Barn Find of the day and probably of the year!

[rooster1911]

I know this is a C-Body but I just had to tell this one!!!! In the mopar world I hang out with and here in my comunity we can sometimes get parts fairly cheap. Well a friend of mine found a 1966 Fury all original with a original 426 Hemi in a barn, just a little surface rust, but some one already offered 10 gran for it ( at least that's story as it was told to me). A dollar short and a day late, I guess.

 

[ga66mopar]

I don't think a c-body was ever offered with a 426 hemi.

 

[rooster1911]

Plymouth Fury VIP Option

I don't think a c-body was ever offered with a 426 hemi.

I think it was between the 1965 and 1969 models the Fury (VIP) model could be ordered with a 440 4 BL,wedge or 426 Hemi as an option. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[696pack]

I think it was between the 1965 and 1969 models the Fury (VIP) model could be ordered with a 440 4 BL,wedge or 426 Hemi as an option. Please correct me if I am wrong.

That is wrong. The Hemi was NEVER available in a C body.

 

[WP29440SE]

the only way to back up your claim is with a VIN number. i dont believe you could get a 426 hemi in any C body, 440 six pack yes, hemi, no . i see claims of these all the time and no body has ever provided any VIN numbers, or a even a trim tag, let alone a build sheet

 

[rooster1911]

Thanks all, I'm no expert and am very curious now, I think I will take a little trip and get the VIN if possible take a picture if the guy will let me take a look. If everything is legit I will post the results.

 

[tpodwdog]

That is wrong. The Hemi was NEVER available in a C body.

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH.........what HE said !

 

[Featherman]

Would a 426 Wedge be available in a C Body for 66???:icon_scratch:

 

[ga66mopar]

Would a 426 Wedge be available in a C Body for 66???:icon_scratch:

I believe the 440 took the place of the 426 wedge in the c-body in 66.

 

[shorty64]

Never Built ???

However, comma. There are a number of cars from that era "that were never built!" but actually were, because someone knew someone who could alter the line ticket, do a "special" for a management type, etc.

There's all kind of old magazine articles about such cars, although I grant you I've seen more about GM stuff than Mopar or Ford.

I know of a 'Vette that belonged to Zora Duntov with a year or two ahead engine than available for that model year because "The Man" wanted to drive it for a while. It was built on the line, not in the prototype shop, etc. The guy who had it some years ago has just been letting it sit in his garage up to the point I heard about thru a mutual friend. And yes, he had seen the car up close and personal.

I worked at Buick in Flint in the mid '60's and I could write books about what I saw and even helped do that would flabbergast most folks. For instance, I saw a little 3 on the tree Special shipped with the small V8 instead of 6 (vs line ticket) just to help make the day's "shipped" numbers better. Justification? "Hells bells, the guy is getting more than he paid for!" I was told. Hmm, yup, just another satisfied customer!

So, never say never just because it doesn't match the printed source material. A lot of changes got implemented at the 11th hour right as the first cars were being built. Last year's knobs, emblems, floor mats, etc were often used if the supplier was late with the right color, style, etc.

Enuff from me - just needed to stir the pot amongst the authorities.
Sorry, I'll behave in the future.

RC

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

.....never say never just because it doesn't match the printed source material.

.....just needed to stir the pot amongst the authorities.
Sorry, I'll behave in the future.

RC

:iamwithstupid:

Hey shorty! While I myself am very, very, very, skeptical that this car is legit, I agree with you on a couple of points, "Never Say Never" and also "Too many KnowItAlls" that come across as just that.

Keep misbehavin', these guys need a little poke now and then.

 

[rooster1911]

And I will stir a little more, I bought a 96 Jeep Cherokee 4 cyl back in 96, it was brand new with only 5 miles on the odometer. as a few years went by the usual things would wear out ie the MAP sensor and somehow the alternator bracket was bent well I went through pure heck trying to get these things fixed I would go to even the dealership to get parts and they just would not fit even after running the VIN after a while this older gentleman at the the Dodge dealership nailed the problem - my jeep was the one of the first of the 96 models and Dodge was trying to use up parts from 95 so my jeep was a mixture of 95 and 96 parts and if I went to the parts store in search of something I had to take it with me and ask for both the 95 and 96 pieces to see what matched - True Story!

 

[iraqivet01]

a 426 in a C body. Most likely a transplant, but still a cool find.
I would dare not to say never. Stranger things were special ordered back then.

 

[69Coronetrt]

However, comma. There are a number of cars from that era "that were never built!" but actually were, because someone knew someone who could alter the line ticket, do a "special" for a management type, etc.

However comma how come these cars have never surfaced in 40+ years? (70 Daytonas, Hemi C bodies) Never been featured in magazines? Never shown up at major shows? Credible stories have never leaked out? Factory information uncovered?

I would say a lot of these 'never builts' were declared 'never builts' before a lot of factory information surfaced and published and we found out these never builts were 'readily available, low production, just not ordered or common'. 67 Belvedere Hemi cars, Hemi's in a 68 Coronet 440, and 72 6BBL cars all come to mind.

 

[robinsonwr]

Thanks all, I'm no expert and am very curious now, I think I will take a little trip and get the VIN if possible take a picture if the guy will let me take a look. If everything is legit I will post the results.

If it would remotely happen it might be a "K" code special order. The fender tag or build sheet would fill in the rest. Mopar Action a couple of months ago had a barn find b-body(67 Bel I Hemi/4speed) that was not supposed to be produced. Stranger things have been found. I hope for the mopar community that it maybe true so yet another exotic can be captured and not crushed.

 

[696pack]

There were BOTH 426 wedges and 440s in 1966 C bodies and also little known by many there were a few 426 wedges built in B bodies too.

The thing that you have to remember is that regardless of what shouldn't have been built or what COULD have been built, if it WAS built the V.I.N. would reflect it. In other words, if a Hemi C body would have been built it would be identified in the 5th character of the V.I.N. for the engine, period, end of story. Here is the catch though, the 5th digit in 1966 of H is for 426 RB. It does NOT refer to it as 2-4 as in dual quads that would I.D. it as a Hemi OR a 426 wedge. So, without a fender tag and broadcast sheet you have to ASSUME it is a 426 wedge ranther than a Hemi as it was never advertised as available in a C body. without those documents you will NEVER convince ANYONE that it is a factory built Hemi car.

Rumors of such cars have been around for years but to date there has never been one PROVEN.

 

[rooster1911]

Well, none of us will never know about this particular car, I just tried to go and see if I could take a gander and it was gone, you have to admit though it brought up allot of good discussion. The guy did say that it was 1 of 50 ever made, who knows somebody might be driving down some country road some day and see a headlight or grill peaking out of a barn or garrage and one the other 49 will be discovered, if it's true.

 

[Meep-Meep]

There were BOTH 426 wedges and 440s in 1966 C bodies and also little known by many there were a few 426 wedges built in B bodies too.

The thing that you have to remember is that regardless of what shouldn't have been built or what COULD have been built, if it WAS built the V.I.N. would reflect it. In other words, if a Hemi C body would have been built it would be identified in the 5th character of the V.I.N. for the engine, period, end of story. Here is the catch though, the 5th digit in 1966 of H is for 426 RB. It does NOT refer to it as 2-4 as in dual quads that would I.D. it as a Hemi OR a 426 wedge. So, without a fender tag and broadcast sheet you have to ASSUME it is a 426 wedge ranther than a Hemi as it was never advertised as available in a C body. without those documents you will NEVER convince ANYONE that it is a factory built Hemi car.

Rumors of such cars have been around for years but to date there has never been one PROVEN.

And is it true that the first A12 cars didn't get the M engine code but rather H for 383 HP? Sounds like someone was pulling my leg!

 

[bluefury]

"h" a12

And is it true that the first A12 cars didn't get the M engine code but rather H for 383 HP?


A handful of the first 69 A12's had an "H" as the engine code in the VIN. The A12's were built as 383 delete cars and most had a "M" (special order V8) engine code.
All A12's weather "H" or "M" code will have A12 on the fender tag and broadcast sheet.

 

[696pack]

And is it true that the first A12 cars didn't get the M engine code but rather H for 383 HP?


A handful of the first 69 A12's had an "H" as the engine code in the VIN. The A12's were built as 383 delete cars and most had a "M" (special order V8) engine code.
All A12's weather "H" or "M" code will have A12 on the fender tag and broadcast sheet.

All of the above is true except this: "All A12's weather "H" or "M" code will have A12 on the fender tag"

As far as I know there is only ONE example of this. I argued with the guys on the A12forum.com about the car as there was NO A12 marked on the fender tag and the car had an H rather than an M in the V.I.N. and the car had no broadcast sheet. I said as far as I was concerned it was a 383 car with an after factory transplant since the car had no FACTORY documentation for the A12 package. They argued that the cars V.I.N. seqence fell right in line with other A12 RRs built and accepted the car as a REAL A12 based on that.
I still have reservation about it but the car for sold for big money when it sold so apparantly the buyer believed it.
Now, if it had a B.S. it would have been intersting to se what it showed. It the car DID have one and there was no A12marked on it or any other A12 idicators on it then to ME it would HAVE to be considered a fraud. How would the factory workers know what to build without it?