Just signed on to this interesting site. I live in Brookfield, Ct., am self employed in the swimming pool business, 62 yrs old (and boy do I FEEL old), and received a single lung transplant on 10/25/10. Feeling good, looking forward to the new season and getting stronger.
My first new car was a '69 Roadrunner, ordered from Coppolla C-P in Westport, CT., delivered June '69.
It was a hardtop, 383 4 sp., Ivy Green w/black bench interior. Sport steering wheel, performance axle pkg (3.55 , 8.75 inch rear), N96 Air Grabber hood, Magnums, light package, am radio. A great car! However I married in Feb. of '70, (yes, we're still together!), and Georgia really had problems horsing the 'Runner around with no power steering, so we sold it in the summer of '70. At the time I was in school at Penn State, and the car went to a local guy who worked in a gas station...Milesburg or Bellefonte I believe. Yes, I often wonder if the car still exists.
In 1980 I decided to look for another Roadrunner to possibly restore or just play with. I came across a Jamaica Blue 4 sp. 383 car locally (we then lived in New Canaan, CT). It was still being driven by its meticulous original owner, had 217,000 miles, still with original clutch! But it was rusty...I paid $450 for it, and embarked on a resto of 4 years on and off. It came out well. It was the subject of one of those Power Graphics posters if you remember them. I still have a framed one in our den.
Around 1984 I got the urge to find a 69 1/2 6-BBL car to go with the 383. Found one Hemmings in Missouri, flew out to look it over, bought it for $12,500. Nicely restored car, original A12, Vitamin C, 4 sp. hardtop. A great driver too, very quick.
Finally, also in '84, I decided to try and track down a '69 Hemi that I recalled from my school days at Penn State. I knew it had been sold by the local C-P dealer, Clark Motor Co., in State College, PA. I called them one day and asked if anyone remembered a red Hemi Roadrunner (which turned out to be R4). To my surprise they certainly did; the older gentleman who bought it new from them (who was 57 when he made the purchase) had recently passed away, and his widow still had the Hemi. And, many people in town had been besieging her to sell the car, including Bill Clark, the dealership owner! Well, long story short, I ended up with the car, for $6000, and drove it the 275 miles home to CT. Ran like a clock...the original owner had been a nut about maintenance and never abused the car. It was a Torqueflite, hardtop with black buckets and black vinyl top; had 76,000 miles on it and didn't smoke or burn any oil to speak of. Truly remarkable.
The 'Runners are all gone now, but the memories remain vivid. One of my life goals now is to acquire, or re-create an exact version of my original green 383. Not sure if I'll have the time, but if good fortune stays with me it might happen. I think this site will be a help in the search and an inspiration to follow along with other folk's projects. And, who knows, I might get a line on my old cars..I think I have the VINs filed away somewhere. Time will tell!
My first new car was a '69 Roadrunner, ordered from Coppolla C-P in Westport, CT., delivered June '69.
It was a hardtop, 383 4 sp., Ivy Green w/black bench interior. Sport steering wheel, performance axle pkg (3.55 , 8.75 inch rear), N96 Air Grabber hood, Magnums, light package, am radio. A great car! However I married in Feb. of '70, (yes, we're still together!), and Georgia really had problems horsing the 'Runner around with no power steering, so we sold it in the summer of '70. At the time I was in school at Penn State, and the car went to a local guy who worked in a gas station...Milesburg or Bellefonte I believe. Yes, I often wonder if the car still exists.
In 1980 I decided to look for another Roadrunner to possibly restore or just play with. I came across a Jamaica Blue 4 sp. 383 car locally (we then lived in New Canaan, CT). It was still being driven by its meticulous original owner, had 217,000 miles, still with original clutch! But it was rusty...I paid $450 for it, and embarked on a resto of 4 years on and off. It came out well. It was the subject of one of those Power Graphics posters if you remember them. I still have a framed one in our den.
Around 1984 I got the urge to find a 69 1/2 6-BBL car to go with the 383. Found one Hemmings in Missouri, flew out to look it over, bought it for $12,500. Nicely restored car, original A12, Vitamin C, 4 sp. hardtop. A great driver too, very quick.
Finally, also in '84, I decided to try and track down a '69 Hemi that I recalled from my school days at Penn State. I knew it had been sold by the local C-P dealer, Clark Motor Co., in State College, PA. I called them one day and asked if anyone remembered a red Hemi Roadrunner (which turned out to be R4). To my surprise they certainly did; the older gentleman who bought it new from them (who was 57 when he made the purchase) had recently passed away, and his widow still had the Hemi. And, many people in town had been besieging her to sell the car, including Bill Clark, the dealership owner! Well, long story short, I ended up with the car, for $6000, and drove it the 275 miles home to CT. Ran like a clock...the original owner had been a nut about maintenance and never abused the car. It was a Torqueflite, hardtop with black buckets and black vinyl top; had 76,000 miles on it and didn't smoke or burn any oil to speak of. Truly remarkable.
The 'Runners are all gone now, but the memories remain vivid. One of my life goals now is to acquire, or re-create an exact version of my original green 383. Not sure if I'll have the time, but if good fortune stays with me it might happen. I think this site will be a help in the search and an inspiration to follow along with other folk's projects. And, who knows, I might get a line on my old cars..I think I have the VINs filed away somewhere. Time will tell!
