Birds of a Feather

[RonLiv]

Drove over to the local cars & coffee this morning. A lot of cool stuff there today, 4 or 5 chopped hot rods, one could have passed for the American Graffiti car. Some cool 50's vintage Chevy's, a really old Bonneville that I'm guessing was early 50's, 2-Vipers, a big ole 69-Polara with the paisley brown top and matching interior. A Daytona pulls in, but upon closer inspection it was cloned from a Charger 500, which I thought why? Wasn't the 500 was a more rare car? It was very well done though. A spattering of various corvette's, they're everywhere. A really cool 66 Charger with the rear bucket seats. Only one other 69-Road Runner, so I made my nest next to him. This car was new to me, I'd never seen it around before. You green fans will like it, it was F8.

The guy popped the hood for me so I could get a snap of the fender tag. He had the Air Grabber Air Filter but not the Duct work. The vents were screened, but painted green. I asked him about the duct work, and he said he had to take it off as it wouldn't fit. When I asked him why, it was then he told me that the car had a 440. When he first opened the hood I wasn't expecting to see a 440, and didn't notice until he said something, I think they look pretty much the same as the 383. Stock intake and carb. He said the Air Filter was the same size as what was on the 383, but due to the 440 the hood would not close. I didn't know that. Is the 440 taller? I guess so. Not a N96 car so the prior owner must have added it.

Anyways, good to be out on the road. The car ran beautiful. I took the long way home.

 

[RonLiv]

This has been bugging me. Didn't the 69 GTX come with an Air Grabber hood option? 440 single 4bbl? It's been a lot of years, but if I remember correctly when I was 18YO I crashed into the rear end of a GTO and wiped out my front end. Sitting on the stool in Pantone auto parts in Etna PA ordering some parts a guy walks and asks who has the Road Runner with the crushed front end. I raise my hand. He tells me that he has a totaled GTX but the front clip is fine, so we make a deal and I buy it from him. He kept the 440, but I got the hood & air cleaner from him in the deal which had the Air Grabber. My buddy and I put it all together and everything fit fine, besides his car was red and mine was yellow. The only that didn't work was the turn signals on the fenders. But his GTX had an air grabber.

The fun part was driving around for a day with no fenders, hood or bumper.

 

[quikbird]

Bet that got you a few looks.

 

[droptop]

Air grabber was optional on 69 RR and GTX except when you had those funny valve covers, and then it was part of that option.

 

[RonLiv]

Air grabber was optional on 69 RR and GTX except when you had those funny valve covers, and then it was part of that option.

That's what I thought.

 

[RonLiv]

Bet that got you a few looks.

That weekend I crashed the car my parents were away. When they got home parts were strewn all over the front yard from both cars with the Road Runner sitting there naked. My Mom was PISSED, so my Dad had to be, now that I'm married I understand. But secretly I believe he was impressed and actually helped me put it back together and I'm pretty sure he was enjoying himself. I can still visualize in my head the front yard looking like a junk yard and hearing my sister tell me "I told you they'd be pissed off".

 

[RonLiv]

Not a picture of the actual event, but we used to Street race back when I was 17/18 with my 69 Road Runner Vert. The picture brought back some memories. We would meet at a place called "Pep's" on Freeport Road in O'Hara Twp outside of Pittsburgh. Pep's was a drive up hamburger place where you would park in your car and eat. It was right next to a bar called "Bob's Garage". Pep's is long gone now, but Bob's still survives. The grudge matches would develop from all the smack talk at Pep's. We'd head up to the RIDC park at midnight and get on the 4-lane, Route 28. From the exit to the overpass was a 1/4 mile. Everyone would line up on the overpass and watch. I was scared to death I would get caught but we never did. But it was way more rural back then.

 

[cosgig]

There are a number of different air cleaner setups for fresh air cars throughout the years. The 383 and 440 setup for 69 are 2 different heights, because the 440 is taller than the 383, hence the RB “raised block” 413/426/440, as opposed to the “B” motor 361/383/400. He could just find himself a 440 air cleaner for a 69 fresh air hood, they’re not that hard to find, and sell his 383 setup and recoup some of his $$

 

[RonLiv]

There are a number of different air cleaner setups for fresh air cars throughout the years. The 383 and 440 setup for 69 are 2 different heights, because the 440 is taller than the 383, hence the RB “raised block” 413/426/440, as opposed to the “B” motor 361/383/400. He could just find himself a 440 air cleaner for a 69 fresh air hood, they’re not that hard to find, and sell his 383 setup and recoup some of his $$

That makes sense

 

[cosgig]

My neighbor and I at our local cruise in.