The era of cars like this 1972 Plymouth Fury III two-door are long gone. What was considered the proper sized American car was quickly becoming too big for everyday use for a lot of people, and sales of smaller cars like the Plymouth Valiant proved it. That doesn’t mean that the 1972 Fury was something to deride…far from it, Chrysler’s budget-minded big car was quickly becoming a legendary police cruiser, packing big-block power and a top end that didn’t seem to quit. While the big C-body’s days were numbered in the 1970s, you could still get a legitimate hardtop coupe the size of a neighborhood block with a large engine between the fender wells, and in the face of insurance companies attacking mid-size muscle cars and power levels dropping, a full-size barge was a legitimate option to get power in your driveway.

Over four decades later, finding a running, driving and legal Fuselage-era C-body of any marque that isn’t restored or six seconds away from death is getting difficult. Not impossible, but difficult. Take this 1972 Plymouth Fury III…in it’s flat-black glory, this car represents approachable fat-body muscle. The seller is pretty much spot-on with their description: “The condition is typical of an unrestored car from the 1970’s but I feel it has LESS rust than most cars of its age.” Actually, compared to a lot of unrestored 1970s Mopars, this one is a near-gem compared to some of the $10,000 Plymouth ‘Cudas we’ve seen. First off, it’s on the road and looks like the only thing that is stopping you from driving anywhere are the keys. It’s not jacked up nearly a foot in the back, but the all-black look brings to mind the movie car from Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. Under the hood that is big enough to land a Cessna on is a 400ci Mopar mill, which in stock form is adequate and in modified form…well, let’s say that even with the Fury’s 3,790 pound curb weight there isn’t anything that a stroker kit can’t fix. Even the interior isn’t too bad: re-skin the seats and call it a day. In fact, the only issues we can find are a couple of taps in the rear facia above the bumper and a quarter-sized rust hole in the trunk.

At $5,000 even, the Rough Start budget is maxed, but from where we sit, that’s acceptable for this tank. Quick-patch the trunk for the moment, and save up to shoot this monster in B-5 Blue. Oh, and start hunting Mopar swap meets…as cool as the standard quad-headlight assembly is, the hideaway headlight grilles look much more purposeful.

Craigslist Link: 1972 Plymouth Fury III PH23 Hardtop Coupe