1963 Plymouth Fury
Exterior Styling of the Plymouth Fury
The smooth flow of the roofline into the rear quarter panel was a well liked styling touch in the Fury. Other cars that had similar lines where some 1963 Chryslers as well as the 1963 Buick Riviera. The exterior ornamentation also aided to the success of the Fury. All window surrounds and body side moldings were stainless steel. Chrome die cast was used between the tail lamps for a clean look, with Plymouth badging attached. 25 years later, these sparkling exterior details still look fresh on Marv's Fury, remnant of the ever shining spire of the Chrysler building standing the tests of time. For 1964 however, the stainless steel and chrome were replaced with aluminum stampings.
Red, white and blue badging was abundant on the 1963 Fury. The tri-colored bars were applied to the C-pillars, rear deck lid, interior door panels as well as the hood ornament.
The front turn signals were mounted high on the fenders, although easier to damage in that configuration, they were well accepted. These lamps were unique because of their white lenses. Amber signals became a federal requirement in 1963, and competitors were putting amber lenses on their cars. However, Chrysler used an amber bulb behind a white lens for aesthetics when not illuminated.
Perceived shortness of the 1962 models was a problem and so styling was concentrated on making the 1963 car look longer. This included painted full-length front to rear body side moldings on the Fury, with an engine-turned insert on the Sport Fury. Actual body length was also increased by three inches from the 1962 car, even though the wheelbase stayed the same. The raised beltline from the 1962 was taken off, with the 1963 car featuring a perfectly horizontal beltline, again for a longer look. This was key since Chevrolet, Ford and Pontiac were featuring larger bodies with long, horizontal lines. [This paragraph based on Jeff Godshall's article]
Fury Interior Features
Plymouth had some of the best bucket seats at the time. Unlike competitors' seats, the Plymouth seats were contoured. Not only did they look great, but they felt far more comfortable. On the other hand, Ford and Chevrolet had thick, bulky bucket seats.
The door trim panels had a clean, quality look to them because they were constructed of a multitude of materials. The doors were trimmed in rich grained vinyl, carpeting, applied moldings and a medallion.
The 1962 control panel was modified for the 1963 model year. The oil light was the only remaining idiot light. Temperature, alternator and fuel indicators used gauges now. Sport Fury's competitors only offered a fuel gauge.
1963 Plymouth Fury Engines
The Sport Furys had three engine options, the 318 cid, the 361 Commando engine with a 2 bbl. Carb, and the 383 cid Golden Commando engine with a 4 bbl. Carb. A 426 Wedge and a 426 Max Wedge was also available in limited production. Production engine options are listed in the 1963 Plymouth engine specs and production volumes table.
Plymouth Transmissions
There were none better than the push-button Torqueflites, at the time; the automatics were eating the manuals for lunch at the drag strip. The Torqueflite was the only respected automatic in the industry. A parking sprag which was offered in 1962 continued on all Chrysler cars in 1963. Before the parking sprag, an emergency brake was located on the rear of the transmission output shaft.
1963 was the last year for a pushbutton automatic with bucket seats. The 1964 model year was seeing the return of the console shifter. 1965 would be the elimination of all pushbutton shifting in all Chrysler cars. At the time Chrysler wanted to get into the rental car market, and Avis required a column shifter as to have compatibility between all fleet cars.
Suspension
Chrysler offered torsion bar front suspension and Hotchkiss rear drive. Though none was offered, the Sport Fury needed a front sway bar to control body roll. The cars still had excellent rides, but the handling was not as good as it could have been because of the Goodyear two ply rayon cord tires that were offered. Once the tires were replaced, handling was much improved.
Chrysler-Plymouth Warranty
Big news for 1963 was the introduction of the most extensive drive train warranty in automotive history. Every part, except for wear items was warranted for five years or 50,000 miles. A move used to dramatically boost sales, Chrysler's marketing team felt that this longer warranty would tell the world that Plymouths were as reliable as they were good looking. Marv states that after 25 years and 90,000 miles, he has never had a drivetrain problem.
In Conclusion
Quotes from the 1963 issue of Motor Trend, “We don't have to go too far on a limb to predict that the combination of last year's performance, this year's styling, plus a big improvement in quality control will give Plymouth one of the biggest years in its history.” The image of the 1963 Fury served as a wake-up call to the public, while the 1964 model would capture their hearts.
|
