1 of 1,500? 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury Pace Car
The number jumps around a bit from 1,300 to 1,900 with more than a few sources saying that there were 1,500 of these 1965 Plymouth Sport Fury Pace Car replicas made for the 1965 Indianapolis 500. This example can be found here on craigslist in Longmont, Colorado with an asking price of $4,900. Thanks to Ikey H. for submitting this tip!
This car is in rugged shape, to say the least, but for those of you who are pace car fans and collectors, this is a must-have. There were reportedly 35 official replicas built with 426 wedge engines but the bulk of the replicas received a Golden Commando 383 cubic-inch V8. Being 2019 and craigslist, you probably already know that there are no engine photos. Out of 18 photos, 8 of them are showing paperwork. I would have personally preferred 7 paperwork photos and 1 engine photo, but that’s just me. I believe that it would have looked like this. The seller says “Factory Original 383 Commando…Have not tried to get it Running. Needs Restored…Not Running Condition but it is all there”. So, there ya go.
You can tell that this car has led a hard life. For those thick, solid, heavy bumpers, both front and rear, to be so dented up, I’m not quite sure what happened with this one. Maybe it was pushed and/or pulled a lot in its life in shuffling it back and forth between storage spaces or something. They say, “The Original Owner was in the Navy when he bought the Car…I have the Work Order froms [sic] the” Navy Exchange Garage” did when ever the car was Worked on…” The Sport Fury was a great car and when you add in the convertible option it gets even better. Make it a Pace Car replica and it’s off the charts, but I’m a big Fury fan.
The interior looks pretty complete but in need of more elbow grease than (insert un-pc phrase here). It’s a great looking interior, or it was. The official badge is still there which is amazing, this car couldn’t have spent any time out in public or that would have been popped off quicker than (insert another un-pc phrase here). It appears to possibly have been repainted and the lettering wasn’t reapplied, but I have seen a few of the ’65 Sport Fury Pace cars that didn’t have the lettering. Did they produce them without lettering? That would seem strange since the whole idea of owning a Pace Car is to have it look like one which it doesn’t without the lettering. In any case, this car will need to be restored from the ground up and with nice examples selling for $25,000-$30,000ish, it’ll be a labor of love for the next owner.
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Comments
$4900 is a pipe dream. Max, I see “maybe” $3K. This needs so much, I would think it’s worth it to keep looking for a better one. Nothing on this is being reproduced today, and probably never will. I’m not even so sure the bumpers can be straightened.
my question here is ?where do you go in The US to find cars with out rust? you see the cars the gas monkeys buy in texas rusty! cars coming out of california with rust!!! so where do you go! would never buy anything from these big name auction companys you can’t drive them so they may look good but end up a money pit!
I guess in a way, you go where ever you want. I’d say that a small magnet and a mirror should be key parts of your travel gear. Dealing with surface rust is one thing, dealing with complete rot and decay is something else entirely. Use your nose too If you’re gagging on the smell of new tar, that should tell you a lot!
I can’t even imagine what the area that used to be called the floor looks like. Good luck to the next owner, they are a better man then me.
Not really. The better man would be wiser with his money. Let’s look for something else. I can’t believe this seller …ummm..wrong word…person…actually wants money for this.
$50k plus to restore……$25-$35k Car. Hmmm? It would be nice restored & drivable. But…..A labor of Love only. Thankfully, thats OK to whom ever buys it.
Gotta love the Mopar dashboards of this era, years after the forward look got its start. Original graphics could be reproduced these days on a laser cutter. But….given the condition I’ll pass purchasing this car. I’d rather have the aged Bronco parked next to this. If for sale, I’m sure it’s an inflated asking price…
I dearly love these but I think its a parts car
Am I missing something? The seller provides all sorts of documentation on the car. However NONE of it says anything about it being an Indy 500 pace car, or pace car replica. Is it a Sport Fury convertible? Absolutely no question. Is it an Indy 500 pace car? Nope.
With money no object, of course this car is “restorable”. But is it economically restorable? Again. Nope.
I love these cars too. But I’d be surprised if $50k would “restore” it.
I sold Plymouths in ’65 and that is a pace car. We had one identical to it that I sold before we got the decal package for it. We put it on a yellow convertible and put it in the showroom. The blue on white with all the gingerbread was the Indy Pace Car.
Gary, I’m not questioning what you’re telling us. But what is it about this car that tells you it’s a Pace Car? It’s not the paint code. It’s not the trim code. And from every other angle, it looks like every other Sport Fury convertible. Did Chrysler send out a dealer letter announcing a Pace Car convertible? If you ordered a Pace Car convertible, how did you specify it on the order form? A ’65 Pace Car is definitely on my lottery list. I’m just keen to know what specifically determines that one is or isn’t.
I assume they mean since the owner lived on PACE rd that it must be a pace car. Nothing I read other than the sticker on the dash which is totally crooked says pace car. Surely Chrysler charged extra for this add on. I would sure want something more and I don’t believe its worth any more today than when it was new.
I have to agree that I don’t see anything at all that verifies this as an Indy 500 pace car replica. A crooked dash plaque could have been obtained elsewhere and carelessly applied. Buyer beware when it comes to this rusty Fury. I would LOVE one of these in better condition.
This car is a 2 bbl 383. I’ve seen a few articles that state the 1900 replicas has 4 bbl 383 engines. Just another cause for suspicion.
I think the promo model sitting with the paperwork photographed is worth more than the car. In perusing all the paperwork, there is no mention of the Pace Car “package” or special dealer-installed graphics. I do wonder about that little front center bumper guard…that looks like an upgrade from the standard issue. How does a car that is so well documented get roached out like this. White with blue convertible top — must’ve been something when it was new! Good luck to whomever purchases this.