Sebring Plus Project: 1972 Plymouth Satellite
The muscle car landscape at Chrysler was a little confusing in the early 1970s. In 1972, went you went to the Plymouth dealer, you had three choices among the mid-size B-body cars: the Road Runner (still something of a budget performance car), the Road Runner GTX (an upscale version of the former), and the Satellite Sebring Plus, which was somewhere in the middle. This ’72 Sebring Plus once had a 400 cubic inch V8 under the hood (it replaced the 383 that year), but that motor is long gone now. So, this is a rolling project that has some rusty and a funky-looking interior. Located in Lehi, Utah, this Mopar “Plan C” is available here on eBay for $7,000 (Buy It Now or Make Offer).
If buyers weren’t a little confused by the mid-size choices, the insurance companies certainly were. The Sebring Plus name didn’t throw up the same red flags as the Road Runner or GTX monikers. So, depending on your budget and how you worked the options list, you could end up with a potent car (by 1972 standards) that had lower insurance premiums. The Sebring Plus replaced the Satellite Sport in 1971 and would be offered for only two years. 21,400 deliveries occurred in 1972, nearly triple the number of Road Runners that were built.
The seller says the true color of this car is burgundy, so there was a color change to yellow at some point. We’re told the body is solid overall, but there is some rust in the lower portions of the rear quarter panels. The reported mileage is 20,500, but logic has it that the odometer has turned over. Opening the hood should reveal an empty engine compartment except for a TorqueFlite automatic transmission. To solve the issue of propulsion, the seller is throwing in a spare 440 V8 block without heads that the buyer would have to finish off.
The interior is said to be complete but in rough condition. The original white and plaid upholstery has given up the ghost and other things like the dash pad will need replacing. If you’re in the market for one of these “fuselage-shaped” Plymouths to restore and want to impress with a badge that says something other than Road Runner, could this project be the one?
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Comments
The door jambs and doors certainly look “burgundy” to me. For $700 it might be worth it to a kid on a budget that has access to a parts car. Oh, wait, nevermind…I read the price wrong.
If he happens to sell it, he should invest in a photography class.
I wonder if a few early ’72 Sebrings/Satellites escaped the factory(maybe by mistake) with a road runner or GTX “hi po” motor & even the air grabber hood & scoop! Might have fooled the insurance companies. lol
Can i assume the original 400 motor avail for this car was a mere boat anchor in ’72?
Oh no, Joe. I had a ’72 with the 400 and it ran like a scalded dog!
If that’s the case, it’s crazy that not even the 400 was avail in ’72-74 Cudas & Challengers, let alone the 440.
I think Chrysler dug its own graves for those cars.