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Original Droptop: 1969 Plymouth Fury III

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In 1969 Chrysler Corp introduced the new “fuselage” styling for their large and full size car models. Plymouth Fury, Sport Fury and VIP models got wider and longer with a 120 inch wheelbase for the Fury line, which included a full range of models – 2-door coupe, 2-door convertible, 4-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, and 4-door station wagon.

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With only 4,129 convertible Fury III’s made out of a total 352,844 Fury and Sport Fury models built, there is no doubt that not many of these full size droptops are still around.

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The smaller Belvedere and Satellites are generally more popular with enthusiasts and while these full size Furies are heavier, thirstier, and don’t handle as well as their smaller brethren, they are under appreciated and therefore relatively affordable if you are looking for a sixties era convertible.

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These full size cars were sold with the 318 cid engine as their base offering, but buyers could order the gutsier 383 and even a 440, though it’s likely that not many of those fire breathing engines were featured in Fury IIIs. Can one of you Mopar experts tell us which engine this car has in it? I’m guessing it’s a 383? Could that engine paint be original though? Seems unlikely.

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This example is listed for sale here on craigslist in Bridgeport, Connecticut and is said to be 95% original. While there is almost no descriptive copy provided in the ad, the photos do support the possibility that this car is truly an original survivor, though to me the paint looks almost too good to be true.

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The seller says the car has only 74,000 miles and runs well. Its color appears to be a hue Plymouth called Blue Fire, and at least in photos, the paint and the overall body condition look very good. So does the interior.

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I think this is a great looking car. At the $13,500 asking price, it’s even almost affordable, and would be a great summer car. Still, it would be nice to know at least some of the history of the car over the last 47 years. How did it manage to survive all those years?

Comments

  1. Avatar John

    Pretty sure it’s a 318.I had one in my 69 coronet convertible, and the radiator hose set up and air cleaner looked like this one.I love these old land yachts.

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  2. Avatar Blindmarc

    Looks like a 318. Big blocks have the distributor up front.

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  3. Avatar grego

    Why are all the links to CL ,eBay etc now all at the end of the articles instead of the beginnings like before, there are those of us who dnt have the time to click through another page to find the link BC of time etc.

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    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      We removed the links from the first paragraph because a lot people were just clicking the cl, eBay, etc. Iinks in the email and never coming to the site.

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  4. Avatar Bob

    318

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  5. Avatar Charles H.

    Definitely a 318, no doubt about it! I owned a ’69 Fury III 4dr. HT, same exact color as this one, it was originally purchased new by my uncle, who worked for Chrysler Corp. at the time, it also had a 318….sure would love to own this one, I would especially love to have a Sport Fury model, with the 440!

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  6. Avatar Bobby Pickersgill

    My ’70 polara 318 wasn’t orange, it was a dull blue.
    Scrape up another 3 grand any buy my 73 mustang convertible.

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    • Avatar RNR

      ’69 318’s are red, ’70’s are blue. One source claims that police 318’s in ’69 & ’70 are orange – if that is in fact true, it’s far more likely that whoever detailed the engine compartment grabbed a can of Hemi orange paint.

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  7. Avatar Scotty G Staff

    That’s a beauty, David! My parents had a 1969 Fury III sedan but a convertible would have been much better.

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  8. Avatar Skip Haworth

    I found my 1969 Plymouth Fury III convertible on a dealer’s used car lot in early January 1970. MSRP was $4,300 and I paid $3,000. I loved that car but my Ex got it as a part of the divorce settlement!

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  9. Avatar Robert

    318, If it was a 383 or Bigger it would have the Distributor in Front., Don’t know if I spell that Right, Anyhow it would be in Front not in the Back.

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  10. Avatar Charles

    It looks fun, but slow, or is that slow, but fun? How about leisurely cruiser.

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  11. Avatar JD

    Great car. 318. $13.5K seems pretty steep to me, though. I wouldn’t go any higher than $10K. Love those Furys.

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  12. Avatar G 1

    Those hub caps are (Optional) disc brake caps.

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  13. Avatar Geoff S.

    I love this car, 318 and all. I had a 69 Fury II that I drive as a daily driver for 15 years. I waxed it spring and fall and the paint looked like new after 185,000 miles. If I had the money, this would be an excellent cross country trip with the family.

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  14. Avatar Mark S

    Why would you need more than the 318 it’s not like your going racing in it. If a 318 will pull a 1/2 ton pickup around it’ll pull this boat. As for the link at the end I like it better gives me a chance to read the post before I look at the car. Before I found myself back tracking all the time.

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  15. Avatar Jack

    It really does look clean from the pictures. $13.5 does seem to be a bit on the high side for a 318, I’m sure if this had a 440 it would be gone already at that price. This party cruiser looks like it would be a lot of fun! Nice colors! Looks like it is ready for “Hot Fun in the Summertime” Sly and the Family Stone. Might not be a bad deal, I’m not getting any younger…

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  16. Avatar george

    big blocks like the 383, 440 had the distrubitor at the front of engine. the small blocks had them at the back of the engine

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  17. Avatar krash

    Bought one of these for $400 back in 1984 after I noticed it resting behind a neighbor’s home. He had bought it new back in ’69 and had simply lost interest in it when it started to run poorly. It had @ 70k miles on the odometer. A mechanic friend spent an afternoon with it and it ran like a charm for a few years. It was pale yellow w/ black interior. Had the 318. Drove it year round in New England while I was attending college. Only replaced the tires and the top. Suffered a small electrical fire beneath the dash shortly after the top was replaced, so I put a ‘For Sale’ sign on it. A local gentleman bought it right away and drove it for another 5 years….then it disappeared from sight.

    That Fury always started and (prior to the electrical issue) was the most maintenance-free vehicle I’ve ever owned. It was a boat, but it comfortably seated four large adults and had a cavernous trunk for plenty of beach gear…

    Have only seen two (including the one featured) since.

    Brings back fond memories…

    Like 0

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