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Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semitrucks — email fjolley@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration.AMERICAN FORK — Referring to American Fork resident Dave Allen and his 1970 Plymouth Fury III as “inseparable” is a bit of an understatement.
“I’d rather lose a limb than lose this car,” Allen said of his metallic green Fury.
If you spent even just a few moments listening to Allen speak of the car and its meaning to him, you’d understand that he’s not putting forth hyperbole, either. The ‘70 Plymouth is all original, aside from its paint and wheels.
After Allen’s grandfather, Joe Drazil, purchased the car for his first wife, it sat in Drazil’s garage for over 20 years in Washington state. Allen helped Drazil to get the car up and running, and upon the first cruise in the old Fury, Drazil decided he wanted the car restored to its initial glory. At the age of 86, Drazil intended to turn his ‘70 Plymouth Fury into a show car, and Allen was tasked with overseeing the project.
It took six months, from start to finish. The Fury had to be re-gasketed, and a new fuel tank had to be installed. Allen spent a lot of time meticulously tracking down parts across the country. The trunk was redone, right down to the original bumper jack instructions.
The Fury’s frame was taken out, and a powder coat was applied all the way underneath the car. As the car was steadily restored, Drazil kept a hands-on approach, with the help of his grandson. Allen took Drazil to the body shop that housed the Fury on a weekly basis, where Drazil would give his approval on the work completed.
“I would have to bring him out every week to see the progress,” Allen said. “The body shop let him come and go as he pleased, in part because it was such a big-ticket job for them.”
Drazil had a vision in mind for his car, and Allen made it happen. They wanted the Fury to remain as close to stock as possible. And they succeeded — everything is an original equipment manufacturer part.
The interior and exterior needed to stay green, too — that was one of Drazil’s main demands. And their work paid off. The ‘70 Plymouth’s rich green coat features a healthy dose of gold flakes that give it a clean shimmer in the sunlight.
The interior is a trip straight back into the early '70s and the comfort that went with the automotive era at the time. The Fury’s interior is immaculate — you’d never know that it isn’t brand-new.
The 1970 Fury III floats down the road like a magic carpet. The two-door Plymouth measures 19-feet long from bumper to bumper. It’s powered by its original 318-cubic inch V8 engine and 3-speed automatic transmission. True to its original version, the Fury is carbureted and does not have an AC.
When the car was finished, Drazil and Allen enjoyed it together. Allen would visit his grandfather every Sunday for dinner, after which, the two would go out for a ride together. When Drazil passed on, he willed the Plymouth, and all of its memories, to his grandson.
“That’s my favorite thing about the car — it was Grandpa’s car,” Allen said. “He kept it right, and I try to take care of it like he did.”
That’s part of what has inspired Allen to continue to care for the Fury, as well as to pass up on lucrative offers. In fact, when a prospective buyer placed $75,000 in cash on the hood of the Fury as an offer to buy it at a car show years ago, Allen and Drazil turned it down.
Allen even made sure to factor garage size into his decision when purchasing a home in Utah. After all, he needed somewhere to store the long Fury, and the memories.
“It means the world to me,” Allen said.
Wes Mangum is a Utah State University student and a citizen of Logan. He owns an extensive collection of Hotwheels and Hawaiian shirts. You can reach him on Twitter @DreamBreather or by email at mangum953@gmail.com.
