Besides my usual pang of sadness at finding yet another car left to rot, I find myself intrigued when I come across an abandoned car in a strange place. Growing up in Washington, they were everywhere: a mid-1970s Monte Carlo left in the middle of a grove of Douglas Firs, a Pinto stacked upside-down on top of a 1960’s bump side Ford truck deep in a salal thicket, a 1950s Chrysler at an equally abandoned house deep in the woods, the 1970s Capri with the wrecked nose at the far end of a horse pasture. Dead cars left to Mother Nature and the rains grow like Scotch Broom in the Pacific Northwest, it seems, and among the randoms and other oddballs is this 1957 Plymouth Fury.
Go beyond the immediate thoughts to Christine sitting on Roland LeBay’s property when Arnie Cunningham finds her. You have an actual Buckskin Beige-and-gold Plymouth Fury, complete with the 318ci V8 packing dual quads. This thing is a Mopar fan’s unicorn nowadays, but in 1968 it was just another old Plymouth, one that was probably developing engine trouble as the car crept closer to that magical 100,000 mile mark. But is that what really did this Plymouth in?
It is highly unlikely that with the valve covers and oil pan loose that this car was involved in something sinister. But why was the Fury just left in the woods like this? Maybe the owner just didn’t want to bother with the old car anymore. With a tag of 1968, however, I wonder if this was a car that was belonged to someone who left and didn’t return from foreign lands. As old as the plate is, I’d imagine it would be fairly difficult to track down any information.
Every car has a story attached from the moment it rolls off of the dealership lot. At one point in time this Plymouth was someone’s pride and joy, then someone’s daily driver, and then…well, there’s a lot of gap between 1968 and now, isn’t there? Every car I’ve ever found, I wonder similar things…how did it get here, and why?
eBay Link: 1957 Plymouth Fury
These pictures brought back some memories for me. I brought a 1958 Plymouth Savoy 2D sedan back to life some years ago. It had a column shift 3 speed with an automatic overdrive 4th speed. Wide Block 318 that almost reasonably got out of it’s own way. A gentleman in GA talked me out of it and finished up what I started. I found the car behind the local senior center languishing away and paid the princely sum of $300.00 and limped it home.
That began my association with Andy Bernbaum ( oldmoparts.com ) I bought quite a lot of NOS brake parts, trim parts, etc from him. Real nice fella.
The one that I really wondered about was one I saw on a hike up to Amicalola Falls. There’s the frame of something pre-war in the weeds – about 1/3 of the way to the top of a freaking CLIFF! There’s no way it could have made it UP under its own power, and if it got in there from the top, you have to wonder if anyone could have survived.
A guy gave me a 60 Chevy wagon that was in the woods beside his house when he moved in. He had been there seven years. I went through DOT and got a title for it, then drug it home, and in 7 months put an new drivetrain in it and Long Hauled it on the Power Tour. “Two years in a row” I sure miss the ‘Pig Car”.
I always wondered, “If that car could talk !”
Now that would be a story I wish I could hear DTB
I found an old 1968 Plymouth Fury III behind a dealer, half hidden behind weeds. I talked to the salesman at the dealer ship. He told me $300, when I mentioned the dead battery and possible tune-up he talked himself to $200!!
Cash Money!
Ended up needing a transmission. Loved that car, arrow straight and only a touch of rust in the rear quarters. Looked like death rolling down the road! Wish I could remember what I did with it. That was back in “those days” and my recall is a bit spotty!!!
Nope – I just assumed the engine quit and the owner just left it where it died.
When I was a junior in high school (1981) I found a ’67 Fairlane 390 GTA sitting beside a trailer park a few miles from my house. The left front wheel was missing but the rest of the car was intact. I went to DMV to try to get the registered owners name (back when you could still do that) and tried to get in touch with them. I talked to the trailer park manager also and he didn’t know who owned it. He though it had just been abandoned. About a month later it was gone, probably off to the crusher. At the time it was a $300 car at best.
Price is 300, 250 will do..
I knew of two Mopar that had been bought on leave and the son never came back. These cars where/are in garages around seattle. This was the time for that sort of thing. The dad I talked to was never going to sale the car. It had been on jack stands since his son rotated back.
Right up in my neck of the woods as they say. Off the road since 68? Probably needed something simple? My mom had a 57 4 door Fury. I will find a pic and puit it in picture of the day.