In the 1960s, everyone was capitalizing on the Space Race by naming cars that fit the times. For example, Ford had the Galaxie, Chevy had the Nova, and Plymouth had the Satellite, which was an upper-level, mid-size Belvedere. This 1970 Satellite has been stored in a dark and dusty building for at least 20 years and was someone’s clone attempt to create a Road Runner. Located in Waukon, Iowa, it’s merely a roller now and will have to be dug out for the trip to its new home. The Mopar project is available here on eBay where bidding has crept up to $2,718.

Another Chrysler B-body product, the Satellite nameplate was around from 1965 through 1974. Because it was the trim level Plymouth chose for the GTX performance model, it’s interesting that someone would choose to go the Road Runner route rather than a GTX. Maybe that’s because a 383 cubic inch V8 was what was available and the GTX was a 440 car. The original small-block 318 and 904 automatic were jettisoned at some point and the engine bay is empty now with a 383 sitting on a table. We’re told it will need to be rebuilt along with its companion 727 tranny.

Being inside a dry storage area has helped the car somewhat. We’re told there is the “typical Mopar rust” which means the fenders will need attention, and the rear quarter panels were poorly replaced and will need another go at it. The copper paint is peeling in a lot of spots and surface rust is apparent, too. The interior is a mess and we presume the auto is complete, but you won’t know for sure until you take an inventory of parts.

Plymouth built more than 82,000 Satellites in 1970 representing a wide range of body styles. That includes some 29,000 2-door hardtops and another 9,000 Sport Satellites, so these cars were not rare when new. Since a 383 is available, I suppose the best thing to do is refresh that set-up rather than restore this Satellite with a 318 as it had originally. Or would you source a 440 and go for a GTX clone?