So here's an interesting story, which may somewhat allow me to change the direction in which this vehicle is restored.
I was contacted by the seller of this Fury recently via snail mail, and given a big stack of paperwork relating to what I now realize is the very unique history of this vehicle. In this stack of paperwork were sales invoices, warranty cards, oil change slips and various other items - and a phone number to a salesman who sold the car to it's second (first?) owner. This is the story he told me, backed up by the paperwork:
This fury was originally sold to the Texas Highway Patrol as a pursuit car - with the 440 Engine, etc... The majority of Highway Patrol cars ordered that year had 383 engines, and the pursuit cars were ordered in smaller groups.
This particular car was ordered, delivered to and received by the Texas Highway Patrol (The equipment left on the car, and the certicard confirm it was ordered and outfitted by them). It was outfitted with their own Police bumper guards, siren, radio, etc... But shortly after taking delivery and outfitting the car, it was noticed that the L code 440 was in fact a 318 - a big factory error!
The car was brought back to the dealership, where they promptly ordered a warranty 440 and other related components.
But when complete, the Highway Patrol refused to accept the car -"we don't drive used vehicles" was the line the salesman told me.
So the vehicle's front doors were painted white, everything but the bumper guards and spotlight were removed - and there it sat on the lot, in a limbo of sort. This was due to it being a "K" code car, or in other words - sales tax exempt.
The car was said to have sat on the lot for several months, until about March/April of 1968 when an interested party (A ranched from outside of Houston), said if they added radio and a few other accessories he would purchase the vehicle.
Due to the sales tax exemption, a lot of paperwork shuffling and pleading the situation to chrysler had to be done in order for the sale to go through.
The rest of the documentation proves that this car has fewer than 60,000 original miles on it - as it was just used on and near the ranch.
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And that's the story. Somewhat disappointed that this car "is and isn't" a Texas Highway Patrol car - but honestly, I already have a real one with the '72 Polara that I'm still working on.
So that being said, I'm much less concerned with complete originality. I've been reviewing options - and as often as I travel there, I'm thinking I might go a more southeasterly direction with it:
