Car guys are notorious for buying cars that remind them of a car they owned years ago in their younger, carefree days.
Nostalgia fuels the car hobby like jet fuel in a track car, so this 1969 Plymouth Sport Fury is a typical example of what motivates an investment in old iron.
Jerry Sutherland
Toad Frere is the proud owner of this big C-body Mopar and yes—he did own a 1969 Plymouth Sport Fury when he was in high school. That car was a two-door hardtop, but this convertible drew him in like quicksand.
The Fury was in great shape, but Toad explained how it went into a 15-year hibernation from the real world. His brother spotted the ad for the car, and he remembered Toad’s high school car, so he contacted the owner.
That was the lucky moment for Toad because his brother ground the price down from 12,000 to 9000 dollars. Toad said the previous owner, “Did nothing to it over those 15 years”, so the car had typical long term-storage issues.
The Plymouth had the typical leaks after all those years, so Toad spent time sorting out the seals on the factory 318 under the hood of the big convertible. Veteran car guys know how many leaks occur after too many years of hibernation, but Toad found them—and solved them all to make sure the Sport Fury was a reliable driver.
Toad also had to troubleshoot the top after it quit working, but he’s confident he’ll have everything tweaked up to his standards. He went under the dash to troubleshoot a connection and solved the stuck convertible top issue.
The biggest challenge was the interior because the Fury was stored under a tarp that was a humid breeding ground for some nasty molds. Toad said there “was mold under the floor mats”, because the conditions were perfect to grow some toxic stuff.
Toad had a huge asset on his side. His wife loves cleaning, so she jumped into the game and helped him sort out the interior and bring it back to factory standards.
This car is destined to be a road warrior. Toad is very impressed with its ride and handling on the open road. He admitted his wife had to get used to the drafty side of a 60s convertible but she’s coming around on the experience.
Their grandchildren are also part of the experience because Toad set the Fury up to haul younger kids. One of the first runs was grab burgers and fries at a local drive-in and eat them in the car—just like the old days.
The Sport Fury was scheduled for a run through the Canadian Rockies to a major show in British Columbia and Toad is pumped up about the road trip. He’s bringing backup in the form of a car hauler travelling behind him because he doesn’t know how well the Sport Fury will do on a long run.
It doesn’t matter—he owns a ’69 Sport Fury again and this one came without a roof. Toad summed it up this way.
“You gotta do these things right now because people end up wishing they’d done more and then it’s too late”.
Toad Frere
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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