Forgotten classic cars are often associated with junkyards, but some emerge from private collections when the owner passes away. Sometimes, they’re unrestored survivors still in great shape; other times, they’re rust buckets. Some enthusiasts leave big collections behind.
One such stash was recently discovered and documented by YouTube’s “A Mostly Mopar Family.” Located in Missouri, the collection is far from museum-worthy. The owner was hoarding derelict classics to restore them and had quite a few in the works when he passed away. The grandson is now looking to sell the cars to clear the property.
A bunch of dismantled cars may not sound spectacular, but this collection is big news for Mopar enthusiasts. Because it includes tens of Dodges and Plymouths from the golden muscle car era. And yes, I’m talking about desirable B-body and E-body rigs.
A big Mopar guy, our host drove a few hours from Kansas to Missouri to look at the cars. He found an impressive stash that included Dodge Coronets, Super Bees, Plymouth Belvederes, Satellites, and Road Runners. The older gentleman also left a big assortment of Plymouth Barracudas behind.
Our host eventually settled for a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner. But like many of the B-body rigs parked on the property, the yellow hardtop he purchased was a puzzle requiring assembly. And in addition to the interior having been removed, the Road Runner was also missing most of its front clip.
Some of the parts were still on the property, but he quickly realized he didn’t have enough room on the trailer and in the truck to take them home. So he had no choice but to install some of them back on the car. He attached the car’s doors and front fenders and mounted the rear bench seat back inside. With the remaining components packed in the cabin, trunk, and the pickup bed hauling the trailer, the Road Runner was finally set to travel to its new home.
Will it get a well-deserved restoration? Well, there’s no specific mention of that, but this Road Runner sure looks like a solid project. The frame rails and the floor are still intact, and there’s not much rust and filler on the body. Moreover, the car came with quite a few parts.
On the flip side, the engine bay was gutted, and there was no sign of a V8. This means the Road Runner likely lost its original engine a very long time ago. Granted, that’s not necessarily an issue if you’re not a stickler for numbers-matching drivetrains, but the car doesn’t have a replacement unit either.
On the bright side, sourcing an appropriate and period-correct mill won’t be an issue. Plymouth sold a whopping 81,105 units in 1969 and many of these rigs are still out there waiting to be sourced for parts. I’m obviously assuming this Road Runner left the factory with a 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8, the most common powerplant in this entry-level muscle car.
The base engine in the Road Runner, the 335-horsepower big-block V8 found its way into 78,906 units that year. That’s right, only 2,199 were equipped with the optional 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Six-Barrel and 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) HEMI.
If you’re hooked on numbers, this originally Yellow Gold (Y3) bird should be one of 45,629 hardtops fitted with the 383 V8. Depending on the gearbox, it’s either one of 21,278 manuals or one of 24,351 automatics. It’s not exactly rare, but it’s still worth saving.