Chuck
Member
Some had heard this story from other Roadrunner sites, but for those that haven't.
I bought my roadrunner in April 1977 after losing my 1962 Scout to a drunk driver. Almost killed me. I was living in Great Falls, Montana serving my country in the US Air Force. After the Scout I needed a ride. My friend Doug told me of a girl, who was told by the Air Police to get her car out of the trailer park and off the base. Doug said she was looking to sell it and it would be a great car for me to get. I had never even heard of the Roadrunner or knew what it looked like. I grew up in the Air Force and lived in Wisconsin until I also joined the Air Force. The girl had been offered $200 by a junk yard. I offered her $250 and the car was mine sight unseen. Doug assured me I would not be disappointed.
Now it was March in Montana. Cold and very snowy. Was around 20 inches on the ground and in Montana it doesn’t melt very fast. Doug and I loaded up a spare battery and a can of starting fluid into his 1966 Ford Econoline. And of course, in Montana you always carry snow shovels. We needed them. The car was totally covered in snow. I couldn’t even tell what color it was. We proceeded to shovel it out and make a path for it. A couple shovels and now what color it is? Brown. Oh well, so much for pretty. After a couple hours of shoveling, cranking, spraying, cranking, spraying, cranking spraying the Road Runner came to life. Wow, it needs mufflers too.
So there it sat, running rather smoothly. A 1969 Plymouth Road Runner (RM21H9G159031) with bald tires. The weather was no place to do a detailed inspection so I jumped in and drove it back to the barracks on base. Now in Montana they tend not to plow the roads and that afternoon they all looked kind of like toboggan runs. I punched the accelerator and fishtailed myself all the way back to the barracks. At 19 it was the most fun I had ever had with a car. I fell in love with the car.
Here’s the first picture I have of the car. June 1977.
I bought my roadrunner in April 1977 after losing my 1962 Scout to a drunk driver. Almost killed me. I was living in Great Falls, Montana serving my country in the US Air Force. After the Scout I needed a ride. My friend Doug told me of a girl, who was told by the Air Police to get her car out of the trailer park and off the base. Doug said she was looking to sell it and it would be a great car for me to get. I had never even heard of the Roadrunner or knew what it looked like. I grew up in the Air Force and lived in Wisconsin until I also joined the Air Force. The girl had been offered $200 by a junk yard. I offered her $250 and the car was mine sight unseen. Doug assured me I would not be disappointed.
Now it was March in Montana. Cold and very snowy. Was around 20 inches on the ground and in Montana it doesn’t melt very fast. Doug and I loaded up a spare battery and a can of starting fluid into his 1966 Ford Econoline. And of course, in Montana you always carry snow shovels. We needed them. The car was totally covered in snow. I couldn’t even tell what color it was. We proceeded to shovel it out and make a path for it. A couple shovels and now what color it is? Brown. Oh well, so much for pretty. After a couple hours of shoveling, cranking, spraying, cranking, spraying, cranking spraying the Road Runner came to life. Wow, it needs mufflers too.
So there it sat, running rather smoothly. A 1969 Plymouth Road Runner (RM21H9G159031) with bald tires. The weather was no place to do a detailed inspection so I jumped in and drove it back to the barracks on base. Now in Montana they tend not to plow the roads and that afternoon they all looked kind of like toboggan runs. I punched the accelerator and fishtailed myself all the way back to the barracks. At 19 it was the most fun I had ever had with a car. I fell in love with the car.
Here’s the first picture I have of the car. June 1977.
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