- plymouth-road-runner-(1973).png (122.08 KiB) Viewed 318 times
Less powerful and less handsome than its predecessors, (I personally refute this last statement, the 73's and 74's have great lines and my favorite car of all time, Serious Satellite) the later Road Runners nonetheless did have all the right ingredients to turn them into performance machines. The Hemi had been dropped the previous year, but the 440ci (7.2-liter) top engine option came as part of the GTX package and could at least deliver an ultra reliable 280bhp (209kW). This car has been treated to a hefty engine reworking, with an overbore to 446ci (7,308cc), a full balanced rotating assembly, Offenhauser intake and dual Edelbrock four-barrel carburettors. Nitrous adds around 150bhp (112kW) to the set-up to make the car capable of 10-second quarter-miles. To lower power, the rear chassis rails are narrowed so 18.5-inch (470mm) Mickey Thompson tyres can fit under the stock arches. The chassis uses a six-point roll cage, and despite torsion bars up front, a drag-racing set-up is used out back.
Plymouth Road Runner (1973) Specifications Top speed: 135 mph (216 km/h)
0-60 mph (0-96 km/h): 4.9 sec
Engine type: V8
Displacement: 446 ci (7,308 cc)
Transmission: 3-speed auto
Max power: 430 bhp (321 kW) @ 6,200 rpm
Max torque: 515 lb ft (698 Nm) @ 3,800 rpm
Weight: 3,525 lb (1,602 kg)
Economy: 7 mpg (2.48 km/I)