[Shawn_ky]

I had a quick question to guage whether or not this would end up being a good deal or not... I have found a 1961 Plymouth Fury (Carnival Red) for sale for about $1000 (some wiggle room, don't know how much yet...) that looks to be in pretty decent condition. The engine and transmission are out (engine had rust inside I was told, transmission still works), interior has been removed mostly, front window smashed in, back seat missing and chrome for the most part in tact minus some places here or there. Overall body appears to be mostly rust free with the paint flaking off and some mild surface rust under it. This would be a first restore for me and I don't know how much time I will have, but would love some opinions from anyone on this...

Here are a few pics of the car:

Front

Rear

Driver Side

Inside

Inside 2

I'll link to 46 pictures taken today to see what everyone thinks... Thanks in advance!

61 Fury


Shawn

 

[patricklynch]

Looks like someone has grafted on fins from another Mopar on the trunk, possibly from a 1960 Plymouth as part of an unfinished custom project. It would take some work to put it back original but I don't think 1000 dollars is too much for essentially a rust free body. Know, however, that the trunk lid for whatever reason is full of bondo and I'm sure the fins where they meet the quarter panel are full of bondo as well in order to blend the fins into the rest of the body. The car is both grotesque and strangely cool at the same time.

 

[chuzz]

Is that 67 Belvedere for sale?

 

[Shawn_ky]

Is that 67 Belvedere for sale?

It is for sale, $4500 neg. V6 and running... I can look at it or you if you'd like. I am pretty close to it.

Thanks for advice on car... It definitely has a cool air about it. Debating still.... I might even keeps the fins.

 

[valiant67]

$1000 for the car would just be the start of the spending. The windshield and interior parts won't be common or cheap.
The rusty bumpers make me wonder how much rust / repaired rust might be hiding under the shiny paint.

 

[patricklynch]

$1000 for the car would just be the start of the spending. The windshield and interior parts won't be common or cheap.
The rusty bumpers make me wonder how much rust / repaired rust might be hiding under the shiny paint.

I agree there would be a lot of spending on this car, but from what I could see of the floors, the frame rails in the pictures it actually doesn't look too bad. If this is an Ohio car, I'd find it surprising actually. As I look at the pictures closer, there might also be some bondo around the headlight brows. Does the owner of the car have all the missing trim parts, back seat, etc. that could go back in? Replacing the windshield would be a pain but not impossible and definitely not cheap either. The '61s are a one year only deal on a lot of cosmetic stuff.

The decision one has to make is whether to put it back to the way it looked in '61 or keep it custom. There's not a lot of these cars left and my personal inclination would be to put it back the way it was. That is going to take a good bit of work just excising the fins and probably replacing the trunk lid outright. However, if you get the car and keep it custom, then you have a certain amount of freedom in putting it back together where the cosmetics are concerned. I'd be curious to know when this Fury got the fins added on. Probably later in life rather than earlier I suspect as everyone was getting away from fins when the '61 was built. The alterations to the body kind of remind me of Imperials of the same era.

Is this car hiding a lot of rust? Possibly, but usually on these cars, floor rot tends to go with it and I'm not seeing it the way I would expect to. I would go over the rockers, the frame rails carefully to be sure.

The other car probably has a Slant Six if it's got a six at all. Of course I guess it's possible someone might have retrofitted a V6 to it, but I kind of doubt it.

 

[geraldg]

I would stay away from it, to many modifications and the parts for it are very rare one year only. their is a complete car for sale on craigslist phoenix for $2500.00 a far better deal and being a ohio car ( I lived there for over 40 years) I bet there is alot of rust issues and the fins make it look even uglier then they where. I would offer $300 at the most.

 

[Shawn_ky]

Well just spoke with the owner. He has eveything that went on the car just removed inside a garage. He is missing the interior but has seats gauges trim etc. Fins were put on from a '59 he said from the one who owned before. Not original color said he thought it was a mint green or blue originally. Frame is solid. Going to go see what parts he has. Thanks for all of the advice so far!

 

[Bearhawke]

Why the fins look 'factory' is that Mopar did not make major styling changes between 1967-64 on the big cars-----------read that the same basic dimensions all seem to be the same despite going from BoF to unibody starting for 1960.

 

[Shawn_ky]

Well, still debating on this one... I have been talking with the owner a bit and he had all of the parts missing from the car, so I was able to go look today at everything... Posting a link the album here... Deal is looking better, but definitely has some work to be done...

More Parts

So, now the question, since all of the trim is present (minus a few Plymouth insignias -- how hard are these to find?), all parts, original motor and transmission (to his knowledge) that does turn over (Engine needs work to be fully functional). Is this a better deal. Price is now $900, but may get it a bit lower...

 

[Dave Z]

Depends what you're willing to spend on it and whether you can do it yourself or need to outsource... I think that's what others have been saying in other words... the body is rare and you don't really know what's underneath the paint given the obvious changes ... so some items you need may be expensive and hard to get... and you can get a complete car from other sources and it'd probably cost less in the long run... but then again, if everything is as promised maybe not.

 

[fury61]

I responding about the red 61 fury Shawn Ky.found a year ago. I know it been a year.But I like give some info on it.First I no the whole history on this car. For I,m the third and now fifth title owner of this car.The car was bought new in Portsmouth OH. in 61. Then the second owner took it kentucky where stay until 1999 or 2000.It was park in 1982 . In 2001 I bought the car it still had a kentucky title.That how it came back to Ohio.I painted the car in 2002 a candy apple green met.The factory color was Mint Green I sold the car in 2003.The next owner drove it into ground. HE wreck it twice once in the front then in the rear .Thats how the fins got welded on there off a 60 plymouth.HE then painted it pr4 thats flame red.He also blew two motors up also.The factory one and a rebuilt out of 63 savoy .He then let set until 2010 then sold it. With a blown motor.The person he sold it to did nothing with the car and sold it soon after he bought it.The next person he sold it to pull the motor and in the process broke the windshield.That when it went up for sale for a $ 1000. But I bought 800. The car is still pretty solid there is some rust do to the wreck that it was in.But also plenty of bondo not from the rust but from wreck also. the only rust is in the right headlight bucket a small place in the right floor pan do to the windshield been broke and water stood in the floor. And a couple other small places. I already replace the windshield. I bought a 60 Dodge Matador for parts. That where the windshield came from . I will used the drivetrain also and interior.You might not no this but 1960and61 .Is some what the same car.Lot of thing will interchange.But that all about that. By the way when I did bought the car. This time I did not get all the parts some came up missing other were junk.I thing you made the right chioce not buying it.It took me a month to get the title after I bought .I bought the car because I know the car history and knew of a parts car. Other then that I would not had bought it myself. There was more history but no more room to tell it .

 

[patricklynch]

That's quite a history with that car. It'll be interesting to see how it looks once you get her back into shape again.

 

[Greg Davison]

Hi folks from Malaysia! Is it just me, my Mozilla won't show the pics of this finned 61, which is something that has always facinated me, as in, Mopar totally had it all over the opposition when it came to fins and style. Their fins were more natural in relation to the greater styling design. Yes I fully appreciate the front is pure 'Mars Attacks!' but with fins this I think would make up for the frontal excess. Let's be honest, this was the Baroque of automotive design, we were at the leading edge of jet age design and the competition was playing catch up once wind of the 'Forward Look' had gotten out; just look a the GM extremis of the '59 Chev and '59 Cadillac. Are there any other images of this car available? Also, my personal idea of a bolt on custom would be to take a '61 Chrysler 300G body with a '60 Chrysler trunk lid AND a '61 Plymouth front! Can any Mopar nuts out there tell me how viable this is? I'm sure given the unibody construction AND the fact all models in the Mopar's line up were identical in regard of their greenhouses, this shouldn't be too hard a task surely. I'd appeciate any advice offered, cheers...