72 Satellite Gen III Hemi Restomod

[supergluehero]

I've been talking about doing this for well over a year now, but now the ball is finally rolling. The car is a 72 SSP, the original drivetrain is long gone. Right now it's got a 318 with the 3 speed auto. The car was restored in 2021 to be a driver quality car with some flaws here and there, but I was looking for a project anyway. Here's the plan:

6.4l Crate Motor
TKX 5-speed
RMS front and rear suspension
Wilwood discs all around
Holley Terminator X
All the other stuff required to make it work

This will be my first engine swap so go easy on me. I'm sure there are some things I'll mess up and ways I could have done it cheaper, but it'll be a fun ride.

 

[Project66]

Cool project! I think that body style is perfect for the resto-mod treatment. Keep us in the loop. I did the TKX swap on my Satellite last year, and I really like it.

 

[ckessel]

Nice start.

 

[Belvedere408]

Awesome build, where did you get your 6.4 crate from?

 

[chargervert]

Cool project! I like this build a whole lot better than turning a 72 Plymouth into an electric golf cart!

 

[supergluehero]

Awesome build, where did you get your 6.4 crate from?

Scoggin Dickey provided the motor. They seemed to have the best price that I could find.
Mopar Performance 6.4L 392ci HEMI Long Block Crate Engine - 68303090AC

 

[supergluehero]

Been working on the subframe connectors and torque boxes. I have them prepped for welding, just gotta get the rest of this sound mat out of the way. Shame it's gotta come out only to go back in. That stuff doesn't want to come out.

 

[T2R9]

Nice! Looking to do something like this after my 74 so will be following along.

 

[supergluehero]

Got a little work done on the Holley mid mount kit only to find my kit had the non VVT damper in it so it's too long. I bought the kit through Ebay so we'll see how that sorts out. Subframe connectors are getting welded in today, so more to come.

 

[supergluehero]

Halfway through my oil pan install and noticed one of the rubber inserts is sticking up pretty high. I'm worried that might cause a leak. I'm debating leaving it alone, adding some RTV there, shaving down the rubber a bit or some combination. Thoughts?

 

[6872n73]

If it were me, I would take a razor blade and shave it off flush

 

[ckessel]

X2 with a dab of sealer.

 

[supergluehero]

The rubber seamed to be able to recess under pressure so I put some RTV on the T joints and sealed it up. Also got the 45 degree oil filter adapter in. Not sure why but the Holley pan in black was cheaper than the natural one. Oh well, looks good.

 

[supergluehero]

Subframe connectors are installed. In addition to the level one kit, I also got the front lower braces. I had a local shop install them for a very reasonable price.

Also I took these fuel/brake line brackets off beforehand and reconditioned them to go back on and I think the torque boxes cover up the attachment point. Does anyone have a picture of these installed for reference?

 

[supergluehero]

It's been slow waiting for the replacement crank pulley, but I should have that mid week. I'll also evacuate the AC coolant this week to prep for pulling the engine. In the meantime I pulled out my new seats to try them out. One of the hinge welds was broken out of the box. Better now then in an accident I guess. They seem comfy though and look good.

 

[supergluehero]

Got my accessory kit installed with the replacement pulley arriving this week.

Was not expecting my Terminator X to have LS style TPS and IAC sensor connections. So I have to adjust my throttle body plans since the BBK one I have won't work.

I got the AC system evacuated so now I'm free to start pulling the engine. I might have to cruise a few more times though before I dive in though.

 

[supergluehero]

I picked up a Fitech throttle body and cable bracket, but the bracket was made wrong. Got summit to send me another and it was also wrong. Waiting on number 3 from a different warehouse to see if that'll do the trick.

Also I have been working to get the motor free. Still need a little more altitude to get it out from under, but I'm pretty close.

 

[supergluehero]

Finally got the Fitech throttle body mounted with an adapter plate. The Fitech cable bracket was another story though. I have 3 of them now and none of them are made with the correct hole position or hardware. The saw tooth pattern is also too small. The powder coating is also way too thick. I picked up a Holley bracket and it worked as expected. The color is a bit brown though which is a little odd.

 

[supergluehero]

Finally got the motor clear. Now I've got quite a bit of prep work until RMS front end shows up.

 

[supergluehero]

Went to install my new brake and clutch pedal and just couldn't bring myself to do it with all the rusty brackets still under there. Got all the components painted and plan on installing in the next couple of days.