Superbird Tribute: 1970 Plymouth Satellite

While a clone is typically considered an automobile that replicates an actual model as closely as possible, a tribute has looser reigns and leaves more room for taking liberties and adding personal touches, allowing a builder to turn a car into whatever he or she envisions without needing to follow a specific pattern.  This 1970 Plymouth Satellite would fall into the latter category, as it has received components that certainly emulate a Superbird, yet it’s detailed differently from how one would have appeared when new back in ’70.  This custom Mopar is in Kelowna, BC, Canada, and can be spotted here on eBay, where the seller has listed it at $85,000.

The Plymouth Satellite and Road Runner from this era are both B-Bodies, and while very similar in appearance, the original Superbird was actually based on the Road Runner.  However, the visionary here incorporated the correct taillight assemblies, which is one of the more noticeable differences between the two cars.  It’s noteworthy that the donor Satellite sounds like a solid example to start with, with most of the non-add-ons reportedly being the original panels.  The exterior is said to have been taken down to the bare metal, then coated with a Hot Rod Black finish, definitely not one of the seven colors available on the Plymouth wing car in 1970.  All original Superbirds were also equipped with a vinyl roof, which has been left off here, but the rear window appears correctly shaped.

Probably the most significant difference between this car and the real thing lies under the hood, as the bay here houses a 318 engine.  The Superbird came standard with a 440 cubic-inch V8 known as the Super Commando, and it produced a satisfying 375 horsepower in bone-stock form.  Next up was the 440 with three 2-barrel carbs on top, followed by the legendary 426 Hemi, topped with a pair of 4-barrels.  The small block here is said to have been recently refreshed, and a custom side-exit exhaust system has also been installed, which is more of a tribute to the styling of a 1970 Plymouth AAR ‘Cuda.

Another difference between the Satellite and Road Runner is the driver’s view of the dashboard, as the Road Runner featured individual round instruments while the Satellite used a horizontal speedometer with the other gauges arranged around it.  Finding a column-shifted automatic transmission like this one is common for a Superbird, and many were also equipped with a front bench seat, so the buckets are a nice sporty touch.  This 1970 Plymouth Satellite is certainly different in many ways from some of the other Superbird tributes we’ve seen in the past, and while I can easily appreciate all the thought and hard work that’s been done here, the $85k cost may be a bit steep for some would-be potential buyers.  What are your thoughts on this one?