Any pics of the "Load Runner" Wagon?

[Greg55_99]

I vaguely remember those models from back in the day. Any pics or details?

Greg

 

[droptop]

Limited info and one pic here.

1980 Plymouth Volare Dealer Sales Brochure

 

[David Clark]

Damn that's one SHARP Looking Wagon. Wish I could find a F body Wagon.

 

[Justwondering]

David !

Damn that's one SHARP Looking Wagon. Wish I could find a F body Wagon.

David!
You survived the surgery!
Yea!

 

[lowbudget]

I've got all the flairs, air dam, steering column, bucket seats and console to turn my 78 Aspen wagon into a Sport Wagon. I have the pedals but decided to go automatic. It is already a factory 318 4 bbl. car. Now all I need is the time......

 

[David Clark]

David !


David!
You survived the surgery!
Yea!

Yeah, made an Update on my When it Rains it Pours Thread LOL

 

[old yellow 78]

I thought I had more pics of this very sad Load Runner, but this was the only one I could find. I think it was an EB car quite some time ago.

 

[lowbudget]

I think that is the wagon that I got my flairs from. I sent them to Phil so he could make a mold to do them in fiberglass and he sent me a new set of fiberglass ones back with my originals. here's some pictures of a clean one that sold,,,,for a bargain price. 1979 Dodge Aspen Sport Wagon

 

[Rattle Trap]

There's a note on that Aspen ad that it may have been a scam? I'd really expect such a rare wagon would be listed at twice the price in that condition. I have a quarter of that into the 79 Volare Sport Wagon I got recently. Very solid one owner until very recently SC car. Speaking to others more knowledgeable than myself, it seems nobody has seen one actually coded with A47. However the chin spoiler, side flares, and stripes, are coded on the fender tags to tell if it's a Sport Wagon.

 

[old yellow 78]

There's a note on that Aspen ad that it may have been a scam? I'd really expect such a rare wagon would be listed at twice the price in that condition. I have a quarter of that into the 79 Volare Sport Wagon I got recently. Very solid one owner until very recently SC car. Speaking to others more knowledgeable than myself, it seems nobody has seen one actually coded with A47. However the chin spoiler, side flares, and stripes, are coded on the fender tags to tell if it's a Sport Wagon.

View attachment 19008

Wow! What a great find!

 

[Greg55_99]

Weren't the Sport Wagon and Load Runner two separate models?

 

[Rattle Trap]

Sport Wagon was the brouchure name. Load Runner was what people called them. But in the parts book they're Youth Utility Suburbans.

 

[Greg55_99]

So there was no official "Load Runner" model name from the factory?

 

[droptop]

From what I can tell by the factory sales brochures listed above, the f body wagon was available as a sport wagon in 79 and 80 on both the Aspen and Volare wagons. No mention of "Load Runner".

 

[Greg55_99]

Here's the thing. Just to be sure my memory was not failing, I remember an article in a magazine about a Volare "Load Runner" back in the day. A little internet searching came up with the mag. Motor Trend Feb 1978:

Says it clearly on the cover "Volare Load Runner". That's why I thought it was a factory model. I don't have the mag so I can't be sure about what they tested.

 

[kmccabe56]

Here's the thing. Just to be sure my memory was not failing, I remember an article in a magazine about a Volare "Load Runner" back in the day. A little internet searching came up with the mag. Motor Trend Feb 1978:

Says it clearly on the cover "Volare Load Runner". That's why I thought it was a factory model. I don't have the mag so I can't be sure about what they tested.

I agree with droptop. "Load Runner" was Motor Trend's name for a Sport Wagon. No idea why they needed to come up with their own name.

Sportwagons are very difficult to identify from the fender tag. I am relatively certain that "A47" was not stamped into the tag. What does seem to be unique to a Sportwagon is the interior trim code.

I corresponded quite a bit with a seller of the white car lowbudget refers to. It was a really nice car. It was sold new in Oklahoma and I think it ended up somewhere in New England.

A47 was essentially a cosmetic package for wagons. It included the front spoiler, wheel flares, tape stripes on the sides and liftgate of the car as well as front bucket seats and styled stamped steel wheels with Goodyear Eagle tires . In 1979 tt was only available in four colours. Vintage Red, Black, White and Tan. Any other option except for paint colour or interior trim was available. The cast aluminum wheels were available as an option and the cast surfaces of the spokes were finished in gold. I've heard of Sportwagons with every available engine from a /6 to an E58. I'm not aware of any breakdown of options on Sportwagons, just the cars themselves.

 

[Carmine]

Just reading through some posts on this site and thought I'd add something...

In 1996, I had occasion to spend some time with John Herlitz at Chrysler design studios. He was a very nice guy, and probably best known for the '70 Cuda and '71 Road Runner.

Our conversation turned to the '68 Road Runner, which you might know was met with much skepticism for higher levels of management. However, the car was very successful and you can see how much the line was expanded for '69.

In fact, Herlitz said that like any good idea, everybody now wanted on board to the point of wanting a Road Runner version of "everything". The idea which made it the furthest was a sport-wagon, which would have been called Load Runner. Ultimately the younger guys convinced management they would kill the golden goose with 4dr and wagon versions, so they never got any further than a few sketches.

But one must wonder if Chrysler's PR people didn't drop the story into the ears of the Motor Trend editors when they reviewed the car.

 

[droptop]

.......The idea which made it the furthest was a sport-wagon, which would have been called Load Runner. Ultimately the younger guys convinced management they would kill the golden goose with 4dr and wagon versions, so they never got any further than a few sketches.

Sure is a shame that a few of these guys aren't still around Chrysler now. Maybe they could convince upper management to weld a couple of doors shut on the modern day Charger.