What’s the first thing you think about when you hear the name Plymouth Fury? Is it Stephen King’s best-selling novel “Christine” and John Carpenter’s ecranisation? That’s perfectly natural, but the Fury’s legacy goes beyond the 1958 car with a mind of its own. The nameplate was also part of the muscle car wars.
The Fury name was first used in 1956 for a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere. These premium-oriented vehicles featured gold anodized trim, unique interiors, and powerful V8 engines. The 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter), 305-horsepower engine offered in 1958 turned the Fury into one of the first muscle cars.
The Fury became a stand-alone nameplate in 1959, incorporating four-door models in addition to the two-door hardtop and convertible. Redesigned in 1960, the Fury gained an entry-level inline-six and remained the brand’s leading sales volume vehicle.
In a somewhat controversial move, Chrysler downsized most of its full-size offerings for the 1962 model year. The shift saw all of Plymouth’s senior models, including the Savoy, Belvedere, and Fury, relegated to intermediate duty.
The change didn’t go well with the “bigger is better” trend of the era, so these nameplates were redesigned into full-size rigs for 1965. But while the 1962-to-1964 midsize versions are mainly known for their quirky looks and slow sales, the smaller body and lighter weight made them popular with drag racers. And Chrysler immediately responded by offering them with the high-performance Max Wedge engine.
Launched in 1962, the RB-based, 413-cubic-inch (6.8-liter) mill came with two compression ratio setups generating 410 and 420 horsepower. Displacement increased to 426 cubic inches (7.0-liter) in 1963, an upgrade that took output to 415 and 425 horses. In its most potent state, the Max Wedge delivered as much oomph as the iconic 426 HEMI that replaced it in 1965.
The mill found its way in every midsize Plymouth and Dodge model from 1962 to 1964. However, because it was built in limited numbers, Max Wedge-powered Mopars are very scarce. The 1963 Sport Fury you see is one of only a few Super Stock models Plymouth sold that year.
The result of a comprehensive restoration, this two-door hardtop looks the part inside and out. It’s finished in the correct Ebody Black (BB1) paint and features a reupholstered interior in black with copper stripes. The latter is also factory-correct and makes for a rare color combo.
The engine bay is also spotless and houses a 426-cubic-inch Max Wedge lump. According to the ad, it’s a replacement mill that was rebuilt before the installation. There’s no info on what happened to the numbers-matching unit, but many of these cars were raced back in the day so it might have been blown at the drag strip.
It’s a bit disappointing if you’re a diehard Max Wedge fan, but a replacement engine is the next best thing to have in such a rare classic. Especially since fewer than 20 Sport Furys got the Super Stock powerplant in 1963. And as you’ll notice in the video below, the car sounds like a proper Max Wedge when exhaust cutouts are open.
