'Big Block Chrysler Sounds So Good:' Man Drives A Muscle Car As His Daily. Why Does He Say Older Cars Are More Reliable?

• Chrysler

A man’s short video of his rumbling Plymouth Road Runner has sparked a debate about whether vintage muscle cars can truly serve as reliable daily drivers in 2025.

TikTok user @Meepmeepmopar posted an 8-second clip showcasing his 1969 Plymouth Road Runner idling in a parking lot, with text overlay reading “POV: Your muscle car actually becomes a reliable daily.” The video, featuring the distinctive growl of what he reveals in the comments to be a “440 stroked to 500 CI” engine, has resonated with classic car enthusiasts who believe older vehicles offer superior reliability compared to modern cars.

The Plymouth Road Runner, manufactured between 1968 and 1980, was designed as an affordable muscle car that delivered serious performance. @Meepmeepmopar’s example packs a punch with its big block Chrysler engine stroked to 500 cubic inches, producing approximately 560 horsepower according to his comments.

“I’ve been too terrified to calculate, my guess is anywhere from 8-11 mpg lmaooo,” @Meepmeepmopar admits when asked about fuel economy, highlighting one of the practical challenges of driving a vintage muscle car daily.

The Reliability Debate

The notion that older cars are more dependable than modern vehicles is a contentious topic among automotive experts. While @Meepmeepmopar’s video suggests his Road Runner serves as a trustworthy daily driver, industry professionals, collectors, and enthusiasts paint a more nuanced picture.

Rob Siegel, writing in a January “The Hack Mechanic” column for vintage car sales website Hagerty, warns that prospective vintage car owners “need to either have a decent level of do-it-yourself mechanical skill, or expect to be writing checks to a specialty repair shop.” Siegel, who has owned “a hundred cars, including 70 BMWs,” cautions that “at some point the car is likely to break at an inconvenient time and location.”

According to Siegel, “If you’re not willing to deal with those realities, you perhaps shouldn’t own and drive a vintage car further than to occasional cars and coffees.”

Hagerty has no reason to talk smack about vintage cars. But they do have an interest in setting realistic expectations for people entering the vintage car market.

Data from J.D. Power’s vehicle reliability studies, which have surveyed owners of three-year-old vehicles since 1989, supports the argument for modern car reliability. The studies measure problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), and in 2021, they found that PP100 was at an all-time low, indicating reliability was at an all-time high.

(Subsequent JD Power studies have indicated a decline in reliability after the 2021 record. However, as they wrote in the announcement of this year’s survey, it may be a temporary dip due to the pandemic, when “[s]upply chain issues, record-high vehicle prices, and personnel disruption in the wake of the pandemic were problematic.”)

HowStuffWorks.com notes that “the general consensus seems to be that modern cars don’t break down as often as older ones,” citing the advent of onboard computers as a key factor that eliminates lengthy trial-and-error repair processes.

Community Experiences Vary Wildly

The comments on @Meepmeepmopar’s video reveal dramatically different experiences with vintage daily drivers. Fellow Road Runner owner BrannonS64 shares success: “I’ve got a 69 RR as well. 512ci, 700HP and I daily drive it as well. Over a year later, it has never let me down!”

However, user C10_Daily63 tells a different story: “Mine lasts an avg of 10 days before it breaks.” He details extensive repairs since April, including “Engine, transmission, radiator, battery, starter, distributor, carburetor, brakes, steering linkage.”

The contrast highlights why some enthusiasts believe older cars are more reliable while others struggle with constant breakdowns. User Will offers perspective, “I mean on one hand what we consider toys were someone’s daily’s back in the day lol. Not crazy to think they could be daily’s again.”

One commenter, DIS GIT WANTS DAKKA!, humorously captures the difference between old and new car problems: “2015: OEM sensor bad, car no work. 60s/70s: are those holes in my block? cool, beer run it is.”

The Simplicity Factor

The perception that older cars are more reliable may stem from their mechanical simplicity rather than actual dependability. HowStuffWorks suggests that older, simpler engines are easier for ordinary people to work on, which could create the impression of better reliability when owners can quickly address issues themselves.

User derrickbunger5 echoes this sentiment: “It’s actually not that hard as long as you don’t go for a race tune.”

Another enthusiast, 593alhjtgr5, offers practical advice: “Mild performer always beats max power builds and also not beating on it all the time,” suggesting that restraint in modifications and driving style contributes to reliability.

The Bottom Line

While @Meepmeepmopar’s Road Runner may purr like a contented lion in his parking lot video, the reality of vintage daily driving remains complex, and depends on the owner’s mechanical skills, the specific vehicle’s condition, and realistic expectations about maintenance.

But as Lee Frymire comments, “Big block Chrysler sounds so good nice car,”  sometimes the emotional reward of that distinctive rumble makes the reliability question secondary for dedicated enthusiasts

Motor1 reached out to @Meepmeepmopar via TikTok comment for additional information. This story will be updated if he responds.