{"id":82873,"date":"2024-11-15T01:31:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-15T06:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dodgegarage.com\/news-api\/?p=82873"},"modified":"2024-11-08T14:12:36","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T19:12:36","slug":"1969-%c2%bd-plymouth-road-runner-a12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/owners-clubs\/2024\/11\/1969-%c2%bd-plymouth-road-runner-a12.html","title":{"rendered":"1969 \u00bd Plymouth Road Runner A12"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sometimes, you have to surprise yourself. Otherwise, those who read what you write are unlikely to be inspired. Peter “The Axe” Lundstr\u00f6m\u2019s 1969 \u00bd Plymouth Road Runner A12 gives me that opportunity, so I\u2019m taking it. Welcome to a slightly different kind of car article.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Standard questions like \u201cTell me about the 440 engine\u201d or \u201cWhy did you buy a Road Runner?\u201d often serve a purpose. Every owner and car builder has their story, and it’s unique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought for a moment about what Lundstr\u00f6m said when I was photographing his Plymouth – that he wasn\u2019t really interested in being interviewed. Or at least not being part of an article based on standard questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I open Outlook and see the email he sent. Dated “Stockholm 08-04-2024 in the middle of the night.” The subject reads “Some details about the A12” in all caps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lundstr\u00f6m writes that a VIN number with the letter M in the fifth position from the left meant \u201cSpecial order\u201d in 1969. In this case, it meant a Road Runner with a 440 6-BBL, aluminum intake, and the special A12 hood. For Dodge\u2019s equivalent, the Super Bee Six Pack, other letters and hoods apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, that\u2019s what he owns, an A12. It was only available for sale for less than half a year, hence the designation “1969 \u00bd.” Of course, it comes with basic steel wheels and a complete lack of luxury extras. After all, this is a Road Runner we\u2019re talking about, the prototype of muscle cars with a raw, stripped-down attitude.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The fact that Plymouth\u2019s beast has more than enough muscle is hinted at by the automaker\u2019s choice of rear axle. A12s always come with a Dana 60, with \u201ccrisp 4.10:1 gear ratio\u201d to use Lundstr\u00f6m\u2019s own words. For a more authentic and slightly unruly driving experience, Lundstr\u00f6m has fitted wobbly Redline tires on the steelies. Wobbly indeed. I take a test drive on the Norrortsleden north of Stockholm, and the Road Runner occasionally feels like it\u2019s taking happy little sideways hops. The key is to stay calm and go with the flow rather than start lining up the car with the steering wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lundstr\u00f6m continues his email by writing that what stands out about the A12 is the carburetors, three two-barrel Holleys. The total flow capacity for the three is 1,350 cfm, which is a lot for a 440. In the middle is the 350 cfm Holley, and it\u2019s only under heavy throttle that the two 500s at the front and rear start working.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a regular 440 engine, but according to the specification, there are a few things that set it apart from a standard one. The lifters are made of different material, and it has a better camshaft. Pistons, rods, valve springs and the oil pump come from a HEMI\u00ae<\/sup> V8. But these are mostly small things,\u201d Lundstr\u00f6m writes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He then notes that this particular Road Runner has an unmarked replacement block, meaning it\u2019s not matching numbers. \u201cBut it\u2019s the next best thing since these cars usually got warranty replacement blocks if something broke,\u201d Lundstr\u00f6m writes.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Speaking of engine swaps, my thoughts suddenly wander back in time to the days before I received Lundstr\u00f6m\u2019s late-night email. When we were standing next to a building facade that looked like it was built from guard rails. Lundstr\u00f6m pointed to the metal in front of the windshield where the ventilation grilles are located. It\u2019s smooth and fine, but apparently, that\u2019s not always the case with A12s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn some, the metal was slightly dented from the factory. This happened during the engine swap. The Road Runner originally had a 383. When A12 was on the order sheet and VIN tag, the car was rolled off, and a 440 was installed. Rumor has it that the mechanics braced their knee against the metal when they lifted the engines in and out during the swap. True or not, who knows?!” Lundstr\u00f6m says with a grin on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n

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One of the most significant parts, besides the 440 engine, that sets a Road Runner A12 apart from a standard bird, is the hood. A so-called \u201clift-off\u201d fiberglass hood that\u2019s secured with four hood pins, and where especially proud A12 owners sometimes manifest this by placing four metal bars on the hood pins, then placing the hood on top of these. So, it almost looks like it\u2019s floating. Well, at least if you squint and have a good imagination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lundstr\u00f6m chuckles and says it\u2019s a bit funny that there are more A12 hoods today than there are A12 cars. However, his own is supposed to be the real deal, albeit slightly weathered.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI guess the hood was meant to scare other drivers back in the day. Now, everyone has hoods like this. Aftermarket stuff. This was the original when it came out. At least, that\u2019s how I understand it,” Lundstr\u00f6m says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aftermarket stuff, he said. It makes me wonder how many folks, a few years after buying their A12s, got tired of the steelies. The 15-inch, \u201cheavy-duty\u201d wheels with redline tires that the cars came with from the factory. The ones that make the Plymouth Road Runner A12 the matriarch of all steel-wheeled cars in the muscle car universe.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Lundstr\u00f6m says he loves the \u201csaga\u201d that the A12 couldn\u2019t be ordered with hubcaps. The tale of the ultimate muscle car with \u201cthe most horsepower for the least amount of cash,\u201d no frills attached. Here, however, he\u2019s only 99.9 percent right. The cars actually came with the luxurious option of \u201cchrome lug nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I continue reading Lundstr\u00f6m\u2019s email and come to the part where this specific A12\u2019s history is recounted. The car was bought new by a Gary Garver in the USA. He was one of three brothers, and all three bought a Road Runner each at the same time, but Gary went all out and invested in the coolest version. After a while, the car was sold and parts were stripped off. Lundstr\u00f6m says it\u2019s unclear what parts left the mothership, but they are said to have ended up on one of the brothers\u2019 Plymouths. The car was then sold back to Gary, only to be sold again after some adventures with a friend of one of Gary\u2019s brothers, who restored it to its original condition. However, it\u2019s also unclear here with which parts – maybe original, maybe not.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Later, a guy from Stockholm imported the car to Sweden. The year was 1982. After that, there were two more owners until Lundstr\u00f6m bought the car in early March 2007.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, I\u2019m the fourth owner in Sweden since the A12 came here. I\u2019ve talked to all the previous owners and even visited them,\u201d Lundstr\u00f6m says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He then adds that he has deliberately left out all names except the first owner in the email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before it\u2019s time to wrap up, Lundstr\u00f6m recounts the story of the 1969 \u00bd Plymouth Road Runner A12 in numbers. A total of 797 cars were built, 422 with manual transmissions and 375 with automatics (like Lundstr\u00f6m\u2019s Road Runner).<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cI saw in the numbers that there were always more manual transmissions built than automatics. Do you want more figures on the A12s, like totals? Super Bee A12 and coupe, HT, etc.? Is that maybe too much? Who can handle that as a reader? Well, as I understand it, there are only three A12s in Europe. But let\u2019s say a handful, like five, so we avoid an outcry\u2026 Yes, and two handfuls, or maybe a few more, like ten or so, of Super Bee A12s in Europe,” Lundstr\u00f6m adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, the email was read. Considered. Marinated. Partially reproduced. The accompanying SMS conversation some time later as well. I note that Lundstr\u00f6m writes that Urban “Ubbe” Lindstr\u00f6m at Urban\u2019s Garage in Vikarbyn in Sweden has restored the A12. I also note that the job is well done and that the Road Runner is incredibly beautiful in the afternoon light with its “Jamaica Blue Metallic, Color Code B7” paint.<\/p>\n\n\n

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But above all, I read the last words in our SMS conversation again. They say, \u201cWrite well and put the pedal to the metal\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s poetry in motion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sometimes, you have to surprise yourself. Otherwise, those who read what you write are unlikely to be inspired. Peter “The Axe” Lundstr\u00f6m\u2019s 1969 \u00bd Plymouth Road Runner A12 gives me that opportunity, so I\u2019m taking it. Welcome to a slightly different kind of car article. Standard questions like \u201cTell me about the 440 engine\u201d or \u201cWhy did you buy a Road Runner?\u201d often serve a purpose. Every owner and car builder has their story, and it’s unique. I thought for a moment about what Lundstr\u00f6m said when I was photographing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":82897,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2624],"tags":[3012,2949],"class_list":["post-82873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-owners-clubs","tag-dodge-europe","tag-plymouth-classics"],"acf":[],"custom_fields":{"post_thumbnail_image":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/1969Roadrunner_Feature.jpg","social_image":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/1969Roadrunner_Social.jpg","icon_selection":"article","external_link":"","featured_article":[],"upload_background_image":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82873"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82873"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82921,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82873\/revisions\/82921"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82897"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.api.dodgegarage.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}