The Hunt

Like most Mopar people I know, the desire to own a legitimate Hemi Mopar was a strong one. Though always trying to figure a way to swing it, the cost of a complete car was too high, much more than my "hobby" funds could tolerate. It looked like the only Hemi car I would be able to buy would be a rough project body at best. This didn't really bother me as I love the work related with restoration. However, the cost of an engine combined with the cost of even a rough Hemi body was still quite a bit higher than your typical project car so I had to find the money somewhere.

I had been collecting Hot Wheel diecast cars for about 12 years and had ammassed quite a collection. However, my collecting had slowed to a stop due to the prices of these miniatures. I was not spending any money on Hot Wheels... all extra cash was going into the real cars out in the garage! The decision was made to sell off my Hot Wheel collection and try to put together a Hemi engine. Within 6 months I had liquidated the entire collection and in turn purchaced 95% of a 426. I only lacked carbs and a few small things that were readily available. Now all I needed was a car to put it in.

Knowing I had to keep the cost down, I knew I would be shopping for a less expensive B body. I had my heart set on a '69 Road Runner but was open to all. Scouring Hemmings every month netted me a few possibles. If a car peaked my interest I would send the seller one of those disposable cameras for some pictures. It was frustrating. If the car looked good, it would be missing its tags, if it had documentation, it was a total basket case, too expensive, or both. I kept looking.  I had always seen the R&R ads in the Mopar magazines advertising Hemi project cars for sale but had assumed they would be too costly. I determined it couldn't hurt to call... so I did.

The fellow on the phone was very nice and proceeded to list off the project cars they had for sale. Same problem, good car... no tags, if it had tags... bad car. Then he tells me about a '70 Road Runner, has its tags but is in need of lots of work. It has radiused wheel wells, bad trunk, missing everything. '70s were never really my favorite. I initialy tell him I'm not interested. That night I pulled out some reference material for some research on '70 model Road Runners. Hmmmm... first year for rallye gauges and pistol grip, and of coarse that new air grabber hood! Then I see just how few Hemi Road Runners were built in '70. I decide to take the next step and send them a camera.

The pictures I get back show a rough rolling body with no interior. I have done most of the work that will be required on this car before but had never started with such an incomplete car. I call R&R to ask about price... $7000. OUCH! I tell him I'll get back to him after I roll it over a little. Concidering the rarity of the car I deside to go for it and offer R&R $5200. He tells me he'll talk it over with the owner and to give them a few days. Fine. After about a week I call them back to see what they had decided and to my surprise they take my offer. I mail the money, they mail the paperwork and fender tag and within a couple of months I'd have it home.