of his already awesome street racer, such as headers, fancy
electric fuel pump and hi-performance ignition. Things were good on the
street with the 'Runner being the car to beat in
Milford.
As 1972 rolled in so did the
energy crisis and high gas prices. Not only was the high price of gas way
out of hand but just finding a station without a line 3 blocks long was
impossible, not to mention the fact that you could only buy it on even or
odd days depending on the spelling of your name. Frank was not a
millionaire. The gas guzzling HEMI was just too expensive to drive, even
occasionally. With no real idea as to how long this fuel shortage would
last, Frank decided to park the car in his backyard until things got
better. So there it sat. In the mean time, Frank's personal life was not
faring any better than the crude oil situation. Frank and Mrs. Frank were
not on the best of terms. This could not have been more apparent than when
Frank came home early from work one day to find his wife literally takeing
$50 in trade for the "old car out back." Being a non-title state at the
time, Mrs. Frank could have gotten away with it if Frank had not foiled
the plot against him. The enraged Frank ran off the potential buyer and
hurried to make arrangements to store the car at a more HEMI friendly
location. This is where things start looking good for the Road
Runner.
Franks father lived near by
and had a good size garage with room enough for the 'Runner. Wasting
little time, Frank got the car over to his dads and together they prepped
the car for long term storage. The remaining gas was run dry from the tank
and carbs while the water was drained from the system. The motor oil was
also drained and replaced with Marvel Mystery Oil... more than the block
could hold. So here the 'Runner was, after one year in the elements out
back of franks house, the HEMI would now find a safe spot inside and would
not see the outside world for another 24 years. Around 1988, a classic car
dealer caught wind of the '68 and was able to track down the owner. Over
the next 7 years the dealer would try to buy the car from Frank with
little luck... until 1995. The dealer pried the HEMI from Frank's hands
and brought it home to a warehouse at his small dealership. The dealer's
original plan for the Road Runner was to restore and enjoy it for himself,
but the realization of the shear magnitude of a full fledged HEMI
restoration sunk in after a couple of years with no time to undertake such
a project. The decision was made to offer the car for
sale.