By Bill Thorpe

About 17 years ago Bob Beisel found his dream car – a 1969 Dodge Charger. Chrysler produced only 7,300 of them. It was a Detroit car, and Bob’s closest friends advised against it due to extensive harsh winter weather that the car had experienced.

But Bob was smitten and the car came to Indy and the full-on restorations began. It took three years to complete the long list of repairs, which included all new floor pans due to rust. There was rewiring throughout the dashboard with added wood grain accents. While Bob redid the upholstery, most work was done at professional workshops.

The engine shows off a single Holly four-barrel carburetor capable of producing 330 horsepower. New leaf springs are home to 50 series tires in the front and 70s in the rear. The Cragar wheels are the original ones that came with the car. The owner’s proudest moment came six years ago when he won a 6-foot trophy in Dublin, Ohio. The show featured 2,000 cars, and Bob finished in the top 10. Bob, and his wife, Diane, are avid car enthusiasts and can be found at many cruise-ins and shows on the Southside. Until next time, happy cruisin’!

The Plymouth Road Runner is a midsize car built by Chrysler from 1968-80. Plymouth developed the car to market a lower priced, basic trim model muscle car to its upscale GTX models. Plymouth licensed the Road Runner name, likeness and “beep, beep” sound from the popular Warner Bros. cartoons to use on its cars. In 1971 Steve McGeary, a high schooler at the time, was cruising in Southern California in a Road Runner. The newer, more rounded body style was known as the fuselage design and was quickly gaining popularity among Mopar fans.

The 300-horsepower, 383-cubic-inch engine with a three-speed automatic transmission with a 3:23 rear was a popular combination for a muscle car of that era.

Over the winter Steve began searching for his dream car on Craig’s List and Cars on Line. He located a beautiful B-5 blue Road Runner in Milwaukee that passed inspections as a solid car with lots of love and pampering in its past. After some serious negotiations he was off to bring home a car that would stir the memories of early days in his youth and renew his love affair with the Road Runner.

After 1971 the horsepower of these cars was continuously rising, as well as the insurance premiums. These factors began to slow down sales and soon the gas shortage of the mid-1970s seriously impacted the muscle car markets for years to come.

This Road Runner was listed at just over $4,200 when new. Today, a good one in show condition would be fairly priced at $30,000. Steve shows his car at cruise-ins and car shows around town. Until next time, happy cruisin’!