At least once a week here on Barn Finds, a car is posted that is so bafflingly equipped that one would give almost anything to interview the original owner in an effort to get to the bottom of it. Here’s this week’s car, a 1968 Plymouth Fury III Sport Suburban, the line-topping three-seat wagon in Plymouth’s full-size lineup. It has the fake wood sides, yes, but it also has base hubcaps, a three-speed on the column, no power brakes, no air conditioning, and no power steering. This solid Matador Red anomaly is being advertised at Hemmings.com for $21,900, and it is located at a dealer in Morgantown, Pennsylvania. Thanks to reliable Barn Finder Curvette for sending it our way.

The Sport Suburban’s standard engine was the underappreciated 318, whose 230 horsepower and 340 lb.-ft. of torque are sorely tested by the family hauler’s 4,125-pound shipping weight. With a full load, the wagon will easily crest 5,000 pounds, which might have made the original owner wish they’d sprung for the 383. Still, with no added accessories to sap power, the 318 would have gotten the job done just fine as long as you weren’t trying to make a dicey pass on a two-lane highway. The seller lists the mileage at 42,754, but doesn’t make any claims that the odometer hasn’t rolled over. The radiator appears to be an original Mopar unit, and everything under the hood looks to be as the factory in Newark, Delaware, assembled it.

The third pedal on the floor is what really makes the Suburban fascinating. Everything points to the three-speed being a New Process A-745 unit with a non-synchro first gear, which sends the 318’s power back to an 8 3/4″ rear end with 3.23:1 gears. The gear spacing in the three speed is as follows: First, 3:02:1; Second, 1.76:1; Third, 1:1. Clearly, the wagon spends most of its time in second and high, which is no surprise given the unsynchronized first.

The Sport Suburban was available in two-seat and three-seat models, with this three-seat example being less common (only 9,954 were built). Fury wagons were available in Suburban, Custom Suburban, and Sport Suburban trims, and the Sport Suburban had this swanky vinyl interior, a clock, a lighted glove box, and of course, the wood applique on the flanks.

For a wagon with a dealer tag from Ewell Chrysler-Plymouth in Glen Burnie, Maryland, the undercarriage is in excellent condition. Everything is a little oily underneath, but having driven old cars for fun for practically the entire time I’ve been driving, I know that old cars are going to be old cars. They’re just a little seepy, that’s all. The muffler has a little perforation that you might want to keep an eye on, but the car’s solid, and that’s the important thing.

The dealer says that the Fury “tracks straight,” but the parking brake needs adjustment, the clock doesn’t work (do they ever?), and the gas tank “seeps when full.” Those are fairly minor issues (well, maybe not the fuel tank), but the plus side is that you’ll get a really interesting wagon that is in excellent driver shape. And considering its almost complete lack of options, somebody must have really wanted those wood sides when this Suburban was new.