Unique bumper lovers, here’s a 1971 Plymouth Fury Custom Suburban with the classic and unique wraparound front bumper. This Custom Suburban wagon is on Craigslist with an asking price of $2,450 and it looks like a nice project. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Pat L. for sending this one in! NADA lists a “low retail” for a 1971 Plymouth wagon as being almost $5,000 so this one has potential!
The information given about this car is slim pickins, other than “it was running when parked 6 years ago”. So, expect some work to do on this one before you’re hauling the family to the Grand Canyon, staying in a pop-up tent trailer with your six kids and maid, Alice. Wait, the Bradys had a ’71 Satellite Custom Wagon, never mind. Plymouth made a Sport Fury wagon, or “Suburban”, and also Fury II and Fury III wagons in 1971. I’m not sure if Sport Fury Suburban wagons had this option or not, but Sport Furys could get the mind-blowing-for-1971 option that would wash the headlamps and “scrub them clean with nylon brushes”! Headlight washers on a Plymouth of any vintage let alone a 1971?! Now that’s cool. I’m an oddball option guy so I love that stuff, most people would rather have a 440 six-pack. Of course, none of that matters because this car isn’t a Sport Fury Suburban, unfortunately.
Speaking of engines, there are no engine or interior photos (sigh), but this car has a 383 V8 and it has either 275 or 300 gross hp. The body on this car looks pretty solid and mostly rust-free and that’s a huge bonus, but with no interior, engine, or underside photos, who knows the real condition. And, there are some dents to massage out. It’s southeast of Los Angeles, California so hopefully that’s kept the rust at bay, but it may not have kept the rodents at bay or helped the rubber and plastic parts from being cracked and deteriorated. Have any of you had a fuselage Fury Wagon?
My old man had a wagon like this. Hauled a lot of plywood in that car. Good beater, or there’s always the demo derby. ( car of choice now that Imperials are banned)
Demo Derby?? [GASP!!! HORROR!!!] .. seriously, Howard? :-)
No, no, and … no. I love old beasts like this. Had a few wagons in my stable over the years. Definitely time for another one. Price is good on this one, so …
Most derbies these days are 1980 and up, don’t allow wagons. Crown Vics are the car of choice
I see it has the special order paint code: “Sun-burn-ban” Green
I bought a used (green) Chrysler New Yorker wagon with all the boxes checked–imagine the Fury as a luxo-yacht. One week I could send an alimony check, the next week I could fill up the tank all the way to the top.Couldn’t do both the same week, though. Those cars made you want to tour the USA…
To me it’s worth the matter net, and not in a really bad part of town…..
Worth the money! Not letting me edit spell check.
What was the Mopar that had the wipers disappear in the rear tailgate ?
Mother had one with hide-a-way headlights and the woodgrain panel exterior. One morning, taking us to school, she made a left turn under a yellow light and was clipped by a speeding Honda coming the other way. We saw and heard it hit but didn’t really feel the impact. The Honda was totaled. Dad just replaced the left front fender on the ‘wagon and she drove it for a couple more years.
I had ’70 Fury Gran Coupe with the 383. Those big Plymouths were built to cruise highways. This ’71 wagon would do the same.
Ed, my Mom had the same car; the rear quarter panels looked to be over 7′ long! Many 120mph night cruises in that barge…
Yep, with a big block in a B or C body car of that era, cruising at 100 mph+ was effortless. Did many blasts across the Nevada desert back in the day with no problems, which in hindsight was kinda amazing given the crappy tires of that era. And of course the cop cars of that era were equally powerful big Mopars too, so not like they were easy to outrun.
I love it…one of my neighbors had one just like it, same green with a 383 and three-on-the-tree! His wife’s car! Wagons are coming back…
23 ish years ago I took a ’71 Fury 3 and dropped the entire front frame section out, engine,power steering, disc brakes, torsion bar suspension and all. It is a “Sub frame” attached by 4 main bolts, not too different than the new Chevy Citation I bought in 1980. Grafted that to a ’67 Dodge 1/2 ton frame, installed a 440 from a ’71 New Yorker, and mounted a ’41 Dodge truck body on it. Still have the old rod. :-) Terry J
Mom and Dad had one of these in the same color when I was a kid. Many miles in the jump seats in the back, or as my older brother an I called it, “the back in the back.” The sound of that old Mopar starter from those years is a flashback trigger. We drove that beast from St. Louis, MO to Syracuse, NY and back one summer – tent camping out along the way at rest areas and campgrounds. The Griswolds wouldn’t take the Family Truckster to an empty and closed “Wally World” for a few years yet, but it always reminded me of that summer road trip. Hope it goes to a good home, as it will always have a fond place in my childhood memories.
We had the Dodge version in bright yellow with woodgrain plastic sides and a black interior. We called it the Flying Banana. Ours had the Highway Patrol Package and I do not remember the engine size but there were few cars that could out run it and few gas stations it could pass by.
I really miss that beast. Had an amazing heater. Could nearly melt your feet. Made Nebraska and South Dakota winters bearable and I suspect saved many a toe from frost bite. Air conditioning was good too,
440 +6 ?? hmmm! the 440 4v would move it out! While I like the shiny mirror like paint, this one would look good as is…. and with the 440 4v what a sleeper!! If I were to get it, and repaint it, it would be a dark green … 440 !! wow !
I had a friend who owned a ’71 Charger R/T. It had the funky headlight washers. It was a 440 Six Pack car. Do you have any idea how many were equipped with these.
Thanks
What you have to check is the frame. They gave out before the body a lot. That’s how my moms car left the family.
They didn’t have a full length frame with the body mounted on that like older cars. It was an actual uni-body with a front frame section added. The front from about under the front floor boards forward, bolted on. On my old Dodge hot rod truck(above) I temporarily tack welded 4 pieces of scrap angle iron to the ground as legs to hold the front frame section in the correct attitude, then removed the front clip and body and rolled it away. I did the same with the ’67 Dodge half ton frame with a couple of legs and removed the body/bed etc. and cut the frame off in front of the firewall area. Then I basically slid them together and how they mated was how the 2 frame sections were welded together with much plating and bracing. It has always tracked well , just like it was engineered to. Power steering, power disc brakes, torsion bar front suspension. :-) Terry J
The Sport Fury version was called Sport Suburban. I love mine, been in the family since 1982. This is what it looked like in 92 when I bought it off my mom. Was born with a 383 and with 2:76 gears it could fly!
I still have it but it is far from stock now. It has a 440 now that is hopped up, 727 with a 2500 stall converter and a TCI street fighter valve body, with 3:55 sure grip in the rear. Freeway driving suffers now but it sure is fun in town. The wagon now looks like a 70 model after the original grill broke and I prefer the look of the 70 anyways. Hood and front valance were changed out for 70 parts also.
Responding to Leon, I believe the Dodge Monaco and the Chrysler Town & Country had the option of the rear window washer/wiper option. There was a HUGE wiper blade that rode against the outside of the glass within the tailgate. You pushed a button to spray washer fluid, while at the same time, roll the rear window down. When the window was down, release the wash button and roll the back window up. Clean glass. And the headlight washers ? As far as I know, there has never been another American car that has ever offered this option. Chrysler was quite innovative with their option choices. You could even order a Dictaphone tape recorder, mounted on the tranny hump to record dictation.
There is a video on YouTube of a ’72 wagon, ordered as a Fire Chief’s personal car that had this option. You should check it out. It’s a 1 of 1 car, having the distinction of being the only Plymouth wagon that year & color combo, to have a power sun roof. Police package. 440 4bbl. Tilt & tel rim blow steering wheel. Must have come from a very wealthy community.
Wow! I love all wagons in general but I NEED 1 o’ these brawny beasts ASAP!! Cheers.
I had a 72 with a 383 4bbl for years. Bought it used in San Francisco for $250.00
Drove it for 4 years with no trouble until things started literally falling apart. Had no time in those days to fix it. Who knew about such value now? But until you have a close inspection be careful. The drivelines are forever but the cars are marginal elsewhere.