Differences between 71 Plym GTX & 72 Plym Satellite?

[Andrew D the Jolly Roger]

What are the EXTERNAL differences between a '71 Plymouth GTX and a '72 Plymouth Satellite? Same body, but what subtle differences should I look for?

[tim boyd]

1) Front grille area

2) Rear bumper/tailamp layout

3) Exterior ornamentation (e.g. badging configuration and location of same; GTX ribbed rocker panel molding vs. none (IIRC) on 1972  Satellite....)

A few Google images should clearly show the differences, which are all minor but still noticeable even in 1/24th-1/25th scale...

Good luck with your project!  TIM 

[1972coronet]

This site is your friend : The 1970 Hamtramck Registry Library Page (1970 - 1974) (hamtramck-historical.com)

[Luc Janssens]

side markers are different too

[CapSat 6]

1) rear bumper, valence & taillights. The ‘72 units are entirely different. 
 

2) ‘72 Road Runner grille. The ‘72 Road Runner grille is unique. The ‘71 Satellites, Road Runners, GTX’s and ‘72 Satellites used the same grille, but with different center ornaments. Also, paint treatments for the standard grille differed by model. The Satellites generally got a bright silver painted grille, while the ‘71 Road Runners, Sebring Pluses and GTX’s got a darker black and argent treatment. 

3) side marker units (and quarter panels/ fenders). The ‘71‘s are integrated into the fender, with a large rectangular receiver cutout stamped out of the fender. The ‘72’s are the smaller, rectangular “generic” units, which bolt onto the fender into a smaller round hole in each fender/ quarter panel. 
 

4) header panel emblem: the ‘71 cars used a small Plymouth vertical emblem that went into the round stamped depression in the header panel. There was a decal that circled the depression on all models in ‘71. The ‘72 header panel was the same sheet metal, but a new circular emblem fit completely inside the depression for ‘72. You could swap these from ‘71’s/ ‘72’s, they fit the same way. 
 

5) Rocker mouldings: each model had special rocker mouldings. The GTX in ‘71 had unique ribbed moudlings. The other models either used large flat ones (like the Satellite Sebring Plus) or thinner ones (Road Runner). I’m not 100% sure about the ‘72’s, but they probably differ from the ‘71’s. 
 

6) Belt mouldings: ‘72 Sebring and Sebring Plus models got belt mouldings that wrapped over the wheel houses, and went all the way from the front to rear edges of the car. The Plus model also got an argent paint treatment below the belt moulding. 

‘71's could get a smaller belt moulding (body side moulding) set that did not reach the wheel houses, it was more of a rub strip for the door and area just behind the door on the forward portion of the quarter panel. The '71 moulding was available on the non- Road Runner and GTX models, according to the literature on Hamtramck Historical.    
 

7) emblems & stripes: vary by model and year.  

Edited February 11, 2021 by CapSat 6

[CapSat 6]

Also- these cars got a sweet canopy 1/2 vinyl top treatment in mid-‘71. I have seen at least 1 ‘71 GTX with a painted 1/2 top, which was REALLY cool!