1966 Plymouth Fury III
Friday, October 2, 2009 at 11:48PM By Vern Parker
For 17 long years Joseph Friedl's father drove a 1937 Plymouth. While reliable it was showing signs of aging in the post-war years. It was at that period of his life that young Friedl swore off Chrysler products forever.
But that was then and this is now. After attending the 50th reunion of his high school class in Athens, W.Va., he began thinking about getting an antique car.
He was interested in finding a car large enough to haul five grandchildren around in, he says. Additionally, he wanted a car that was ready to drive. “I was not looking for a big project,” he says.
He found several likely candidates on the internet but they all seemed to be located on the distant west coast. Then he saw a red 1966 Plymouth Fury III convertible for sale and it was near where he lived in Fairfax County.
“I decided to give it a try,” Friedl says, bending his rule about not owning a Chrysler product.
When Friedl first saw the car he was impressed with its curb appeal. The man selling the Plymouth did not own the car but was selling it for his father-in-law. Friedl went for a brief ride in the Plymouth but never drove the car before agreeing to buy it last March.
Papers that came with the car indicate that it was delivered to the original owner on May 10, 1966 at D.L. Miller Auto Sales in Mishawaka, Ind. Where the Plymouth was in the intervening years is a mystery. Only 4,326 of the 3,720-pound Fury III convertibles were manufactured, each one with a base price of $3,074.
Friedl's wife, Betty, followed him to their Vienna, Va., home in a new car – just in case. “It didn't miss a beat,” a happy Friedl reports.
Once at home the Plymouth underwent a thorough examination from the erect hood ornament in the front to the raised letters on the back bumper that spell P L Y M O U T H.
The 318-cubic-inch V-8 engine was okay but was much better after a tune-up. “I wanted it to run good,” Friedl says. A two-barrel carburetor draws fuel from the 25-gallon gasoline tank. All the fluids were changed at that time.
The engine is kept lubricated with four quarts of oil -- five quarts if the filter is changed. High temperature created by the V-8 is controlled by 23 quarts of coolant.
A gear shift lever on the steering column operates the three-speed manual transmission. Friedl found that the shift linkage needed to be adjusted.
“I truly believe the 52,000 miles on the odometer is accurate,” Friedl says after a detailed inspection of the convertible. “It must have sat somewhere a long, long time,” he surmises.
The interior of the red car is upholstered in black vinyl while the floor is covered with black carpeting. The colorful car is complete when the white convertible top is raised. The rear window is plastic. The switch to raise or lower the top is located on the dashboard to the right side of the two-spoke steering wheel.
The speedometer stops at the 120 mph mark. Friedl is unaware of the actual top speed, but says, “I'd like to find out.”
While riding on the 119-inch wheelbase the appearance of the total package is of a very long car, especially when the top is down and the rear fender skirts are in place.
From the rear both backup lights are bracketed by a pair of taillights.
Friedl is becoming better acquainted with his Plymouth with the distance of each shakedown cruise a bit longer as he gains confidence in his car.
When new the car came with a warranty of 12,000 miles or 12 months, whichever came first. According to the warranty the car and all equipment or accessories except tires were to be free of defects in material and workmanship. The drive train was covered for 50,000 miles or five years.
“I wasn't looking for a Plymouth,” Friedl says. “What really sold me on the car was the V-8 engine, the condition of the tires, the fact that it was a convertible and it was the right color.”
In the cool of the evening Friedl and his wife enjoy top-down motoring in their 1966 Plymouth Fury III convertible.