Maserati leads the way for MoPar (Chrysler Co)! Shot these on the freeway, sorry for the poor quality; driving and taking photos, not good. On the flat bed, 3500 GT "Spyder Speciale" 3 carb Weber, 5-spd, Girling discs. And a special ordered, 1969 PLymouth Fury I, High Pursuit. Former Vriginia Commowealth Police car. Extremely rare TWO door, unmarked, 440HP! One of less than 30 built; 3 in existance. Top speed of 148 MHP (held the top speed record for over 25 years),..........catching up to the Maser! What a chase. Ciao and best! ~Trev Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
The "Spyder Speciale" looks like a chopped 3500 GT Touring for me.Some more info about its VIN? Don`t care about that US-car!
Ok, might be rare. But it looks to me as one of those numerous cars that were trashed away in US-movies! Sooo, and the story behind the Maser is....?
Point well taken, Walter. But offhand I can't think of any Plymouths: . Steve McQueen trashed a Ford while being chased by a Dodge (also trashed). . Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) generally trashed Ford Torinos. . Smokey and the Bandit trashed a Pontiac. . Of course there was the silly DeLorean time machine. No Plymouths come to mind. You had best stick to Maseratis, Walter!
Trev, great pictures. I love the old police cars. I got to drive some great ones during my carreer as a Deputy Sheriff, but none that rare. If you still want the grill, let me know. I am shipping some parts tomorrow (one of which is for Frank).
Walter, the story is the 3500 was a "race car" and was going to have a corvette engine and chassis installed. I saved it from that fate. The "hard top" is with the car, as many of the original pieces. They will be reunited with the car at some point in the future. The Touring number is currently unknown, but the AM number is in the early 1,400's. 1,438? I cant recall at the moment. Ciao and best! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mark, You are 100% correct. They were/are pursuit cars. These cars were designed and sold as "High Pursuit" vehicles. Made to pursue and catch! They have extra body welds and reinforcement, heavy duty equipment all around. Not to mention a 375 horsepower 440, 7.5 liter engine. They are extremely rare today, and only 2 or 3 1969 Fury Pursuit, 2 door cars exist. This is the most complete and numbers matching example existant. A former VSP officer told me that when they did arrest a suspect, they would put them in the back seat. If they offered ANY resistance, the suspect would get a "date" with a billy club. Remeber this was 1969, and in the south. Revelant to the Maserati/Ferrari community, this is what was chasing your Sebring, Ghibli, Bora, Miura, or Daytona in 1969 and 1970. I hope most of you enjoy. Ciao and best! ~Trev Image Unavailable, Please Login
#1438 would be a very late VIN for a 1.series car! And the body sits on a Corvette chassis???? Not sure what they have smoked in those days! What are your plans with it? If you want to restore it you have to go thru the valley of tears!
No, no Walter. The previous owner WAS going to mount it to a Corvett chassis, but did not. It is the original chassis and frame etc.... Yes it's a "late" VIN, 3 carb, 5-spd 4 wheel disc. 3500 GT. I have already walked through the valley of tears. I do most of the work myself. When I need an expert, such as nitridting the crankshaft I have them do it. I'm well versed in the horror ($$) of restoration if you don't do most of the work yourself. Somebody has to save these great cars right? That's what many of us are doing.
Great to see a fantastic looking Maser saved. Would love to have the skill and space to do it also. As to the Plymouth it does look the part. In a past misspent youth I was in the RCMP in Canada and had some chases in the old Plymouths. A death defying act without a doubt. The brakes didn't fade they just disappeared. I remember one run with a T intersection and going for the brakes that just were not there. Good thing it was a park not a house at the end of the road. Scary car to drive and just nuts to make a car that wholly BAD go faster as it really can't turn or stop. Still nice to see it saved.
Thanks for the comments Will, but I think your memory is fading. These cars have 4 piston front disc brakes and 11"x 3" rear drums. They stop better than most any car made from 1955 to 1977. Infact the brake design was in production from 1969 to 1984. Also, with 1" tortion bars and front and rear H/D sway bars, this car will keep up with any sports car of the same era on a twisty road. Hard to believe but it's true! Most likely you were driving one of the normal squad cars, 318 V8 and standard suspension/brake combo.??? Ciao and best! ~Trev
You are right. When I said "Old Plymouths" I was not referring to this special edition. If I recall there was a succession of Furys and eventually even the Volare used. They were "beefed up" from the normal street cars but still rubbish. However, you did have to learn how to drive. The last one I totalled off in a chase was a Volare - I still have the emblem in a box along with the Camaro emblem it mated with. No winners there! Pretty sure the ordinary Plymouths were drum but I could be wrong.
Trev, hmmm....I would convert the car -based on its currect condition- to a replica-3500GT-Touring Spyder. They made only 2 and both were early cars. As your car shows the early specs why not do that. OK, it will never be genuine but its the same with the chopped Ghibli-Spyder - they are more worth than the genuine coupes!
Walter, On this rare occasion, I'm one step ahead of you! My intention from the beginning was "Touring Spyder Speciale". Thanks for the insight and advise. It will be a fun project.
I owned a 66 Plymouth Sport Fury with a hipo 440 and the police/ sport suspension with those disc brakes, heavy torsion bars,posi rear end, etc. It was absolutely amazing how well that tank handled, cornered pretty much flat. No denying the weight though! But it was surprisingly capable. A previous owner had put a switch under the driver's seat to turn off the brake lights---said it came in handy to the outrun the California HP! He also put a rehastat on the fuel gauge to make it show half tank when full----so he could fill up when they had fuel rationing in California. The engine was built by Child and Alberts(?) and man it "got it" good! Should have held onto it. Had a vibrasonic radio (reverb unit in the trunk) and if you hit the right kind of bump you thought a thunderstorm just erupted in your car. It was sweet.
Amazing finds!! How do you do it? Looooooove the Fury. Good luck with the 3500GT. She's looking pretty rough.
