64 Sport Fury

[64Orange]

Hello FBBO! This is my project a 1964 Sport Fury. I've been Mopar fan since I was 16 when I first saw a Vitamin C '69 Roadrunner. As I hung out more with car guys, I learned more about all the different Mopars out there. One of my local hot rodding heroes and his buddies had 2 drag race prepped '64 Belvedere and 1 drag race prepped '64 Sport Fury. I was totally floored. They were some of the most outrageous cars I had ever seen: perfect paint and bodies, gorgeous interiors, and aluminum racing Hemis. To say the least it left a big impression.

Truth be told, I also have a '68 fastback Mustang. But I made a mistake, I followed the advice of some friends and family members and had the Mustang restored by different professionals. The Mustang is approaching perfection but I realized that I had learned nothing. I still love my Mustang but I decided to get a project of my own to learn and push myself despite the naysayers.

In Dec 2020, I was scrolling through craigslist and found a few candidates. My buddy emailed a craigslist from Bakersfield, CA that said "1964 Sport Fury 383 with 4 speed". I saw that title and knew that big block 4 speed Mopars don't fall out of the sky. I emailed the guy and made an offer. A deal was struck and I met up with the guy in LA and got the title. The title for the car was from Virginia. Since the car was advertised in Bakersfield, CA (a dry part of CA) I thought I would be in the clear for any kind of rust issues. When I saw that Virginia title, I knew I was going to be doing a lot of rust repair and body work.

I understood that this car was going to be a bigger project than I originally anticipated but that's how it goes and I look forward to the challenge.

Here are the 4 photos I saw on the craigslist ad.

 

[64Orange]

Jan 2021

The seller told me I need some rollers to get the car off the ground. I tried to look for some Mopar wheels on craigslist but no luck. I learned from a friend that Ford and Mopar share the same bolt pattern. I was able to find some '68 Ford wheels. I got some tires put on the wheels and in late January I made my way to Bakersfield.

When I first the '64, I was happy to see it but I was shocked to see what the car didn't have. A major part of the floor was missing and that was my biggest fear. The photos ad in the didn't show the floor so I knew I was rolling the dice and I was unlucky. I also noticed the lack of door, hood, trim, front bumper, etc etc.

With the help of my friend, we were able to get the car on a trailer and make our way to Bishop, CA.

The following photos showed what I got and what I didn't.

All in all I was still incredibly happy to see the Sport Fury. I couldn't wait to get started.

 

[64Orange]

Jan 2021

Getting the car from Bakersfield to Bishop was a big adventure. On the drive to Bishop, I kept thinking of how I wanted to build this Mopar. I decided against the route of "perfection" I took with the Mustang. I decided to make the '64 a daily driver, I want the Fury to look presentable but not perfect.

 

[64Orange]

Jan/Feb/Mar 2021

I started buying parts like mad! From window cranks, window trim, bumper, bumper mounts, etc etc. I got most of the parts from eBay. At the time, I was familiar with FBBO but didn't sign up. When I talked to some smarter friends they showed me this website and what a great resource it could be: to ask questions, buy some parts, and be a part of the Mopar community.

The first and most important thing for me to do was make this car run. The Fury was sitting in Bakersfield for 15 years before I bought it. I was told that it ran and drove when parked. Has anybody else heard that before?

After watching lots of videos on YouTube and hotrod.com, I had a decent idea of what to look for with the engine. Suffice to say this 383 was in bad shape. Over a gallon of water in it, plants growing in the cylinder head, and a nice hole in the valley pan. I decided that find a new 383 would be a better choice than trying to salvage this one.

I got in contact with a gentleman in the Adelanto area who had a 383 that pulled out of his 1st gen Charger and a set of rebuilt 516 heads with larger exhaust & intake and hardened valve seats. A deal was struck and I found myself with a 383 and a new set of heads. My plan was to throw the new 383 in the Fury and keep moving.

I was advised by a buddy tear down the 383 and see what's underneath. I tore apart the new 383 apart and I had an absolute blast! It was so fun to see how it worked, where all the parts went, and the smartest thing I did... I put all the nuts, bolts, washers, etc in individual baggies with labels!

To my untrained eye, I thought the new 383 motor looked good. Following the advice of a Mopar guru, I took the new 383 to get it looked at by a machine shop and consider a full rebuild. I was disappointed to hear that because I purchased the motor to save money on the rebuild. But I figured better safe than sorry.

 

[64Orange]

Mar 27, 2021 marked one of the proudest moments. I took out the old 383 and A833 trans all by myself.

A lot of my friends and family don't understand why I love the B body Mopar so much. With the goal I have in mind for the Fury, it'll be a great car. To help prove that point, I put my skis in the trunk of the Fury. They fit perfectly without any hassle.

One more thing I did, that some may find blasphemous, was the use of the Belvedere tail lights. After looking at lots of pictures of Furies, Savoys, and Belvederes, I thought that the Belvedere tail lights looked the best.

 

[64Orange]

Mar 2021

I was able to find a fiberglass glass hood and Max Wedge style hood scoop from Unlimited Performance Fiberglass. Next up I gotta find a driver's door and work on that floor.

Through my day job, I met a guy who is a professional welder and we struck up a conversation. He agreed to help me get a floor placed in the Fury.

After hours, he came by and looked at the Fury. His first words were "Your floor is f*cked". He took some measurements and we decided to work on the Fury at his property in Lone Pine. He had more tools and safer working environment. I was very excited about this opportunity to move forward with the project but also told me that he was gonna teach me how to weld.

 

[64Orange]

Apr 2021

I got a call from the machine shop and told me that he had inspected the new 383. I stopped by and the news he told me was not good. He told me that this 383 had been rebuilt previously and it was not done well. He showed how the pistons and cylinder walls showed premature wear in certain locations. There was also significant rust in the water passages. in short, JUNK.

Luckily, his shop has plethora of engine blocks around and he said that he has some Chrysler big blocks in his shop. If I'm lucky, he has a 383. Hopefully he's got one because I've junked 2 383s and I could use a win.

By a miracle, he has one left!! Now it's up to me to go find the parts to put this 383 together. He also told me that the 383 he has never been touched and is in perfect shape.

 

[493 Mike]

It's good to hear you are so "pumped" on this build. From the looks of it you will need lots of ambition! Good luck!
Mike

 

[moparedtn]

Apr 2021

I got a call from the machine shop and told me that he had inspected the new 383. I stopped by and the news he told me was not good. He told me that this 383 had been rebuilt previously and it was not done well. He showed how the pistons and cylinder walls showed premature wear in certain locations. There was also significant rust in the water passages. in short, JUNK.

Luckily, his shop has plethora of engine blocks around and he said that he has some Chrysler big blocks in his shop. If I'm lucky, he has a 383. Hopefully he's got one because I've junked 2 383s and I could use a win.

By a miracle, he has one left!! Now it's up to me to go find the parts to put this 383 together. He also told me that the 383 he has never been touched and is in perfect shape.

View attachment 1179898

That's great and all, but why is your post made this morning dated "Apr 2021"?

 

[Red63440]

I think he is trying to put things in the order they happened as far as the time frame.

 

[64Orange]

I think he is trying to put things in the order they happened as far as the time frame.

You got it. I was slow to get things posted so I'm trying to create a clear timeline.

 

[ckessel]

Nice project. That one shot of the picker in the street with the engine/trans puts a smile on my face. That would get you ticketed here and other areas of the state.

 

[PRND21]

Welcome from Indiana. Early B Plymouths are the best, good luck on your project. Sounds like you’ve learned a lot already.
This guy is the 64 Plymouth go to person as far as I’m concerned.

 

[64Orange]

Welcome from Indiana. Early B Plymouths are the best, good luck on your project. Sounds like you’ve learned a lot already.
This guy is the 64 Plymouth go to person as far as I’m concerned.

View attachment 1180047

I've ordered some parts from Joe Suchy and they were perfect.

 

[440 PHIXX]

Keep at it! It’s looking better already!

 

[ckessel]

Fall Fling in Van Nuys is next Saturday if you are up for the drive.

 

[64Orange]

Fall Fling in Van Nuys is next Saturday if you are up for the drive.

Oh man that would be awesome but weekend is booked. Thanks for the info

 

[Fuel 29]

Congrats! But a bit of caution. Don't be in a huge hurry to buy parts/stuff unless it's a rare part and/or you've been looking for a while. The 64 sport furys are not rare. Since we are building a daily driver, its ok to wait for the next part...most often it'll be cheaper or in better shape. Patience is your friend. I have spent many hours looking at pictures of how things were assembled and where specific bolts/nuts/screws are supposed to go. Don't be afraid to ask for help! Don't be afraid of updating systems (disk brakes, electronic ignition, overdrive systems, A/C, power steering etc.). Get the factory service manuals and a parts catalog, but most importantly build YOUR car the way you want! Know what your end goal is. Then drive the wheels off of it!

 

[Steve009]

Congrats on the car. I have a 64 sport fury as well. Joe Suchy and Kramer has quite a bit but you didn’t pick an easy one to restore. AMD use to make all the sheet metal for our cars but stopped years ago. If you need quarters, wheel tubs, floors, etc., start looking now as I took me a long time to find sheet metal on the used market. Good luck with the build.

 

[dadsbee]

@moparmarks appears to be a good source for sheet metal and parts.