• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Tips for purchasing a 1966-67 Plymouth Satellite

Ben Simpkins

Active Member
Local time
1:16 AM
Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
28
Reaction score
3
Location
U.S
I was wondering if anybody has some tips or what I should know when purchasing a Satellite. Thanks!
 
Make sure you look the car over good under and all over. Front and rear frame rails look at the floor pans from under the car. These cars get rust under the trim right at the rear pillar chrome, quarter panels and rear wheel well areas are rust prone too.
 
and remember after market body panels are very limited... AMD is however developing quarter panels , outer wheel housings , trunk extensions. floor pans and trunk pans are available now though.
 
The hardest thing to find on the 66-67 B bodies are the bucket seat tracks.
Make sure they are not rotted out.
 
Make sure all the trim is there and not bent up. Don't see many 67 Satellites around here think trim is even harder to come by.
 
Buy a GTX or an R/T,there is not much return on the investment in other models. The other models do make great affordable cruisers though. I have a 66 Belvedere myself.
 
Its all about the rust my friend. Hunting down panels and trying to find "unobtainium" stuff can get costly and force you to hide more from your wife.
 
Like previously mentioned...pay close attention to rear quarters, floor pans, frame rails, rocker panels, etc. Just know going into it that rear quarters are obsolete and who knows when amd will produce repro quarters. Like previously mentioned, trim pieces are also difficult to procure. It’s tough finding parts for these cars in good enough shape. You really wanna strive to find a clean candidate. But, these cars are 50 years old. They’ve gone through a lot of different hands and some are cut and butchered.

Good luck- hope you find the right one.
 
...I'l just add though, that getting one and getting it fixed up right will make you a total bad-***.
 
I have a 66 Ply Satellite. I lucked out in that it was a Western Car so it had zero rust. It did have some body work repair, dents and such but for the most part it was in very good condition. It was a roller when I got it as it originally had a 318 ci in it.. It had no motor, transmission, and drive shaft, a peg leg 2:76 gear ratio rear end. I had a 383 ci engine and 727 TF tranny that I put in in its place and found a correct drive shaft that only required an inspection for balance and some cleaning up and paint. I had the rear end re-built with 3:91 gears and a sure grip installed. I did the re-build of the rear end with all new seals and hardware, and fresh paint. The interior was completely gutted and then re-done by myself. In addition, all new wiring from the front fender turn signals to the dash was also done. I upgraded some of the electrical to bypass some areas and to make it more reliable electrical wise. I had it re-painted...believe it or not by MAACO...in the original yellow color. The hardest part was finding the chrome trim I needed on the belt line of the car. I lucked out in finding a NOS piece for the rt rear fender which was probably the last one in existence. The rest of the chrome was polished up and re-installed with new clips for the fender wells and the rocker panel. I re-badged it to show it as a 383 car. I found new chrome headlight bezels, a straight replacement grill and on the rear some NOS tail light lenses and buckets. Basically it took about 8 years to do and it still isn't finished. I still have to replace the heater core and swap out the door hinges for the NOS ones I have. There still is the little areas that I need to finish, but for the most part, it runs and drives like a scared Cat and is a blast to drive. I say all this because this is what you will have to do in order to find one currently. I periodically test the waters in the For Sale sections and on lin e to see if there is any interest. I just don't drive it as much any more and I have other projects that I need to attend to. You know...PRIORTIES!!! Here is a few pics for you to see what I went through with it. Good luck in your search...cr8crshr/Bill:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::usflag::usflag::usflag:

DSCN0288.JPG DSCN0289.JPG DSCN0290.JPG DSCN0291.JPG DSCN0292.JPG DSCN0293.JPG
 
Spend more and start with a nice solid car. Don't overpay for a 66. Many different parts between the 2 years, not a lot of crossover, even though they appear the same.
 
Agree with Chargervert's and RC's advice if you can pony up extra bucks. If you have good car lined at a low price go that way. Bought mine way back for cheap and it was a solid car.
 
Great choice in cars! As others said above, for the money, get a GTX if you can. If you want originality, a complete, finished car is your best bet. Others have hit the biggest trouble areas. Good luck with your search.
 
Buy a GTX or an R/T,there is not much return on the investment in other models. The other models do make great affordable cruisers though. I have a 66 Belvedere myself.
Problem is up here. Everyone turned the lower end models into wannbe high end models. The word Clone gets used alot up here.
 
Problem is up here. Everyone turned the lower end models into wannbe high end models. The word Clone gets used alot up here.
Now they're called tribute cars, lol. Definitely need to check the VIN, fender tag, etc. and make sure you know what you're buying.
 
Now they're called tribute cars, lol. Definitely need to check the VIN, fender tag, etc. and make sure you know what you're buying.
True , tribute clones are all over the place up here. :D
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top