The seller has been the custodian of this 1969 Plymouth Fury III for twenty-seven years. It is a solid classic that needs little to lift its already tidy presentation to a higher level. Those tasks will fall to a new owner, with the seller listing the Plymouth here on Craigslist in Rushville, New York. They set a price of $12,500 OBO, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Mitchell G. for spotting this gentle giant.
Plymouth introduced its Fifth Generation Fury range in 1969, with our feature car emerging during the first production year. It makes a positive first impression, with its Spanish Gold Metallic paint holding a healthy shine. It has a few minor marks, which is expected on any classic with over five decades under its belt. The seller indicates the car is originally from Florida, but it is unclear when it migrated to its current location. The panels are straight, and there’s no evidence or mention of rust that could cause its new owner sleepless nights. If the car has lived in a favorable climate, that would have helped its cause. Its biggest exterior shortcoming is the vinyl top, which has deteriorated significantly. It has reached a point where it will allow moisture in, meaning taking action before rust sinks its teeth into the roof would be a priority. Fortunately, that isn’t an expensive process. Replacement vinyl kits retail for approximately $300, which would be money well spent. The chrome and glass look excellent, and the finder skirts accentuate the car’s long and low appearance.
Lifting the hood reveals this Plymouth’s numbers-matching 318ci V8. The original owner also ticked the boxes on the Order Form beside the three-speed TorqueFlite transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The driver has 230hp and 340 ft/lbs of torque at their disposal, although this is a modest amount for a car weighing in at 3,836 lbs. The journey down the ¼-mile will take 17.5 seconds, with the company’s official figures confirming the engine will run out of breath at 115mph. The seller indicates the car is in sound mechanical health, running and driving well. They state the odometer reads 79,900 miles but don’t indicate whether they hold evidence verifying the reading as genuine.
It’s disappointing that we don’t receive any interior shots of this Plymouth because the indications are it needs some love. This photo reveals the rear seat back is sun-rotted, which may be the tip of the iceberg. The seller says it needs other upholstery work and carpet if the interior presentation is to match the exterior. They mention extras, but whether these are factory options or aftermarket additions is unclear. The car has air conditioning, but we can only speculate on other potential luxury appointments.
This 1969 Plymouth Fury III is a tidy vehicle, and lifting its exterior presentation should be affordable and straightforward. It has no mechanical needs, but a question mark hangs over its interior condition. The seller’s price is heading toward the top end of the market for a vehicle of this caliber, which might explain why it has remained on the market for two weeks. The situation could change at any time, but do you think it will?
I always liked these, unfortunately they were horrendous rust traps where I lived and not real common and by the late 70s early 80s the metal muncher had consumed most. A very nice appearing copy here. The interior is likely toast as the cloth fabrics did not fare well against sun and age. The convertible was a very attractive unit with few copies.
Oh dear. Bought a ’69 Fury from Gold Brand Motors in Bristol PA, May ’75. A retired Pennsylvania State Police car it had the 440 Super Commando engine. I have forgotten the mileage. The car had been repainted a bronze/taupe metallic color. I added, maybe, fifty feet of prism tape to it. I felt it was tasteful. I was 19.
The car had a long tube that ran from the trunk and inside the vehicle to the front just under where the heater controls were. My Dad said it had been for the electronic communications gear in the trunk. The cables had run through that pipe. Sounded reasonable to me. Dad helped me install a CB radio in the Fury and I selected twin-mast antennas that were positioned at a rakish angle up near the base of the rear window in the trunk seal channel. Dad used a vacuum cleaner to pull a long piece of thread through that pipe and then used that to fish a length of stout twine back through it. Then we could pull the CB coax cable through the pipe.
I had the Fury relatively briefly (18 months or so) before giving it to a younger brother. While I had it I went through a lot of rear tires. I developed a relationship with Clock Tire Mart in Warminster, PA. They sold $25 retreads that fit the Fury; $45 for the pair. That worked out because I was working overtime.
I remember that the Fury liked to yaw on its ‘Y’ axis. It was a solid platform when it was barreling straight ahead but never ask it to change lanes at higher speeds. Some of that yaw might have been from the mushy tires I was putting on it. That occurred to me after I gave the Fury to my brother. Before I let him have the keys and title our father lent him the money to put brand new Goodyear tires on it. The Fury stayed with my brother until some time in early-1978 when he sold it to a friend. I lost track of it after that.
Cool story and car Nos 🤝
Thank you very much, Stan!
Great story, thanks for sharing
Thank you, Pat, much appreciated.
A new vinyl top (or remove & paint), interior help as needed, and some whitewalls mounted on Magnums would really spice this jewel up! GLWTS! :-)
I had a ’69 Fury II sedan with the 318 many years ago. It’s a great motor and acceleration is surprisingly adequate, though don’t expect a barn burner given all the mass we’re dealing with here. But it’s certainly on a par with the 350s that GM was using at the time.
Possibly if it had the big block in it those were awesome cars that my uncles drove back in the 70’s love to drive them. I’m afraid it will be hard for the weak 318 to command that much money. Good Luck with the sell.
My parents got a used 69 Fury when I was in college, so I drove it when I was home. A white 4 door with a red interior, with a 383 2v. It ran well on premium and got 18 mpg with the national 55 mph speed limit. A fun car to drive. When they got rid of it, it still ran great, but the body was more rust than white. I imagine the chassis was just as bad. I imagine the buyer bought it for the engine. Plymouths were great cars, but were rust magnets. This one is nice looking, but I wonder how it performs with the 318. These are heavy cars.
This car needs a Jaguar 9 liter V12 swap!!
Cool ride. Not $12K cool but cool.
It looks so at home in the country in those pictures online.
The Goodyear Wrangler tires look kind of out of place to me, esp. on the front.
RIP Plymouth… it’s hard for me to believe the brand ceased to exist in 2001.
Time flies.