To compete with more upscale products, Ford introduced the LTD in 1965 as a fancy version of the Galaxie 500. Chevrolet quickly followed suite a few months later with the Caprice (guess what, a dressed-up Impala!). And Plymouth got into the game in 1966 with the VIP (Very Important Plymouth?), a snappy Fury III. This 1966 VIP 2-door hardtop has a bunch of new parts and runs with a larger, later V8 engine. Located near Jackson, Tennessee, this primer black luxury/muscle car is available here on craigslist for $14,000. Another Mopar tip from “Zen.”
The VIP began as a 4-door hardtop, but a 2-door was added mid-year in ’66. The VIP was a distant third in sales against the LTD and Caprice, so the model was gone by the 1970s. A 1966 VIP 2-door is somewhat rare today in that only 5,158 of them were built 60 years ago. The 1966 full-size Plymouth was little changed after the 1965 redesign which finally brought it back to equal footing from the 1962-64 ill-fated downsizing. The VIP had a 318 cubic inch V8 as standard (though we’ve seen where the 383 was the starting point).
The seller bought this car as a project with which he/she is now finished. A host of new bits and pieces include the tires, shocks, starter, radiator, and exhaust. The automatic transmission has been rebuilt, while the engine is a transplant. A 400 cubic inch V8 resides in place of the original 383. We don’t know why or when the change was made or what factor it has relating to the odometer reading of 80,000 miles.
Some interior work has also been done, including the headliner and a redo of the front bench seat. The car has factory air conditioning, but it’s in-op. The exterior wears what appears to be black primer, so perhaps the car is ready for a repaint (the original color may have been some version of tan given some peekaboo pics). The black works well with the poverty hub caps. The seller is not interested in a trade, so no more projects.
Leave A Comment