The FEVER never went away. I'm new here.

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69383rrr

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Yep I am new. I live in Cresson, TX which is SW of Ft Worth/Dallas area about 15 miles. I plan on buying another 69 RR in the near future and stumbled across this site in the process. I have owned 4 of them over the years and had 2 before I got out of highschool in 71, at Carter - Dallas.

Geeze I have had several other MOPARS over the years, but nothing is like the FEVER of a Plymouth Roadrunner, no matter what those Dodge boys say.

I too am a Ford man except when it comes to drag/street racing. Presntly I am buying a 1/2 acre just outside of Cresson, TX that is zoned commercial and it has a slab on it that I hope to have a shop building up within a month or so. So most of my free money is being spent, but the prices on our cars have become reasonable instead of the insanity before the bubble burst in the economy. And I need my Red Roadrunner back, like I had all my fun in when 17. I'm tired of driving my company Ford Flex to the store for a bag of screws or a hamburger. I need some REAL identity :beep: Heck back to me old nickname, what the heck.

Actually since I got the company to let me have a Flex instead of another Dodge Grand Caravan I ... Well I have not been so happy with a car since my Red Runner. So ths got me thinking why not find another one as close as possible to what I had.


I started writing a story of what got me into Roadrunners back in Highschool, but didn't want to bore you guys. Maybe I will post it later. Glad Yall are here.
 
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69383rrr

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Just to bore:
Well here is my story of how it all started.
I hated English classes in HS so in the 10th grade I figured if I took my last required year, 11th grade, of it in Summer School with those who flunked it the yr before I could get though pretty easy and no ENGLISH the last 2 yrs of HS. :party: So in the summer of '69 I did and made a B.

Summer school was at neighboring Kimball High in Dallas. I went to Carter (Cowboys of course) and grad in '71. Anyway every day that summer I guy in a gold 440rr 4spd would leave the church parking lot across the street and get on it hard, hitting 2nd gear right in front of the main doors to the school. Of course he wasn't wound out in 1st so his passenger, a sort of pudgy short guy with longer black hair came up out of his seat and SLAMMED into the back of the bucket, his long black hair just flopping back. The RR didn't just rise on the front end but the whole car rose on all 4 when he got on it. Now this has an impression on a guy who wants to make his whole career in racing. I like road racing but man that guy gave me a fever that summer. Oh and it sounded good.

Well next summer I had a 56 Ford and a good job, turned 17 that summer. One day an RR was parked behind me and I took a look. Talked with my Dad and we agreed to buy one. I wanted a 440, in particular a 68 GTX, I could afford. There was only one 69 in the paper and it was a Red 383 4spd. Red & 383 was my problem but my Dad insisted on the newer car. I just didn't want red as it stood out too much. I learned to love it though!!! Wow, the engine was loose. It used oil but so what. I rerouted the vacuum advance, tuned it, backed off the brake adjustments and could beat any other 383 by 2 lengths. Any 440 leaped on the launch, whether rolling or standing, a car length but I stayed dead even through all the gears after that. I liked this year old car, with no AC, no PS, no PB, no PW, no vinyl top, no black stripes, & no auto. It was like a 2-door taxi with big drivetrain. The short stroke 383 rapped like a chevy small block. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get cars like this new?

A local Texaco owner had a son with a 440 GTX and another with a Hemi 4spd. The Hemi caught fire one night while running with the airbreather off. They couldn’t shut the engine off and it sucked in the fire extinguisher spray and locked up. I got that car, 2 yrs old, for 350 bucks. It was the first engine I overhauled. Wouldn’t I love to have that car back!?!
Anyway it is a fever. I love the lines and could write forever, but…
 
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69383rrr

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Please excuse the avatar until I get a better one. I have a fleet of T-Bird Super Coups. When in HS I used to sit and think of how nice it would be if the RR was wedge shaped, lower, and the drivers butt was down between the hump, and the rear end was cut to make independent rear suspension. (Yes I have had a 71 Satellite before too, but it got destroyed by a hit and run.)

When the 89 T-Bird came out I was beside myself that an American auto maker made something similar to what I wanted. I got a 95 5spdas a company car. Of course the problem is no big block V8 and I didn't want a Ford engine at that for the street.

Now please don't get mad at me like the T-Bird guys do at this suggestion but... One day I hope to marry the 2 birds, with MOPAR engine and tranny, and maybe a 2nd one with quite a bit of the sheetmetal. Of course I sold my donar RR to a kid working on MOPARS to save it, so maybe glass if I can afford. I did find a web site advertising complete 68RR fiberglass shell and all the rest - they make new.
 
Jim S.

Jim S.

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Hello from sunny and hot Minnesota. Nice story. I graduated in 1970 so we both remember the draft lottery drawings. I ended up joining anyway. Welcome. :cheers:
 
Roadcuda

Roadcuda

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Welcome to the bird's nest from CT, and that's a great story. I'm also a '71 HS grad and I too remember that draft lottery. My number was 323, do you remember yours?
 
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glhcarl

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Welcome aboard from Georgia. One thing to remember!!! We like pictures!!!
 
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