Vehicle Description
1960 Plymouth Fury Convertible
The 1960 Plymouth was significant in many respects. It was the last
Plymouth manufactured with their famous fins ("stabilizers" as they
were called in the sales literature), and the first Plymouth
manufactured with "unibody" construction. Unibody construction
offered weight and material savings over the then conventional
body-on-frame construction, while at the same time made for a
stiffer body. The engine department for 1960 saw the introduction
of two legends. First was the unveiling of the slant six engine,
with cylinders inclined 30 degrees to the right, this engine is
unmatched in its reputation for reliability and durability. Second
was the debut of the cross ram induction intake manifold, available
on top of the line engines. The Plymouth version was named the
Sonoramic Commando V8 and was available on the 383ci and 361ci "B"
engines. On the racing scene in 1960, RIchard Petty began his
winning ways. Richard's first three NASCAR grand national victories
were recorded that year in a Plymouth. On the dragstrip, Al
Eckstrand took home Super Stock Automatic class honors at the NHRA
Nationals in Detroit, driving a '60 Plymouth Fury. The winning
tradition carried on in 1961 but the famous fins were gone.
Sherman, set the Wayback Machine for 1960 and go for a drive up and
down Main Street Anytown, USA and you would be hard pressed not to
see tail fins cutting past you like a shark in shallow waters. This
year was the final year for fins from the Mopar camp although many
of Virgil Exner's design cues lived on when the fin trend was done.
However, for 1960 the designers got it just right and their pen
work shows splendidly in metal on this originally from California
car that has been well documented since 1997. All in remarkable
condition with no metal work done ever and an updated drivetrain,
many jet age factory options and even a restored aero steering
wheel, well steering square, we present to you for consignment the
1960 Plymouth Fury convertible.
Exterior
Presenting in Plum Red Metallic and a cove of white, elegance and
excess abound everywhere you look. The Virgil Exner Forward Look is
prevalent here, lower, longer, wider! Starting up front we are
greeted with a massive bumper showing deep shiny chrome and a large
horizontally barred grille stretching from fender to fender. Dual
headlights are tucked neatly into the grille and under the
outcropping of the forward protruding fenders and float like eyes
peering into the darkness. A gold anodized Plymouth ornament sits
proudly in the center of the grille and just above PLYMOUTH
lettering in chrome grace the front lip of the hood. Bright
stainless trim spears follow the smooth protruding fender and swoop
down behind the front wheel opening to provide a framing for the
white cove. This trim runs the length of the base of the car before
ending in a large ribbed panel aft of the rear wheel opening.
Smooth and straight side panels grace the car in an excellently
applied coat of the Plum Red and show no inclusions waves or mars.
The gaps are well minded and for the roof a white pinpoint vinyl
power top is on with a crystal clear plastic rear window. A
secondary trim spear follows the top of the body and traces upward
to finish off the large and in charge final year fins. The rear end
of this car is where the magic truly is... forward canted chrome
bezel taillights attached to the back of the fins rest just above a
perfectly plated rear bumper with chrome dual exhaust tips peeking
out at the sides. Motorwheel authentic reproduction wire wheels are
wrapped in like new wide whitewall rubber on all 4 corners and
finish off the exterior superbly.
Interior
With a swing of the well balanced driver's door we are greeted by a
red vertical tuck and roll door panel with a swoopy white vinyl
insert. Within the white is a padded red armrest and futuristic
chrome jet fighter throttle handle for a door release and a red and
white striped vinyl insert. A chrome separation spear down low
defines the transition from tuck and roll to textured vinyl while
another gold anodized Plymouth badge graces the upper panel. As we
peer at the front swivel bucket seats, we note their red vinyl
coverings with white rectangle inserts on the uppers as well as the
gold piping around the bolsters. The lower cushion and bottom seat
back are wrapped in black and red cloth with that oh so nifty
silver metallic stitching. All wonderfully redone and preserved
original fabrics here. The rear bench mimics the front in both
materials and condition, does it get any better? Our two-toned
theme carries to the extremely rare and fully restored Aero
steering wheel and has a nicely preserved chrome horn pad that
spreads from the center hub to twin paddle like cups. Looking past
the steering wheel we are met with more Plum red and an abundance
of chrome bezels, aluminum panels and an ovoid pod-like speedometer
mounted on top of the dash. Push buttons abound throughout the dash
for not only gear selectors but also heater controls and a machine
turned panel is below all of this and houses the shiny knobs for
wipers, lights, the ignition switch, and original AM radio. A quick
glance across the dash shows the glove box in front of the
passenger seat which holds a modern USB stereo connection. Clean
black carpet floods the floors and is well protected by black
carpeted mats.
Drivetrain
Long gone is the original V8 and in its place in the finely
restored engine bay is a 440ci V8 circa 1969 painted it traditional
Mopar orange. Topped with a 4bbl carburetor this monster mill makes
375 tire shredding horses and looks factory installed. On the back
is a 727 Torqueflite 3-speed automatic transmission which sends
power back to an 8 3/4" rear axle. In the engine bay we note supple
hoses, clean wiring, and even the addition of cruise control for
those long highway drives.
Undercarriage
A peek underneath and we are met face to face with the 1st year
unibody design courtesy of Mopar. All original and well cared for
with no rust and just undercoating and black paint noted. The
rockers and floor pans are solid and rust free with no evidence of
repairs in the past, just the way it rolled off the assembly line.
Providing the ride in the front is an independent torsion bar
suspension with upgraded power disc brakes and for the rear we note
leaf springs and power drum brakes. Dual exhaust is on with
stainless steel mufflers to help with the spent fossil removal. We
also note power steering to make tight parking places a breeze to
handle.
Drivability
I never miss a chance to pilot a part of automotive history,
especially when it's from the fabulous finned era. I made full use
of the swivel seat feature to get my large frame behind the
steering wheel ummm square, and the door had a solid thunk that
only comes from a well-built Exner car. A turn of the key and the
440 cuber sprang to life and settled into a pleasant rumble.
Sliding off the park feature and a press of the D button got me out
to the test track in stellar time. On our track I experienced
excellent handling, great braking and superb handling even with the
notorious large car body roll. Since my test drive day was a break
from the winter blahs I even enjoyed the luxury of a top down lap
in this cruiser of excess. 5 stars across the board with all
functions operational.
A great final year example of the finned era. Meticulously restored
right down to the metallic thread in the seat stitching and
upgraded in the braking and drivetrain department all make this a
great looker an...for more information please contact the seller.
