There seem to be quite a few Plymouth B-Bodies running around that have either been cloned into a Superbird or turned into a tribute, and at this point, I’m wondering if the number may have now passed that of the 1,935 or so that are thought to have originally been produced by Plymouth and Creative Industries all those decades ago. Some of these builds have turned out better than others, with this 1970 Plymouth Satellite here on Auto Trader in Toronto, Canada, appearing to be a very respectable effort. It also costs less than the real thing, and the seller hopes you’ll see $79,900 worth of value here. Jack M., thanks for finding this cool winged Mopar and sending us the tip!
This one is reported to have begun life as a 1970 Satellite, but beyond that tidbit, we don’t get much more information about the car’s past. Not that it particularly matters anymore, as there’s little left that would indicate this was ever anything but a bona fide Superbird. However, those with a keen eye will notice a few inaccuracies, including the front fenders not being the proper modified Coronet components, and the absence of steel A-Pillar caps on each side of the windshield. That’s the advantage of a tribute over a clone, as a visionary has the choice of taking a few liberties here and there. One thing that is true to the original form is the fit of the nose cone, as it’s not lined up perfectly, but many of the originals weren’t exactly right either.
It’s not specified which engine originally powered this Satellite, but in the bay now is a 440 with a 4-barrel, which was indeed one of the possibilities for the Superbird in 1970. Beyond its size, most everything else about the big block remains a mystery, including the date code and where it came from. That’s an aftermarket scooped hood as well, with no springs and four pins holding it down instead of the customary two that would ordinarily be found here, so it lifts off for easy access. It’s nice to find the proper horn here: a purple unit with the correct decal reading “Voice of the Road Runner.”
One advantage of starting with an actual Road Runner for a tribute or a clone is that you get the conventional round-gauge layout, and many of these transformations retain the less-sporty Satellite instruments, as can be seen here. However, numerous legitimate winged cars came equipped with a front bench and a column-shifted automatic, so that’s not unusual, although I believe the factory upholstery was a bit snazzier than the material covering these seats. This one appears to have turned out pretty well overall, and I’m a fan of it being 440-powered, as a few of these transformation examples have kept the 318 under the hood. What are your thoughts on this 1970 Satellite in Superbird clothing?
Nice work, Mike! I love how you called out the Satellite dash and other features. I still really like this car; it’s probably not much worse than a fiberglass “Ferrari” on a Fiero chassis, a “fake” Shelby Cobra, or any other number of tribute cars. I’m guessing this one would draw a nice crowd every time you stopped for groceries or gas.
True….it’s not much worse, because they are all terrible.
Scotty,
You are just way too polite.
$80,000 -YEAH RIGHT – I don’t even think Bare***Jack*** could get that kind of money for this so called tribute.
$58,500 U.S. dollars.
Tribute = counterfeit.
Why do people do this?
They were far from perfect, I’m talking about most American made muscle cars from that time, not a critique, I liked that about them, so when you get one thats even over restored I believe you’re wasting your money. As for clones, tributes, I’ve heard them referred to as clown cars, fakes to be kind, keep the language clean. I don’t personally have an issues with them because they’re not trying to pass them off as legit. This hobby was about enjoying these cars, driving them, it morphed into buying a fantasy, over paying for them because someone else says they’re worth it, that’s what we should be angry about, the lie. It’s just a car.