The Plymouth Road Runner was a game-changer when it debuted in 1968. It was a stylish platform that buyers could option with any Chrysler V8 engine at an affordable cost for the then-young Baby Boomer generation. By 1969, a student working part-time could walk into their local Plymouth dealership and order a brand new Road Runner with a base “taxi cab” interior and a powerful 383, 440, or earth rattling 426ci Hemi V8 under the hood. This spirit of low-end torque rebellion inspired Kevin Hart’s latest custom car, a 1969 Plymouth Road Runner with a killer vibe.
It’s no secret that Kevin Hart likes muscle cars, and like most enthusiasts, he cannot help but modify his cars to his taste. Hart’s vision of a sinister Road Runner came to life thanks to custom car-builder Dave Salvaggio. The two have worked together on other vehicle projects in the past. Hart’s goal for this car was to create a tribute to the raw, unregulated power of late 1960s muscle cars with today’s modern creature comforts. Technically, this 1969 Plymouth Road Runner is a resto-mod, but with so much detail going into its design, one could make the case to call it a modern kustom.
Salvaggio used 3D scanning to create a model of the vehicle before designing a custom frame using CAD software. The finished frame was completed by Salvaggio’s team and is said to have been so successful that it will become available for all Chrysler B-body platforms. Kevin Hart’s 1969 Plymouth Road Runner underneath had so much custom work that the only original sheet metal left on the car are its roof, doors, and fenders. Horror movies inspire the color pallet of the vehicle. It wears a rich shade of high-gloss black paint with subtle hints of Hemi-orange pearl throughout the car.
What makes this Mopar worthy of being compared to a Hollywood slasher film is the killer under its hood. It is powered by a seven-liter 426 ci HEMI that’s been modified and supercharged to send 940-hp to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. Sophisticated suspension and Brembo disc brakes help keep the Road Runner’s power in check. The interior is Italian leather, with custom details like a billet steering wheel and slasher movie knife-shaped gear shifter. Kevin Hart and Dave Salvaggio have created a monster Mopar with the power to jump scare you into an adrenaline rush.
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