Larry is considering a Super Stock-style AAR fiberglass hood in the future if he uses the recommended carb spacer that is listed in the article.
A good cruiser is only as...
A good cruiser is only as cool as its interior is comfy. Ultra Leather wraps around all the seats and door panels. The Diplomat Blue accents on the Smoke background make for a new take on the standard door panel design.
Larry and Yolanda premiered their freshly completed car at the '05 Mopars in may show, where the Plymouth took home First Place in its class. Shortly thereafter, they took another First Place for the Popular Choice category at Mopars at the Strip.
In case any of you were wondering if Larry's pinned that speedometer, wonder no longer. The tight suspension and super-high gears have safely pushed his 3,800-pound behemoth well into the triple digits.
It might have been a long road to get to where it is now, but the Satellite has never been better.
Fast Facts: '66 Plymouth Satellite
Larry Dewees * Cypress, CA
Mopar Power
Engine: The 383 was stroked using a 440 crank, decked .040-inch, bored .060-inch oversized, and required a significant amount of clearancing for the large crankshaft. The 6.135-inch connecting rods carry Keith Black 10.3:1 compression pistons, while a Lunati mechanical flat-tappet cam with a 526/547-lift controls the lumps. Aluminum Edelbrock cylinder heads are untouched from the box, using a set of Harland Sharp roller rockers. A Performer RPM intake is topped with a Holley 950 double-pumper carburetor, while a MSD electronic magnetic pickup distributor throws the fire. A Mallory Hyfire VI ignition box, Mallory E-Series ignition coil, and MSD noise filter compactor finish up the list. Hooker headers with 2-inch tubes and 3 1/2-inch collectors tunnel the gases through Magnaflow mufflers and aluminized 3-inch tubes.
Transmission: Built by Cottrell & Sons Motorsports in Whittier, California, the 727 TorqueFlite automatic was married to a modified Mopar 10-inch, 2,800-rpm stall torque converter. The factory valve body was modified by the Cottrell team.
Rearend: Bouncing back and forth between a peg-leg 2.76 and a Sure Grip; the Satellite enjoys freeways speeds with the aforementioned 2.76 gears and open differential.
Horsepower & Performance: Larry's never taken it down the track, but he has shot it up into the triple digits more than once on the many stretches of Southern California freeway.
Sure Grip
Suspension: Larry took the factory suspension apart a few years back. New .960-inch torsion bars were installed up front and out back, along with new stock-style leaf springs. Subframe connectors tie the unibody up a little tighter. Monroe gas shocks are at the nose and KYB adjustable gas shocks in back.
Brakes: the '76 Volare front discs replaced the factory drums, while the rear drums remain intact.
Wheels: Larry couldn't think of a more suiting rim than 15-inch Cragar S/Ss, 15x7 up front with 15x8 in back.
Rubber: BFGoodrich 215/65/15s in front and Goodyear 235/60/15s aft.
High Impact
Body: It takes a sharp eye, but there's some customization here that many overlook. The side trim and cladding have been shaved off; each rivet hole welded up and sealed. The firewall received the most work when the wiper motor and A/C unit holes were patched. The wiper arm holes have also been filled.
Paint: The show-stopping, two-tone paint scheme is comprised of '96 Dodge Viper GTS blue and '04 SRT-10 Viper silver. It took two tries, but the final result is amazing. Dave at Ron's Paint & Body in Garden Grove, California, made it all happen.
Interior: Finished off by Renee at Wahl's Upholstery in Los Alamitos, California, the front buckets and rear bench were wrapped in Ultra Leathers' Smoke shade of off-white. Legendary Dark Blue carpet covers the floor, while Wahl's work also shows up on the door panels with the same Smoke coverings with Diplomat Blue highlights. The dash board got a good share of customization: the wiper and heater controls were removed; the A/C air duct was replaced with a Pioneer Premier AM/FM/CD player in the stack bezel; and a radio-delete plate was custom-made. custom mounting brackets for the engine compartment, a firewall patch, and fuel and transmission lines were crafted by local fabricator, Cameron Shaw of Garden Grove, California. The dash was stripped off the pad and painted to match the external silver. A grant GT wheel replaces the stock steering wheel. Whal's whipped up a custom package tray with the Chrysler Pentastar embroidered on it with two Pioneer 6x9s underneath.