When this car was new, there were probably few on the dealer’s lot like it. A 1973 Plymouth Satellite 2-door hardtop with gold paint and a white vinyl top – but with a Slant-Six engine and a “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission! Probably not a car a buyer today would restore (also lots of rust), but if you have a Mopar big block looking for a place to call home, maybe. Located in Olathe, Kansas, this running project can be had for no more than $3,000 here on craigslist. Kudos go to “Zappenduster” for another unusual tip!
The Satellite was Plymouth’s mid-size car from 1965 to 1974, starting out as an extension of the Belvedere. When the cars were redesigned in 1971, the Belvedere name was retired, and the hardtop coupes oddly received different sheet metal than the sedans and wagons. Nearly 200,000 Satellites were produced in 1973, with only 13,570 coupes like the seller’s automobile. We bet the lion’s share was built with some form of a V8 using an automatic tranny so that this car may have been something of a unicorn back in the day.
Years ago, someone decided to ditch the gold paint and vinyl roof and go with all red instead. The blue trunk lid suggests it later rusted and was replaced, leaving a rotted trunk floor to soldier on. Some of the corroded sheet metal has been poorly patched, while much of the rest awaits attention. The interior seems mostly okay.
Despite its appearance woes at 31,840 miles (or add 100,000 to that), the venerable Chrysler 225 cubic-inch six-banger is said to run great. The drivetrain needs some “tinkering,” as we’re told, but it should drive onto a trailer with ease. The tires aren’t that old and may have good life left on their Magnum wheels. If you don’t want to go the restomod route, perhaps it’s a good parts car for the money.
As much as I like a nice little slant six, way too much car for the engine. Very weird way to order a car. I assume a special order for an elderly man?
The 1960-1973 full size Plymouth Furys were also available with the
225 slant 6! Not sure about station wagons tho.
Yep. My family had a light blue station wagon with a slant six in 1973. It also had an automatic transmission and A/C that never worked right.
More of a parts car than a project. The slant 6 and three speed column shift aren’t selling points. Since it’s complete at some lower price point, it might make some sense for someone who’s looking for interior parts or clutch pedals and other miscellaneous parts for their ongoing restoration..
Steve R
If you look through vintage newspaper ads from the 1970s, it’s not unusual to see a few dealers selling low spec versions of mid-level models like this. The market niche probably being budget buyers who wanted nice trim. But redoing it in that color with those wheels on a slant six model? Kind of an anti-sleeper.
That trunk floor is the stuff of nightmares.
My guess is that it was one of those cars a dealer got stuck with. I don’t think anybody that would order a car with a slant six, 3-on-the-tree, no P.S or P.B. would spring for a vinyl top. Just a unicorn that a dealer would have to discount it, to get rid of it. Personally I was never a fan of vinyl roofs. Besides being rust catchers I think they detract from the line of the car. I don’t know who started it (G.M. maybe) but 20 bucks worth of vinyl got to be 200 bucks on the order sheet. Not a bad profit for something that does nothing.
No one likes vinyl roofs anymore, but the majority of cars came with them back then, so they did have their day of popularity.
Even my ’73 Barracuda had one.
super rare for sure, but maybe someone actually wanted it. When I was in drivers ed nearly 50 years ago, the instructor had two cars, a 76 Volare 4 door with an auto, and a 76 Aspen 4 door with a three on the tree. he got it because he said everyone needs to know how to drive stick- Now thats about a thing of the past
the fuel tank has easy access from the top….
I have a screen door that my dog ran through last month . . . kinda looks just like that.
At first glance this looks very interesting but with the rust and to some degree the slant six, it just doesn’t seem worth the money.
And what’s with the ads that cover the reply box when you’re typing a reply? Ughhhh….
I have had several slant sixs and have a soft spot in my head fir them. But for me, bulging fenders screaming to be filled with fat tires and wheels. (I love this body style for this reason) And a slant six is like waiting for the fat lady to sing. The music sounds great, but the visual impact kills the ending.
Loss leader. Dealership gets someone in with low/no cash and offers a test drive. It’s disappointing to say the least. Then offer a notch or two up for another test drive. Buyers often opt for the higher priced car. Eventually loss leader is sold below sticker but dealer gets a mfr bonus for moving a low option car. Not sure it worked like that in all dealerships but it did at Bast Chevy in NY back in the 70’s.
Honestly not doing that when trying to find a vehicle for a customer. It did work out that way at times. And then you have repeat customers, where you take them to the vehicle you know is right for them and they say ok, it’s the right color. Write it up. No test drive because they trust you.
With the 3 on the tree factory anti theft device, this is one that you can park in the South Bronx, leave it overnight, and come back to find it in exaxtly the same spot the next morning.
I didn’t say that it wouldn’t be on cinderblocks.
Chrysler made a few odd-ball editions along this line years back. Around our small town, one of older guys I hung out with occasionally, his mom had a white with red interior ’68 or maybe a ’69 Charger with a slant 6 and three speed on the column.
The slant 225 is a great engine. I had one in a 1967 Dodge truck it had 325k miles on it. The reluctor on the distributor wore smooth and made the points float. I installed a new reluctor and it worked it for years then sold it to a friend.