Road Runner Nest

Could you factory order a '71 or '72 Satellite with all the "under-the-skin" options of a Road Runner? For example: Hi-po motor, heavy duty suspension, bigger brakes, etc.

I know when my Dad pulled the valves on our '72 RR (400 c.i.d.) he noticed that 'HP' had been stamped on the block...

Were there special high performance blocks available to Road Runners only?

Off the top of my head, the answer is yes. You could build a Satellite with a lot of the Road Runner go-fast goodies on it. I owned a 4spd N-code Satellite Sebring parts car years ago. I believe the 383-4bbl was the biggest motor available, but don't hold me to that for the SSP's - they might have been able to come with a 440-4bbl. I'm sure that unless some "magic" was worked by the ordering dealership, none of the multi-carb motors (6bbl or Hemi) were available. I can't remember for sure, but I think the SSP's also came standard with the front sway bar. Don't hold me to that though. Matter of fact, I know of at least 2 71 Satellite Coupes that were built as N-code, 4spd cars. Every N-code Satellite (coupe, Sebring or SSP) that I've ever seen had a "383 Super Commando" pie pan on them rather than the Road Runner one.

Just to really pique your imagination, I do know of one very early production (was used in press photos) SSP that had front and rear elastomeric bumpers, as well as rear window louvers. No idea where that car is today, but it was a 383 car as well.

For 71 Satellites, the biggest setup was the performance 383-4bbl.

They did not come with front or rear sway bars.

I consulted my Mother, who was present the day when my Dad placed the order for our road runner in the fall of '71 (my Dad passed away 9 months ago).

She remembers that neither of them wanted a Road Runner because of all the flashy stickers and stripes (my Mom, who would be driving the car, had a lead foot and my Dad was afraid all the dressing would attract cops)
My father still wanted all the heavy duty Road Runner equipment because he wanted the car to stand up to all the long drives my mom would take from Boston to Central Vermont.

He placed the order and listed all the options he wanted: HD brakes, performance 400, HD suspension, etc. but the salesman cut him off. He pointed out to my Dad that it would be cheaper to just order a Road Runner instead because it came with all the options he wanted... My father balked at this because he didn't want, as he said "to drive around in some monstrosity". The dealer assured him that he could order a "Decal delete" option. The rest was history.

So the botom line, I guess, is: You could get all the RR stuff with a Satellite, but it didn't make sense because it would cost more then just buying a Road Runner.

There where special factory high performance packages put together
for the satellite for govt and law enforcement applications however.
That included suspension and engines that sometimes got mixed up in orders for fleet shipments at the factories and sometimes joe average got a little extra. Also I have notices in some of the vehicles if the assembly was backed up and they ran out of a certain package option sometimes all they where left with was hi pro and had to produce a certain number a day so some cars got extras that isnt on the fender tag.

A friend of mione just picked up a 71 Satellite from S. Carolina that was a SSP with a 383 HP, dual exhaust and the such but no rallye cluster. I'm not sure if it has a suregrip in it or not but it does have a 8 3/4. Is the any visual cues on an 83/4 reat to tell if it is a SureGrip? I think there should be a tag on the drain fill plug that say to use SureGrip fluid only...is this right?

Thanks!

-Brian

That is an odd combo there. From the dealer brochure i thought the SSP's came standard with a rallye dash.

The best visual clue to check if its a sure grip is to hammer the gas and check out the stripes!

If you got two black streaks your in luck. Seriously though there is no visual difference to see if you have a sure grip. If you lift the rear end off the ground and put the trans in nuetral and then spin one of the rear wheels; if both spin in unison it's a sure grip. If the opposite wheel spins counter to the direction you are spining then it is a standard.

Just so we are all talking the same thing here. Any cluster with round gagues is the "rallye" cluster - with or without clock/tach or 120mph/150mph speedo. The cluster with the long "sweep" style, 120mph speedo is a "standard cluster".

I do belive that the SSP's did come standard with the rallye cluster.

Okay, while I am a great lover of the 71-72 B body Plymouths, I do not know what you guys mean by SSP? Thanks.

ssp is satellite sebring plus

I've also heard it called an SS+
I kinda like that better than SSP!

Hey
I was looking through all of these postings, cuz I'm newly registered on here. My 71 Sebring Plus is a 440 4 barrel with a slapstik 727, suregrip rearend, front sway bar, and a standard cluster instead of the rallye.

Suregrip.

The old fart method for telling the difference between "open" gearsets, and Posi or limited slip gearsets is to jack up the rear end so neither of the rear tires can touch pavement, put it in neutral, and then rotate one tire in both directions by hand.
If the tire on the oppsite side rotates the !opposite of the one you spin, you are dealing with a standard open diff.
If the other tire rotates in the !same direction as the one you are rotating, you are dealing with some kind of limited slip / locker diff.
If the other tire does not move at all, tell your buddy to let his foot off the brakes and get you another beer.
Cheers-

landon1 wrote:Hey
I was looking through all of these postings, cuz I'm newly registered on here. My 71 Sebring Plus is a 440 4 barrel with a slapstik 727, suregrip rearend, front sway bar, and a standard cluster instead of the rallye.

Are you saying your car carries an "RP23U1xxxxxxx" VIN?! I'd love to see the fender tag from your car if it's a real 440/4bbl SSP. I'm one to "never say never", but as far as I've found, there 383-4bbl was the largest powerplant available in the 2 door Satellite line.

Your Sebring Plus has the 120mph sweep style cluster? Has it ever been swapped? I believe that the SSP came standard with the round gauge cluster.

In 1993, I purchased a 72 SSP. I was impressed with what I found inside. It had the 400 CID mill hooked to the 833, Hurst Pistol grip, sport console, sure grip.

It also had the 150mph / with factory tac, rally gauge set. Front power disc brakes, power steering, bucket seats and vinyal top.

It was pretty beat up, but I wanted to turn it into RR clone... I am still working on that part. I just purchased on Ebay the OEM 72 RR Grille. Too bad it didn't come with the actual mounting brackets, but perhaps I can find those somewhere.

here are some before and after pics: