Microbrew: 1980 Plymouth Sapporo
Sapporo is Japan’s 4th largest city and the sister city of Munich, Germany. Like Munich, it is known for its beer. Its cars, however? Not so much. Find this Plymouth Sapporo here on eBay for sale in Elk Grove, CA bidding at $2,137.
Believe it or not, this Mitsubishi built model was also re-badged with the legendary Dodge Challenger name. That’s right, between the legendary 426 equipped first generation version and the third-gen 707 horse SRT Hellcat is a middle-child that looks exactly like this. Not coincidentally, Jan Brady would look right at home driving this car.
For a few months in 1980 they actually painted cars this color. Since then, the shade has been quarantined to the medical profession where it is used only for resuscitation dummies, adhesive bandages and prosthetic limbs. Could the hue be a reason for this vehicle’s low mileage?
Yes, that 2.6L four cylinder engine is longitudinally mounted. Could the later, turbo version of the Mitsubishi Astron from a Conquest be placed under the hood? I will leave that question to the experts, but it would definitely liven it up a bit. Make the swap and you could be the only person with a flesh-colored Sapporo drift car on your block. Maybe even the world.
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I really liked and still do the sister 3 toned Challenger. This is very rare to find, but not desirable except to a few nutty ones like me. Is it metallic or straight flesh tone?
It went for $5100 – evidently we aren't the only ones who find them interesting.
As near as I can tell, the Starion turbo motor ought to be more or less a direct bolt in; they're the same engine family. And I've been tempted to put one of those (or a 4G63) into a Sapporo myself. Although putting a Gen III Hemi in there might be even more amusing.
Starquest motor slots in. Buddy had one he 4G63 swapped. Ford 9" rear, big turbo, etc. Technically a Challenger. He has since moved the powertrain over to a 75 Dodge Colt.
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I guess I never appreciated them in their time but now I love the entire Sapporo/Challenger line. A friend in the Army had a 1978 Plymouth Sapporo in 1982 I believe and he rode it hard as the previous owner had He used to start it with a fork from his mess kit. It had all kinds of minor abuse problems but ran like a tank