This month's member feature is a 1971 Road Runner owned by Bowman Hooks. He has owned this awesome ride since 1982 and even more awesome, he bought it for next to nothing! Bowman's love affair with '71 Plymouth B Bodies starts when he was five. It was at this age that he saw Richard Petty drive the wheels of his 1971 stock car and he was hooked at the site. He told his father how much he loved the look of this ride and that one day, he too would own one. Fast forward to 1982 and young Bowman was bagging groceries in Ft. Monmouth, NJ to save up for a car. Perusing the local paper, one particular dealer listing jumped out and he quickly told his father. A 1971 Road Runner for less than $10! The hunt was on and the two later made it out to a Jeep dealership in nearby Little Falls, NJ. There basking in all of its glory was the car of Bowman's dreams...a 1971 Plymouth Road Runner. Without hesitation, his father went in to find a salesman while Bowman waited in the car. When the ad was brought up, the salesman quickly told Mr. Hooks that they couldn't do that deal from the ad; the car had a sticker price of $1700. That was no good for Bowman's father, so the manager became involved. When he saw young Bowman and the newspaper clipping, the manager said, "Let the kid have it." As Bowman recalls, "We drove it next door at the Howard Johnson's to the dealership as we had no room there to load it. We rented a Uhaul trailer and off we went." Now at home with the car of his dreams, Bowman was quick to get to work on the Road Runner. As the engine in the car had a blown head gasket along with other issues, the first task was a new motor. He worked hard and saved up for a fresh rebuilt engine from the local NAPA. "I put it in myself and since I had extra cash from working for awhile, I bought a new trans too. My friends helped me install some stuff and I got it together to drive to school the day I got my license." Unfortunately, within a year, his sister borrowed the family van and accidentally took out the door of the Road Runner. "I had to buy a 71 Satellite to replace all the dented up metal and primered the whole thing black. These days, Bowman continues to enjoy and work on the Road Runner he bought with his dad back in 1982. It still wears black primer and is a sinister street machine, pro street machine that is. Despite breaking his foot in 2016, Bowman remained resilient and put in a new TCI transmission to tear up the competition. This year is all about getting some additional work done on the ole Beeper and he looks forward to getting the job done right while reflecting on the unique memories he has made over the years.
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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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