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Lost 1974 Road Runner - Big Long Shot

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8:20 AM
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Aug 8, 2017
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Location
Portland, OR
Hey Everyone,

This is a huge long shot but I thought I would give it a try. Here's the story;

In July 1976 my uncle was killed in a work related incident. My parents purchased his 1974 Road Runner from my grandpa. Just a couple months later, on October 10, 1976, I was born. When we were released from the hospital my very first car ride was in this 1974 Road Runner. Fast forward 41 years and I would really like to find that car.

Since that time I have been absolutely obsessed with cars. I have owned 56 cars since I started to buy them in high school so I would love to find the first car I ever rode in.

About the car, it is was a 318 3-sp manual from the factory in Silver Frost paint with red stripes and black interior. It was a black bench seat so of course no console. It had 15" moon chrome wheels on it and the stripes weren't on the roof. In about 1978 or so the paint started cracking on the roof. My dad removed the stripes off the roof and repainted that section. The paint had more issues to he had to repaint the roof a few times before sanding it down and finding the reason in the way the roof was put on at the factory and bondo'd in place. Anyway, the stripe over the roof was never reinstalled so when it went to the new owner it would have only had the side stripe going up the C pillar and then stopping but not extending over the top.

After about 10 years my mom sold the car to her brother and it went down hill from there. I remember the trunk missing the lock etc. It would have been sold to someone locally in the southwest WA/Portland, OR area in about 1986.

I know I have some more images of the car but I will have to look some more. These aren't the best but with the manual transmission and stripes missing from the roof, maybe someone will remember seeing it. Any help would be appreciated but I am not holding my breath. Thanks.

Road Runner 1.jpg Road Runner 2.jpg
 
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welcome from sunny california , hope you get it back . but if not i'm sure there is another one that can do for you .
 
welcome from sunny california , hope you get it back . but if not i'm sure there is another one that can do for you .

Thank you. I have had just about every muscle car along the way from a '70 Roadrunner to Chevelles, Corvettes and Camaros. Right now I have a Viper and pretty content so if I don't find this one I will wait her build a replica or chalk it up to the one that got away.
 
Long shot for sure and here is another one.. If it was insured at some point and you know the insurance agency, or can find it out, they might (should) still have record of the policy in their files and be able to locate a vin for you! Seen it happen before.. Good luck..
 
Long shot for sure and here is another one.. If it was insured at some point and you know the insurance agency, or can find it out, they might (should) still have record of the policy in their files and be able to locate a vin for you! Seen it happen before.. Good luck..

Interesting idea. I will have to ask around. A VIN would definitely help the search a lot.
 
Long shot for sure and here is another one.. If it was insured at some point and you know the insurance agency, or can find it out, they might (should) still have record of the policy in their files and be able to locate a vin for you! Seen it happen before.. Good luck..

I talked to my agent at State Farm which if I remember right was the same company that the Roadrunner was with in the '80's, not the same agent of course. He said there is nothing he could do ant all because of privacy issues.
 
74 - you're right. if the car was owned by someone else then more than likely the privacy act would be involved. But if owned by the same family, then maybe.. Like I said long shot too!

I did it with my old charger that my dad registered and insured when I was in school. Same local agency and family, they were able to look it up and find it and give to me even though he had passed away. I was lucky!
 
74 - you're right. if the car was owned by someone else then more than likely the privacy act would be involved. But if owned by the same family, then maybe.. Like I said long shot too!

I did it with my old charger that my dad registered and insured when I was in school. Same local agency and family, they were able to look it up and find it and give to me even though he had passed away. I was lucky!

That's cool, I understand the privacy thing but all I want is the VIN, contact or ownership info isn't required. I just hope that word gets out and to the right person.
 
That does suck! Maybe a little more research to see if you can find the same agent, if even possible. May not be!

But if the person that insured the car at some point was around, there would not be any privacy issues. If they claimed there was, then I think they just don't want to dig and you might be S.O.L!

Keep thinking and digging!
 
That does suck! Maybe a little more research to see if you can find the same agent, if even possible. May not be!

But if the person that insured the car at some point was around, there would not be any privacy issues. If they claimed there was, then I think they just don't want to dig and you might be S.O.L!

Keep thinking and digging!

Thanks. I know the plate number and even have them since they were custom plates but that doesn't help because after 5 years or so WA dumps the data so unless the car is still licensed with the same plate currently they don't have any info either. That Papa John guy found his Camaro so it isn't impossible!
 
Keep digging! Good luck!
 
If your family owned the car, then you should be able to get the documents from the insurance company. It was legally owned by your family so there should be no privacy issue. It's historical fact.
 
That is deff a long shot but it was a Manuel so there's a plus . More then likely it's now a 4 speed car I have seen people go auto with a stick but a 4 speed swap would be more white I would think happened I wish you luck it won't be easy to find but you never know it might be in your uncle's neighborhood in a back yard somewhere
 
That is deff a long shot but it was a Manuel so there's a plus . More then likely it's now a 4 speed car I have seen people go auto with a stick but a 4 speed swap would be more white I would think happened I wish you luck it won't be easy to find but you never know it might be in your uncle's neighborhood in a back yard somewhere

Thank you. My whole family still lives in the same area and being a 318 car I doubt it would have made it very far. No one is going to spend thousands to ship the car cross-country if they are moving or something, they would just sell it locally. If it was a 440 or Hemi Cuda it could be anywhere in the world but a 318 '74 probably is fairly close to home.
 
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