1965 Plymouth Belvedere Is Cheap And Drag-Ready, Could Get A Perfect Companion..

I think competition is deeply rooted in our DNA, and that may be one of the many reasons why we thrived as a race and became capable of many wonderous creations (rockets, planes, submersibles, etc.). So, let us remember that just about anything on wheels can and will be used to race against others – no matter how classic a car may be.

After all, it’s us, humans, who have invented many interesting ways of seeing who’s better when on four wheels. From the ultra-ritzy world of Formula One down to the humble local dragstrip (with or without a mobile Christmas tree), anything is possible.

Of course, if you have a ton of money, you can always go for luxurious one-make racing series or start building a monster racecar from scratch – and also assisted by the expert world of the aftermarket realm.

But what if all you really want is to escape the mundane worries of the workweek, and quarter-mile drag racing is your weekend cup of tea? Besides, sometimes you do not even need a never-ending bank account to get stuff done at the local track – just a little bit of cash and the luck to find the right vehicle to fulfill your desires.

Now, far for us to impose, but maybe we just found a potential race companion for the cheerful days. It recently arrived in the inventory of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Garage Kept Motors and it is a 1965 Plymouth Belvedere, if anyone is curious.

Plymouth, in general, was an automobile brand working under the guidance of the Chrysler Corporation parent to create models that would successfully compete with the mass-market Chevrolet and Ford brands, and some of its biggest hits between 1928, when it was created, and the summer of 2001 when it went extinct were the Belvedere, Fury, Valiant, Satellite, Duster or Voyager models.

Sure, there were also stars like the powerful Barracuda, GTX, Roadrunner, among others – such as the mindless Superbird. But those are way more expensive when trying to make them your own and this time around, courtesy of GKM, we have a much more sensible option for your potential race weekends.

As such, here is their 1965 Plymouth Belvedere in top Satellite trim (a moniker that became its replacement after 1970) that is considered to be a great fit for the old saying, “money can’t buy you happiness, but it can buy you a race car, and well that is pretty close!” And all without breaking the bank, believe it or not.

Anyway, “here is a potential source of happiness if you are in the market for an affordable drag strip race car,” and the dealership may be on to something when claiming this “would be difficult to build for the price it is listed for.”

If you do not mind the abundance of exterior and interior patina, the Belvedere Satellite comes with a white body riddled with electric blue paint details, a Ramcharger hood scoop, subtle V8 fender emblems (that are an understatement of the big Mopar tucked in the engine bay), and the feeling it was made to race, not sleep around show event floors.

Inside, there is a true, tried, and tested vintage racer cockpit feel thanks to the full roll cage, the single-seat arrangement, and a vintage diamond-patterned bucket seat. Other interior highlights include the Grant chromed steering wheel, the additional Autometer gauge aids, the Longacre panel setup, plus the vintage B&M Quick-Click Shifter, for example.

Moving under the hood, we find a 1969 440ci Mopar V8 engine that has nothing but love for the race car scene thanks to its Holley, Accel Ignition, Moroso, and Hooker Super Competition aftermarket aids. Power is sent to the wheels by way of a 727 three-speed automatic transmission hooked to an 8.75-inch rear differential spooling 4.30:1 gears.

Oh, and let us not forget that no quarter-mile enthusiast will miss out on the hints that this is a proper racer thanks to the front Goodyear Eagle cookie cutters on Weld racing wheels and the rear Goodyear Eagle drag racing slicks!