Back in 1968 during a commitment to the armed forces, Bill Fogle purchased his first Mopar. This '68 Plymouth Road Runner has been by his side ever since. Starting life as a family hauler, it would only be two years before Bill changed the Road Runner into a vehicle for fun and entertainment.
It wasn't until the car was 28 years old that Bill decided it was time to give it a once over. Bill's friend Scot Fergerson in Barnesville, Ohio, stripped the car of its paint, fixed a few small rust spots, and applied a fresh coat of PPG Deltron base coat-clear coat paint in the original burgundy metallic color.
Although little work was needed under the car, Bill wanted to improve the ride and handling. The front suspension was completely removed, cleaned, repainted, and reinstalled with new stock bushings. While everything was apart, and to prevent any stopping problems, Bill replaced the entire front and rear steel brake lines and rebuilt the brakes. A set of 15-inch Keystone Classic wheels with Goodyear 215/70 tires on the front and 275/60 tires on the rear were added.
The 383ci sitting under the hood underwent a complete overhaul with a few upgrades to help improve the Road Runner's motivation. Bill used the original 10:1 pistons, rods, and crank, but to move the valves he substituted a .488-inch lift Summit cam in place of the stock one. To accommodate today's unleaded fuel, Bill replaced the valve seats with hardened steel inserts. To top the mill, a Holley 750 cfm carburetor was bolted onto the stock manifold. An MSD 6AL Electronic Ignition was installed to up the heat going to the plugs, and to remove all the spent gasses and add a little rumble to the ear, he added Headman Headers with Flowmasters and 2-1/2-inch pipes exiting out the back.
Moving the power into the stock four-speed, Bill changed out the clutch and pressure plate with a Zoom performance set. The next step was to improve on the shifting ability. To achieve this, a Hurst Shifter was installed.
Bill decided that with 3:91 gears and low mileage, it wasn't necessary to mess with the stock differential, though the back of the car did receive a set of Lakewood traction bars to prevent the loss of rubber when taking off quickly. Inside the car, the stock black interior has virtually been untouched in the last 30 years, however, Bill did add an Auto Meter tachometer and oil pressure gauge to monitor the engine behavior.
If the Road Runner isn't resting in its custom-made garage, you can find Bill enjoying a drive on sunny days, going to shows, and at the occasional visit to the track to show what vintage muscle is all about. And for Bill, this is what the past 32 years have been all about.