For July, we are featuring Jim Doyle's 1971 Plymouth Road Runner. Like many of our members, Jim has always been a Mopar man at heart. Despite his first car being an El Camino (don't worry Jim we won't hold that against you) he states, "It seems like I've always had a Plymouth." Cars have been at the center of his life and he specialized in radio and stereo installations at Custom Auto Radio. In fact, Jim recalls "I put one of the first CD players to make it to market in my car and the thing had three boxes!" Installing CB radios, alarms and stereo systems was tedious work, but luckily one of Jim's coworkers named Sonny was big into Mopars and that made the job much more enjoyable. Jim purchased a few B-Bodies from ol' Sonny one beinga Coronet 440 and a '71 GTX powered by a 440 in Winchester Gray (check out the photo below). Unfortunately, he had a bit too much fun with the cars and they didn't last too long. Jim decided to keep the drivetrains and and swap them into rollers, mostly '68 and '69 Road Runners. In fact, he still owns a beautiful '68 Road Runner packing a 383 from those days that he restored and used for his wedding limo! While the first gen Road Runner was an awesome car, it wasn't a four speed and it wasn't a '71, the car Jim desired most since losing his precious GTX. For some time, Jim actively searched for a '71 Plymouth B Body that he could call his own and he finally found one that checked all the boxes. Coincidentally, the car that Jim decided to pounce on was for sale by one of our own registry members, David Brennan of Level One Classic Cars in Hamlin, NY. A deal was struck and the beautiful gold Road Runner was off to Jim. The car is a true N96 car with a wicked four speed transmission linked to a peppy 383 CID engine. Did we mention it has a Dana 60 rear? Yes, we know it was not technically available with a 383, but who care's it's a Dana! The interior is just as cool as the exterior with a suave bench seat and sporty pistol grip shifter! Jim plans on doing some work to the car including freshening it up with new paint and tuning it to perfection. Most importantly, Jim plans to drive it hard and enjoying every minute of doing so! Take some time and take a look at the gallery to check out Jim's Road Runner!
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AuthorRowland George is a 1971 Plymouth B Body enthusiast and researcher dedicated to acquiring information on behalf of owners and those interested in learning more about these iconic classic cars. Archives
July 2019
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