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Compact performance

1976 Plymouth Volare Road Runner

Compact performance powered by 1976 Volare Road Runner 318/360 LA V8 range.

1976 Plymouth Volare Road Runner wearing optional Super Pak-style spoilers and rear-quarter louvers
Package A57 Road Runner package on the Volare two-door coupe
Engines 318 two-barrel V8 standard; 360 two-barrel V8 optional outside California
Transmissions Three-speed, four-speed, overdrive four-speed, or TorqueFlite by engine
Production 8,769 Road Runners reported for 1976
Chassis Transverse torsion bars, rear leaf springs, front discs, and optional Sure-Grip

Story

1976 Plymouth Volare Road Runner

For 1976, Road Runner became an A57 package on Plymouth's new two-door Volare coupe. The 318 two-barrel V8 was the standard path, while a non-California 360 two-barrel with TorqueFlite was optional. Manual, conventional four-speed, overdrive four-speed, and automatic choices belong as configurations on this single model-year page rather than separate car pages.

The factory record also documents the F-body chassis beneath the graphics: transverse torsion bars and a front sway bar in an isolated front structure, asymmetric rear leaf springs, front disc brakes, rear drums, axle ratios tied to engine and transmission, and optional Sure-Grip. K6 multicolor tape stripes and D6 bucket seats were A57-only choices. The optional $299.50 Super Pak added spoilers, wheel-opening flares, rear-quarter louvers, racing mirrors, and additional striping; those pieces were not universal Road Runner equipment.

Appearance alone cannot authenticate a 1976 Road Runner. Start with the VIN and body-code plate, then reconcile A57, engine and transmission codes, order or build records, paint and trim codes, axle evidence, component identifiers, protected finishes, and ownership history. Reproduction graphics, added Super Pak pieces, bucket seats, wheels, or a replacement 360 remain clues, not proof.

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Market Observations

  • Auction sale $22,000

    Jan 15, 2025 · Mecum Kissimmee via CLASSIC.COM

    Third reviewed sale of exact 360 automatic Road Runner VIN HL29K6B412907. · original unrestored · unknown Repeat transaction for the same car, retained as price history rather than breadth.
  • Auction sale $29,000

    May 16, 2024 · Mecum Indy via CLASSIC.COM

    Repeat sale of exact 360 automatic Road Runner VIN HL29K6B412907. · original unrestored · unknown Repeat transaction for the same car, retained as price history rather than breadth.
  • Auction sale $25,000

    Apr 5, 2024 · Mecum Houston via CLASSIC.COM

    Exact 360 automatic Road Runner, VIN HL29K6B412907, represented as original/highly original with 29,800 miles. · original unrestored · unknown First of three reviewed sales of the same car; not an independent market sample.

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

  • G-code 318 two-barrel LA V8 150 SAE net hp at 4,000 rpm and 255 lb-ft at 1,600 rpm · Standard Road Runner V8 path; California ratings and emissions equipment must follow the individual car record · engine assembly / specification
  • K-code 360 two-barrel LA V8 170 SAE net hp and 280 lb-ft; unavailable in California · Optional Road Runner power with TorqueFlite; VIN, body plate, and build record control an individual car · engine assembly / specification
  • Factory two-barrel carburetion 318 2-V and 360 2-V · A later four-barrel intake or carburetor is a modification and does not establish the born-with engine · carburetor / specification
  • Carter BBD 318 applications 8069S non-California automatic; 8070S early California automatic; 8071S non-California manual; 8099S automatic excluding wagons; 8109S late California automatic · 1976 Volare H-series 318 among the listed applications; verify transmission, body, jurisdiction, emissions equipment, running date, and installed unit · carburetor / carburetor list

Transmission

  • Factory transmission Three-speed manual for the 318 path
  • Factory transmission Conventional four-speed manual for the 318 path
  • Factory transmission A833 overdrive four-speed for the 318 path
  • Factory transmission TorqueFlite three-speed automatic for the 318 and required with the 360 path

Options

POWERTRAIN reference for the 1976 Plymouth Volare Road RunnerClassic Muscle · Reference illustration
  • A57 Road Runner Decor Package required · performance · Defines the Road Runner path on the Volare two-door coupe; factory records and heavy-duty chassis/appearance equipment must be reconciled per car.
  • K6 Road Runner multicolor side tape stripe optional · appearance · A57-only blue/light-blue/black, green/light-green/black, or orange/yellow/black stripe combinations selected against compatible exterior colors.
  • Super Pak Road Runner Super Pak optional · appearance · Period advertisement lists front and rear spoilers, wheel-opening flares, louvered rear-quarter windows, dual chrome racing mirrors, and body-side/deck-lid stripes.
  • D6 All-vinyl bucket seats optional · interior · Factory selector restricts this bucket-seat path to the Volare two-door with A57.

Paint

Authenticity

REAR AXLE reference for the 1976 Plymouth Volare Road RunnerClassic Muscle · Reference illustration
  • A57 Road Runner identity A 1976 Volare body-29 coupe documented with the A57 Road Runner package. · VIN, body code plate, sales order or broadcast/build record, original paperwork, and ownership history. · fraud detection
  • Engine and transmission path G-code 318 with its documented manual/overdrive/automatic path or K-code 360 two-barrel with TorqueFlite, supported by the complete car record. · VIN engine character, body plate codes, build record, engine and transmission identifiers and dates, and service history. · numbers matching
  • Axle, brakes, and suspension Ratio, Sure-Grip status, front discs, rear drums, and heavy-duty suspension agree with the order record and date-compatible assemblies. · Body plate and build record, axle tag and housing, brake hardware, springs, torsion bars, and restoration records. · numbers matching
  • Paint, stripe, Super Pak, and interior Body-plate paint and trim codes agree with the factory selector, compatible K6 stripe, optional Super Pak documentation, and bench or A57-only D6 bucket seating. · Body code plate, sales and build records, protected original paint, stripe remnants, upholstery construction, trim codes, and period photographs. · trim correctness

Still Researching

  • engine Factory records establish the 318 and optional non-California 360 two-barrel paths, but a complete dated A57-specific casting, carburetor, emissions, and ancillary-component matrix was not recovered.
  • production The 8,769 Road Runner total comes from a specialist compilation and no factory A57 report or engine, transmission, paint, and Super Pak breakdown was recovered.

Codes & names

Names & Engine Codes

Common names and codes are grouped so LS6 references point to the same engine, not separate pages.

SUSPENSION reference for the 1976 Plymouth Volare Road RunnerClassic Muscle · Reference illustration
A57 Volare Road Runner 1976 Volare Road Runner 318/360 LA V8 range
1976 Volare Road Runner 318 1976 Volare Road Runner 318/360 LA V8 range
1976 Volare Road Runner 360 1976 Volare Road Runner 318/360 LA V8 range
Volare A57 G-code 318 1976 Volare Road Runner 318/360 LA V8 range
Volare A57 K-code 360 1976 Volare Road Runner 318/360 LA V8 range

Photo and video gallery

Gallery

7 photos and videos

Sources & Documentation

Reader contributions

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