1968 Plymouth Road Runner 426 Hemi Muscle Car Of The Week Video Episode

1968 Plymouth Road Runner 426 Hemi Muscle Car Of The Week Video Episode #157
Today, cars with factory-installed 426 Hemi V8s are some of the highest-valued Muscle Cars in existence. The lure of limited production quantities and the power of the 426 Hemi combine to drive the price tags of these cars beyond the average collector. So what’s all the fuss about a Hemi Road Runner? How about quarter mile times of 13.54 @ 105 ½ MPH as logged by Car & Driver Magazine? The Hemi engine was an expensive upgrade, but it did get you a solid performer that was ready to go off the showroom floor. And at the end of the day, we like Ma Mopar’s mission to bring performance back to the common customer.
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[@dextervandemark7082]

My dad bought my mom a 1968 Roadrunner beautiful blue exterior with white interior. To this day my mom is 89 years old and if it doesn't have a V8 in her mind it's not a car. Lol! She wishes that she'd never gotten rid of the car.

[@starman9536]

I bought a 68 Road Runner in 1970 right out of high school. Not a Hemi, but a 383 four speed. The best and most fun car I ever owned. I was "The Man."

[@jeremythompson9895]

This is MY kind of muscle car. Basic looking white car with no graphics or stripes, no spoiler, plain steelies, dog dish caps, a bench seat, and that fire breathing monster under the hood. Love all muscle cars but I especially love sleepers like this one and the 66-67 426 Hemi Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite and Dodge Coronet. Those 66-67 sleeper hemi cars are my all time favorites

[@jeffreyrubish347]

White had to be an infrequent color choice on these but it actually looks great.

[@livewire2759]

I've always loved the early roadrunners. They had all the parts to go fast and no bs to weigh them down.

[@deancoleman8969]

Truly a classic and the stark white makes it just so much better. A true boulevard sleeper, if it was not for the four letters on the hood HEMI. 323 rear gears were never much of a performer out of the hole but damn try and catch this beauty out on the interstate.

[@kenjohnson9498]

OOPS, Sorry Kevin, this is a post sedan, not a hardtop. note the pillar just rearward of the door and the swing out rear window. rear window on a hardtop rolls down. i didn't read the comments, so i don't know if anyone else mentioned it......

[@sanfranciscobay]

Does the Post Sedan door have a frame around the top and rear of the window or is the post attached aft of the door to the roof and the body part below? Does the Hardtop not have the door frame around the window? Which model is more valuable? What model did the racers want?

[@PETERLINNAH]

Post sedan, nota hardtop. Love that car! Nice review.

[@ONTHEEDGEFRED]

I love this "sleeper" just as it sits.

[@aleoimpala]

Always loved muscle car with dog dish hubcap.

[@Jhihmoac]

This was the thing about the RR back in the day...If you wanted bucket seats, a console, sport instrumentation, carpeting, A/C, AM/FM 8-Track, stripes, etc., then you went for the higher-priced GTX...

[@jeremythompson9122]

Exactly. Plus the GTX, Coronet R/T, and Charger R/T came standard with the 440 4bbl, buckets, carpet, and 727 auto on the console. The RR came standard with the 383, bench seat, rubber floors, and the 4 speed on the floor. You could get the Hemi in either one but the $800 Hemi option kinda defeats the purpose of buying the low buck Roadrunner or Super Bee

[@johnkufeldt3564]

Love the Plymouth Road Runner, Hemi only makes this one better than any other 68

[@Biglug8888]

Love sleeper muscle cars! Speak softly and carry a BIG Stick!

[@progx8679]

Black ???? looks Blue to me. And the cartoon Road Runner wasn't about being silly it was about being fun !! I guess you had to be around when this was all happening like myself. : )

[@randyhammett4467]

And you forgot to hit that RR horn, that's part of it's personality. I forgive you.

[@MrHeadbanger366]

Bare bones, nothing fancy. Let the engine do the talking.

[@rayfancher4221]

I have a 68 hemi roadrunner, bored and stroked to a 478 cid dynode 567hp to the rear tires

[@hondalimited7509]

This is a two door post car. Note the big post between the front and rear pop out window.

[@anthonyrowarth3762]

Absolute masterpiece.

[@mrmoparrr]

Just saw this car tonight here in Upstate New York ,amazing car !

[@lonnyjaw]

This is the best - stripped down but ALL business!

[@P3ZzzZzz]

Absolutely love this car. I wonder someday i will own one...

[@TheVenom8343]

No sir, you'll never be able to buy one. These are now reserved for the elite rich and it makes me sick!

[@gzuzsavz]

..would be neat if they'd revisit this idea. a no frills challenger (options? c'mon..new muscle cars have a list that can fill the phoenix az phone book!) w/the 485 hp scat pak 392 hemi for say, $30,000? mhmm!

[@donbraham411]

Very nice ride 👍

[@daniellobo1680]

Beautiful car. That color combo is awesome

[@hornetbrown]

Know a guy with the same car, just a 383. Gorgeous in its simplicity.

[@jeremythompson9122]

My dad bought a brand new one in 69 with the 383/727 automatic and 3.55 gears. Man I loved that car

[@stuartfitzsimons2786]

A friend of mine who is a big mopar fan said the a/c option for the hemi was never available due to the spread of the hemi v8.

[@user-mq3vo3tq3c]

سيارات مجدده بطريقة رائعه جدا تحيه لمن يهتم بتلك السيارات الفخمه

[@johnandersonjjr]

The guy who installed the wipers (and probably the deck lid Hemi emblem)needs to pay attention

[@tomriggle3217]

I like mine

[@truthweallknow]

I had a 68 Roadrunner 383 4 speed maroon, black vnal top black vinal interior had AM8 track, yeah I did have a lot of extra options on it I was fortunate

[@stripervince1]

icky color, auto trans, column shift, bench seat, dog dish hub caps,plain wheels....I'll take two please...

[@sanfranciscobay]

Probably No Power Steering, No Power Brakes, No Air Conditioning, No Carpet. As simple as possible.

[@rhess58]

thought it was a satellite not a belvidere

[@hectorcarmona3091]

i think is super,the heart is what really counts,it looks beutyfull, thanks.

[@SolamenteVees]

Also notice how crude the Roadrunner emblem was in '68...

[@jeremythompson9895]

13.4 in the quarter mile is pretty damn impressive with a 3.23 rear. Wonder what one of these could do with stickier tires, headers, and 4.10 gears. My guess is probably mid to high 12s

[@SF80CAMARO]

Plain but strong and understated. Just the way I like woman too. Awesome car Kev.

[@SteveHolsten]

Golly, I love this car. Since I'm pushing 56 I do want an A/C car.

[@dicarlo57]

yeah but once you hit 60 the a/c will have blown out. just like your knees and hips

[@SteveHolsten]

@@dicarlo57 Well. I hit 60 two months ago. I have one bad knee but luckily the other knee is still good & my hips are holding up.

[@SteveHolsten]

@Jeremy Thompson I hear you!

[@karznboats]

Why does he say that this car is a hardtop and not a coupe? It is clearly a post with the flip out rear windows.

[@lewiscross9888]

That's a window frame

[@sanfranciscobay]

It is a Hardtop and not a Convetible.

[@generalpatton8468]

@1967 Chevelle LSx Damn. People are so ill tempered these days. He was incorrect but that does not make him an asshole.

[@JLH1956]

I like it just like that! Gimme Gimme.

[@jimmydigital]

have the brothers still got an olds 442 in their collection or what? i've been whining to see one for about 2 months.

[@burnsred2172]

Yup old man told me he looked at one in 68 at a Dealer when they first came out a base model 383 V8 wid 4spd $2,500.00 but that was a lotta $$$ back then he said 🤑

[@dextervandemark7082]

In addition to my previous comment. My Dad paid $1,800 for the car used. It's worth so much more than that now. But who knew?

[@kc-6837]

Nice!

[@eyedoc8567]

Honest question, why are Hemi cars more desired than a Chevy 454?

[@stripervince1]

Eric Payne if we have to explain it, you shouldn’t be watching this

[@generalpatton8468]

@@stripervince1 Because not everyone knows the answer. Stop being irrelevant.

[@stripervince1]

@@generalpatton8468 aye aye general

[@minuteman5369]

You should be on a chevy video, if that's you car choice. I know you never rode in a mopar big block, if you had then you would know why.

[@mickeymighty1866]

@@minuteman5369 your so lit

[@HoosierRooster]

that is not a hardtop that is a coupe with the flip out rear windows

[@terryharding7476]

Notice how clean its lines r!, not cobbeled up shit like today!

[@briancabral9]

Once upon a time your average Joe could buy an old muscle car. Today the rich elite have set up the market where only the rich can own one. Most of these cars are not worth the outrageous money needed to buy one, and people like this Brothers Collection are the culprits, they want to keep these cars in a price range that keep them away from the working man. I have lost my appetite for these cars because they are no longer cars, they are just toys for the rich to look at and brag about owning. People that have been locked out financially from ever owning these cars would drive them as they should be driven and appreciate these cars more.

[@MuscleCarOfTheWeek]

While we'll agree that the values of the upper echelon cars are far beyond the average enthusiast, we'll wholeheartedly disagree that wealthy individuals are intentionally keeping the values out of the hands of the average consumers. Nowhere have we ever witnessed anyone intentionally paying a high premium on a car just to keep it away from a lesser income class. If one could buy a Hemi Cuda convertible for $25.00, ANY collector would gladly pay that over the millions required these days. But the market sets the values... simple supply and demand. The bottom line is that people really dig the blue chip cars, and some are willing to pay big money to own them. The flip side is how average people with not-so-special cars think that just because a car is the same make / model, it's worth the same as a limited production car. Think 6-cylinder 1973 Nova vs. 1970 Yenko Deuce. Same car, worlds apart.

[@DoudD]

“People that have been locked out financially from ever owning these cars would drive them as they should be driven and appreciate these cars more.” Seems to me that the cars in these videos are being driven *exactly* the way they should be driven: all 4, 6, or 8 barrels open and smoke coming off the tires !As for how much the brothers truly appreciate old muscle cars, well, we really have no way of knowing, do we? We don’t even know who they are much less what their attitudes might be. But I do know that back in the day …1960s-1970s-1980s…I was there!....when they were just ‘used cars’ that ordinary people could afford they were usually raced, thrashed, crudely modified, and deposited in the back yard to rot when other interests came long...or when the engine threw a rod. Or traded-in on an Toyota when gas prices went up or the wife got pregnant. That certainly wasn’t showing any deep appreciation for them.

[@jared5021]

While there is some truth to collectors inflating the price of these old cars, it is what it is. These rare cars go to whoever is willing to pay the most. When you are talking about total production numbers of under 20 cars ever made 50 years ago, people are willing to pay a lot. That's what sets the high value of these super rare cars (and in some ways values the more available cars as well). You don't need to have 442, GTO, SS, Shelby, Hemi, or K code to get into a muscle car. There are plenty cars that are affordable for most working people. I have a 1970 LeMans 400 4 speed car that has never has any body panels replaced. If it was a GTO Judge in the same condition, it would have far exceeded my budget. In a lot of ways I like the LeMans more since you never see them at car shows.

[@704406bbl]

Well do what I do, just buy a 383 car and put the motor you want in there and drive it like you stole it! These are great times for muscle car guys. AMD makes plenty sheet metal and you can build every kind of engine you want. You know a stroker big block will skin that stock hemi alive don’t you??? Take a 440 make it a 505. Be prepared for more torque and hp that you can believe. Seen it blow the doors off trailer queens many times. Build you one and have some fun !

[@Aldo-zp8wk]

Wait.. the 426 with an 8 3/4 rear end? I thought they only came with the Dana rear ends? Maybe it was the only in the E bodies. Maybe someone else can answer that. I find it crazy that it wouldn't come with the heavier duty Dana.

[@SolamenteVees]

With a 4-speed, you get a Dana. The 8 3/4 was standard with a 727.

[@jeffrowlette]

425 HP LOL.....in reality, more like 500 HP ❤️

[@ethanbirmingham9424]

we own a 68 roadrunner

[@kc-6837]

Enjoy that!

[@mrceleb2006]

Beep-beep!

[@Sebastian_Dinwiddie]

Er, that's not a hard top. It's a coupe, or post car.

[@nicholasmaher9175]

Sure looks that way. It has a non-movable or pop-out window, the hard top had no pillar with the rear window up or down as long as the front window was down.

[@bigBusaJoe]

Yes it is exact opposite of what he said it is.

[@dicarlo57]

in plain english its a sedan

[@nicholasmaher9175]

To quote Wikipedia: A coupé (US coupe) (from the French past participle coupé, of the infinitive couper, to cut) is a closed two-door car body style with a permanently attached fixed roof, that is shorter than a sedan or saloon (British and Irish English) of the same model. While functionally it is a sedan in that it can seat at least four people, stylistically is a coupe because it is a shortened, cut down version of a 4 door sedan, the Plymouth Belvedere. Plymouth and other US marques often differentiated between calling the same 2 door body style a coupe or a hardtop. A coupe had a fixed B-pillar (a structural member) as this car does while a hardtop had no B-pillar when all the windows were rolled down. The vestigial pillar on a hardtop was attached to one of the windows really as just a piece of trim, a place to put a rubber weather seal.

[@dicarlo57]

that being the case a two door hardtop could also be considered a coup. what im stating is that any car with a "post", either a two or four door, has allways been refered to as a sedan-not a two or four door "post"

[@hotwheel6663]

How dependable were the stock factory Hemi's?

[@gzuzsavz]

very. but..they were strong enough to hurt themselves..with a non-rev limited engine & stiff valve springs, she'd sing way past her intended rpm range..and they used some oil, esp. under hard use. a mopar big block would have 4.5 qts of oil circulating at speed and so if the crank case wasnt kept full..not good! also, the pistons were quite heavy, stressing the rods & bearings. simply keeping rpm's to a sane level & letting the engines size do its work did wonders and excessive rpm's hurt performance anyways because of rotational drag etc. notice hp & torque numbers drop over a certain rpm on whatever graph/chart. anything made since then has much lower compression height slugs, mostly for emissions reasons and free revving ability. blah blah..the 426 Hemi was and is a very fine engine. the top fuel engines of today making a zillion hp still use the same internal dimensions as the 'ol 426!

[@hotwheel6663]

Thanks for reply.

[@tmalstln1]

@@gzuzsavz excellent Motor Trend tested one said they wiped oil off of rear bumper daily

[@dono624]

I am an A12 guy to tell the truth.

[@minuteman5369]

Ok for its day. These modern day mopars will eat it alive even the weaker ones that are much lighter.

[@kidrauhlfan4evs]

Don't all hemi cars come with a dana 60

[@1962pjb]

Chloe Beech Only if they Hemi equipped car came with manual transmissions. Then it was a mandatory option that must go along with the Hemi. Automatic Hemi transmission cars came with the sure grip and the Dana 60 was an option.

[@johnjacobjingleheimerschmi3857]

​@@1962pjb your Sixty Nine looks Sweet. 🤙🏼

[@1962pjb]

@@johnjacobjingleheimerschmi3857 Thanks!

[@randyroubal8916]

You need to spend more time ridding around in the car, but all you ever do it talk talk talk, people want to hear it run ect

[@ThePaulv12]

The latter for me. A peasant poverty pack car like this although historically interesting doesn't really excite me.

[@moparnutjim]

Then you missed the whole point. Cars from this era with top engine package with the least amount of options are more desirable than a fully loaded one. Look at how much excitement those guys have with the Farm Truck embarrassing Richey Rich in their Ferraris and Lamborghinis.

[@ThePaulv12]

No. I haven't actually missed the whole point at all. I get it - I really do. I should have added at the end of my comment, "any more." I, like you, was excited by cars like this but not anymore.