Story of Mike Clanton’s Raw Plymouth Satellite 440

Mike Clanton’s Plymouth Satellite has the fascinating combination of raw old school American muscle look and strong 440 Big Block Mopar power that we all love to see. Mike has spent thousands of men hours working on the car during the last 30 years with one single purpose – to get out to the race track and have a good time.

Check out the Plymouth Satellite video I put together and read the story below!

I know some of you will be disappointed that Mike removed the 8/71 Roots Blower from the Plymouth Satellite 440 engine, but before you start hating on him please read the story and try to see life in his perspective. How many men out there can’t handle the stress and pain of getting divorced? I’m sure you know some, but not Mike Clanton and that’s the most inspiring part, at least for me.

“I got the Plymouth Satellite in 1988 from my brother who blew up the 318 engine and decided to sell the car and start building turbo Kawasaki’s. I really needed something to do besides drinking at the bar to cover up my problems with divorce, so this Mopar came to me at the right time.”

“I got the Plymouth Satellite of my brother for $1,800 and started to save for a stock engine rebuild. Like most car guys I got the bug and went to a local collage for advanced automotive. At first I learned how to build what I was working with and then some more on engines, transmission, carbs, brakes, fuel injections etc. Little did I know what path I entered and how much it would mean to my life!”

plymouth satellite 440 race car

“I always dreamed of having a supercharger and set my goals according to funds and ability. The 318 that my brother’s Plymouth Satellite came with was replaced by a potent 440 V8 upgraded with Eagle crank, Rods, Koleno RB block and Edelbrock Victor heads.”

“My first attempt put out 800 horsepower with 8 pounds of boost and got me a 10.60 ET at 131mph. I was excited and went to my ultimate goal with confidence making 1200hp (crank) on 14lbs boost and race gas. Unfortunately, the transmission 1st gear was the limiting factor burning up clutches every 30 runs. I found the limit at 10.14 seconds @ 138mph with a 3,900 lbs of weight with me in the car.”

“With the only change on the Plymouth Satellite being no blower and just a 1050 carb on pump gas I am getting out to the track more and not working on the car as much. As I’m getting older adjusting to what life hands you and setting my goals accordingly is a good thing.”

plymouth satellite 440 rb block

“After burning up 3 transmissions in 1 year and spent a lot of time working on the Plymouth Satellite instead of driving and racing I’m currently N/A. The engine includes: Edelbrock Victor heads flowing 350cfm at .600 std port but ported. Wiseco blower piston 9.5/1 cr with .060 copper gasket. Callies H rods, .990 floating pin, std crank mopar big end. Eagle 3.75 crank (std 440 stroke), Moroso 8qt pan, Milodon swinging pickup external, PTC 9.5 Converter with steel stater, CRT transmission with A&A parts steel drum, Comp Cam 260/269 at .050 duration.”

Don’t Miss George’s 572 HEMI Plymouth Road Runner Story

george nilsen plymouth road runner 572 hemi
Click on the Photo for the Plymouth HEMI Road Runner Story
car valuation online

Car Valuation Online: Top 5 Free Car Valuation Tools

If you're looking to sell or trade-in your beloved ride, you'll wanna know its true value, and that's where Car Valuation Online tools come...
'66 chevy chevelle

Roberta Weiss’ Heartwarming ’66 Chevelle Story

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been chatting with Roberta Weiss, the owner of this beautiful '66 Chevy Chevelle, and she told me...
1963 chevy nova ss

Neglected 1963 Chevy Nova SS Gets A New Life

A few days ago, Tim Staton messaged me showing his car: a 1963 Chevy Nova SS he bought just six weeks ago. Affectionately named...
1970 mustang mach 1

David Carpenter’s Road Race 1970 Mustang Mach 1 Story

Prepare your engines for an exciting story about David's 1970 Mustang Mach 1. This sleek and powerful ride has been quite the journey since...
572 hemi plymouth gtx

Clint Brunner’s 572 HEMI Powered ’67 Plymouth GTX Story

Clint Brunner has quite a few mighty Mopars in his collection. We already featured his real deal '68 Dart LO23 as well as his...
steve clukey 1970 plymouth duster

Story of Steve Clukey’s 1970 Plymouth Duster

Owning a 1970 Plymouth Duster since brand new, never stopped modifying it and drag racing all over the East coast for so many years....
1969 ford mustang custom

Ed Curlee’s Immaculate ’69 Ford Mustang 347 Build

You don't get to see many 347 powered '69 Mustangs, but Ed's Sportsroof is not your average custom build and it does not pack...
1971 plymouth cuda 340 build

Story of Al Young’s 1971 Plymouth Cuda 340 Build

Al Young's 1971 Plymouth Cuda 340 has a very interesting story. It was his first car, which he acquired at the age of 17,...
565 big block 1971 chevy camaro

Jay Breitmaier’s 1971 Chevy Camaro Pro Street

Not long ago we featured a quick video of Jay Breitmaier's Pro Street 1971 Chevy Camaro from a car show in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I...
restored 1967 ford mustang gt 390

Story of Bill Kramer’s 1967 Mustang Fastback GT390 Build

Restorer of several classic Mustangs, when Bill Kramer came across a newspaper ad for two ponies sitting in a barn in Wisconsin he knew...
1967 dodge dart pro street build

Story Of Jason Owens 1967 Dodge Dart Pro Street

Those of you who follow our Mopar Muscle Cars Facebook page will probably remember this Pro Street 1967 Dodge Dart as the photo of...