Just when we were beginning...
Just when we were beginning to think all of the survivor cars had been found, Lynn Wilson from Muncy, Pennsylvania, sends us pictures of this sweet ’69 Road Runner. This month we’ll tell you how he discovered it.
There were thousands of cool Mopars sold during the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, and no muscle car produced by Chrysler during that era sold better than the ’69 Road Runner. Earning Motor Trend’s Car of the Year title, the 1969 mid-size Plymouth was inexpensive and fast, making it a favorite for young drivers, especially young servicemen. And while once sold, each Mopar saw a different fate; some like this one were driven, taken care of, and cherished by an owner who knew this was more than just a car, it was a special part of Americana. When Lynn Wilson discovered this Road Runner in his hometown of Muncy, Pennsylvania, he didn’t just find a car, he found a cool story as well.
How often do you see a ’69...
How often do you see a ’69 Road Runner with less than 40,000 miles on the odometer? Thanks to his brother striking up a conversation while at a family cookout, Lynn Wilson is now cruising in a piece of Mopar history.
The original owner of this Road Runner was named Donald Linser, and he was a mechanic in the U. S. Air Force. Purchasing the 383/four-speed equipped Plymouth in May of 1969, Donald was then transferred to California where he and his car were stationed for about two years. Eventually driving back to Ohio from California in February of 1970 Donald was stopped by the California Highway Patrol, but it wasn’t for speeding or racing, instead, the ticket Lynn found in the glove box was written for towing a U-haul trailer without a right side mirror. The car also shows evidence of a clamp-on trailer hitch with dents in the bumper on both sides of the license plate.
With low mileage, the 383...
With low mileage, the 383 runs great and Lynn says the car drives like a new one would have back in 1969. White with a black top and black bench seat interior, this Road Runner didn’t come with optional power brakes, automatic transmission, or power steering.
After returning to Ohio the evidence shows that Donald cared for his car, installing an inside hood release and security system, as well as aftermarket gauges and a cassette player. The car was then parked at some point during the seventies, only accumulating some 37,892 miles until discovered by Lynn’s brother Steve, while attending a family cookout in 2010. At the cookout, Steve was having a conversation with some older ladies and one of the ladies (the wife of original owner Donald) mentioned having a Road Runner. Steve called Lynn and told him about the car and they made plans to look at it together. Seeing the car on a Sunday, Lynn made an offer that Tuesday and the next day he owned the car.
The original owner of this...
The original owner of this Road Runner obviously cared for his car, placing this reminder of oil change and tune-up intervals in the door jamb. An in-car hood release and security system were also installed in the car, which is otherwise pretty much untouched and still wears its original white paint.
Getting the Road Runner home, Lynn found the car to be in amazing shape for its age, and with low mileage nothing major has ever been done to the Road Runner. Lynn says the car runs well, like having a new ’69 Road Runner, and he and his wife Trish even found one of the original owner’s Air Force shirts in the trunk and cassette tapes in the glovebox. As a good survivor with only minor imperfections, Lynn has just been driving the car, and has put the previous owner’s shirt on a hangar so “he” can ride along and listen to music from the cassette player he installed. We congratulate Lynn on his Hidden Treasure, and think it’s great that he, his wife, and the previous owner can all enjoy cruising in this cool Plymouth!
The Road Runner’s interior...
The Road Runner’s interior is all factory, showing minimal wear and only one small tear in the driver’s seat.
Like many new car owners in...
Like many new car owners in the sixties, the original owner upgraded the radio by installing an under-dash cassette player and placed aftermarket instruments on the dash as well.
Lynn and his wife Trish found...
Lynn and his wife Trish found several items in the Road Runner’s trunk and glove box, including personalized license plates, cassette tapes, and even a shirt the original owner wore while in the Air Force. Now when Lynn and Trish take the car for a drive they hang the shirt on one of the rear hooks and listen to cassette tapes in the under-dash player. We think it’s cool that the Road Runner is being enjoyed by its new, and past owners!