based on early 1960's Mopar Logo

1963 Plymouth Fury

February 2012 Mopar of the Month

1963 Plymouth Fury driver side front

Herb writes: I had been looking for a 1963 Plymouth B body to make a Max Wedge clone for a while when I came across an ad in the local St. Louis news rag for a 1963 Plymouth and made the call. To my surprise when I went to look at the car, it was a very solid 1963 Sport Fury numbers-matching survivor. Well, there goes the Max Wedge plans, as I could not bring myself to do modifications to such an original car as this one! It had a solid rust-free body with original paint and a nice set of paperwork to boot. After passing muster with the owner as she was fussy as to whom she would sell the car to, I negotiated, and we agreed on a price. I was now the new proud owner of a 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury Convertible that needed a medium to heavy restoration!

So the 1963 Plymouth B body hunt resumed, off to eBay for a try there while I was restoring the Sport Fury Convertible. After much hunting, I stumbled across a Fury in Michigan with a very solid body but as I was later to find out was in horrible mechanical shape. So I bid on it and won. After a day-long trip from Saint Louis to Ann Arbor and back, the project began.

Taking inventory of the overall car I came to the realization that the seller was a little less than upfront about the condition of the car, and mechanically there was not much salvageable. The K frame was a six cylinder one that was poorly modified for a V eight and the whole front suspension was beyond worn out. So a call to Cap Auto Products [now owned by QA1] was made for a tubular K frame with rack and pinion steering and disk brakes. The rear springs were completely shot from being bent backward from extended length after market shackles and it was a no brainer to replace the 1963 8 3/4 with a 1966 unit. So a set of super stock springs were ordered and a 1966 8 3/4 and several other parts were procured locally from Clay & Sons, a local MoPar recycler.

1963 Plymouth Fury driver side rear

The 400 that was questionably installed was deemed worn out and unusable especially due to it being a B block. So, the hunt was on for an appropriate RB engine for my Max Wedge project. Hunting around I found everyone and their cousins were doing Max Wedge clones and parts were getting hard to find for reasonable prices. While checking Bouchillon Performance’s website, I saw they were running a sale on MoPar crate motors and it hit me that I could do a restomod with a 6.1 gen three Hemi for the same or a little less money and have something unique that few or no one else had. Now the plans were changed again. Looking and searching I was unable to find another early sixties MoPar with a gen three Hemi. I would soon find out why. Several aftermarket companies make about everything you need to do a 1968 and newer gen three conversion but nothing is available for a 1962 to 1965 conversion. I had to fabricate everything from a fuel system to motor mounts to steering and the drive train. My steering modifications were made a lot simpler using one of David Loar’s steering column bushings stiffening everything connecting to my rack and pinion steering. To stiffen the body I installed a very nice and well thought out set of Paul Hamaday’s frame connectors. I now had a rolling body with four wheel disk brakes. I purchased a new gas tank for a 1963 Plymouth and with modifications I installed a contemporary in-tank fuel pump. Using the original fuel line as a pattern I bent new supply and return lines that replaced the original rusted supply line from my car. The original fuel supply line from the sender was welded closed, so the sender is now only used to operate the gauge. All new brake lines were done at the same time modifying them to use a duel master cylinder for safety.

1963 Plymouth Fury 6.1 crate Hemi engine

Next step, I ordered my 6.1 crate engine from Bouchillon Performance and after a lot of measuring, fabricating and trial and error everything worked its way out in short order. I was able to use a newer 727 and keep my push button shifter, having Steve Charette from Imperial Services modify the shifter to operate a 1966 and newer 727.

1963 Plymouth Fury passenger side rear

On to the body, my friend Steve Vaughn owner of Lime Fire Rods and Customs and my self went over the body and repaired a few small imperfections, welded a plate eliminating the dash speaker, and scalloped the rear antennas into the fenders.

We decided to forgo a Max Wedge hood scoop and keep the sleeper look going. Opening the scoop-less hood presents a better surprise when people catch a look at the 6.1 snuggled in. Steve did a great job painting the Plymouth a 2011 Lexis peril white.

1963 Plymouth Fury front interior 1963 Plymouth Fury front interior

Next the car went to have the interior done. This was done by my friend Jerry Klich, owner of Sew Fine Interiors.

1963 Plymouth Fury front interior

Wanting to do something unique I decided to comingle the flavor of the 1963 interior such as the original low back bucket seat frames and the Plymouth logos embossed on the seat backs by Legendary Interiors, but with a contemporary feel by mirroring a set of bucket seats in the rear and have a floating center console attached only to the dash and package tray in the back.

1963 Plymouth Fury rear view of interior

As the advertisements from the day said about Hemis; “You can’t make an engine like this with facts and figures alone. It’s gotta be voodoo baby.”

Contact Herb:  contact 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury owner


Thanks Herb!

Excellent job! The Fury is a real head-turner!   smile!

Gary H.


Go to the 1962 to 1965 Mopar Web Site Home Page.