The Satellite began as an upscale version of the mid-size Belvedere and would replace that nameplate after 1970. The cars were designed in 1971, and the two-door models had unique sheet metal compared to the four-door sedans and wagons. This 1974 Satellite Custom looks like a nice survivor with original paint and a Slant-Six engine under the hood where you might expect to find a V8. It’s not a fancy car; if it was another color, you might suspect it to be a recycled state patrol car. Our thanks to Tony Primo for this Mopar tip!
Third-generation Satellites (1971 to 1974) would be a wind-down for that moniker, with the Fury identify transferred to the B-bodied Plymouths in 1975. These cars wore “fuselage” styling which gave them a greater association in appearance with Chrysler’s full-size offerings. The Custom was the mid-range Satellite sandwiched between the base model and the Brougham. Sedans and wagons rode on a wheelbase that was two inches longer than the hardtops.
The seller’s car reads like Grandma’s driver which she’s gotten too old to pilot (or perhaps she’s passed on). The body and paint look good for the age with no rust and only a few little dings. The interior is fine except for the headliner, the seats having been redone a couple of years ago. So, there is no reason to do anything about the cosmetics but maybe give it a coat of wax.
The 225 cubic Inch Slant-Six engine is perhaps a bit of a lightweight in a car this size, but those motors were nearly impossible to kill. It’s paired with a TorqueFlite automatic, and we’re told the vehicle starts, drives, and stops as it should. The seller is not opposed to providing delivery for a fee if the distance isn’t too far. If you’re into Mopar family cars from this era, this Plymouth is in Ridgecrest, California, and is available with 69,000 miles for $4,000 (firm) here on craigslist.
Looks a lot like the car Clint Eastwood drove in “The Enforcer” and “Sudden Impact”
I’m pretty sure Clint drove a Ford Custom, only because I’ve seen those movies a thousand times. They do bear a resemblance though.
My Bad, you’re right, I was thinking the original Dirty Hairy Movie
The Enforcer in 1976 & Sudden Impact in 1983 with the Olds Delta 88.
Glenn Hilpert:
https://www.imcdb.org/v020399.html
The car definitely looks as if it served in a municipal fleet in a past life.
Hunter. TV cop show from the 80’s. Fred Dryer and Stephanie Kramer
These were solid and reliable cars (as long as you kept a ballast resistor in the glove box. IYKYK) I owned a ’74 with a 318/727 combo that was a hand me down from my older brother drove it over 120,000 miles. Sold it and ran across it 70 miles away from home a few years later and it was still kicking.
Quite possibly the most aesthetically challenged car ever to appear on Barn Finds. Holy $hitbox.
Compared to what? it’s friggin beautiful
It’s beautiful! I’ll take this over yet another Mustang or Camaro any day.
Detective 🕵️♂️ car from Hazard County 😃
A grandma spec classic! Blackwalls, dog dish hubcaps and all. Though I suspect the floor covering was redone at the same time as the seats, since the Custom trim included color-keyed carpeting.
In 1974, the slant six was rated at 105 hp net. In a car weighing 3600 lbs. with automatic and possibly power steering, that’s Ford Maverick-level acceleration. Also, the data book that year says the 225 wasn’t available for Satellites sold in California, so hopefully grandma drove this in from Arizona or another dry, salt-free state.
I remember seeing many of these destroyed in the TV shows in the 1980s.
Ridgecrest CA, high of 105 tomorrow, wonder if it has AC? and if it works?
I’m thinking No/No
My older old maid cousins in Canada had a ’68 Belvedere with a slant 6 and automatic which replaced their ’52 Chevy. The Belvedere had whitewalls, full wheel covers and a radio. For some reason I have yet to understand, I really liked that car and would love to find a similar one. Yes, this Satelite is 6 years newer, but it’s a nice old car at a reasonable price. My cousins drove their ’68 until 1981 when one of the rear springs broke through into the trunk due to rust.
The car I learned to drive in, and the car I first drove on a date was a 67 Belvedere II 4 door. Nice basic car with lots of room and lots of glass. Would love to find one in nice condition
That’s a great car. If you’re a retired nun.
Back when the manufacturers still actually built “Plain Jane”, for those of us that like it that way. Love the dog dishes.
Bingo! It must be tough for folks today to look at a car like this and wonder, but there was a huge market for simple, basic cars for the menial tasks Americans needed to do. Most were crosstown duties and 4 doors came in mighty handy. Some of these made it into law enforcement, I believe Adam-12 used some in the final seasons( 1975) but most equipped like this were always the “2nd car”, and sold over 46,000 cars that year, none were ever saved. A great find, in that, it’s user friendly right off the bat, and won’t be around long.
It’s gone already. Hope whoever got it doesn’t modify it!
Another trip down memory lane. My dad bought a used 1969 Belvedere station wagon in 1973. As HOA mentioned it was a “second car”. It had the slant six, automatic transmission, and a am radio, no other options. I hated that car. Dad traded in a 1967 Chrysler New Yorker 4 door hardtop with the 440-4 barrel, very nicely equipped. It didn’t have cruise control but not sure it was an option in 1967. I was a junior in college when we owned the New Yorker. The Belvedere was bought on December 1st, 1973. I was in a near head on on December 21st, put my sister and cousin in the hospital, I had my seat belt on and walked away. In Iowa you were issued a paper plate that was good for 21 days, by then most times you would have a regular plate. Totaled the car before dad had put the regular plate on. I believe that if the car had power I could have avoided the accident.
They call her Jane with no last name… Man, this car is beautiful. I’m glad that I grew up in a time and place where I can appreciate this car today. My SIL had a ’75 Fury 2dr with a six/auto, PS and am radio. Slow as a hot summer day but got over 20 mpg. Even the same color. This would be an easy entry to have an interesting old car.
What? Not a single LS swap comment? These (in a different colour and with vinyl seats) were a common car I drove in my years as a cab driver working my way through college. They were retired city fleet vehicles. I assume managers got the Satellite while lower peons got Coronets. Nobody (which also meant end users) got A/C. While they also had retired cop cars (again no A/C) I always went for the 6 bangers. Those big 400’s would suck back a lot of the fare money.
There’s a reasonable amount of reliable horsepower that can be gotten from the “leaning tower of power” that along with more transmission than the engine will ever need
I was a cab driver in 1974 in Mt Prospect, IL. They had a fleet of (IIRC) 1973 4dr Satellites. 6cyl, auto, no cruise, no A/C, no am or fm. Roll down windows. My car was #47. I had a scheduled delivery, once a week, to Michigan City, IN. I wanted to check the gas mileage on one of the trips (about 200mi R/T) so I took it easy on the mostly highway drive both ways. On my return, I came up with 27mpg. I asked the company mechanic how/why it got such great mpg’s. He said, “we put 3 gas filters on each car, keep them tuned and change oil every 3k.
I tried that on my 67 mustang 6cyl and saw a minor increase in mpg’s. Always wondered if more gas filters helped get that great mileage.
Great car from a bygone era of common sense and practicality. I’d love to have one just like it today. Alas, East coast rust ate them all years ago in my area. I hope this one is cherished as-is, not repowered and (in my opinion) ruined. You can’t beat a 6 for smoothness (by nature, perfectly balanced.) Ditto on the ballast resistor; at least it wasn’t a Lean-Burn computer that similarly had to be carried along as an onboard spare!
I bought this car. It joins a 72 Charger SE, 72 Satellite 2dr, and 79 Chrysler 300 in my Malaise era B-body fleet.
This one’s replacing a 77 Volare as my daily.