Factory 426 Street Wedge: 1965 Plymouth Fury III

After relying on the smaller B-body platform for its full-size cars in 1962-64, the C-body returned the big Plymouths to a competitive position in 1965. The models offered were the Fury I, II, III, and Sport Fury, putting the variants on a comparative footing with Chevrolet and Ford. The Fury III was well-equipped and popular with families – except when equipped with the rare 426 cubic-inch “Street Wedge” V8. The seller’s car appears to be one and has a 4-speed manual transmission to boot. Located in Winchester, New Hampshire, this Mopar project is listed here on eBay, where the no-reserve auction bidding stands at $1,525.

The Max Wedge was born at 413 cubic inches in 1963-64 to support Chrysler’s position in sanctioned racing. Next up was the 426 CI version that produced up to 425 hp with a cross-ram intake and two 4-barrel carburetors. A street version of the engine was available for public consumption, but with a single 4-barrel carb and 60 fewer hp. The number of 1965 full-size Plymouths built with the 426 Street Wedge isn’t known, but thought to be small. The fender tag on this car has the engine code “80,” which supports the factory Wedge claim, though we don’t know if this is a numbers-matching machine.

When this Fury III was new, it must have looked sharp in triple black. But options were few as there is no power assist for the drum brakes or steering. It was a bench seat car, but bucket seats have replaced it, and they need a bit of work. The car will need some body work which includes one fender, the trunk pan, and both lower rear quarter panels. Given the car’s performance pedigree, a thorough restoration will probably be in someone’s future.

We’re told that a prior owner had the Plymouth running thanks to a flood of replacement parts, but that may not be the case now. The carburetor needs to be rebuilt and has been removed, and you are likely to find something else that will need to be tinkered with besides the body, paint, and interior. Where would you start?