1968 Fury - Parts or Project

[Rust bucket]

I recently purchased a 1968 Fury 3 convertible. It needs floor pans, trunk, and rear frame rails for starters. The rear wheel wells and convertible top frame are in great shape. I'm new to restoration but want to get started. Is this a parts car or project? What years and models would parts fit this car? Thank you!

 

[Big_John]

I recently purchased a 1968 Fury 3 convertible. It needs floor pans, trunk, and rear frame rails for starters. The rear wheel wells and convertible top frame are in great shape. I'm new to restoration but want to get started. Is this a parts car or project? What years and models would parts fit this car? Thank you!

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My advice... This is a parts car for you.

A very wise man, who has restored several very high end cars, once told me "start with the best car that you can afford" on a restoration project. Your car needs, well... everything... From just that pic, I see thousands and thousands of dollars and hours in work. I don't know how much you can do yourself, but this could easily cost $30-50K to restore a car that you can buy a nice one that's all done for $15K. Something that needs a little TLC for half that.

Sell this car and buy something closer to done... Something that drives so you can putter with it and still go to the cars and coffee at Dairy Queen with Stan and the guys while you are working on it.

In other words, bluntly, this isn't going to be fun... This is going to be grueling, mind numbing work for a couple of years or more, every night and every weekend... Most likely, you'll never get close to finishing it and you'll get sick of looking at it in five years and you'll sell it in bushel baskets, losing just about every dollar you put in it and say "Why didn't someone tell me how hard this was?".

 

[Davea Lux]

I would concur with Big_John, with bad floors and frame rails this car is too far gone. I would try to find a solid '68 Fury that needs some work and use this car for parts.

Dave

 

[Triple Pickle]

This is definitely a parts car.
A few things I have learned on over the years are that the more desirable the car is, the more work will have went into it over its life to keep it going. Some repairs will be great, others, not so much. Nice, “honest” convertibles of the 60s are hard to come by. This one has its obvious defects which are enough to disqualify it for restoration.
I believe the problems it has that are not so obvious would be heartbreaking.
I advise you to look for a car that has the least rust as you can find if a cbody is what you want. Unlike more popular cars, you can’t just buy any part you need for them and build a body from scratch.
When looking to buy an old car to restore you want to concentrate on the body, frame, glass, interior.. paying close attention to hard to see areas like underneath, firewall, inner body panels and such. Don’t worry so much about the engine and transmission. Those are comparatively easy to come by and no mystery to swap out if necessary.
Just my advice for what it’s worth.

 

[Rust bucket]

Great advice. Now how do I get the parts from this car into the hands of people that need them? Thank you!

 

[Triple Pickle]

If I were you, I’d keep the car for parts for yourself. Tinker around with it without spending much cash. familiarize yourself with how it’s made and exactly what all really is wrong with it. Next time you’ll know what to look for.

 

[Big_John]

Great advice. Now how do I get the parts from this car into the hands of people that need them? Thank you!

That depends on what you want to do...

Easiest and fastest (hopefully) may be to post a for sale ad here for the complete car.

If you are willing to part it out, that can be done here too. You may even make a little more cash by doing so, but it really depends on what's left in good shape. I don't see selling much of the sheet metal, if any, for example. That takes some patience, willingness to take pictures and deal with people, some of whom are great and unfortunately, some of whom you will try your patience and then not buy. Nothing like dragging a bunch of parts out, cleaning them up, pricing them fairly, taking pictures from every angle, answering questions, figuring out shipping (possibly to Europe) and then never hearing from the buyer again. AMHIK.

Then there's the use it for your own parts option... '68 Fury convertibles aren't all that hard to come by if you want one. I think a '67 would share a lot of parts too. Mechanically, the range gets really wide, and now you can bring Dodges into the picture. Then there's the question of if you have your heart set on a convertible... Rag tops are great, but ask the man that owns one... They bring their own set of issues into the mix with even a good looking one having a soft floor. Then there are times when that hardtop Barracuda next to my 'vert in the garage is a lot more cozy on a cool day when it might rain. Just food for thought...

I'm probably coming off as someone that's trying to discourage you from doing anything... I'm not... I love the car hobby and love to bring guys into it. What I like to see happen is new guys having fun with their cars. You buy something that's drivable and needs a little TLC and tinkering. Those are the fun cars. You get to drive them and working on them isn't some major challenge or project. The last two cars I bought were exactly that... Both running, driving cars that needed a bit of work... With the exception of one being in the body shop for 8 weeks, both never really were more than a few hours work from being drivable. It took me a long time to figure that out...

 

[mrfury68]

Great advice in the previous posts. Bad floors and frame rails would be very expensive and time consuming, even if you are experienced in doing that work yourself. There are still some good deals on our beloved C bodies out there. Some nice solid examples that just need minor to moderate work to make them real nice cruisers. I don’t know what your budget is, but if 4 doors wouldn’t bother you, there would be more possibilities available obviously. Personally I love the look of a 4 door hardtop. This is a great hobby. Know your budget and skill set, research any prospective car, and buy accordingly. That will keep it fun for you and your family.

 

[CBODY67]

I strongly concur with @BigJohn's comments. To me, the "deal changers" are the underbody issues mentioned. Remember this is a unit-body construction car rather than a body/frame cars, which makes those issues more intense by comparison. Especially on a unit-body construction car without a solid TOP.

In general, Chrysler Corp didn't build a lot of convertibles compared to "closed" cars, compared to GM or Ford cars. Which might mean that ANY convertible would need to be saved for parts or restored, no matter what. But with the price of better cars being what they are, the financial viability of a full restoration (custom or stock) becomes and issue, too. But at some future point in time, the hardware that makes it a convertible can become more valuable and needed by some, very possibly. When? Not sure, maybe years later after all of the other ones have been crushed.

But the problem becomes that in order to save this one, you'll need a 2dr hardtop parts car to do it, possibly. A car body that is in better shape but that has all of its innards already gone.

In selling it, it will be much easier to deal with "in one piece" rather than having exterior sheet metal missing. Once that exterior sheet metal and trim is gone, it quickly becomes "junk" and will need to be kept out of sight and such to keep everybody else happy.

In the mean time, take some more extensive pictures of the floorpan areas for reference and possible future sale activities. Get it more resentable for the same reason. Don't get in a hurry to sell it, but do advertise it in several areas. Or put a too-low price on it. It might take a while, but somebody might say "I can do that", make an offer, and it'll be in a better home. A buyer with more resources (time, skills, and money) to make it all happen.

CBODY67

 

[57fury440]

Good advice from Big_John.

 

[CBODY67]

An observation, in our current economy there seems to be a lot of money still floating around. What makes me believe that? Almost all of the new home growth in North Texas (in particular) are in homes above the $300K range in nice developments. Buyers with a fleet of late model vehicles and toys in the driveway, usually. That what I see on a daily basis in a formerly-rural area I live in.

But that really hit the mark wh As myen we toured a high-end restoration shop in far-north Fort Worth about a year ago. $100.00/hr labor rates and most of their cars averaged about 100 hours of labor to complete. They would do anything the customer could pay for. The sheet metal was worked or section-replaced. No bondo. Everything in there would see their new light of day as an indoor-show-quality vehicle, award-winning vehicle. It was a large shop AND they had a waiting list of about 50 vehicles, at that time. They were looking for a bigger facility (their current one was a large custom van converter in prior times).

I haven't figured out where all of this money is coming from, yet. But out in the area where the family farm is (150+ years old), the local utility district has 400 water taps on hold until they can get their water system upgraded and expanded. By the time it's done, the average price of the smaller lot and "peaked-roof" house will be much closer to $500K, no doubt. And the new residents will soon start to complain about the traffic in what used to be "the country". As my property taxes go up, even with homestead and agricultural exemptions!

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[shooter65]

I agree with everything everyone said but I'll add two points. first, and most importantly, there are almost no reproduction parts for C-Bodies so you're usually dependent on NOS or used parts so a parts car is very beneficial and expect to do a lot of internet searches and buying online. Trunk pans and are getting tougher to come by. Also, these are big cars so if a repaint is required, it will be more expensive then a smaller car.

I'm not trying to talk you out of C-Bodies but I also don't want you to have a never ending project......like mine has become.

 

[Triple Pickle]

CBODY67 has a very good point about unit construction convertibles. The issues that plague any convertible,(rust) are twice as troublesome. Floors and frame rails gone? That means the transmission tunnel and rocker panels probably aren’t the greatest and are holding the car in one piece. Unlike a closed car where the roof, although not really designed to be “load bearing “, can help keep things together and somewhat aligned until the underpinnings can be repaired.
If your heart is set on a Fury of this model and plan on getting one in better shape later, you’ll thank yourself for keeping this one for parts and reference.

 

[RGORHAM29]

First - welcome to the forum from Massachusetts! I will say that that these guys on FCBO can and will provide a lot of good advice, recommendations, and help you out.

Well - I agree with everyone on this. I am going through it myself....as had many others here.
Mine is a 68 Fury III Hardtop, 318cid, 86k miles all original and unmolested - literally a “garage find”. 68 Fury III Resurrection in MA

Got it from a sweet little old lady and it hasn’t been on the road since 1999. She had ALL of her registration papers, receipts and took care of it until it was parked in 1999 when she got I’ll and could no longer drive. She had it covered in blankets, newspapers, table cloths and cardboard when I got it. I got it home, got it to run (and there is a procedure to do that), she was tickled pink. I was feeling pretty good and confident.....then I got it up on jackstands, poked around, good floor boards and then realized I needed to replace the stub frame, patch a frame rail, replace the fuel tank and lines....while you are at it....rebuild the engine, swap out all the ghosts, belts, battery, transmission, brakes brake lines, tires, bushings, etc so it is safe on the road. Then you find out life gets in the way and it slows you down. I have been finding parts at boneyards, members in this forum, and eBay to save money.....but money is being spent. I love the look of the 65-68 Fury’s, car had some good bones and interior, a bit of childhood memories, project to do with the kids - so I took the challenge.

I am not a mechanic by trade but a car enthusiast. I thought that I would have the car on the road in 1 year. I am in my 2nd or 3rd year, plugging away when I can......and I would say my car appears to be in better condition. I could have it on the road sooner IF I want to pay a resto shop to do this. $100-125/hr and 100-400 hrs depending on car condition....and you could buy one that has been restored.

I agree that there are many other 67-68 fury’s out there. Hardtop and soft tops. You can find them in drivable condition from $4-20K....there are a few being advertised on Craigslist and on this forum. You will find some great cars in the 10-15k range. Then you can work on cosmetics, upgrades, enjoy ice cream runs, drives to the lake, etc from day 1. Your car looks to have some good trim and perhaps a decent interior? Could be a good parts car.

Long message but I want you to see how it can go. Sorry to discourage you - but most of us have lived it or living it. We just want to to go in “eyes wide open”. Best of luck.

 

[68 4spd Fury]

Allot of good advice and comments! If you go down the part it out road, not sure what the interior is like, but since it's a two year body style anything convertible specific is hard to find. Also any options it may have, AM/FM radio, A/C and dash parts if they're in good shape are always in demand. Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[mag162]

I’d be interested in the dash cluster!

 

[dale dannefer]

I certainly agree with Big John and others.
How are the rear quarters overall?
I have a similar car but Sport Fury,
Could possibly be interested in some parts if you part it out.

 

[John Reddie]

If you plan on getting another '68 Fury convertible, I would keep this one and save all of the parts that you can . Over the past years I have owned 3 '67 Fury parts cars for my two Furys that I drive. You never know what you will need later on. I know that doors and front fenders are the same on '67 and '68' Furys. The rear quarters have a different lower body line on the '68 than the '67 and the trunk lids are different. The top frame is a definite save. I had a devastating fire in my convertible in 2005 that ruined the entire interior. I was fortunate to find a '67 vert for parts locally for $600.00. It was a blessing. What ever you decide to do, I wish you the best.
J

John

 

[Fury Man Van]

I recently purchased a 1968 Fury 3 convertible. It needs floor pans, trunk, and rear frame rails for starters. The rear wheel wells and convertible top frame are in great shape. I'm new to restoration but want to get started. Is this a parts car or project? What years and models would parts fit this car? Thank you!

View attachment 456631

I'm looking for a parts car for my Fury Convertible. where are you located? and what would you want for it

 

[Fury Man Van]

I recently purchased a 1968 Fury 3 convertible. It needs floor pans, trunk, and rear frame rails for starters. The rear wheel wells and convertible top frame are in great shape. I'm new to restoration but want to get started. Is this a parts car or project? What years and models would parts fit this car? Thank you!

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Also could you send me more pictures