1965 Satellite

I picked this car up last week, I’ll keep some updates in here to track and document the progress.

It is a 361 auto console shift bucket seat car that was once a rental car. Most of the old registrations in the glove box show California, and there’s very very little rust, which is a treat for a Virginian like me. Great floors, quarters, doors, etc. Nothing has ever been messed with on it, as I take it apart that is very clear. I’m not sure what the deal is with the primer on the door, maybe someone backed into it in a parking lot or something, I can’t find any heavy bondo. It will be a fun fixer, I’m going to do the work in my sad little barn and maybe if it turns out well it can help fund a new garage for me to do more cars in. The plan is to 4bbl it with some select upgrades under the hood, new exhaust, patch one small hole in the floor passenger side, do some minor body work that is needed in a couple places, paint it, clean up and replace the interior as necessary, choose some better wheels and tires, go through the brakes and maybe do a front disc Scarebird kit, probably shift kit the 727, clean out the gas tank and run new lines... the typical facelifts. I stripped the motor today, it was FILTHY. New gaskets all around to start, and probably pulling the heads for some hardened seats and a pressure test.

Nice find! Love the 65 Satellites! I've one that I've owned sine the mid 70's. Lots of good memories in that car. Keep the updates coming!

That Is a Nice Car ! The original color Gold on those has always been a favorite of mine...

Nice car, looks really solid, like those old Satellites! 440'

great car , i have a 383 4spd commando with air and i just bought a 65 bel rag . i like them very much , lol .

I’m just about done in the engine bay and will post a pic of that soon.

In the meantime, does anyone have a part number for these two items?

Wiring harness firewall/fender clip
Hood rubber stop near the hinges

If you’ve found them at a Napa, advanced, oreilly, etc...

Here are a couple photos from the past few weeks, and a quick list of what I have done so far.

The engine bay area is more or less done, there are some little things here and there I will eventually get to. The engine has all new gaskets except the oil pan, which I will get around to doing. Sucks working on a gravel floor... Rebuilt the Holley 600, got a 69/70 cast 4 bbl intake, put on the HP manifolds after getting the bolts straight, thanks Mancini (fun fact, I can get the passenger side on without issue, I've read that people can't?).

The brakes needed work, keeping it original though. The shoes were new so I simply cleaned them up and resurfaced them, rebuilt with hardware kits front and rear with adjusters and cables etc, wheel cylinders front and rear, the small left front hard line got replaced, new hoses front & rear. Flushed the system. Cleaned up and painted the drums, rebuilt the spindles/bearings up front. I sourced a set of 15x7 cop car wheels, painted them and had a set of tires put on. 275/60R15 rear and 235/70R15 front. Those weren't cheap... I plan to put the chrome dog dish center caps on as well.

Pulled and cleaned the gas tank, new gaskets, float, sending unit, fuel line, etc. The underside of the trunk pan was excellent.

I had it running a few weeks back and started getting coolant on the floor, so I pulled the heater core out and had that repaired. It was a good opportunity to see how all that worked and clean it all up.

I've gotten the majority of the exterior body work done the past couple weeks, a hole in the cowl where water ran down the windshield and pooled (seems common), about a dozen dents throughout, driver front fender, passenger rear wheel arch under the chrome had some rust, left rear very lower quarter had a couple small holes. There's still a little left to be done (like a spot beneath those big chrome rocker moldings). The drivers door and fender were clearly involved in an accident, I was told an insurance company fixed the door. They did the best they could but you can tell it's true condition under the door panel and if you eyeball it down the side of the car as you can see, and unless I sell it before I find one, I will be on the lookout for a door and fender that haven't been fixed. I did my best with the front fender, it will pass for the time being. I've been getting all the chrome off the past couple days, some of it is easy and some of it is a PITA (like the upper piece that is fixed to the roof drip rail, the rear windshield glass chrome, etc...). I'll need a handful of clips here and there for some that broke or rusted.

Headed to the exhaust shop this upcoming week. The plan is 2.5'' duals that dump out over the rear axle because I do not like pipes sticking out the tail of the car. Something like a Magnaflow or dual chamber Flowmaster, H pipe behind the trans.

Photos

Does anyone have a favorite place or recommendation for all the door/window/weatherstrip gaskets etc? It would be great if someone or somewhere sold it as a complete kit, I'd like to replace it all.

And here's what I was talking about with the door.

Try Kramers in PA.

Try Joe Suchy Atlanta

just went to mich and got my 65 ply bel rag to california , car was in the family since new , stored the last 40 plus years in the garage in a resto form . now she's my wife's new old ride .

BenH said:

I’m just about done in the engine bay and will post a pic of that soon.

In the meantime, does anyone have a part number for these two items?

Wiring harness firewall/fender clip
Hood rubber stop near the hinges

If you’ve found them at a Napa, advanced, oreilly, etc...

View attachment 1011284 View attachment 1011285

Click to expand...

Vansauto.com has those plus all kinds of cool stuff for mopars

So I am going 440 with this one, it is almost finished being built and then time to drop in and check fit. The 361 quit running well so I pulled it and it needs a rebuild.

Anyone have a good link to the oil pan options and any other hiccups w/ putting the RB 440 in a 65 B Body, aka K Member, steering linkage, etc, before I go search? Ideally would love to see another 65. I have a 440 source street hemi 6qt pan that's technically meant for 66 forward that I would be curious to see if people had fit before, I bought it before this car and never realized til today it technically does not fit.

Some 440 pics on the stand. cast crank w the big external balancer, 6 pack rods, JE pistons, the 6qt hemi pan, I rebuilt the oil pump that was on it off a truck or rv and ran the part# to discover it is a melling high vol. pump, .510 compcam from 440 source. Waiting on heads.

plaining on a 383 driver with this setup on her , vintage americans n six pack

^^ never understood why people do that, can anyone explain? ^^

@BenH why what ? start and never finish ?