Ron writes: I first became aware of this Mopar when the Plymouth was offered for sale in an email on our beloved 1962 to 1965 Mopar Mail List. Although I had owned a new 1963 Plymouth Fury and a real 1963 Plymouth Belevedere max wedge, my dream car was a copper 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury with black/copper interior and a 383. And there it was for sale on the Mail List! (I could not afford to buy such a Plymouth new in 1963 because it cost $3,200!)
Due to having been stored in a barn (yes, literally a "barn find") the Plymouth only had 38,000 miles on the odometer. When the car was delivered the Mopar was driven off the transporter. Not bad for having been sitting for twenty years! Unfortunately, the second owner (I am the fourth) had used a grinder to remove the paint from the hood and top, thus requiring new paint. Otherwise, the remaining paint was in good shape.
Almost all of the surfaces, such as paint, grille, and chrome have been refinished. The windshield and gas tank were replaced. The carburetor was rebuilt and the starter and alternator have been replaced. The remainder of the drivetrain is original. The engine was, however, repainted. I also installed a Mopar electronic ignition. There have been some overheating problems that were finally solved by the replacement of the radiator core with a "metric" core, whatever that is.
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The original 330 hp 383 is still strong enough to chirp the tires on an upshift to second.
The original interior finally needed new front seat covers (thank you Legendary Interiors) but the remainder of the interior is courtesy of Ma Mopar: all original!
This Plymouth is a real head-turner and has a large number of trophies from local shows, including a class win at the Spring Fling in Van Nuys, CA.
The Sport Fury has repopped Goodyear tires just like the original tires. Unfortunately, they are bias ply and do not handle like radials and they love to follow the grooves on the freeway. A small price to pay to drive a piece of more than 50 year old Mopar history!
Contact Ron: