Rich Rebuilds came to fame mainly for its electric vehicle content but don’t let that fool you. The creator of the channel, Rich Benoit, loves all things that go fast including gas and diesel-powered machines.
He’s even gone so far as to drop a V8 into a salvaged Tesla Model S just to blend his passions. For him, projects like that aren’t all that tough these days. He has a full shop and the help to get many projects done at once. That’s in stark contrast to the build he just featured which is one man’s passion project, a 1970 Plymouth Satellite with a Tesla drivetrain.
Over the course of just a year and a half, the owner of this car, Kevin, built the whole thing. That might sound like a long time to swap an electric drivetrain in for an old-school V8 but this build is much deeper. To start with, Kevin used the rear half of a Model S as the basis for the chassis. He also equipped it with a 100kW battery system.
Related: V8-Powered Tesla Model S Has 444 HP And Is 1,400 Lbs Lighter Than Stock
Of course, serious fabrication was required to unite the classic muscle car with modern EV components. Just one example of Kevin’s clever engineering is his in-board rear suspension. Inside the Electrollite, as he calls it, you’ll find a blend of muscle car style and modern luxury.
The seats are heated. The steering is power-assisted and adjustable. The car features full climate control too. Then there are the performance modifications. No, it doesn’t have ABS or traction control, but it does have a line lock feature. That’s right, Kevin likes to take this beast drag racing and we get to see him do it too.
The Electrollite runs consistent 12.4-second passes at 106 mph. That’s as fast as the non-performance version of the 2018 Tesla Model S 100D. Not bad for a classic muscle car with 250 miles of range and no need for oil changes. Long live the hot rod.