Читать книгу 1970 Plymouth Road Runner - Scott Ross - Страница 7

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For this, my second book for CarTech, my deepest thanks, once again, are due to my editor at CarTech, Paul Johnson. Just as with the book on E-Body Mopars, The Definitive Barracuda & Challenger Guide: 1970–1974, which was published in 2016, Paul’s editing skills and encouragement while this book was being prepared were invaluable. Kudos are also due to the CarTech staff who turned the collection of sentences and the images supplied with them into the eye-catching book you’re now reading.

A huge “Thank You!” to Henry Liebman, of Hollywood, Florida, whose Burnt Orange Metallic convertible is featured in these pages, as well as to Henry’s friend Gary Montoya, whose In Violet 1970 Plymouth GTX was photographed at the same time.

Huge thanks also go to David Newhardt, who so graciously opened his archive and shared many wide-view and fine-detail shots of 1970 Road Runners, adding depth and style to the book’s account of the third-year Bird.

Another source for images for these fine Plymouths was (where else?) Plymouth, Michigan. Vanguard Motor Sales not only has had many fine examples of the 1970 Road Runner in its inventory over the years, it also photographed them in exacting detail, including underbody details such as torque boxes, disc/drum brakes, and Hemi suspension details.

Appreciation for the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner isn’t limited to the full-size car and its owners and restorers. Those of us too young to drive back then eagerly awaited Jo-Han Models’ 1/25-scale kit and remember the thrill of seeing that wildly-illustrated kit box on our local hobby shop shelves. That interest and excitement remains in the scale-model-car hobby to this day, and I thank Claes Ericsson (from Bagarmossen, Sweden), Ken Schmidt (from Huntington, New York), and Kevin Wallenhorst (from North Royalton, Ohio) for sharing their images of the original Jo-Han kit. Special kudos to Tom Carter of Spotlight Hobbies in Grand Rapids, Michigan; through the message board, I contacted those three gentlemen.

In addition, my thanks to those 2015 Fall and 2016 Spring Daytona Turkey Run participants who brought their third-year Birds to those infield-filling events at the Daytona International Speedway, where I was able to capture fine-detail images.

For the cover car and some other rare and distinctive 1970 Road Runners, my deepest thanks go to Christine Giovingo at Mecum Auctions, as well as to Dana Mecum.

Reproduction-parts images were graciously supplied by these aftermarket sources, who are also due a big thank you: YearOne (Pat Staton), Auto Custom Carpets (Julie Tyson), and Auto Metal Direct (Aaron Hopkins).

Major thanks are due to all those at Chrysler Corporation who planned, styled, engineered, and built the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner at these Chrysler assembly plants: Lynch Road Assembly (Detroit, Michigan), Newark (Delaware) Assembly, St. Louis (Missouri) Assembly, and Los Angeles (California) Assembly. Thanks also to those who promoted and sold the Road Runner within Chrysler and its Chrysler-Plymouth Division, as well as to the Chrysler-Plymouth dealers across the United States who sold and serviced them way back when.

Plus a big shout-out to FCA Automobiles’ historic-services crew, who graciously let me use historic Plymouth images, including the 1970 Plymouth Rapid Transit System brochure.

My biggest thanks go to you readers who’ve wanted a convenient source of information about the third-year Bird for your home reference libraries or to give to a friend or relative to grace their collections.

A personal note: During the writing of this manuscript, my mother, Patricia Kindig Ross, passed away before she had a chance to read it and offer her editorial critique. An English teacher by training and the wife of a Chrysler materials researcher (my father, Stuart T. Ross) at the time of my birth, her inspiration and support will never be forgotten. Thanks, Mom!

And, once again . . . thank you, readers!