318 Barn Find Sport Fury HT on EBay

[Mark Evans]

Check out this almost complete early SN, SF, HT, on Ebay in New Jersey
Item # 300810879062

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

In New Jersey area, bid up to the mid $4000 and did not hit the unknown reserve mark.Bidding has ended.

Looks to be a great Survivor SF, Strange no pictures of the engine compartment to look at. The pic's were good to see the overall shape of the car. Good candidate for a restoration project. We will have to wait to see if it comes back on the market again.

Car is also a two tone car with a red or burgundy top.

Hope it did not get any Damage from the Hurricane Sandy.

John Q.

[Bernie B.]

Just an FYI on that serial number. Being an Evansville built car, it was a later production car starting with "6" as the 3rd digit, probably very late May or June build date. Wonder if Matthew could share the appx. last serial numbers by plant, as in order to reach almost 24,000 Sport Furys, if Evansville built only 6-7000, and the majority of them being convertibles, where did the rest come from? Detroit is my guess.

[kenmorton]

I agree with John Q. Where in New Jersey? If it's anywhere near my house on Long Beach Island, it better have a marine engine!

Ken Morton

[Matthew Keij]

Here are my thoughts on the car:
Missing front valance, 57 hubcaps, missing rear bumper guards, no dash pad and non original rear seat. The Sport Fury had the lower middle section that showed the Fury logo.
This is probably a convertible rear seat.

My best bet is that this car was build in May/June 1959.
My dads car was build approx 600 Sport Fury's later and was build July 15th. His is so far the latest Evansville build Sport Fury known to me

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

I agree with John Q. Where in New Jersey? If it's anywhere near my house on Long Beach Island, it better have a marine engine!

Ken Morton

Hi Ken, Somerville, NJ according to the E bay auction location.

Here is the direct link to the expired E bay auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Sport-Fu ... 135wt_1167

John Q.

[RICKYMOPAR]

Looks like a boat to me. Where is the barn? Maybe the last car out of Evansville Indiana?

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

My sequential last 6 digits are 114148 and mine is an April, 1959 build out of Evansville, IN, so the NJ car (Evansville build) has a 106386 sequence so it is early then mine. I guess getting the build car would nail down the manufactured date.

As far as I know and understand from my years with Chrylser (not that many, 7 years) , no two Plymouths at one plant shared the same last 6 digits of the VIN regardless of Trim or body model, It starts at the Evansville plant at 1000001 and moves forward one unit at a time regardless if it is a SF, Fury, Belvy, Savoy (or Suburban if they were built at that plant in question)

Some may disagree with me, but that is OK.

John Q.

[Bernie B.]

John,

Each trim line was numbered separatel in 1959, so your Belvedere numbers won't correspond with Sport Fury series cars. Interesting you said April, do you have the exact date? My SF convert was built at Evansville 4-21-59 and is 105124 S/n - Per Matthew, his dad's SF hardtop came from Evansville in mid July 1959 and is less than 2000 SF's later than mine, yet that is three months difference. The production rate was about 60 cars per hour. Long ago a chance look at a similar SF convert to mine that was just four digits away from mine (105120 - black w/blue interior, GC 395 w/TF) is what got me paying attention to the numbering. When I got my IBM card copy from Chrysler I could see that the cars built on each side of mine (105123 and 105125) were also white converts with red interiors. I believe they built converts in large batches, then switched to other models. Maybe a bunch of Belvedere converts came along about the same date.

So I believe the barn find hardtop is actually a late date production car from Evansville. It appears that Evansville built a lot of Belvederes since you have a relatively high number. Don't know the total Belvy production at the moment, but as you know, Belvedere converts were few and far between compared to four door sedans.

In 1959 it seems quite likely that there would be same last six digits from the same plant for different model series, but agreed that they changed in later years to absolute sequence numbers without regard to trim level.

Bernie

[rankinrr]

Wow I know it's a hartop and all, but there is some work there. Sure makes the $1,800 I gave for my Belvedere sedan seem like a bargain. Mine sat for 30 years, 1981 to 2011 in storage and has a near mint original interior. I love my sedan. I also love the hardtops, converts, wagons, 6 cylinders, 8 cylinders, manual transmissions, auto push button transmissions, well you get the idea.
Rob R

[rogerh]

You indeed got a bargain, and it is really great that you love it so much!

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Bernie, My build date according to the IBM punch card I received from Chrysler Historical is April 30th, 1959, So there is 7 calendar days between our builds, Don't know if the plant was working on Saturday or Sunday between our builds. That is a difference of 9,024 vehicles VINS in that one calendar week period based on our VIN separation versus Build car build dates. Further broken down to be an average of 1289 cars a day using the 7 day work week or 2578 cars average a day if there is only a 5 day work week.

That plant (Evansville) as most did, worked two shifts a day so a total of 960 cars can be built (using the 60 cars a day rate times two shifts) Now that is pretty close to the 1289 number using a two shift summation.

The big kicker is that Evansville, Like Plymouth Main (Lynch Road) (Dodge Main (Hamtramck for Dodge's) has two parallel assembly lines both making Plymouths, That would increase the production total even more evening allowing for shift change. With shift changes and line shut downs it comes pretty close to my VIN number a week later. Two Production line output for a 7 day period would be 1920 cars a day for a week production of 3840 for one line and 7680 for a two line output using the 1 car per min. rate. with a higher finished car rate output between 1 and 3 vehicles a min. it gets pretty close to our VIN number separation difference.

I think a one car a minuet is very slow and would be a money loser for a car company, Somewhere closer to a 2 or 3 a min is closer to reality.

Watch that one old video of the 59 Plymouths at the Plymouth Mayfair plant and you will see them drive the cars off the line at more then one a minuet rate. I will dig up that link and post it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxJ54r3Q ... re=related

With one shift a day but two production lines the the total would be the same number of 960 vehicles a day, Pretty close to the needed 1289 difference a day to get to my VIN number sequence.

Models were done in batches, Wagons, 4 doors , 2 doors and converts needed different parts. When in the body frame shop for jigging, Converts would need special rockers, windshields & quarters etc. so those bins would be brought in for that jigging of those specific bodies, Being that they would pool cars of similar builds that could expand or reduce the VIN sequence coming off the line. They may hold Converts a couple days or more to do that batch. That could account for even more digits of production happening between VIN numbers.


Once done with a batch then they would do a batch of 2 doors, 4 doors and wagons (if that plant did wagons or converts) Just not enough room to have the many different body parts in the jigging area. So they would build up a bunch of orders for one type of as they would have to re-set that body jig appliances to handle those builds. Not all plants built all models, Only Evansville and New Jersey built converts with most of the converts built in Evansville. (at least it seems...)

Just my two cents...

John Q.

[Bernie B.]

John,

Thank you for the research - good thing I have a cup of coffee in my hand to aid in digesting the info.

First, maybe we should collectively write to Chrysler Historical for any photos or other info about Evansville. Since they shut that plant down after the 1959 model run maybe they kept something extra for historical value... maybe not. I have a Chyrsler Historical car-identification publication from the early 1990's that states each car line was numbered separately, a practice that I think ended in 1959. Will dig it out and copy the pages if you'd like, or maybe you or others are already aware of it.

I know of three other Evansville built Sport Furys with numbers in the 105XXX series - the bronze convert that sold for 78K at Barrett Jackson earlier this year is 105311 - unknown build date, very likely same week as mine. Wonder if anyone knows who the new owner is, or if he has found us or the Forward Look site. Maybe Matthew knows. Another convert, serial no. 1055XX is the white convert shown in the Showcase as Russ Housen's car, and it was SOLD in California May 5, 1959 per the person who owned it 20 years ago. Takes a couple days to get from Evansville to Hollywood - they were flying out of the showrooms I'd say.
Last one I know of is Bob Hinds' hardtop; I remember he told me it was a May 15, 1959 Evansville build, and the serial number is still in the 105XXX series as I recall. Hope he doesn't mind that disclosure, but this conversation is intended for the better enjoyment of the few (and growing larger every day it seems) remaining cars from the thrilling days of yesteryear!

Here's a non-convert, non-serial no. question. I met a guy in New Hampshire about 30 years ago with a nice SF hardtop, white with green interior, 361, etc. He was moving to Florida shortly after that. Name was Greg ... wonder if that car has been located? Or a black SF hardtop, with green interior, modifyed with a 413 and 4-speed trans. Was in Virginia, I just missed buying it less than ten years ago, it was headed to Georgia as I recall. Likely still around, they were in good shape. Can think of more lost - or simply not found yet - friends we should have in this group.

Bernie

[Matthew Keij]

Bernie, do you have some more info on the convert that was sold at Barett Jackson?
This one is not in my list yet.

I have 2 Sport Fury's with the VIN M293105***.
Yours and Tim Bakers vert.

The rest:
M293100***, 2
M293101***, 5
M293102***, 4
M293103***, 0!
M293106***, 6

I don't see much of a hardtop or convertible batch in my database.
Closest I have are 2 convertibles with M293101861 and M293101863. Both for sale at Daniel Schmitt.
I need more VIN's to tell more about this

[Denver 59 Fin Convert]

Bernie, I did know that Evansvllle was shut down after the 59 Model year, maybe (Probably!) all wet on this subject of Consecutive last-six vin numbers. My calculations are close but not absolute.

It would be nice to know what the total production of SFm Fury's Belvy's were made there to enter it into the fray, Maybe CHS might know. I will write them and find out. Octie Hamm works there (or did) as a Chrysler retiree, he might know. But have not heard from him for a while.

I was in Detroit back in September but did not get a chance to go back out to Auburn Hills to talk one-on-one with the CHS staff. Maybe next time..

Confused in Denver..

John Q.