The Land Yacht - '68 Sport Fury Convertible build

[AdamH]

I introduced myself a few weeks ago when I purchased it. Just to keep it all in one place:

12/20/16 - drove to Roanoke, VA and picked up a running and driving '68 Sport Fury Convertible. the 318 seems to run fine and the 904 shifts fine. Exhaust is toast as are the interior seats / brackets and I have a rust hole under the skinny pedal. As I was driving back from picking it up I was planning out my build in my head.

Provide some TLC (brakes work but could definitely be better, fix the hole in the floor, change out the suspension bushings that are barely there) and then enjoy it this Spring and Summer. Come Fall I would tear it apart for a build. Ideas were larger engine of some sort, change the color, stance and wheels. Here it is on it's debut to the neighborhood and it's garage mates:

 

[bulldogchesty]

Very nice.

 

[live4theking]

That's a beautiful car. I don't know about a color change, but hey it's yours not mine. Some different wheels and tires could be cool.

 

[traintech55]

Looks great the way it is. Have fun with your new toy.

 

[AdamH]

Well, sometimes timelines change due to opportunities that arise. I was cruising CL looking for donor seats / frames and came across a guy selling his '66 Sport Fury hardtop with a freshly built 440 and TF727. Receipts to prove it. Had my engine builder (he built the 327 in my '65 Vette and all my AMC Jeep engines (I've built a lot over the years) look things over and gave it the thumbs up. Tried to buy just the drivetrain but the seller was all or nothing. So now I have a 2nd Fury in the stable. It was originally a 383 car. I plan to swap the 318 and 904 into the '66 and sell it. I have all the front grill and bumper as well. they are in the bed of my truck in the pic.

 

[tracktor]

as for color and wheels I think its perfect now with that powerplant it will be just right

 

[thrashingcows]

as for color and wheels I think its perfect now with that powerplant it will be just right

I agree....really like the gold, and the later C-body rims with raised white letter tires.

Good deal on the 440 powered 66. And swapping drive trains and then selling off the 66 is a good way to recoupe some of your additional investment.

 

[Moparmat2000]

Man, that one looks real nice. I think i'd keep the color its got, its a nice color combo with the top and interior, and do all the mechanical upholstery and structural fixits/upgrades you were thinking about. Maybe a different set of wheels. Maybe torque thrusts? But thats just me. Swapping in the 440/727 combo is the way to go.

Nice score on both cars.

 

[saylor]

o wise and venerable hat wearers -

can he just unbolt the front suspension end to end and k frame and torsion bars and whatnot, and wheel it over to the other car and bolt it right back in ?

or is he screwed on his swap ?

0.o

- saylor

 

[65sporty]

can he just unbolt the front suspension end to end and k frame and torsion bars and whatnot, and wheel it over to the other car and bolt it right back in ?



- saylor

I had this same thought before, would have to check stub frame part numbers to see if they are the same. What are the front end parts like on the 66 compared to the 68. Could be opening a can of worms rather than just a engine swap.

 

[AdamH]

would the 440 not bolt into the '68 K member? It was an optional engine that year so i assumed it would. I'm new to the old MOPARS

 

[Polara_500]

I believe it will. The 65 full size cars used a funky front left mounting bracket on the engine that required drilled bosses on the front of the block, but I've never seen one of the motors that did not have the normal motor mount flanges on the block. Now if you go back to a 62 or so earlier RB motor there may be issues, but a 65/66 motor shouldn't have any issues.
This is a pic of a 65 383 showing the drilled bosses on the front, but if you look along the side of the block you can see the mounting flanges behind it.

 

[AdamH]

The 440 that is bolted in to the '66 came out of a '71 something or other - maybe a police car? Can't remember what he said.

 

[Moparmat2000]

would the 440 not bolt into the '68 K member? It was an optional engine that year so i assumed it would. I'm new to the old MOPARS

I agree, i believe the 318 motor mount ears bolted to the sides of the 318 should bolt right to the 440. Reason being is i bolted a 440 into a 69 charger in place of a 318 never changed the K frame because on a 66-70 B body, the small block and big block K are the same.

Now on an A body small and big block K frames are different. Probably because real estate under the hood is at a premium. Heck small blocks are a tight fit in an A body.

I imagine if you can swap a 440 in place of a 318 in a 69 B body and use the 318s mounts off the side of the block, then a C body of tye same year vintage is probably the same in that regards. I imagine car makers like chrysler would prefer to not have to engineer more stuff than they need to.

 

[Moparmat2000]

I believe it will. The 65 full size cars used a funky front left mounting bracket on the engine that required drilled bosses on the front of the block, but I've never seen one of the motors that did not have the normal motor mount flanges on the block. Now if you go back to a 62 or so earlier RB motor there may be issues, but a 65/66 motor shouldn't have any issues.
This is a pic of a 65 383 showing the drilled bosses on the front, but if you look along the side of the block you can see the mounting flanges behind it.
View attachment 111992

Those funky front mount tapped holes on the 65 big block , thats the same block that was used for factory A body 383/440 big block cars.

 

[AdamH]

My neighbor did the same thing - 318 to 440 swap in his 68 charger. He's doing the same thing with his 65 Satellite. I'm sure we'll get it figured out on this boat.

 

[65sporty]

would the 440 not bolt into the '68 K member? It was an optional engine that year so i assumed it would. I'm new to the old MOPARS

It will go on the stub frame and you can probably use the mounts from the 66 in the 68. Saylor was just suggesting it may be easier to drop one stub and bolt it into the other car.

 

[Ripinator]

Well, sometimes timelines change due to opportunities that arise. I was cruising CL looking for donor seats / frames and came across a guy selling his '66 Sport Fury hardtop with a freshly built 440 and TF727. Receipts to prove it. Had my engine builder (he built the 327 in my '65 Vette and all my AMC Jeep engines (I've built a lot over the years) look things over and gave it the thumbs up. Tried to buy just the drivetrain but the seller was all or nothing. So now I have a 2nd Fury in the stable. It was originally a 383 car. I plan to swap the 318 and 904 into the '66 and sell it. I have all the front grill and bumper as well. they are in the bed of my truck in the pic.

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Hey! Nice cars you got there. Its funny how parts car acquisitions go. I was in the same boat looking for parts for my '66 Chrysler Convertible. Bought a parts car that turned out to be too nice to be used for parts. Now I need another parts car for the parts car. . .

 

[Ripinator]

It will go on the stub frame and you can probably use the mounts from the 66 in the 68. Saylor was just suggesting it may be easier to drop one stub and bolt it into the other car.

Check with Wolfen on the stub frame swap. He did the whole stub frame deal on his SFGT a year ago.

 

[75LandYacht]

I introduced myself a few weeks ago when I purchased it. Just to keep it all in one place:

12/20/16 - drove to Roanoke, VA and picked up a running and driving '68 Sport Fury Convertible. the 318 seems to run fine and the 904 shifts fine. Exhaust is toast as are the interior seats / brackets and I have a rust hole under the skinny pedal. As I was driving back from picking it up I was planning out my build in my head.

Provide some TLC (brakes work but could definitely be better, fix the hole in the floor, change out the suspension bushings that are barely there) and then enjoy it this Spring and Summer. Come Fall I would tear it apart for a build. Ideas were larger engine of some sort, change the color, stance and wheels. Here it is on it's debut to the neighborhood and it's garage mates:

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Im digg'en your fleet there AdamH.. if your look'en for some parts money, I'd be interested in those Road wheels and tires, if you gonna change them that is.. just Say'en..