There are some models that take a long time to make their appearance at CC. And curiously, once featured, they don’t take that long to show up again. Even if occasionally with a slight delay effect. So appears to be the case with the ’76-’80 Plymouth Volaré Road Runner, which had its first CC appearance in a Joseph Dennis post this past October. Now we have this early model, captured in motion in SF, and uploaded at the Cohort by chasglynn. And just like Joseph’s find, this Road Runner’s condition is quite good, but also with a grille nowhere near intact.
Chrysler’s F-Bodies from ’76-’80 have a deservedly lackluster legacy; troublesome mechanicals, lots of recalls, and as far as the Road Runner nameplate, more of a trim and graphics package than any real performance enhancements. But well, it was the malaise era after all.
While these Road Runners pale against what came before, there’s no denying that in this trim and color, this one is quite the 1970s throwback machine. It’s also personally satisfying to see it roaming around the streets of SF, my old ‘hood. Back in the ’90s, it was quite a city to find old vintage rides. I doubt that’s the case anymore, and this Road Runner is likely the exception, not the rule.
Further reading:
Curbside Musings: 1979 Plymouth Volaré Road Runner – Potential
Curbside Classic: 1976 Plymouth Volaré and Dodge Aspen: From an A to an F – Chrysler’s Deadly Sin #1
It’s beautiful. Spitfire Orange really is the only color for these in my mind. The contrasting roof color makes the rear quarter louvers stand out more, but not in a totally objectionable way. I’d roll in this
I would want one with the matching go-kart. When I was 14 and started going to high school parties, there was something approaching a car scene at the rival school. One student had an orange Volare Road Runner that was immaculate, even though it would have been seven or eight years old at the time. Some of those early Volares had E58 360 V8s that made them truly fast for anything that was on the road in the early ’80s.
A side marker light, and possibly a piece of plastic trim also missing in action.
Great shots of a mediocre car, dressed up to look like something it was not.
Agree with your comment…..but not the only car to do this in the late 1970’s. Both Ford and GM had similar pretenders in their line ups.
The Volare Roadrunners were done by Jim Wagners who also did the Mustang II Cobra II dress up package, which is pretty similar to these like the louvered quarter windows
My 1977 Volare Road Runner, optioned with the 360 V8 engine, 3 speed Torqueflite automatic and the 3.21 final drive ratio, was quick enough to suck the headlights out of my best friend’s 1977 Trans Am more than once.
He was so insulted and incensed that he spent quite a bit of money and time retro-fitting his Pontiac to be able to beat me.
Can’t believe the “fenders” didn’t fall off.
Is that black-painted roof an RPO? I recall a vaguely similar vinyl top on the Volare/Aspen, but haven’t seen many in that configuration, much less one that’s just painted black.
In fact, I’m not sure how often a more typical Chrysler canopy vinyl roof was spec-ed.
The black painted roof there is was not optional on the Volare/Aspen. Starting in 1978, the Volare and Aspen gained a “Halo” vinyl roof option, which was similar to this paint treatment on this car. You can see it on the first page of this brochure: https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1978-Plymouth-Volare.pdf
looking through the options, it does not say that the Road Runner Package could or could not be had with the Halo vinyl roof. I’ve never seen a Volare Road Runner (or Aspen R/T) with the vinyl roof like that.
I strongly suspect the black roof is a DIY effort to cover damage from sun fade. There would be trim at the base of the pillars if this were factory. As they say, west coast cars rust from the top down Midwestern cars rust from the bottom up. Here they paint the rocker panels black!
Due to my long relationship with a 77 Dodge Aspen wagon, I will always have a soft spot for these much maligned automobiles. I especially love these “sticker job” performance models. Sure, they didn’t have the same fire breathing power as the muscle cars from a few years prior, but equipped properly they were plenty quick for their time. The 1978 Super Coupe was the quickest domestic vehicle produced in 1978 (from what I’ve read).
The graphics package on the Volare Road Runner was the inspiration for the vinyl wrap that I did on my Magnum SRT8 a few years ago.
I like these, sure they’re a sticker job but it’s a nice looking set of stickers at least and while the F body had its problems I always thought they were fairly handsome in coupe form, as well as wagons which had a similar flare/spoiler kit available. Crappy part of this car is it’s newer than 1975 and thus owning one in California means you’re pretty much stuck with the terrible emissions junk and obligated to keep it functioning, which is easier said than done. These would be great project cars otherwise in the land rust forgot
Interesting smog history on the car which can also tell you when the car has changed hands. In California, anything from 1976 onward needs a smog check every two years. Brand new cars are exempt from that for awhile.
So this car had it’s first check in July 2012 which is when it probably got those plates. Then it came in for a smog check in August 2013, only a year later, so sounds like it was being flipped. It failed that because it was tampered with. Eventually passed in October 2013. Passed late September 2015. Came in June 2017 four months before due which means no notice from DMV yet. Sold or being sold? Nevertheless, it failed three tests in a row.
Not registered till July 2019 when it passed after those failures. Then comes in February 2021 which is early. So being sold again? No one willing brings their cars in early. Two February checks were aborted and one failed. Didn’t pass until June 2021. Once again in early, January 2023, and it passed. Possible this car changed hands three times between 2012-2023. This ability to check history on all cars past 1976, in California, is great when looking at one and you wonder if the owner is completely truthful.
I like this car, it desperately needs a color sanding, buffing, then waxing but as mentioned it’s a nifty time capsule of a car .
As far as Ca. smog tests, the devil is in the details :
1979 Dodge D200 9,000# GVW and a 360 CID V8, massive four barrel carby and once I fixed all the niggly little vacuum leaks, failed EGR valve and a bunch of other crap it runs great _and_ flies through smog tests .
The biggest thing these days if the EVAP recovery system , it simply -MUST- hold about three atmospheres of pressure or they flunk it no matter how cleanly the engine runs .
If you have a 1976 > vehicles with points in California, change it to breakerless ignition and you’ll love how much better it runs .
-Nate
“If you have a 1976 > vehicles with points in California, change it to breakerless ignition and you’ll love how much better it runs .”
Aside from imports, and captive imports…what would have come with points in a post-1975 vehicle? There were extra-cost electronic ignitions from GM and Ford starting in the early-to-mid 1960s, but they were rare–I’ve only seen one, for an Oldsmobile, and it was broken. All the “domestic” GM products went to HEI in ’75 after select models used HEI during at least part of the ’74 model year. Chrysler’s line was partially-electronic in…’72, maybe? I don’t know when they went electronic across-the-board. And Ford would have gone electronic probably in ’75 along with GM, which means All Makes Combined was electronic in ’75. But I don’t know this for sure.
Kinda thinking my ’80 Honda Civic was the first year of electronic ignition for Honda. I think I remember putting points into an Isuzu newer than my ’80 Civic.
By 1975, the muscle car boom had ended, but Detroit still had these tarted up compacts named after famous makes like GTO, Roadrunner, AMX and Cobra. All show – no go.
The RR went from being on a Satellite/Fury to this and it was pretty embarrassing. A Volare. Please Plymouth – stop for god’s sake. There didn’t seem to be a respected brand that wasn’t pimped out as a paint job on a mediocre car back then.
Detroit wouldn’t say it now – but I will. “Sorry – it was stupid of us to take turds and paint them like that and destroy a brand legacy for a buck, but we were desperate.”
Remove the Hills-spec Halloween costume and plastic mask and these coupes were nice designs, the likes of which the company wouldn’t offer again for some time.
I like these a lot better than I used to – and after experiencing how sprightly a 318 Diplomat was back around 1978, a 360 Volare would be a hoot!
I was never a big fan of the styling on the 2 door version, but all of the stripes and gingerbread work to disguise what I see as an uninspired shape that couldn’t decide if it wanted to be formal or sporty.
I like these a lot, but without all the plastic bits that conceal the handsome design, it was hard to find a good pic of the one I have in mind, but this one comes close if it loads.
I like it! I agree with Joseph that orange is the color for these cars. An orange late model Challenger caught my eye on the freeway just this afternoon. Muscle cars were just standard cars with bigger engines and minor styling tweaks, by the late 70’s the automakers had less latitude with engines and instead laid on the gingerbread. You have to judge these cars in context. Emissions testing for late ’70’s cars can be a nightmare. Never buy one of these cars unless it has passed a current smog test. So many previous owners removed the smog equipment and changed engine components, so it’s important to be sure that everything is there and working.