FOR 1970, the Road Runner continued as Plymouth's low-cost, intermediate muscle car. The idea of stuffing a powerful V8 into the cheapest and lightest body style available wasn't a new one and many people had been doing it for years just by checking off the right boxes on the option list. In 1968 that all changed with the Road Runner. Plymouth took the lead in offering just what the performance buyer wanted and wrapped it up in low-price package that was easily affordable. Thanks to a $50,000 marketing fee paid to Warner Brothers it also had a name that was easily identifiable as well. The Road Runner, complete with its cartoon icon and unique beep-beep horn, continues today as a crowd favourite among the muscle car set.For John Novak of Winnipeg, the Road Runner made an indelible impression on him. Originally from Calgary, Novak remembers the day his high school friend Rob drove up in a Hemi orange 1970 Road Runner. "It was the first Mopar muscle car I ever sat in and that's something I'll always remember," says Novak. Rob sold the car to his brother-in-law in 1990 and it wasn't until a chance meeting in 2002 that Novak inquired as to the car's whereabouts. The car had been stored in the garage all those years, other than periodically having its engine started and being driven out on the driveway occasionally. After appraising it, Novak purchased the car and returned with it to Winnipeg. Originally delivered in 1970 to the Ohio area, the Road Runner was a special order car with the heavy-duty suspension package including a Sure-Grip rear axle, with optional 3.55:1 gear ratio, heavy-duty cooling system, Air Grabber hood scoop with auxiliary signal lamps, Dust-Trail tape stripes, four-speed manual transmission with Hurst floor shift, vinyl roof, AM radio Deluxe interior group, and tachometer with gauge package. Basically in original condition, the Road Runner had survived with only a few nicks in the paint and a very tired interior.

The 335 horsepower, 383 cubic inch Magnum V8 engine had been rebuilt and didn't have any mileage on it, so aside from installing a new electronic ignition system from Eastern Chrysler Dodge Jeep, Novak went through the rest of the car from top to bottom. Underneath, the entire braking and steering systems were rebuilt and new suspension components installed as well as new leaf springs supplied by Neuls Springs & Chassis. A new heavy-duty clutch was installed and both the transmission and rear axle overhauled. There's a new 2.25-inch diameter custom dual exhaust system with X-pipe and Hemi mufflers to quiet down the 383 Magnum V8 and a set of new B.F. Goodrich T/A radial tires ride on the factory chrome road wheels. Inside, Legendary Auto Interiors supplied the new factory replacement deluxe black vinyl seat upholstery, carpeting and headliner that were all expertly installed by Ron's Custom Upholstery. The car had received one repaint job in the 1980s and while it wasn't faded it had accumulated several nicks and scratches. Novak turned to Colormelt Automotive Paint Repair to see if they could fix the damaged areas. "They tried, but wherever they repaired an area it would just blister the paint around it, indicating the previous pant job wasn't prepared properly," says Novak. Colormelt then stripped the defective paint and repainted the entire car in the original Hemi orange colour. Finished in 2005, the Road Runner is a now a definite eye-catcher and is a regular at local shows. Along with growing up with the car's previous owner, Novak has traced the car's history back to the original Ohio owner and has all of the original paperwork for the car. "I even have the original owner's scheduled maintenance records for the time he owned the car," says Novak. Having the car's history or provenance is an important part of a restoration. Verification of where the car has been and what original equipment it left the factory with adds to its value.

Larry D'Argis / Winnipeg Free Press