1963 Plymouth Sport Fury

The 1963 Plymouth model lineup consisted of the entry-level Valiant V-100, Valiant V-200, and Valiant Signet, all powered by six-cylinder engines. the 170.9 cubic-inch six had solid valve lifters, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, four main bearings, and delivered 101 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. The wheelbase measured 106 inches and prices ranged from $1,900 to $2,450.

The Fleet Special and Savoy had a 116-inch wheelbase, a platform shared with the Belvedere and Fury, and equipped with either six- or eight-cylinder engines. Both the Fleet Special and Savoy were offered as a two- and four-door sedan, with the Savoy adding a 6- and 9-passenger station wagon. Prices ranged from the low-$2000s to $2,700 for the six-cylinder versions. Eight-cylinder versions added approximately $100 to the base price.

The Belvedere was the intermediate full-size Plymouth, offered as a two- and four-door sedan, hardtop coupe, and station wagon. At the top-of-the-range was the Fury and Sport Fury, with the Fury offered with either six- or eight-cylinder power, and the Sport Fury offered solely with the V-8.

Standard equipment included with the Fury were rear armrests, cigar lighter, front foam seats, an electric clock, back-up lamps, and a padded dashboard. The sedans came standard with a Slant Six with overhead valves, a 225.5 cubic-inch displacement, solid valve lifters, four main bearings, and 145 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. The base engine on the hardtop sedan, convertible, and station wagons included the 318 Colombo with 230 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. Eight-cylinder options included the 383 Golden Commando and the 426 Commando becoming available mid-year. This engine was known to enthusiasts as 'Max Wedge Stage II' or 'Super Stock.' The eight-cylinder engines came with either a four-speed transmission or a floor-shifted three-speed manual unit with non-synchromesh on the first gear.

Both the two- and four-door sedans had similar prices at approximately $2,570. The hardtop sedan had a factory base price of $2,740, the convertible at $2,920, the six-passenger wagon at $2,970, and the 9-passenger version at $3070.

The Plymouth Fury had unique side molding with color inserts that narrowed ahead of the front door, window frame moldings, and a rear deck panel strip.

Body styles on the Plymouth Sport Fury included a hardtop coupe priced at $2,580 and a convertible at $3,080. Additional standard equipment included a center console, wheel covers, a deluxe steering wheel, all-vinyl upholstery, rear foam seat cushions, and bucket seats.

The styling of the 1962 Plymouth Fury models was not well received, so they were redesigned with a new front-end design, painted full-length front to rear body side moldings, and an engine-turned insert on the Sport Fury. The front turn signals were mounted high on the fenders, and although easier to damage in that location, they were well accepted. The lamps had unique white lenses while most other manufacturers switched to amber signals to comply with the new federal requirement in 1963. Plymouth used an amber bulb behind a white lens for aesthetics when not illuminated.

Among the Fury line, the four-door sedan was the most popular with 31,891 examples built. 31,832 examples of the two-door hardtop coupe were built, 11,877 were hardtop sedans, and 5,221 were convertibles. The combined station wagon totals were nearly 7,000 units.

The total Sport Fury production line accounted for approximately 15,000 units with 11,483 being hardtop coupes and 3,836 convertibles.

by Dan Vaughan

Hardtop Coupe
Chassis number: 3431119480

The top-level Plymouth vehicle for 1963 was the Fury. These were well equipped vehicles that came with a padded dashboard, back-up lamps and electric clock. They had a distinctive side molding, extra window frame moldings, and a rear deck panel behind the front wheel cutout. The Fury name could be found in block letters on the truck and a rectangular emblem set into the right-hand end of the rear beauty panel.

Powering the Fury were Slant Six engines. Option options included the '318' Commando, '383' Golden Command and midyear '426' Commando. The V8 engines were mated to four-speed transmission, with a three-speed manual floor shit was available with non-synchromesh on the first gear.

Plymouth also offered the Sport Fury, their premium-priced model. They had bright rocker panel strips, bucket seats, center console, wheel covers, and all-vinyl upholstery. They also were fitted with Deluxe steering wheel and rear foam seat cushions. Body styles included a hardtop coupe and a convertible. There were 11,483 examples of the Hardtop Coupe produced, and jut 3,836 examples of the convertible. Pricing for the hardtop coupe was $2,850 while the convertible listed for just over $3,000.

This particular Plymouth Sport Fury is fitted with an upgraded Max Wedge drive train. It is finished in factory colors of white with red interior. It has the 426 Max Wedge engine, NOS choke cable, Cross ram carburetors, original carter AFB units with correct carburetor linkages and fuel lines, and the transmission is a 63 Torqueflite push-button automatic unit.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible

In 1963, Plymouth restyled the Fury offering as an attempt to correct the errors of the 1962 models that were soundly rejected by the public. They redesigned as much sheet metal using the basic 1962 body as possible, utilizing a new front-end design to change the overall appearance. This included painted full-length front-to-rear body side moldings on the Fury, with an engine-turned insert on the Sport Fury.

The front turn signals were mounted high on the fenders, and although easier to damage in that location, they were well accepted. These lamps were unique because of their white lenses. Amber signals became a federal requirement in 1963, and competitors were putting amber lenses on their cars. However, Plymouth used an amber bulb behind a white lens for aesthetics when not illuminated.

The actual length of the car was increased by 3 inches although the wheelbase remained at 116 inches. The Sport Fury's had three engine options, the 318 cubic-inch, the 361 Commando engine with a 2-barrel carburetor, and the 383 cubic-inch Golden Commando engine with a 4 barrel. A 426 Wedge and a 426 Max Wedge were also available in limited production.

This Sport Fury was purchased by the current owners in the 1990's and fully restored. It is equipped with the 318 cubic-inch engine with factory-installed air-conditioning and it has the push-button controlled Torqueflite automatic transmission.

Convertible
Chassis number: 3431244065

This 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury Convertible is equipped with a 528 cubic-inch Big Block V-8 with Mopar Performance valve covers, Dual Holley four-barrel carburetors, MSD ignition, Cross Ram intake manifold, and Mallory fuel pressure regulator. There is a push-button automatic transmission, Detroit SPeed differential, custom wheels, and correct Sport Fury trim. The exterior is finished in Red with Red and White vinyl interior.

by Dan Vaughan

The Plymouth Fury was introduced in 1956 and continued in production as a model and/or series until 1989. Plymouth had been using the name Fury as the high-performance version of its standard vehicle and in 1956 made its own model designation. The initial desire of the Fury was to highlight the abilities of the Plymouth division and to create a stunning automobile that would capture the attention of consumers and bring that crowd into their showrooms. The styling was typical of the era with the most notable feature being the tail-fins which grew in size during the 1959 model year. It was a popular favorite with many police forces because of its reliability and performance.

In 1959 Plymouth introduced a performance and luxury package called the Sport Fury which featured a larger engine, performance upgrades, and a transmission that could handle the extra torque. This was the only year that it was offered.

1960 marked the beginning of the second generation Fury which continued until 1964. The Fury now sat atop a unit-body construction with a bolted-on subframe which improved rigidity. The tail fins were removed and the styling was updated to give it a modern appeal. The base engine was a slant six power-plant capable of producing over 145 horsepower. A 318 or 383 cubic-inch eight-cylinder in various configurations could be purchased as optional equipment.

Styling and mechanical changes continued in 1961. The Fury was given a new grille which gave it the impression of a 'frowning face'. The performance was increased with the 375 horsepower, 413 cubic-inch engine. A limited-edition turbocharged engine was offered in 1962. A new unitized body and chassis construction was implemented which greatly decreased the overall weight while still maintaining rigidity and interior room. Weight was further reduced with the adaptation of the TorqueFlite transmission replacing the cast-iron, two-speed PowerFlite. The 383 engine was no longer offered but a 413 8-cylinder engine became available half-way through the year.

For 1963, the grille and rear once again received styling updates. The reliability was reinforced by the company with the introduction of a five-year or fifty-thousand-mile warranty. Not much changed the following year. A limited amount of 426 Wedge 'Super Stock' engines were planted into the engine bays with the purpose of being raced and not legal on the streets.

1965 brought the third generation of the Fury. The sedans sat atop a 119-inch wheelbase while the wagons were given a 121-inch platform. A street-legal, 426 'Street Wedge' was now available, promising nearly 400 horsepower. This year also began the Fury I, Fury II, and Fury III naming scheme. In 1966 the VIP name was added to the Fury model line-up. The VIP was an economical, luxury sedan with aluminum taillight panels, wood-grained inserts, and special badging and colors. A popular option on the VIP was the vinyl roof. Luxury could be found on the interior, with its soft carpet, padded dash, individual reading lamps, walnut grain trim, fold-down armrests, and more. Under the hood was a 318 eight-cylinder engine as standard. The VIP name was short-lived, enduring until 1969 when the decision was made to cease production.

The 1965 Fury had changed aesthetically with horizontal bars on the grille and rearranged rear taillights. The interior had undergone very mild changes. The most drastic change was on the Sport Fury which was given a new console, replacing the console that had been introduced in 1964. The Hurst shifter was no longer offered; rather, a willowy Inland unit with a reverse lockout button was offered as optional equipment.

In 1966, a Silver Special edition was offered which featured silver metallic paint with blue upholstery. Window moldings, whitewall, and wheel-covers were included.

The Fury grew slightly in size in 1967. The body panels were all-new but the grille and headlights were carried over from the previous body-style. The 225 slant-six engine was standard and a 318, 383, and 440 were offered in various configurations. Offered as a two and four-door, convertible, sedan, wagon, hardtop, and convertible, there were nearly twenty-five different configurations to select from.

1968 continued the styling changes with it's horizontally split grille, updated rear, and a slight dip in the body-line which mimicked the front vent windows.

The fourth-generation began in 1969. The wheelbase of the vehicle increased offering more interior room for the passengers. The boxy-appearance of third-generation Fury was abandoned with a slight shift toward curvy appearance. Concealed headlamps were added in 1970.

In 1972 Plymouth added the Gran Fury sedan and coupe, equipped with a 383 cubic-inch engine bored out to 400 CID. Two separate blackened grilles with the word 'Fury' in the middle helped distinguish these models.

Styling changes continued in 1973 which saw many improvements to its exterior design. For 1974, the Fury sat atop a new C-body platform which was larger in size to its predecessor. A new grille and bumper made its way onto the standard Fury.

The fifth series of the Fury was introduced in 1975. Plymouth once again restyled the Fury and placed it atop a smaller, redesigned C-body chassis.

The Fury line was dropped in 1979 but a year later, in 1980, Plymouth revitalized the Gran Fury name. It shared a platform and similar body design to the Chrysler Newport and Dodge St. Regis and was available only as a four-door sedan. Sales were never strong and the Fury name was once again abandoned in 1981.

A smaller version was introduced in 1982 and stayed in production until 1989. Minor aesthetic and mechanical changes were applied during this time, but it basically stayed unchanged.

by Dan Vaughan