According to the seller of this 1971 Plymouth Satellite, “If the car is totally washed it will shine like new”. We’d all like to find cars that easy to restore, so let’s take a look at this bright red Mopar located in Detroit and listed here on eBay with a current bid of $5,000 and no reserve listed.

Enthusiasts seem to be split into two camps regarding the ’71-up B-body redesign. Some appreciate the more modern, aerodynamic lines of the ‘fuselage’ style, whereas others feel it didn’t live up to the classic ’68-’70 look made famous by the original Road Runner and other Mopar muscle of that era. Regardless, unmolested survivors are few and far between today, which makes this an interesting find. Obviously not a fire-breathing Road Runner or GTX, this mild 318-powered Satellite nevertheless still shares its big brother’s lines and overall appearance. The photos in the listing are blurry and low-res, so it’s hard to get a good feel on the overall condition of many areas, but it’s safe to say it’s fairly complete to start with.

The grocery-getter 318 won’t generate a ton of excitement, but from what we can see the engine bay appears complete and the car is well-equipped with power steering, power brakes, and air. The car is said to have run well before it was parked 17 years ago. But the black inner fenders and firewall likely mean the engine was pulled at some point for reasons unknown. Or maybe this was a black car later painted red? No fender tag photos exist to validate if this is an original E5 Rallye Red Satellite.

Inside, the white interior appears original and intact. Again, not much can be gleaned from the photos, but we’ve all certainly seen worse. The seller does note a small tear in the back seat.

Being from Detroit, rust would be a huge concern for potential buyers. There’s no mention of it in the listing specifically, and beyond the visible surface rust on the bumpers, whether that ready-to-be-shined red paint is hiding any cancer would require a closer inspection. But being that this car was born during the last year of the classic muscle car era, and given the relatively abundant availability of parts for ’71 B-bodies, there are quite a few possibilities for this Satellite. Would you want this one to enter your orbit?