Advice please - Black/Black '71 Road Runner with HEMI Motor

Double77 · Post by **Double77** » Sat May 24, 2008 6:51 am

Hey guys -

Long-time lurker here, thanks for all of the informative posts and info. About 4 months ago, I purchased my all-time favorite car - a Black/Black 1971 Plymouth Road Runner. Car was bought without my actually going to see it because of my work schedule. It's an interesting bird, a REAL Black/Black Road Runner with no vinyl top - it has a '71 block but not numbers matching. 383 automatic. Car had a rotisserie restoration and it has a ton of new parts on it - even new fasteners. New floors welded in and new fenders. She's a real beaut. But it still doesn't run right and now we're thinking that it has the wrong heads.

So here's my question: I'm considering dropping in a new Hemi crate motor. I've seen them online as low as $12,100 plus I figure another $800 to ship it and $1000 to install it. WILL THE CAR BE WORTH $15,000 MORE BECAUSE IT HAS A NEW HEMI? Again, the car is definitely a Barrett-Jackson worthy car in-terms of it's restoration, although I intend to drive it. But I paid $23k for the car plus another $4500 finishing the restoration to get to where I am now. Only remaining issue is the driveability (it stumbles heavily under acceleration and barely gets out of it's own way).

Is the car an easier sell at $30k assuming I can get it to run right, or $45k with the Hemi?

I have no 'short-term' plans to sell it. But I have to be honest with the fact that I've never kept a vehicle more than 4 years and if I have to or choose to sell it in a year or two, which is the easier sell?

Thanks again for your input - I appreciate it. Also, thanks to DAVE for helping me sort out my logging in demons.

regards,

~Howard

Smellslike1974 · Post by **Smellslike1974** » Sat May 24, 2008 7:06 am

I personally think a matching numbers engine(or just an engine like it had originally)would be better than the Hemi.Everyone always goes for the biggest and the so called best,thats why all the major big blocks are of course hard to come by,just like the 73-74 b bodys ,people are starting to want the engines they had in their cars before they decided to join the power trend.I think since you plan on selling it,it would be smart to check out whats selling and whats not on ebay or something,find out if people would prefer and Hemi or not.Your right your car is beautiful,i buy either way,Hemi or not.

471Magnum · Post by **471Magnum** » Sat May 24, 2008 8:24 am

You beat me to the punch on that car. I remember it coming up on Ebay, but I couldn't pick up the phone quick enough. I've still got picture of it on my hard drive.

Short answer to your question. No. Not in the current market. Work with what you've got. Any modifications should be done for your own enjoyment.

You've likely just got an ignition or fuel problem. A new distributor and/or carb is a whole lot cheaper solution than a Hemi.

71440 gtx · Post by **71440 gtx** » Sat May 24, 2008 10:00 am

wooooooooow a black on black 71 road runner

Post by **Eric** » Sat May 24, 2008 10:23 am

Nice ride! Looks like you got a good deal too.
I agree with the others, in today's market you wouldn't get the money back that you invested in the HEMI. So it's really about what you want for the car.

mopar71 · Post by **mopar71** » Sat May 24, 2008 10:49 am

She is a beauty! I agree with the rest of the guys in saying that you wont get your money back with the hemi. Have a good mechanic check whats happening with the current engine. Its a tough market right now with the gas and all. Either way good luck with it

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Sat May 24, 2008 11:38 am

yep, i remember that car, as well...i love it...very plain jane RR look that i like......

what kind of hemi you talkin about? an original style or a 5.7? the original RB wouldn't be bad to install, but unless they've done some improvements to it (i'm sure they have) i heard they're pretty tempermental and if you don't know how to tune em right, they'll run like crap - and 15K for a motor isn't what i would call a bargain - then you still have to buy all the accessories, i believe.

imo, keep the 383...what makes you think the heads are wrong?
here's what i would do....

1. distributor - go electronic it's an amazing difference - since your car is a resto-type, get the pertronix that'll fit under the cap and nobody will know. PS check vacuum advance on it...mine was runnin bad that's pry the cause (i was going to change it all anyway, though)

2. carburetor - what is on it? factory or afermarket? maybe your carb isn't set-up correctly, but my bet would be on the ignition. now i've heard from several (i need to save-up for this...) putting on a thermo-quad or edelbrock carb will give you excellent performance plus get you the mileage we all need now.

once you get that bird runnin from coyote, you won't ever want to sell it imo, but maybe by that time i'd have enough to buy it off ya JK

Double77 · Post by **Double77** » Sat May 24, 2008 6:28 pm

I really appreciate all of the input, guys. You know, I've been reading this forum off-and-on for years, but in earnest the past few months.

A Black/Black '72 Road Runner is my all-time favorite car. It started when I saw Daisy Dukes driving a yellow Satellite Sebring on the first episodes of Dukes of Hazzard in the late 70's. I proceeded to write to Chrysler as a 14 year-old for press photos of 71 through 73 Plymouth B-Body models so I'd know exactly what I wanted. By the time I was 16, I knew it was a Road Runner. Over the course of the next 25 years, I bought and sold about 40 cars, some as driver's and some as keepers but never over 4 years. In the mid-90's I found my way to the Black/Black color combo and every car has been that, since.

I've always been in love with this 'Eleanor' but never let myself 'seriously' pursue getting one, because I've ALWAYS held that the dream is better than the reality, especially on old cars. My first car was in-fact a '72 Dodge Charger (couldn't find that Road Runner back then!) but it was a typical first car and alot of problems. Anyway, that was my last vintage B-Body.

So I'd been working my way up the automotive food chain and had just finished with my last car (Black Lamborghini) and was sitting with the money in my pocket. Some bored Sunday morning in January, I turn on the computer and try a new search on eBay Motors - just searching the color combo I like (Black/Black) and picking the brands I consider. Lo and Behold - a Black/Black Road Runner?!! Granted - a '71 but close enough! I look closer, I ponder it for about 20 minutes, and......CLICK THE 'BUY-IT-NOW' button!! A little crazy but life's short and I wanted it.

Due to work schedule, I dispatched a truck to fetch her. Received the car and got slammed with work - car sat in the garage for 4 weeks. Finally tried to drive and several different driveability issues plus a variety of things to finish on the car (not disclosed). I took it to 'a friend'. The car sat for 3 weeks untouched - you know how that can go. Finally took it to an ace local guy I trust and he's been massaging it for four weeks now. Woefully under-carbed, she has a brand new Holley 750 now. Distributor was junk so brand-new BEST MSD distributor. The 'Mopar Brothers' here in South Florida want to run the casting numbers on the heads next to see what the problem is. It starts right up now plus idles nice, but bogs badly.

Thanks to all who have posted and I'll get some nice Sunny South Florida pix up next.

I'm VERY GRATEFUL for this awesome website.

regards,

~Howard

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Sun May 25, 2008 12:30 pm

i'm assuming you can afford the gas for it now with a holley instead of an edelbrock or TQ

wish i had a lambo

Double77 · Post by **Double77** » Sun May 25, 2008 1:32 pm

You probably wouldn't wish you had one, after actually getting it. Like a boat (can be), the 2 best days are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. Now THAT car - I researched and looked for - hard. Over 4 months and 3 PPI's (Pre-purchase inspection - you have to pay pro between $400 and $1100). The car I bought was known and documented. And the year of ownership cost me more in-terms of depreciation and - ahem - 'maintenance' than the entire purchase price of this car.

It's a scream, no doubt. But drink 3 beers and play one of today's high-tech video games and it's about the same thing.

Although your couch is way more comfortable.

Pic of the 'ex' attached.

cheers

Double77 · Post by **Double77** » Sun May 25, 2008 1:35 pm

So I'm going to try and research a bit more, but thanks to the input here I'm leaning toward sorting out this motor. Crank is fine, new purple cam, many new parts inside the motor. New roller rockers and lifters, etc. So if it's heads then I'll do heads.

Can't wait to get out and drive it.

Smellslike1974 · Post by **Smellslike1974** » Sun May 25, 2008 1:46 pm

Good luck backing up Landon,

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Sun May 25, 2008 7:00 pm

god those are cool...i guess i could buy a kit car sometime lol, cuz that's about as close to one as i'll ever get....i've been in the driver seat of a viper, those are pretty comfy

who needs to back up, turn the wheel, dump the clutch and just spin that baby around

Smellslike1974 · Post by **Smellslike1974** » Sun May 25, 2008 7:21 pm

landon1 wrote:god those are cool...i guess i could buy a kit car sometime lol, cuz that's about as close to one as i'll ever get....i've been in the driver seat of a viper, those are pretty comfy

who needs to back up, turn the wheel, dump the clutch and just spin that baby around

Well then i guess you wont be driving it out of your driveway.

landon1 · Post by **landon1** » Sun May 25, 2008 7:24 pm

don't have one...a parking lot or on the street haha...i kinda think they do that on sportier cars, like my satty and my new mustang have TINY lil back windows and side windows cuz who cares who's behind ya