I did it again... PICS

[Rolling_Thunder]

So I did it again. I was left alone by my GF for a day so I hunted Craigslist and scored a 1968 Plymouth Satellite Convertible....           She isn't too pretty but frame rails and floors are spotless - It'll need quarter panels, door skin, and a new driver's fender - but overall I think I did pretty good -

Pics tomorrow when the sun is up.

[Ghoste]

The GF will soon learn not to leave you alone. lol
Good for you though.

[404NOTFOUND]

I was left alone by my GF for a day  She isn't too pretty .

Oh, you're in trouble now.

[Rolling_Thunder]

Teaser

[skip68]

   cool!   318?      

[Bobs69]

Could have found worse on Craigslist list.

[Rolling_Thunder]

originally a 318 auto ---   non numbers drivetrain. looks like a 360 - runs and drives and stops. I was just looking for a solid base to build ---   found it for a great price too   

[DREDILSKI]

Good for you dude. I've been looking for a decent GTX just cause I feel the body style is sick.

Can't wait to see more pictures.

[Kern Dog]

Heck yeah.... Good luck with it !!

[djcarguy]

    check the,,, wing car in a convertable state ,,,,  there is a awesum 68-69 ply birdable superbird??  well i think it is awesum. lov the extra little body line and taillites of 68-9's..

[moparstuart]

Awesome find

[Rolling_Thunder]

Here's the Breakdown

CAR: Plymouth Belvedere 2 Door Convertible
ENGINE: 318cid 2-bbl V8
TRANSMISSION: 3-Speed Automatic
TIRES: 7.35x14
MODEL YEAR: 1968
BUILD DATE: May 24.
AXLE: 2.76 Rear Axle Ratio
INTERIOR: High Trim Grade, Vinyl Split Bench Seats. Green Interior.
PAINT: Ember Gold Metallic (Plymouth)
OTHER:  Forest Green Metallic (Plymouth, Chrysler, Imperial) Upper Door Frame Color.

MOLDINGS:
30: Body Belt Mouldings
55: Body Side Mouldings
78: Wheel Lip Mouldings

ABC OPTIONS:
H1: Power Brakes
R1: AM Radio
X2: Tinted Windshield Only
Y0: Green Convertible Top

abc OPTIONS:
h7: Fender or Hood Mounted Turn Signal Indicators
m6: Driver's Outside Remote Operated Mirror

[PocketThunder]

I love California cars... 

[68RT4ME]

WOW, what an awesome score. Good luck with whatever your plans are. 

[Rolling_Thunder]

I know it looks like a toothless hillbilly - but a friend is giving me a GTX grill and tail panel if I want it.



Ugliest part of the car is this quarter panel...    



Yeah, CA car...    no rust in the floors...   a couple pinholes in the trunk - not even worth replacing the pan. Might spot patch it.



Proof it's a vert. It is missing the hydraulic cylinders and motor but that's not a huge deal. The frame has NO rust and moves as it should.



Looks like a later 318 or 360...    no matter - It runs like a top. I will probably keep the small block in it for now.




I plan on making this look like a Satellite Sport / GTX with the different tail panel and grill - keep the 318 and have fun with it. No matter what its being converted to a 4-speed and probably get a 3.23 rear. If the 318 ever takes a dump I'll swap in a 440 and make it a legit GTX clone. The car is power steering and power brakes - should make a really nice cruiser here in SoCal ---  I still have all the factory A/C stuff from my Charger so I also plan on installing that A/C stuff into this beauty. Do I need to?  No - but why not?

[Fred]

- runs and drives and stops. 

Can't ask for more than that! 

[b5blue]

Cylinders on ebay right now for cheap! 

[PocketThunder]

    dude you're killing me!

[1970Moparmann]

Good score!

What's the plan?

[skip68]

Oh hell yah!       
Just by looking at the brake peddle it looks like it has low miles.  The peddle isn't all worn looking.   

[Charger4404spd]

That will be a great ride man, nice find

[tan top]

   looks good from the pictures 

[Rolling_Thunder]

Cylinders on ebay right now for cheap!  

Who do you think it the guy who placed the first bid?     But thanks for the heads up!

The Odo states 72,xxx miles.  

The plan is to replace the quarters, driver's door skin, remove / clean the 318? and have the car painted and new top put on and convert it over to a 4-speed. Fender tag states 2.76 gears. Narrowing down color schemes at the moment. Replace the trim panel and grille with ones for a GTX / Satellite Sport and drive it. The biggest thing will be adding the factory air conditioning stuff. I am also looking at adding factory cruise control. Basically - I am just looking at making it a nice cruiser without going the extreme route like I did on the Charger.    

Oh - and just to stroke my ego a bit. The asking price was $4500.00....       I ended up paying the guy $2000.00 cash.     

[Finn]

Wow you stole that thing man! Nice one congrats!

[skip68]

$2k !   You bastard!       
Great deal.     That will be nice on a summer night with the top down.   

[TUFCAT]

Thunder you got a beautiful car!

The Gold and Green combo is very striking and extremely rare nowadays. If I recall Chrysler first offered gold exterior with green interior to compete with GM because it wasn't available before and became popular on many GM luxury models in late 1967.

Conversely, green exterior with gold interior was a more popular choice in this era. Corvettes offered a popular green with saddle interior in the late 60's.

I know know Chrysler continued to offer gold with green interior through 1971...(and maybe later) but its rare to see any restored example these days.  

[Rolling_Thunder]

Part of me always wants to restore a car - but this color combo would do absolutely nothing for me. I was thinking blue with a white gut - but it seems 90% of the Very B-bodies out there have that combo   haha        Still looking. I might go with something a little different - But that won't be an issue as It looks like I'll be going away for close to 6 months for job training. I figure it doesn't make sense to start a project and then leave when it's all apart. 

[TUFCAT]

Me thinks its worth more money than you paid - intact and unrestored - to somebody looking for a rare mopar oddity. 

[djcarguy]

    had 2 gold 'n'green cars,,,,a 69 camaro,350-350 combo.  and a 70 challenger RT 383mag-727 with dana rear..  great nite runners when light is low to not see the green,,looks black inside.haha

  great buy on your ragtop,for cruse and parades i thing auto is best,, 4spd and clutch getts very old in slow drive stop and go stuff.

did ya get back seat???  may still have one,i have a 67 belvedere ragtop,, with gtx trim, with 4spd,,was 3 on tree new..  well i parted a 66 coronet rag 20 years ago and saved top and all the rag stuff i could strip and or cut off the shell.

  i would also leave it as a manual top,not that hard to put up and down..  may sell some of rag parts have to look and think on it.....    great project ,,love the solid west coast floors and low rust..  dj,,oregon,,west coast,rules"""ha

[Rolling_Thunder]

Yes = The back seat cores are in the trunk. I would leave it as a manual top but I am lazy - so a power top seems to be in my future. 

[Ponch ®]

so a power top seems to be in my future. 

that sounds wrong on so many levels.

[Rolling_Thunder]

so a power top seems to be in my future. 

that sounds wrong on so many levels.

   All I gotta say to that       was pretty good though ---  I'll have to introduce you to my GF one of these days ponch - she'll get a kick out of you

[TUFCAT]

  All I gotta say to that      was pretty good though ---  I'll have to introduce you to my GF one of these days ponch - she'll get a kick out of you

Ponch???  Really!  Think again before you dirty up your sweet girlfriend like that! (...only kidding) LOL.  

[Rolling_Thunder]

  All I gotta say to that      was pretty good though ---  I'll have to introduce you to my GF one of these days ponch - she'll get a kick out of you

Ponch???  Really!  Think again before you dirty up your sweet girlfriend like that! (...only kidding) LOL.  

Haha   She can handle herself   

[Ponch ®]

  All I gotta say to that      was pretty good though ---  I'll have to introduce you to my GF one of these days ponch - she'll get a kick out of you

Ponch???  Really!  Think again before you dirty up your sweet girlfriend like that! (...only kidding) LOL.  

Haha   She can handle herself   

*nah...too easy* 

[Rolling_Thunder]

Go to the Fling Ponch - I'm going to try and drag her bones up with me to look at color combos for the Satellite.      I dont know if you'll recognize me when i'm significantly thinner than before.  haha

[Ponch ®]

Go to the Fling Ponch - I'm going to try and drag her bones up with me to look at color combos for the Satellite.      I dont know if you'll recognize me when i'm significantly thinner than before.  haha

ill be there. I pretty much have to.

[Old Moparz]

Nice find, I love ragtops.   

Yes = The back seat cores are in the trunk. I would leave it as a manual top but I am lazy - so a power top seems to be in my future. 

Just a heads up on the top cylinders. If the ones you're bidding on are used, they are not serviceable & would need to be replaced if they are bad. The pump should be serviceable, but I don't know for sure. You can get all the parts new from several places, but I'd recommend Hydro-E-Letric.

http://www.hydroe.com/

I bought the cylinders in my '69 Satellite from them in the mid 80's & they are still in use & work fine.   

[moparstuart]

Nice find, I love ragtops.   

Yes = The back seat cores are in the trunk. I would leave it as a manual top but I am lazy - so a power top seems to be in my future. 

Just a heads up on the top cylinders. If the ones you're bidding on are used, they are not serviceable & would need to be replaced if they are bad. The pump should be serviceable, but I don't know for sure. You can get all the parts new from several places, but I'd recommend Hydro-E-Letric.

http://www.hydroe.com/

I bought the cylinders in my '69 Satellite from them in the mid 80's & they are still in use & work fine.   

are my top cyinders a ticking time bomb  ?  they are still the factory originals and work just fine  ?   

[Old Moparz]

Nice find, I love ragtops.   

Yes = The back seat cores are in the trunk. I would leave it as a manual top but I am lazy - so a power top seems to be in my future. 

Just a heads up on the top cylinders. If the ones you're bidding on are used, they are not serviceable & would need to be replaced if they are bad. The pump should be serviceable, but I don't know for sure. You can get all the parts new from several places, but I'd recommend Hydro-E-Letric.

http://www.hydroe.com/

I bought the cylinders in my '69 Satellite from them in the mid 80's & they are still in use & work fine.   

are my top cyinders a ticking time bomb  ?  they are still the factory originals and work just fine  ?   

Probably depends on how they were taken care of, or how the car was stored over the years.   

When I bought mine in 1984 they worked, but the pump whined & ran slow. Soon after it all finally stopped working completely. Turns out that the fluid leaked out into the carpet & insulation over the years, & the previous owner never took care of it. That was a good thing though, the floors looked like new since they were protected with a sea of hydraulic fluid. 

There was an eccentric old guy "Tex Richardson" from Upper Saddle River, NJ (I can't believe I still remember his name...LOL) who was recommended to me by a top & upholstery place. He was the only person I could find who worked on these things in my area. He had 100's of new cylinders in his basement, but mostly GM & Ford. He said the ones I had were all sealed from the factory, & once he takes it apart, that's it. I found Hydro-E-Letric in Hemmings, ordered a pair of cylinders, then went back to the old guy so he could put them in. They were like $60 each back then, but at least twice that now.

[Rolling_Thunder]

non serviceable?   Hmmm   that sounds like a challenge. 

Well I ended up getting the pair for a whopping $15.99 plus $10.00 for shipping - if they don't work then i'll figure something out.   I have a line on a motor that I will get in trade for some parts I need gone anyway. The motors are serviceable - couple O-rings and what not...    I plan on getting new hoses though.

I decided on the color scheme and engine - Told my old man I'm just going to pull the 318 and clean/paint it when I paint the car -- his reply?   "Why not just build one of those 440s in your shed and put that in?" ----   Sometimes I think my old man is a bad influence. 

So now I am just accumulating parts for the future plans. I plan on having the car in the body shop when I ship out to GA for training. That way the body shop can take their time working on it - I'll be gone 5 months for paid training. Sounds good to me.