Bonkers 1969 Plymouth Satellite Drift Car Is a True Frankenstein Build
This wild 1969 Plymouth Satellite drift build features a GM powertrain, a BMW suspension, and some Ford parts thrown in for good measure.
Hot rodding is one trend that has remained popular for decades now, spanning generation after generation – something that isn’t exactly common in today’s world of fleeting tastes and short attention spans. Much of this appeal stems from the fact that one can easily express themselves in many ways through the world of hot rods, and even though there have been thousands of builds that have existed over the years, there are still some things that, well, haven’t been done yet. If nothing else, we can say that this 1969 Plymouth Satellite drift build is one of them, too.
Owned and built by a fellow named Kiely Mackey, this 1969 Plymouth Satellite would obviously stand out as-is, given the fact that we don’t see a ton of big-bodied vintage Mopars participating in the sport of drifting – a realm typically reserved for rear-wheel-drive Japanese machines or newer American muscle cars. Thus, it’s no surprise that Mackey’s ride has attracted loads of attention at various drift events in recent months, nor the fact that it was featured in this video from YouTuber Larry Chen. However, there’s much more to this build than meets the proverbial eye.
Rather, the big B-body features an array of parts from various brands and models underneath its crusty skin, which start with a bit of blasphemy – GM’s L92 V8 underhood, which has received a host of LS goodies that help it generate 468 horsepower and over 400 pound-feet of torque, flowing to the rear wheels via a Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission. Those aren’t what anyone would call earth-shattering power figures, but this Plymouth Satellite reportedly tips the scales at a relatively svelte 3,200 pounds, so it gets sideways quite easily.
At the same time, this isn’t just some LS-swapped (er, L92-swapped) B-body, either – rather, it also utilizes a rather unique front end setup that includes a BMW E36 setup up front, paired with a four-link rear suspension and an 8.8-inch Ford rear end. It’s obviously a strange, unique, and perhaps polarizing combination, but given the fact that Mackey spends his business hours building drift cars at Mid-Atlantic Motorsports, he obviously knows what he’s doing here. If nothing else, it’s hard to hate on the fact that he didn’t stick with all Mopar goods when piecing together his own sideways fun machine, because to us at least, it’s the perfect embodiment of the spirit of hot rodding in general.
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