One of Four Known to Exist: 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury Convertible
As I previously mentioned the other day, I saw a commenter on another car website complaining about how classic muscle cars are no longer affordable for the blue collar worker. The problem with that statement is most people have not looked outside of the box in terms of classic muscle cars. While most collectors typically think of muscle cars such as the GTO, Camaro, Mustang, Firebird, 'Cuda, Charger and others, there are plenty of other muscle cars out there that are not as well-known but still have plenty of punch. A prime example is this 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury convertible, one of four known to exist with the 426 Street Wedge. Find it here on eBay in Lakewood, Ohio, with a current bid of $20,300 and a little bit over 20 hours left to bid.
After three years of being downsized to the mid-sized B-body platform, the Fury grew larger to the full-size C-body platform. The highest trim, the Sport Fury, was intended to compete with the Impala SS and the Galaxie 500XL. This Sport Fury is a 1965 model, and is one of 6,272 convertibles built for 1965. Resplendent in Gold Poly with a white top, the car's paint looks to be in great shape, though I'm guessing the car has been repainted at some point. I dig the fender skirts and the spinner hubcaps, though I would swap out the white line tires for a set of gold line tires. A black vinyl boot is also available for the white convertible top, but I would source a white convertible boot.
Taking a peek under the hood, you'll see why this Sport Fury is so special: that big block right there is a 426 Street Wedge. One of four known to exist according to vaunted Mopar expert Galien Govier, the 426 Street Wedge features 10.3:1 compression and makes 365 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. Backed by the three-speed Torqueflite automatic, all of the proper stampings are still applied, and the engine and transmission are in tip-top mechanical shape. Though I would have preferred the four-speed manual transmission, the Torqueflite automatic is a great transmission, as my 1965 Dodge Custom 880 six window sedan features one. I would touch up the valve cover paint and sandblast the exhaust manifolds, otherwise leaving the engine as-is.
This may be my new favorite classic car interior. Finished in a black bucket seat and console interior, this Sport Fury interior is mint, though there are a few mechanical pieces that need to be addressed. The tachometer, radio and clock no longer work, so all three need to be repaired in order to operate again. The dash is a designer's dream piece, especially with the woodgrain, and I dig the full gauges and the square speedometer. Overall, this Sport Fury convertible is basically ready to go and cruise, and with just a tiny bit of work, will be perfect. I could easily see this at next year's Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals up in Rosemont, Illinois. What are your thoughts on this rare and valuable Sport Fury convertible?
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