A thought on this ebay item...

[rr724ever]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 2453935363


You'd think - and I know that the market isn't all that large for this, but I believe it's large enough - that some repo company would want to make a repo of this item and the other pieces that come with it.

There are a lot of people that are making '72 RR clones and I'm sure that those people who are making these clones would love to put in that center piece... or even use it for a '71 (because I think the '72 grill looks nicer)

Now again, I know that there aren't a lot of '72 RRs, but there are many more Satellites that are being cloned. Add some '71s possibly and I think I'd be worth it...

[Dave]

Yea, it would be cool to see those reproduced, but the challenge is, it's not just one part but 5 different ones, each with uniquie tooling. You'd have the center, both headlight bezels, the screen, and the "Road Runner" emblem. So that's 5 sets of tooling and starup costs. Plus, in order to make the tooling, you would have to aquire perfect NOS pieces to use as prototypes. That won't be easy OR cheap.

I'd guess that in order to really sell the 72 grilles, you'd have to be able to make complete "conversion" or replacement packages (as well as sell individual parts for those needing replacement pieces), and be able to retail them around $300-$400 each. I just don't think it's financially possible. You should call Laysons and talk with them about tooling costs on something like that. Though if anybody were to reproduce them, I'm betting it would be Laysons. They are just about the only ones out there with the resources and the contacts to make it possible.

It is a really neat grille, but IMHO the 71 Road Runner grille and emblem is the ultimate. You can't name another car that ever had a 3D cartoon character on it. I STILL get people that are amazed that the emblem is actually factory.

[rr724ever]

Here's RR memory #7:

A year or so after my parents bought our Road Runner, the "road runner" name plate snapped off the grill after my father took it through a car wash. He ordered a replacement at the plymouth dealer and a few days later, they sent him one - only it was the RR head for the '71 grill. He decided to keep it because it "looked neat" as he said, orderd another one and finally got the right piece.

Years later, when I was five and my Road Runner obsession was shifting into high gear, he gave me that head piece and I kept it as a TOY!! I would take it out to the sandbox and pretend I was in the desert and the Road Runner was running away from they Coyote.

I took it to school one day and I lost it - or maybe it was stolen. How much are those things worth now?

Yes, I have to say that center 3D piece in the '71 IS pretty cool *but* take away that and the RR grill is basically the Satellite grill... I just think they got it right in '72 - front AND back. But of course - I'm WAY BIASED

Anyway...

If - and WHEN - I get a hold of one of the '72 pieces, I would be willing to sacrifice it for reproduction...

Yes, it's a rare and expensive part, but if my sacrifice could lead to more reproduced items, I'd do anything for the greater good... Although it probably WOULDN'T be worth it for any repo company because of the tooling etc...

But still... how approachable are the people at Laysons? I'd like to talk to them about this - although they'll propbably tell me the same thing...

[Eric]

Give Dave Layson a call. You'll find that he's a really nice guy to talk to. He attends a lot of the shows when they have a vendor tent and is usually there selling along side his employees.
And as for the 71RR grille bird...if you can find one NOS they're going for a little over $100 on ebay.

[1971SSP]

I think the 72 RR grill is pretty cool myself. I know a guy here in Detroit who had a NOS grill. He had so much stuff in his garage, he moved it one day and accidently ran it over with his car. He was sick.

I love both the 71 & 72, even though I own a 71 Satellite Sebring Plus. The real up side to the 71 in my opinion, is the flush marker lights, the REAR tail lights which I think look MUCH meaner then the 72's. When the 71 rear's have the chrome tail light bezels, that bumper looks awesome! I think the 71 has more of a retro look.

But I do like the 72 RR grill the best by far...its just plain cool!