Driving a Road Runner

[rr724ever]

It's a real sweeping question and it may sound absured, but I', going to ask anyway...

What is it like to drive a '71/72 Road Runner?

I never got the chance to REALLY drive ours - although my dad let me sit in his lap and steer as he worked the peddles for a trip around the block...

What is the acceleration like compared to cars of today? How do they it take turns and corners? My dad always said our Road Runner actually handled corners quite well so long as there weren't any bumps...

Is the HD suspension stiff like the "sport-tuned" suspensions of today? How do they stop? Ours had front disk brakes and dad said they worked ok...

I remember one time riding with my dad on the NY State Thruway in 1984. We were manuvering past a pack of obnoxious motorcyclers who were spread out all over the highway... They were trying to be intimidating, but they didn't realize what they were dealing with... As my dad stepped on the accelorator and turned them into tiny objects in the rear-view mirror, he nudged me and pointed to the speedometer - 104 MPH. That was the only time I had traveled at 100+ MPH in a car and didn't know it. When I was a kid that car was my hero...

But I never got to drive it... so now I can only imagine.

[6o4o]

I don't really know... I drove a 72 RR in terrible condition, the 440 was backfiring every minute and I had put the idle to 2000RPM so it wouldn't die on me! It pulled like a 1.0liter car, terrible! The 4spd was cool though! The seats had wood blocks under them, probably because the previous owner was so small, so we hit a few times the roof with our heads when we hit a bump And everytime we stoped more than 1minute at a light or turned the car of a big cloud of water came out of the cooking radiator! That's my experience of a 72 RR drive...
And if everything goes well I will tell you how my new 72 RR GTX runs, hopefully MUCH better!

[JosephGiannini]

What is it like to drive a '71/72 Road Runner?
There is nothing today that comes off the assembly line that really compares to it unles you look at like lamborghini;ferrari;corvette;vipers;skylines and other high doller hp vehicles.
if you tune then up correctly to factory specifications with some hp parts from back then and some new reproductions.
In my personal opinion there is nothing like it that is released today.

What is the acceleration like compared to cars of today?

Again if it is tuned right you will have immediate horsepower and torque on demmand that greatly exceeds the standards of trucks and suv's that are out today

How do they it take turns and corners?

It actually depends on the driver and the suspension set up if you have a hemi suspension set up it handles wonderful. Turn radius depends on the adjustment on the worm and sector setting on the actual steering column assembly

My dad always said our Road Runner actually handled corners quite well so long as there weren't any bumps...

Is the HD suspension stiff like the "sport-tuned" suspensions of today? How do they stop? Ours had front disk brakes and dad said they worked ok...

The hemi suspension was stiff but more flexible than the sport tuners of today however if you reinforce the frame with ladder bars in the ibeams you can make it very stiff and rigid if you want to however this is not stock.

As far as braking as long as you know how to correctly brake with the system and give the proper stopping distance for the speed and weight of the vehicle front rotor back drum is as efficient as it comes for street.
Abs was made for those drivers who did not want to take the time and effort to learn how to correctly stop and brake. and ABS does not work on ice or oil.
I remember one time riding with my dad on the NY State Thruway in 1984. We were manuvering past a pack of obnoxious motorcyclers who were spread out all over the highway... They were trying to be intimidating, but they didn't realize what they were dealing with... As my dad stepped on the accelorator and turned them into tiny objects in the rear-view mirror, he nudged me and pointed to the speedometer - 104 MPH. That was the only time I had traveled at 100+ MPH in a car and didn't know it. When I was a kid that car was my hero...

But I never got to drive it... so now I can only imagine.

With the proper setup of the even the small block mopar engines without forced induction without severe head work or machining you are looking at producing up to 900hp. pocket porting with intake and exhaust tuning can easily make a mopar small block 500hp without changing the cam or heads. In fact for many years on the nascar circuit a lot of the chargers being run over 150mph where using stroked pocket ported 340 cid engines. but that is alittle secret not well known about.
In closing a nice size sedan that is wind tunnel shaped fits up to 5 passengers comfortably. cruises like a sofa on the highway. corners decently. and has horsepower on demmand for all of this comfort and speed. In my honest opinion I do not think that mopar rapid transit vehicles have no equal. In fact the roadrunner of 71-72 has greater speed and acceleration thna the charger of the same year but sacrifices a small amount of cornering control and high speed handling to be faster.
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[road chicken]

I concur- there is little else on the street theat compares to the 71-72's. You have to be careful- some people get so enthralled by the cars- they forget they're driving. Too much attention isn't good!!
I have upgrades mine in the suspension and brakes, ( cop suspension- 4 whl disk brakes. The car handles very well and brakes as good as anything out there. Power is never a problem and if it wasn't for OD trannys there would be little to keep up,(OR I need to get a 5 speed OD trans to even it up.) Either way I wouldn't trade it for anything out there!!!