1960 Plymouth Fury Convertible

Lads --
A neat car, but as the owner of two SonoRamic (note the capital "R") Commando Furys (one now and a similar one back in 1960-1964) I have to offer the following:
- Those Kelsey-Hayes wires don't really belong on that car for a number of reasons.
First, wires were never a Plymouth option. There were always a few that couldn't be sold in the mid-50s stashed away in dealers' storerooms, but none came off the assembly line with them.
Second, no self-respecting gearhead wanted them because in those days they required inner tubes and the spokes were hard to keep in true especially with the high torque Mopar engines.
- The "padded" door panels (the sales brochures refer to them as "three dimensional styling") were standard equipment, not an option.
- The air cleaners should be gold like the ram tubes and valve covers. Dodge ram-inducted engines had red air cleaners with silver ram tubes and since the engines of both marques came out of the same plant, red Dodge ones could have been put on an engine intended for a Plymouth.
- Darrell Davis, a retired Chrysler executive and member of the Chrysler Historical Society carefully reviewed all the 1960 Plymouth production records to determine just how many '60 Plymmers were produced with ram engines. He then produced a book that listed them all by VIN. This book shows that 861 came with the 361 CID mill (a $389 option) and 694 with the 383 ($405). The car I presently own has the 361, but the one back in 1960-1964 had the other.
- The ram 361 was intended to be Plymouth's "big" engine for 1960, but when Dodge started dropping 383s in the new (and same sized) Dart, the Plymouth dealers rose in arms and so they got their 383s as well.
- It is interesting that the Plymouth ram 361 was advertised at 310 HP, but the Dodge was listed at 320 and both engines came out of the same plant. The 330 horses for the 383 is also a bit suspect as why should an engine that is basically the same as the ram 413 (375 HP), except having only 7% less displacement supposedly develop 12% less horsepower? Corporate politics at times do come into play.
- The "Sport Deck Tire Cover" was called, among other things, the "bird bath deck lid" or "toilet seat continental kit."
- It might be interesting to see if the VIN of this car shows that it was produced as a 361 or as a 383 or even a genuine SonoRamic Commando car.
But it really is a nice car.
Joe Godec
'57 Chrysler 300C, '60 Fury SonoRamic, '65 Fuelie Vette, '65 Sport Fury 426S/4-speed
 
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