'57 resto cont'd.

While driving my Fury for the previous couple of years, I had been busy in the garage restoring the major running parts which were all incorrect on my Fury. I located and imported a factory engine from out of a 1957 Plymouth Fury, with the correct FP31 engine number. A local machine shop took care of the machining and assembly, and many hours were spent in my garage with the final assembly, accessories, fuel lines, painting, detailing, decals, and sourcing all those little parts which are missing or incorrect when you buy an engine. After giving a local carb shop the job of restoring my dual 4 barrel Cater WCFB’s, they did such a bad job that I was forced to pull them apart and re-restore them myself.

After 2 years of advertising in Hemmings etc, a person phoned me and sold me a 57 Fury 318 engine for $1500 complete with all accessories, carbs, air cleaners and transmission. I shipped it in to New Zealand, and discovered that it was a standard Plymouth 301 with the Fury accessories added, and that somebody had stamped an “F” before the “P-31” on the engine block to make it appear as a Fury serial number, and then went and left the “F” stamp in a little plastic bag on top of the intake for me to find. The following year another person phoned and I purchased the engine that I have now, which had been retired from a factory Fury in 1974, and stored in a barn, and had been kept oiled and turned over ever since.

318 Cubic Inch Polyspherical Chrysler
Bore = 3.91 inch
Stroke = 3.31 inch
Solid valve lifters
Tubular pushrods
Adjustable rocker arms
Valve diameters = Intake 1.84 inches, Exhaust 1.56 inches
Fury Cam specs:
Intake opens 17 degrees BTC, closes 59 degress ABC, Duration 256 degrees
Exhaust opens 55 degrees BBC, closes 21 degrees ATC, Duration 256
degrees
Lift at valve = .405 of an inch

The following work was then completed:
Hot tanked and cleaned
Crack tested
Crankshaft ground
Line honed
New TRW 30 thou over pistons with a chamfered top edge
New piston pins
New rings and bearings
New oil pump
New camshaft-ground to Fury specs
New water pump
New rocker shafts
New timing chain
New valve guides
New valve springs
New valve lifters
Hardened valve seats
New pushrods
Harmonic balancer re-vulcanised
Machine surfaces
All components Balanced
NOS MoPar (!) overhaul gasket set
“Hot” components coated in a high temperature baked on ceramic coating.
(Intake/exhaust manifolds)
Inside of valve covers coated in a baked on Teflon type coating
Painted in POR-15 “Aluminum” color engine enamel-3 coats
Valve covers and air cleaners painted in 2 pack gold
New UNF/UNC exhaust manifold studs and nuts
New spark plug leads and insulators
NOS MoPar water outlet elbow
NOS MoPar belts
NOS MoPar hoses
NOS MoPar steel exhaust manifold gaskets/spark plug shields
NOS MoPar temperature sender
NOS MoPar oil gauge sender
NOS MoPar spool type engine mounts
NOS MoPar exhaust valve heat riser thermostatic spring
NOS MoPar oil filler cap
NOS MoPar Autolite AR32 sparkplugs
NOS MoPar distributor drive shaft
NOS MoPar distributor cap
NOS MoPar dipstick tube
NOS MoPar carburettor kits
NOS MoPar fuel pump (MO-1053, still looking for NOS MoPar M2501S)
NOS MoPar air filters
NOS MoPar oil filter cartridge (!)
Gary Goers corban clamps
Gary Goers generator warning tags
Jim Osborne air cleaner/power steering pump decals
Water hose decals reproduced from original NOS decals
Magnetic insert sump plug
Rebuilt power steering pump
Rebuilt generator
Rebuilt starter motor
Rebuilt distributor
Rebuilt WCFB Carter dual 4 barrel carbs, 2631S & 2632S

"Plymouth Owners Club, Plymouth Bulletin-#141, July August 1983"
"Fury V-800 power-plant, 318 cu in, a stroked 301 of the same bore, the
first Mopar v8 of that now famous size, but unlike its millions of
predecessors, the first 318 was a premium burning high performance
engine with 9.25:1 compression ratio. The Fury V-800 came in full battle
dress with dual WCFB Carter carburettors, sporting special side mounted
air cleaners, dual point distributor, stiff valve springs, special cam,
dual exhaust. 290 HP at 5400 rpm.  The V-800 was cammed to provide peak
torque at high RPM.

57 Fury Dealer’s Brochure "Introducing the Fiery New Plymouth"
Fury V-800 engine, Horsepower 290 at 5400 RPM, Torque 325 at 4000 RPM,
Compression ratio 9.25:1, Bore 3.91 inches, Stroke 3.31 inches, Piston
Displacement 318 cubic inch, Overhead valves, Adjustable valve tappets,
High load valve springs, Pistons especially designed for high
compression ratio, Special high performance camshaft, Vibration damper,
Rotary type oil pump, Shunt type oil filter, Oil capacity 5 quarts, Full
pressure lubrication to all crankshaft, camshaft, and connecting rod
bearings and to valve rocker arms and tappets.

On 9/11/2002, Glenn added this.

Due to the condition of the body under all that shiny paint, and evidence that more crusty rust was hidden from view, the decision was made to totally remove the rear quarters. It was a good decision, as these panels can be removed in about 2 hours each by drilling out the spot welds, giving full access to the necessary repair areas. The rust behind the panels was not a pretty sight. Due to no metal protection behind the panel, poor sealing, and built in water traps, it is my belief that most 57-59 MoPars will eventually show these same areas of rust damage, no matter how well they are cared for.

The patch panels that I purchased for the repair of the rusted out lower sections of the rear quarters were, like most patch panels, in need of a lot of work to enable them to fit on to the car. The wheel arch ‘return’ lip under the car was about half an inch too short, and a piece had to be welded on to extend it around the entire wheel arch. The wheel arch swage was not sharp enough and had to be re-worked. The body swage that runs from rear to front was hopeless, so the decision was made to cut the repair panels short of the original swage, and use that instead, which helps to prevent panel distortion spread past the swage during welding. The finished right rear quarter panel is an excellent job, and a fine example of bodywork craftmanship. That weld line between the patchpanels and the original panel is over 92 inches long! With no filler! And is straight as a sheet of glass.

With the right rear quarter completed and temporarily screwed back on, the left rear quarter is removed from the car. The rust on the inner panels proves to be even worse than the right hand side. The entire top of the wheel tub was so full of rust holes that this area required replacing. The C pillar framing requires close inspection. With rust this bad the body strength is compromised, and in the event of a rollover it could have snapped right off.

Like the right rear quarter panel, the left rear quarter panel was so rusted and beaten up from previous repairs that the entire lower section in front of and behind the rear wheel opening had to be replaced. Some bad rust was discovered behind where the side trim had been sitting on the rear quarter also, and parts of that had to be replaced with new metal. The poorly fitting patch panels needed the same repair work as the right side needed. But when completed, the weld line has practically disappeared.

Can you help me locate any of the following parts that I am missing, so that my restoration will proceed through to completion unhindered? You can count on this being current-if a part is on the list then I need it, and you could get to see the part that you supply appear on this page installed onto this very 57 Fury! Fair prices paid for good parts. Any help appreciated. Contact me here.