1966 Plymouth (Fury) VIP

[Fleet 500]

Owning 3 cars already, I don't really need (or want) another car. However, I have had an interest in the 1966 Plymouth Fury. One of my brothers owned a '66 Fury III from 1976-1998 (318-cu-in V-8, auto, 2-door hardtop).

I always did like his car and have known about the top-of-the-line Fury called the VIP. I received a catalog a few days ago and didn't realize the options which were available on the VIP which were not available on the other Fury series. Features such as imitation wood grain on interior & exterior, reading lights in the rear and thicker carpet and a standard V-8 engine.

The other Fury series came with the 225-cu-in 6-cylinder standard. The VIP came with the 318- 2 bbl V-8 standard. Other engines available were the 383-2 bbl, 383-4 bbl and 440-4 bbl. I would prefer the 383-4 bbl. The VIPs were a relatively heavy car, about 4,200 lbs, and the 318 engine had a lot of weight to push!
The wheelbase for these cars was 119", overall length was 209.8" and width 78.7".

So, I will be "casually" checking ebay and craigslist and other car-related ads and may check out a Fury if I am interested in one in my area. The VIP is a first choice, but I may consider a Sport Fury (these came with bucket seats and a console) or maybe a Fury III. From what I've read, the VIP was not a big seller and it's possible that even less were built than even my '76 limo (834 built for 1976).

Here are some photos:
http://i41.tinypic.com/1z18e39.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/2gugysy.jpg

Sport Fury:
http://i41.tinypic.com/8xv5vs.jpg

-Fleet 500
'69 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
'76 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine
'95 Lincoln Town Car Signature Series

[Spastik_Roach]

The 4 doors boot must be absolutley massive...look at the length of that tail!

[LeonOfTheDead]

how much does one of this cost?

[Ferrer]

The 4 doors boot must be absolutley massive...look at the length of that tail!
Well, he has a limousine.

This will be like a Fiat 500 in comparison.

[Fleet 500]

how much does one of this cost?
A wide variation in price. About $2,500 for one in fair condition which runs okay up to at last $10,000 for one in very good to execellent condition.
An advantage is that they are not muscle cars, so in general they are not priced ridiculously high as many (most?) muscle cars are.

There is one on ebay which just ended. The bids went up to $5,100 but the reserve was not met. Item number is: 310139132345.

[Fleet 500]

The 4 doors boot must be absolutley massive...look at the length of that tail!
Yeah, the rear overhang it quite long, much more than the front overhang. Makes for a roomy luggage compartment, though!

[Fleet 500]

Well, he has a limousine.

This will be like a Fiat 500 in comparison.
Yeah, it will feel almost small. Even my downsized Lincoln is longer (it is 218.9" VS 209.8").

Like many American cars, the Fury grew longer into the late-'60s and early '70s. It was about 213" by '68 and over 215" by '69-'70. Most of that was probably due to the bumper.

[Fleet 500]

Here are more photos.
As was true with most '60s American cars, there was a wide choice in exterior color selection.

[Timothy (in VA)]

Very nice car. I'm a big fan of the vertically stacked headlights. Good luck with your search. :)

[Fleet 500]

Very nice car. I'm a big fan of the vertically stacked headlights. Good luck with your search. :)
Yes, many cars did look good with vertically stacked headlights. Thanks for the good luck wish.

[trptman]

I used to have the 66 VIP 4 door hardtop back when I was in High School in teh late 1980s
I loved that car. when I got it, it had a blown engine (the 383 was what it came with) and we found a 400 cu. in. engine from a dodge van if I remember correctly and put it in there.

The car was comfortable and rode well, but if you punched the engine-that car was very fast. I remember you could go from about 40 to 70 in the blink of an eye and being a teenager, that was something I did more often than was probably good for me.

the interior was huge-you could put 6 people in there pretty comfortably and the trunk was big enough to put 4 more if you were sneaking into a drive in movie.

There are many times I think about that car and wish I still had it. hope you find one in good shape
thanks for posting the pictures from the brouchure/catalog. I had the black interior with white exterior. Those pictures brought back some memories for sure.

[henk4]

Welcome to UCP, by chance you do not have any shots from your car at that time? Any idea how and where it ended up?

[Fleet 500]

I used to have the 66 VIP 4 door hardtop back when I was in High School in teh late 1980s
I loved that car. when I got it, it had a blown engine (the 383 was what it came with) and we found a 400 cu. in. engine from a dodge van if I remember correctly and put it in there.

The car was comfortable and rode well, but if you punched the engine-that car was very fast. I remember you could go from about 40 to 70 in the blink of an eye and being a teenager, that was something I did more often than was probably good for me.

the interior was huge-you could put 6 people in there pretty comfortably and the trunk was big enough to put 4 more if you were sneaking into a drive in movie.

There are many times I think about that car and wish I still had it. hope you find one in good shape
thanks for posting the pictures from the brouchure/catalog. I had the black interior with white exterior. Those pictures brought back some memories for sure.
Glad you like the photos. I also miss my brother's '66 Fury III, probably even more than he misses it. (As a rule, I like when family members keep their cars.) I didn't ask him why he sold it, but I am guessing that he wanted something different after owning it for 22 years and maybe due to its high mileage (over 240,000 when he sold it).

If/when I find one, it would be strange being in it because I am so familiar with the car... I was a passenger many, many times; especially before I got my driver's license.

As for the room, that is true. When my brother bought a 12-speed bike in the 1980s, the salesman put it in the trunk. He said it was the first car he could put a bike in there without having to remove at least one the bicycle's tire.

The interior width is especially impressive. Here are some specs from Motor Trend (Nov., 1965, "Special 1966 Buyer's Guide").

Front hip room:

63.7" Buick LaSabre/Wildcat/Electra; Pontiac Bonneville/Catalina; Chevrolet Impala/Caprice; Oldsmobile Dynamic 88.

63.6" Chrysler Newport/New Yorker/Oldsmobile Starfire

63.5" Cadillac Calais/DeVille

63.3" Plymouth Fury

Rear hip room:

63.8" Chrysler Newport/New Yorker

63.5" Plymouth Fury

63.4" Dodge Monaco/Polara

As henk asked, do you have any photos? I'd like to see those!

[trptman]

I'm trying to think if I would have any old pictures I could scan. I had the car from about 1986 to 92. I'll have to do some thinking and looking.
I don't know whatever became of it. I was off at college and didn't have anywhere to keep the car on campus so it got left at home. I didn't have time to do maintenance on it, being away, and my parents didn't want to fool with it-so they sold it while I was gone (it was in their name after all).

Here's a funny story now that I"m thinking about this;
Like I said-I loved that car and I would spend lots of time tinkering with it and polishing the tons of chrome and waxing it etc...

so anyhow since I was off at college and the car was home my brother who was 2 yrs younger than me was driving it to school and around town etc.

one day he was at a stop sign at the top of a hill and the car stalled on him for some reason.
(those cars had these big powerful "power assisted brakes" that worked great-until the engine went off-then good luck pushing the brake pedal hard enough to stop)
It started rolling backward before he could start the engine again and he rolled right into this little chevy chevette behind him on this hill.

the weight of the car rolling at about 1 MPH did somewhere around $800-1000 worth of damage to the front of that chevette (in 1990 dollars).

Of course my brother was worried that the next time I was home I'd find a scratch or mark that didn't used to be there and I'd kill him for messing up my car etc.

I never noticed anything and no one told me what happened until several years after the car was gone.

That car was such a tank it totally screwed up the front of a chevette barely coasting and left virtually no mark on the plymouth. What a great car.


Or the time I was out on a 4 lane highway late one night minding my own business and these jerks in some other hot rod thought they would play games with me speeding up and slowing down not letting me pass etc.
I decided to pass them whether they wanted me to or not. I got up to about 110 MPH and passed them when they couldn't keep up. what a great car. probably not the smartest thing I've ever done but I was about 19 and indestructable (in my mind anyhow).

Anyhow I"ll have to see if I can unearth any pics that have the car in them.

[Fleet 500]

Enjoyed reading your stories.
Yeah, those '66 Plymouths were tough! Thicker sheet metal and big & strong bumpers. I'm not surprised your '66 was unharmed after bumping into a Chevette.

The big block-powered Mopar did do well in passing. They surprised many people in "faster" cars.

I will also search for some photos I took of my brother's '66 Fury III. I know I took some pics of it.

[trptman]

Of course I think that even as fast as the speedometer would climb, the fastest of the gauges was the one that went from "F" to "E" :)

Heavy steel construction, big engine, even the horn meant business when you honked it. They sure don't make them like that anymore

[Fleet 500]

Of course I think that even as fast as the speedometer would climb, the fastest of the gauges was the one that went from "F" to "E" :)

Heavy steel construction, big engine, even the horn meant business when you honked it. They sure don't make them like that anymore
My brother's '66 318 Fury III averaged 15 mpg. I suppose the 383-4 bbl averaged around 13 mpg. The 225-cu-in 6-cylinder ones would give 17-19 mpg but weren't much fun to drive. However, even 13-15 mpg is better than some of the larger modern SUVs.

Incidentally, the biggest engine available for these cars in '66 was the 440-cu-in, rated at 365 hp and 480 lbs/ft torque. They were said to do 0-60 mph in 7.0 seconds and top out at 130 mph.

Yep, I remember the horn in my brother's Fury. Sounded like a real horn (HONK HONK!), not like many of today's "horns" (beep beep).

Another '66 VIP just showed up on ebay (item number 140323402042). The buy-it-now price is kind of up there at $9,170. It does look like it's in good condition.

[fisetdavid26]

I followed one of those a few minutes ago on my way back from work. It was light blue and appeared to be completely original. That thing has presence.

Huge car is huge.

[Fleet 500]

I followed one of those a few minutes ago on my way back from work. It was light blue and appeared to be completely original. That thing has presence.

Huge car is huge.
They are quite big. And wide at 78.7"; that is wider than my '95 Lincoln Town Car which is 76.7".

I don't really expect to find one in the near future (1-2 months) since it is a 40+ year-old car. But I'll be looking through the ads just in case.

[Fleet 500]

Another VIP showed up on ebay. I took some quick photos off my monitor.

Item number is 130309520760.

This one has the 383-4 bbl engine with working A/C and power windows/steering/brakes. 89,000 miles. I think I'll see how high the bids go and see what happens.

[f6fhellcat13]

Fleet, if you ever buy one you should take it to Monaco during the GP and put all the team bosses' yachts to shame. ;)

The styling reminds me of the Imperial from the same year (character lines, forward rake etc...) as does the size. Did they share a platform? The Imperial was at the top of its game in '66, imo, as far as '66 fullsizers go that'd be the one I'd pick. I realize that the VIP has some sentimental value for you, but have you ever considered an Imperial of that vintage?

Btw, I saw a early '60s Continental on 20" chromies, it was awful. Have you ever considered one of those (minus the bling, of course)?
Sorry for rambling a little. :)

[Fleet 500]

Fleet, if you ever buy one you should take it to Monaco during the GP and put all the team bosses' yachts to shame. ;)

Yeah, that would be funny.


The styling reminds me of the Imperial from the same year (character lines, forward rake etc...) as does the size. Did they share a platform? The Imperial was at the top of its game in '66, imo, as far as '66 fullsizers go that'd be the one I'd pick. I realize that the VIP has some sentimental value for you, but have you ever considered an Imperial of that vintage?

I'm not quite sure if they share the same platform. I think the Imperial shares the platform with the Chrysler New Yorker and Newport. It is possible that the Imperial is on a stretched Fury platform. Oddly, the same seller also has a '63 Imperial up for auction. I haven't really considered an Imperial; I have considered a '66 Chrysler 300, though. Unfortunately, I can only pick one more car! Not 3-4 more.


Btw, I saw a early '60s Continental on 20" chromies, it was awful. Have you ever considered one of those (minus the bling, of course)?
Sorry for rambling a little. :)

An early '60s Continental? One of those would be interesting. But, again, I can't buy every car I like!

[Ferrer]

An early '60s Continental? One of those would be interesting. But, again, I can't buy every car I like!
I'd go for the Conti. For some reason I've always liked it quite a lot.

[Fleet 500]

I'd go for the Conti. For some reason I've always liked it quite a lot.
Well, I was never a '60s Ford man. Always Mopar and Cadillac.
Not that I wouldn't want a Ford... I do like the '66 Fairlane XL and GT with the 390 Hi-po engine.

But I don't really have an interest in early-mid-'60s Lincolns so I'll leave those for someone else. I do like early-to-mid '70s Lincolns, though.

[Ferrer]

Well, I was never a '60s Ford man. Always Mopar and Cadillac.
Not that I wouldn't want a Ford... I do like the '66 Fairlane XL and GT with the 390 Hi-po engine.

But I don't really have an interest in early-mid-'60s Lincolns so I'll leave those for someone else. I do like early-to-mid '70s Lincolns, though.I always I always liked the early Plymouth GTX, gentleman's muscle car.

Preferably with a Hemi, but a 440 would do. With a four on the floor, obviously. :)

Also a favourite of mine the 50's Chryslers. For some reason I find them utterly cool.

[Fleet 500]

I always I always liked the early Plymouth GTX, gentleman's muscle car.

Preferably with a Hemi, but a 440 would do. With a four on the floor, obviously. :)

Also a favourite of mine the 50's Chryslers. For some reason I find them utterly cool.
Me, too. I like the GTX, especially the '69 with 440.
One with a Hemi, of course, would have a very high asking price (one in good condition, that is).

440s, with their (rated) 480 lbs-ft of torque do fine. I would want one with a 3-speed Torqueflite in which I would put in a shift kit.

And, yes, those '50s Chryslers I like too. Favorite of those being the '57 Chrysler 300-C. But I also like the '57 Fury (dual-carb 318 engine) and the '57 DeSoto with the 345-Hemi engine rated at 345 hp.

[Ferrer]

And, yes, those '50s Chryslers I like too. Favorite of those being the '57 Chrysler 300-C. But I also like the '57 Fury (dual-carb 318 engine) and the '57 DeSoto with the 345-Hemi engine rated at 345 hp.
Of course, the letter series 300s of the 50's are great especially the early ones. I like the F (which actually is from 1960), with the 4 speed Pont-à-Mousson gearbox, but that must be ultra rare. But the very early ones are great too.

[Kitdy]

4 speed Pont-à-Mousson gearbox

Whazzat?

[fisetdavid26]

Whazzat?
Google, Cameron.

Cameron, Google.

[Rockefella]

Google, Cameron.

Cameron, Google.


http://img.4chan.org/b/src/1243832078319.jpg

[Fleet 500]

Google, Cameron.

Cameron, Google.
I have a road test of a '60 300-F with that transmission. It had a 413 V-8 engine with the 400 horsepower option (standard was 375).

In the article it said that the rear tires would break loose in fourth gear when the throttle was pushed down over 3500 rpm.

I also read from another source that with that 4-speed transmission and the 400-hp engine, maximum speed through the gears was: 1st 60 mph; 2nd 90 mph; 3rd 120 mph and 4th 160 mph.

[Ferrer]

Whazzat?
The gearbox used in Facel Vegas, a Mopar-powered french luxury car.

I have a road test of a '60 300-F with that transmission. It had a 413 V-8 engine with the 400 horsepower option (standard was 375).

In the article it said that the rear tires would break loose in fourth gear when the throttle was pushed down over 3500 rpm.

I also read from another source that with that 4-speed transmission and the 400-hp engine, maximum speed through the gears was: 1st 60 mph; 2nd 90 mph; 3rd 120 mph and 4th 160 mph.
Excellent. :)

[fisetdavid26]

I have a road test of a '60 300-F with that transmission. It had a 413 V-8 engine with the 400 horsepower option (standard was 375).

In the article it said that the rear tires would break loose in fourth gear when the throttle was pushed down over 3500 rpm.

I also read from another source that with that 4-speed transmission and the 400-hp engine, maximum speed through the gears was: 1st 60 mph; 2nd 90 mph; 3rd 120 mph and 4th 160 mph.
That is very, very impressive.

[Fleet 500]

The gearbox used in Facel Vegas, a Mopar-powered french luxury car.

Excellent. :)
I read after making my post that only 7 1960 300-Fs were built with that type of 4-speed manual transmission. As you said, they are ultra-rare.

[Ferrer]

I read after making my post that only 7 1960 300-Fs were built with that type of 4-speed manual transmission. As you said, they are ultra-rare.
And apparently all came with the "Short Ram" 400bhp engine.

A special car indeed.

[Fleet 500]

And apparently all came with the "Short Ram" 400bhp engine.

A special car indeed.
Yeah, special and rare.
I would probably pick the 375 hp version because it had a torque rating of 495 lbs-ft VS compared to 465 lbs-ft for the 400 hp version.
And the peak torque of the 375 hp engine was at a much lower rpm (2800 VS 3600 rpm), so it would be more responsive in normal street driving in the low-to-mid range.

[Ferrer]

Yeah, special and rare.
I would probably pick the 375 hp version because it had a torque rating of 495 lbs-ft VS compared to 465 lbs-ft for the 400 hp version.
And the peak torque of the 375 hp engine was at a much lower rpm (2800 VS 3600 rpm), so it would be more responsive in normal street driving in the low-to-mid range.
Well yes, but it's not like 465ft-lb of torque is a small amount of torque. At least not at what I'm used to. And 3600rpm isn't exatcly high revving either.

On the other hand I prefer the enjoyment of a manual.

[trptman]

Another VIP showed up on ebay. I took some quick photos off my monitor.

Item number is 130309520760.

This one has the 383-4 bbl engine with working A/C and power windows/steering/brakes. 89,000 miles. I think I'll see how high the bids go and see what happens.

Thanks for posting those pics.
That one looks tan and mine was white, but I could have been looking at the interior of mine-exactly the same far as I can tell.
the only difference on the exterior to mine was I had a bit nicer hubcaps that came with it (perhaps some optional upgrade originally?). I had the additional rear wheel "skirts" as well. I always left them in the trunk, but had them.

I loved the 4 door hardtop-next best thing to a convertable. roll all the windows down and you feel like you are sitting outside almost.

still havent come across any pictures of mine. I may not have any, but will keep my eyes peeled.

[Fleet 500]

Thanks for posting those pics.
That one looks tan and mine was white, but I could have been looking at the interior of mine-exactly the same far as I can tell.
the only difference on the exterior to mine was I had a bit nicer hubcaps that came with it (perhaps some optional upgrade originally?). I had the additional rear wheel "skirts" as well. I always left them in the trunk, but had them.

I loved the 4 door hardtop-next best thing to a convertable. roll all the windows down and you feel like you are sitting outside almost.

still havent come across any pictures of mine. I may not have any, but will keep my eyes peeled.
Yes, that one on ebay is tan/yellow. Plymouth called it "Soft Yellow" but it always looked more like a cream color to me.

My brother's '66 Fury III did not have the skirts. Don't know if it originally did because it was already 10 years old when got it.

That is exactly what someone said, too. About the 4-door hardtop looking like a convertible when all the windows are down.

I did find a few photos of my brother's '66. He was the type who didn't bother having dings and dents fixed. But the engine ran very well.

[Fleet 500]

Here is an update...

It was close, but I was the high bidder. I will take possession once it is delivered to my state.

I will, of course, take photos and even a few youtube videos of it.

I have owned a small-block Mopar ('66 Dart GT) and I've always wanted a big-block Mopar. This Fury VIP, with a 383-4 bbl, should fit the bill!

[Fleet 500]

still havent come across any pictures of mine. I may not have any, but will keep my eyes peeled.
Find any photos yet?

[Ferrer]

Here is an update...

It was close, but I was the high bidder. I will take possession once it is delivered to my state.

I will, of course, take photos and even a few youtube videos of it.

I have owned a small-block Mopar ('66 Dart GT) and I've always wanted a big-block Mopar. This Fury VIP, with a 383-4 bbl, should fit the bill!
Congratulations. :)

[fisetdavid26]

Yeah, congrats Fleet :)

[LeonOfTheDead]

Step back kids, the carrier is coming! ;)
Congratulation Fleet! :)

[f6fhellcat13]

Congrats!
I wish you many wafting and airy miles.

[Fleet 500]

I can legitimately call myself a Mopar Man (again). Along with a few other makes.

Watch for youtube videos... most likely in early July.

[Fleet 500]

Here is a youtube video I added earlier today showing the exterior and interior (engine, too).

I will eventually add videos of it doing fun things like accelerating and cornering.
YouTube - 1966 Plymouth Fury VIP

[duster]

hi i see you are looking for a vip, i have 1 67 vip 4dr hard top complete with spindel out front conversion for the front breaks. it is a stock 383 commando car. give me a call if interested 503-298-0893 allso there is a mopar wrecking yard in sandy oregon wild cat auto wrecking. thanks

[BLARNEY]

Very Nice Find.....

[KaylaG87]

Hi I know you posted this a few years ago, but if you are still interested or know of someone who is, I have a 2 door 1966 Plymouth Fury VIP with all the options up for sale in Lodi, CA you can email me at Kaylap8.at.yahoo.com if you would like more info or pics.

[lynnmarie]

Just wondering if you ever found a VIP. I have one. Runs great, no dents or rust. We've had the car for over 15 years. Let me know if intereted.

[lynnmarie]

Forgot to leave my email address. If interested, email me at ecomind13(at)gmail.com. Thanks.

[milanasia]

1966 Plymouth Fury - Classifieds Used Cars - Claz.org (http://claz.org/classifieds/vehicles/cars?q=1966+plymouth+fury)
Prices vary greatly from each vendor that is due, most likely, by the condition of the car. Some of the proposals seem so that the car is constantly cared for, upgraded and now it's a monster on wheels. From the past. Choice is great, the question is whether you want that kind of a greeting from the past

[sterlingclassic]

I love these Big Old Mopars!!

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