Sport Fury, 383/auto, buckets, console, black-on-black, numerous upgrades, nice!

The horsepower wars started long before you think they did, nd no other company was as serious about going fast as Chrysler Corporation. The early ‘60s were a wondrous time in terms of technology and market forces pushing for greater and greater performance, nd all of that trickled down to the street, here even family sedans could be had with big honking V8s designed to turn tires into stinky white smoke. Styling was often a matter of taste, ut the industrial-strength looks of ‘60s Mopars just scream horsepower today and in comparison to some of the big, ulky cars coming out of Ford and GM, achines like this 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury look long, ean, nd athletic. It’s a sure bet that seeing one of these hardtops on the road that it’s packing some serious blasting powder under the hood, nd this car nails the period performance look without sacrificing full-sized comfort, ll at a very reasonable price.

Industrial-strength Mopars always look best in dark colors, nd this Sport Fury’s black-on-black wardrobe is only the first warning you’ll get that it’s serious about its business. It comes from the collection of a long-time Mopar enthusiast and appears to be wearing all its original sheetmetal and all of it is in great shape. Those long quarter panels are prone to rust and getting bumped, specially over the course of five decades, ut a glance down the flanks shows nice, traight bodywork that’s got nowhere to hide thanks to the glossy black finish. The new-for-1964 cantilevered roofline is pure Chrysler and it’s as attractive here as anywhere else, ending the big car a lithe, thletic look that belies its size. It also helped sales, s earlier Furys were kind of odd-looking. The paint is probably 15 years old, o it’s not perfect, ut for a cruiser that’s going to get driven, t looks pretty darned good and stands up to the scrutiny it’ll get at the local cruise night. Nobody will be ashamed to be seen in this street brawler. Nobody.

You also get some pretty nice chrome and stainless trim. The grille is nicely preserved and probably original, ecause you just can’t replicate that satin finish that the factory used on the aluminum. The side trim with its engine-turned inserts pretty much ensures that the bodywork is straight, nd we love the SPORT FURY block letters on the quarters. There’s some light pitting on the heavy cast parts, articularly the hood and trunk ornaments and spears, ut it’s really not worth chasing because it’s only visible upon close inspection. Bumpers are very nice, he taillight surrounds are in good order, nd the trim that showcases the dramatic roof line looks great.

Finding bucket seats and a console inside one of these is a pleasant surprise, uggesting that the original owner was someone who appreciated performance at least as much as full-sized comfort. We believe the seats have been reupholstered at some point, nd the materials and patters are quite correct, ncluding the neat silver piping on the seats. The carpets are in excellent condition and the door panels are wonderfully ornate pieces of ‘60s industrial art, omplete with speaker grilles and chrome bezels that look like they belong there. The fat wood-rimmed steering wheel is aftermarket but really warms up the interior, nd all the original gauges are fully functional save for the vacuum economy indicator on the console (which is really begging to be a tachometer anyway). The shifter seems intuitively designed to be shifted manually in the heat of combat, ith sharp detents to keep you from doing any damage, nd the pushbutton controls for the heater are just plain cool. The factory AM radio is still in the dash and should probably be upgraded and they’ve thoughtfully added heavy-duty floor mats to keep it looking fresh. The back seat looks like new and in the trunk you’ll find a correct mat and a full-sized spare that surely dates back a few decades, ut no signs of critical body rot or panel replacement.

The engine is Chrysler’s rugged, eliable, nd surprisingly eager-to-rev 383 cubic inch V8. Eminently smooth and effortless in almost everything it does, t has been recently freshened with a new carburetor and intake manifold, resh distributor, nd a professional tune by the pros at Bair Customs. Pump the accelerator once or twice to set the choke and it fires as quickly as your fuel-injected late-model and idles well even when it’s cold. On the road, t pulls cleanly with big block torque and despite the car’s size, t’s not particularly heavy, o it’s plenty fast. Experts will suggest that the engine is supposed to be corporate turquoise, ut it’s wearing Hemi Orange now, great contrast to the black engine bay and with chrome dress-up parts, t has a performance look. It’s not radical, o it’ll be a reliable, un driving partner for years to come and it’s happy on pump gas, o go ahead and drive it all you’d like. Long-tube headers feed a brand new dual exhaust system that’s throaty without being annoying, urther reinforcing the car’s street-friendly demeanor.

It's backed by an indestructible 727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic transmission, hich always seems to be in the right gear. There’s some recent work here, oo, ncluding a cool billet transmission cooler up ahead of the radiator. Out back, he 8.75-inch rear end feels like it has 3.55 gears on a Sure Grip limited slip, o it’s mellow on the highway yet punchy around town. The undercarriage is pretty original, ot detailed for show, ut it’s also showing original seams and body mounts that haven’t been buried under undercoating, o it’s got nothing to hide. Not perfect, ut nothing that should worry a new owner, ither. The torsion bar front suspension still has that magic carpet ride and despite the lack of power assist, he freshly rebuilt brakes with new drums are plenty strong enough for the car’s capabilities. Out back you get a set of air shocks so you can fine-tune the attitude, nd we like the way it sits with a bit of rake. Vintage-looking Torque Thrusts are exactly the right choice, ith these wearing staggered 235/60/15 front and 275/60/15 Firestone radials that have less than 100 miles on them.

A cool car that has a timeless appeal, his Sport Fury is the Mopar fan’s entry into a great world of performance and style. If you’re like me and you love the industrial-strength look, ou’re going to love the way this car drives. Call now!