1962 Plymouth Sport Fury Hemi Tribute

Description

Few cars evoke 'power' better than '60s-era Mopars. Taking a rare B-body hardtop like this dazzling 1962 Plymouth Sport Fury and turning it into a redlight-to-redlight scream-machine took some cojones, even by Mopar standards, but the builders absolutely pulled it off with this HEMI Tribute. Dropping a 426 HEMI V8 under the hood certainly helped, as did the red-hot Cherry Red paint and bucket-seat interior, resulting in a killer muscle car with off-the-charts curb appeal. Satellite-era Mopars were already some of the coolest cars ever made, and when it's armed to the teeth like this Sport Fury, it looks ready to blast off into space.

Colors like this particular shade of Code PP Cherry Red were popular in the '60s, and the big and mid-sized cars like this Sport Fury B-Body seems to wear it best. Of course, that kicked-up rake makes it look far more aggressive than when it was just Grandpa's daily driver, but even though it's now a muscle car, this one has a very polished and grown-up look. The paint is in very good shape, above average and showing a deep shine, so if you're used to seeing dusty-looking vintage enamel on these cars, this one will come as a very pleasant surprise. It's not perfect, a few signs of age and other imperfections are present upon close examination, but when this Mopar is at full throttle zipping by, who's going to notice? The Sport Fury trim package was reintroduced by Chrysler to help with sales, but regardless of the pecking order Plymouth was never cheap on style and flair and after the '61 models were widely known in the industry to have been 'beaten with the ugly stick', the redesigned '62 was a breath of fresh air. With that being said, even this final generation still takes some very bold risks in the design area that probably aren't for everyone, but no one will ever argue that the Sporty Fury was conservative or run-of-the-mill. Between the concaved grille and quad headlights up front, the sharp creases on the hood, fenders, and profile, and that wide, ornate rear end with six individual taillights, the 1962 Sporty Fury has a lot of character to take in. Your eyes bounce from one angle to the next, as they scan from smooth curves to sharp contrasts, and that's before you even notice that this 2-door was built to get into street fights. Tidy panel gaps, nice detailing around the glass and doors, and, of course, the wicked stance all give this car a dramatic look that previews the performance, and the red 'steelies' adorned with 'Baby Moons' wrapped in those meaty radials are the perfect endcaps. The chrome and stainless trim is quite nice as well, and that's good because it plays a pivotal role in making this car look so unique, adding just the right amount of bling to the bright red finish.

The two-tone, black-and-red vinyl interior is all business, and that business is all about keeping the passengers comfortable while traveling at darn near the speed of light. With buckets and a center console up front, you know that the original buyer's priority was style, and Plymouth certainly didn't take a day off when it came time to design this cabin. The dash is wonderfully complex, the door panels are unique, and even the seat covers are far from plain, with red pleated inserts tying everything in together quite nicely. The original dash and quirky steering wheel show very slight age (the worst of which are minor cracks on the rim of the steering wheel, although there are only a couple), and the uniquely-designed factory gauge bezel boasts original gauges and host of push-button switches that control the automatic transmission and HVAC system – how cool is that? Beyond minor signs of use and slight patina on the original equipment, there's not much to complain about the condition of this tidy cabin, where even high traffic areas on the upholstery and black carpets look nice. A trio of auxiliary gauges and a vintage Dixco tachometer were added to account for the upgraded HEMI, and although the options list is fairly short, you do get seatbelts up front, an original AM radio (inoperable), and center console. There's plenty of room for three in the back seat, although it looks like it's seldom been used since the car was restored, and the surprisingly large trunk was finished with matching black carpets and houses a relocated battery and original bias-ply spare and jack set.

Powering this fairly light, mid-sized 2-door is a thundering 426 HEMI V8 engine that swapped in to pump up the horsepower and torque numbers into the stratosphere, thusly making this Sports Fury an incredibly fast early muscle car. It starts easily and idles with a healthy lope that suggests unbridled horsepower, not luxury, and it's very cleanly detailed under the hood. There's Hemi Orange paint on the block itself, which is topped by a set of black valve covers and a chrome open-element air cleaner complete with a 426 HEMI decal that let everyone know what it is. Dual Edelbrock 1406 4-barrel carburetors perched atop an aluminum intake feed the HEMI, and a set of long-tube headers dump into a custom X-pipe Flowmaster dual exhaust system that helps the big block breathe easy. And yeah, it's very loud. The transmission is a virtually bulletproof A727 TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic feeding a stock rear end, so the driveline is ready to play while the suspension features a torsion bar, newer bushings, heavy-duty leaf springs, and upgraded spring-assisted shocks out back. Power steering and a dual master cylinder with front disc brakes were added to improve the driving experience, and the rolling stock sits atop staggered 225/60/15 front and 275/60/15 rear BFGoodrich T/A radials.

A neatly restored and HEMI-upgraded Mopar with loads of style and ready to go. Call today!