As we were headed Northeast out of Seattle toward Canada yesterday, I spotted something “of interest” up ahead and pulled in for a closer look…
While it was the Teardrop Trailer that initially caught my eye, the nice-looking Plymouth Sport Fury quickly distracted me from the trailer.
The side moldings and taillight configuration tip this car off as a 1966 model. There were five levels of Fury trim: I (generally sold to fleet buyers), II, III, Sport and VIP. Power at the Sport trim level came from the standard 318 V8 (5.2l), 383 (6.3l) or the new for 1966 440 cid (7.2l) V8 rated at 365hp.
The Fury line was very popular and accounted for about half of Plymouth’s sales in 1965 when this body style was introduced. It was nice to see this one out stretching its legs on a pleasant fall day.
The car is stunning but the reailer is awesome. I really want to build a Teardrop at some point.
Keep looking.Ive been looking for years and just took part of my mortgage payment when I found a 1966 teardrop without a dent in it.It needs painted and the inside has been stripped.The kitchen stove and icebox are still in gr8 shape.Paid 650 thrucraigslist out of PaLmdale CA.
Cant wait to hit the Sierra Mtns in spring of 2013. Good luck but keep looking.people are broke and there are deals to be found.Maybe I should change my vote and things will remain shi**y.Nah I love my country too damn much,I am still trying to figure out what the hooks on teardrop are for?
Love those wing windows!
Sigh. In the late 80s-early90s I spent 4 years and 40K miles in a 66 Fury III sedan. The last year of the old wide block/poly 318. All along I wished mine was a Sport Fury hardtop like this (although I prefer my car’s color combo of white outside and turquoise inside).
This one is nicely decked out with fender mounted turn signals, the fancy wheelcovers and fender skirts. I actually still have a set of those wheelcovers in my garage. I considered them too nice to drive the car with (20K actual miles on the car at purchase) and replaced them with a cheaper set. If they were for a Chevy, they could probably fund my retirement. But they are for a Plymouth, so alas . . . .
Sharp-eyed readers, notice the 3rd picture. Those things atop the rear bumper are not reflections. They are 8 individually diecast letters spelling P-L-Y-M-O-U-T-H, each bolted down to the top edge of the bumper through it’s own little hole. No way to get those on crooked (unlike a certain Stratus previously featured today). No wonder Chrysler had trouble making money when the economy got bad.
Sharp-eyed readers, notice the 3rd picture. Those things atop the rear bumper are not reflections. They are 8 individually diecast letters spelling P-L-Y-M-O-U-T-H, each bolted down to the top edge of the bumper through it’s own little hole. No way to get those on crooked (unlike a certain Stratus previously featured today).
Same with my Dad’s 1967 Mustang: M-U-S-T-A-N-G. (BTW while watching “Counting Cars” on the History Channel a certain raven haired beauty commanded that I “contact my father this summer” to see about getting my hands on said Mustang.)
I remember reading from a Chrysler insider that, when the 1965 C-bodies were developed, Lynn Townsend was very generous with money for both interior and exterior trim. It really shows on all of the cars.
I rememberd the ’66 with the Plymouth letters on the rear bumper. Childhood neighbors down the street had a silver ’66 VIP.
’65 and ’66 Plymouth full sizers as indeed nice cars. I remember a friend, ca. 1995 in Honolulu found a clean ’65 Sport Fury as part of estate sale. Rust free except for a bit of deterioration on the lower driver’s side fender lip and a little around the back window. Amazing, since he bought the car from the original owner’s estate somewhere near Nuuanu and was delivered new, special order, to Honolulu. It was a wide block, poly 318, radio delete (but the floor shift center console), white with gold vinyl and heater/defroster delete. No power steering or brakes. Opened the hood and it was just “engine” . . . .
Those wheel covers were included when optional disc brakes were ordered. The same covers were used without any modifications on Chryslers and Dodges as well. To the best of my recollection, there isn’t any indication of “Chrysler,” “Dodge,” or “Plymouth” specified on the covers, just “Chrysler Corporation” or “Disc Brakes” is imprinted on these covers. I have a mint condition set for my drum brake equipped but otherwise loaded with every factory option ’66 New Yorker. I have not installed the covers (my car has the optional deep dish covers) but bought them because they are rarely seen these days and I got them at a good price. I’ll have to go up in the attic and get one to refresh my memory exactly what is written on them.
If this Sport Fury had disc brakes, I wonder what other options it had??
Mr. Bill
Hamlet, NC
You can’t swap the wheel covers with your factory deep-dish ones because the disc brake cars had 15″ wheels and yours are only 14″.
The lettering around the edge of the wheel covers says D I S C B R A K E S.
The brake system used on 1966-68 Mopar C-bodies and Imperials was made by Budd. Repair parts for this system are rare and expensive today.
Oops. I glanced too quickly. Mine was not a disc brake car, and I mis-identified those wheelcovers. Mine were the 14 inch sport covers with the multiple diecastings and fake lugnuts.
Your wheelcovers bear a passing resemblance to the 1988-89 Lincoln LSC aluminum wheels.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/1990-92-lincoln-mark-vii-lsc-se-not-your-uncle-maxs-mark/
On a car
It had a lot of engine options left. If it had one of the bigger engine options, it would have had a big V, little 8 with the banner “Commando” (383) or “Super Commando” (426, 440).
My Dad knew a guy with a ’64 Sport Fury coupe, the same color as this one.
My Dad ownes a ’65 Sport Fury convertible, gold, gold interior, white top, 383, 2bbl, Commando V8.
When we emigrated to the states in Aug 72 (wow, we just had an anniversary!), Dad’s first car was a ’66, VIP. He drove that baby to ’80 and it hauled us on family vacations, adventures and all sorts of memories emanate from it.
I remember making full usage of the reading lights that were feature at each side and my little sis ‘ preference was to spreadout and sleep across the entire pillowy, fabric backseat.
I’d love to find another one and gift it to Dad, there were too many good moments in that venerable old car.
A couple miscreants were driven out of that garden in a fury!!!
The way I heard it, Don Juan was the first Plymouth dealer: “After dealing with Don Juan, the count drove off in a Fury…”
Was that on I-5 northbound, north of Seattle?
It probably was on I-5… we headed up through Lynden, WA before crossing into Canada.
Looks like somewhere between Marysville and the exit for Stanwood on I-5.
That second shot with the little grove of pines as a backdrop could be a factory ad, or postcard.
Looks like both sides of the country are enjoying some nice clear old car weather. Went for a sail yesterday and saw a ’56 Coupe de Ville and a coupe de Model A. The A was driven by a dad and two kids crammed in a row…I can’t even reach my passengers from behind the wheel! 🙂
Did you hear about the pharmacist who decided to use his new Plymouth to advertise his store? It was the Fury with the syringe on top…..
(humor me, it was my dear departed Dad’s favorite bad joke)
Does a Cadillac stretch? No . . . but a Mercedes Benz!!!!
I had a 1967 Sport Fury, with a Command 383, console shift, factory dual exhaust, the bucket seats. No AM radio, 77000 miles.
A young teenager, never really knew what I had. Bought it off a very nice farmer from Saskatchewan for a $1000. Lol, I had to dicker on the price.
A drunk driver nailed it as it was parked one morning, buried his car into the trunk as the other side bounced off a fire hydrant. I let the insurance company talk me into giving me $2500 for it and they took it away. Boy, do I regret that – everyday.
My love for that style came from my parents and their 1968 Fury I, 4 door, manual steering and manual breaks. All those trips to the relatives on those dusty roads to their farms and back. Got my license on it too. Try parallel parking that beast. That and when I was a young boy (5/6) I left the church early thinking I would be all grown up and try to walk home by myself. I got lost of course and a pair of nuns rescued me. They were driving a very nice black 1967 fury 4 door.
Definitely on my bucket list to have those guys at “Counts Cars” do one up, especially that mint green 1967 Sport Fury. It is like how that song goes, I really do hear the rumbling sound of the engine and the dual exhaust.