1970 Plymouth Satellite Roadrunner Tribute

Description

Late-'60s and early-'70s Mopars were considered by many to be the pinnacle of American muscle cars, and one glance at this attractive 1970 Plymouth Satellite RoadRunner Tribute explains why. With a stout, fuel-injected 440 under the hood, a period-perfect paint job, and a rather surprisingly luxurious A/C interior, it's rapid transit for the guy who has already arrived.

Mopar fans love the brand-loyal, subdued colors that graced so many of their 'sleepers' back when taking pink slips was a real thing, and the Code FK5 Burnt Orange Metallic is a perfect choice that continues the tradition. It's an upgrade over the very light Code BL1 Sand Pebble Beige this Plymouth was born with and there are no signs of the past shade anywhere to be found. It's been beautifully restored to stock specs, and when taken out on a clear day this Road Runner Tribute looks simply fantastic in the sunlight. The bodywork is first-rate, and you can see how well it was done just by checking out the ripple-free quarter panels and how flush and easy all four doors shut. The high-end driver-quality paint has an appropriate gloss that shines up nicely and while it has been driven and enjoyed some since it was finished, there are only minor imperfections to speak of and it generates a ton of attention everywhere it goes. Even though the Satellite was technically the higher-end submodel and more expensive to buy brand-new, the fashion today is to revert back to those coyote-racing ways whenever possible. Proper Road Runner ingredients like the contrasting yellow side and rear stripes, the proper badging, and the matte black hood stripe and the matching blacked-out wing out back all mimic the 'Beep-Bee' style and transform this otherwise unassuming 4-door into a menace on the street. There's also a black vinyl top that looks grown-up and help off-set the Burnt Orange paint a bit, and those faux scoops in the rear doors give this car an awesome Mopar muscle car look. The blacked-out grill up front sets the tone that this isn't just your Grandma's grocery-getter, and it's outlined with bright, shiny chrome that's matched by the remaining brightwork and the big bumpers found fore and aft.

The interior is extremely tasteful and upscale, wearing two-tone upholstery that looks suitably upscale for the Mopar's mission. By the looks of things, everything has been restored from top-to-bottom, from the fresh seat covers on the buckets up front, the matching rear bench out back, complementary door panels at the flanks, plush tan carpets below and the taut perforated headliner above. The cabin feels fresh and way more high-end than you might expect from a bruising Mopar, and with cool touches like the custom removable center console, it really stands apart. The dash and instrument panel were also restored, with fresh gauges ahead of the driver, a clean, stress-free dash pad on top (the carpet pad is removable), and an Alpine AM/FM/CD/AUX/Bluetooth head unit in the factory slot that powers Pioneer 6x9s in the rear package tray. An uber-cool, dual-ring steering wheel with a proper 'Beep-Beep' horn cover anchors the cockpit, joined on the column by the shifter for the automatic transmission below, and the instrument panel atop the center console controls the Holley Sniper EFI system under the hood. Options include power steering, power brakes, and seatbelts fore and aft, along with factory A/C that's been upgraded with new hardware and is blowing nice and cold.

The thumping 440 cubic inch V8 under the hood definitely brings the thunder, but it's so neatly detailed that you'll want to park it and show it off. Choices, choices. A Holley Sniper EFI system keeps it fed with fuel, while the stock-style Super Commando dual-snorkeled air cleaner breathes easy, and the big block runs smooth with plenty of horsepower and torque on tap. The black valve covers look great atop the Hemi Orange block, and we have to say the stock engine bay would look awesome no matter what's living inside. A 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission is a great choice to handle all that power, and it spins an 8.75 rear with acceleration-friendly gears that don't mind higher speeds. Stock-style exhaust manifolds feed a rumbling H-pipe dual exhaust system and there's power discs brakes up front, which is a very welcome upgrade on something this fast. Color-matched steek wheels adorned with original Baby Moon hubcaps are always the right choice, and these wear staggered 225/70/15 front and 275/60/15 rear BFGoodrich T/A white-letter radials that finish off the killer look.

Tastefully modified and very well built, this Road Runner Tribute is both a smart investment and a ton of fun to drive. Call today!