1964 Plymouth Sport Fury

The Plymouth Fury was introduced in 1956 and continued in production as a model and/or series until 1989. Plymouth had been using the name Fury as the high-performance version of its standard vehicle and in 1956 made its own model designation. The initial desire of the Fury was to highlight the abilities of the Plymouth division and to create a stunning automobile that would capture the attention of consumers and bring that crowd into their showrooms. The styling was typical of the era with the most notable feature being the tail-fins which grew in size during the 1959 model year. It was a popular favorite with many police forces because of its reliability and performance.

Engine of 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury

Suddenly it was 1960, and Chrysler/Plymouth was scrambling to produce cars to please the public, fins suddenly having become passe. The Fury remained Plymouth's sales volume model through the troubled early 1960s, when the full-sized Fury was saddled with odd styling and an intermediate (or mid-sized) platform.

Interior of 1964 Plymouth Sport Fury

The first year a Fury convertible was offered was in 1960. Also in 1960, Chrysler introduced its Ram Induction system of manifolds, which increased low end and reduced high end torque for drag racing. The Fury also moved to unibody construction for greater rigidity and better cornering. The fins dropped off completely in 1961, after reaching new heights in 1960. The original 318 and 383 were available (not related to the later 318 and 383), along with a 361 and the brand-new Chrysler Slant-Six 6-cylinder engine, producing 145 hp (108 kW) at 4000 rpm. The 383 produced 330 hp (250 kW). Starting in 1962 and ending in 1969, the Sport Fury was offered as a hardtop coupe or a convertible.

(Sources : Wikipedia and Concept Carz)

(Pics sources : 1962to1965; Mopar Muscle Magazine)

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1964 Ford Thunderbolt

As the muscle car market took shape, Ford introduced a Fairlane for drag strip racing for 1964, heavily modified to incorporate a 427 CID (7.0 L) V8 with two four-barrel carburetors on a high-riser manifold, ram-air through the openings left by deleting the inboard headlights, equal-length headers, trunk-mounted battery, fiberglass hood, doors, fenders and front bumper, acrylic glass windows, and other lightweight options including deleted rear door window winders, carpeting, radio, sealant, sun visors, armrests, jack, lug wrench, heater, soundproofing, and passenger side windshield wiper. This special model, of which 111 to 127 total were made depending on who you ask, delivered 500 hp (373 kW) at 7,000 rpm and was known as the Thunderbolt.

Interior of 1964 Ford Thunderbolt

A stock Thunderbolt could run a quarter-mile (402 m) at a drag strip in 11.76 seconds at 122.7 mph (197.5 km/h), and Gas Ronda dominated the NHRA World Championship with a best time of 11.6 seconds at 124 mph (200 km/h).[7] The Thunderbolt included competition-specification 427 cu in (7 L) engine and special exhausts (though technically legal for street use, the car was too raucous for the public roads—"not suitable", according to a Hot Rod magazine quote, "for driving to and from the strip, let alone on the street in everyday use"; also massive traction bars, asymmetrical rear springs, and a trunk-mounted 95-pound (43 kg) bus battery to maximize traction from what was realistically 500 bhp (373 kW). Sun visors, exterior mirror, sound-deadener, armrests, jack, and lug wrench were omitted to save weight. The car was given lightweight Plexiglass windows, and early versions had fiberglass front body panels and bumpers, later changed to aluminum to meet NHRA regulations.

Engine of 1964 Ford Thunderbolt

Specifications

Engines: ohv V-8, 427 cid (4.23 × 3.78), 425+ bhp
Transmissions: 4-speed manual or 3-speed automatic
Suspension, front: shortened upper A-arms, coil springs
Suspension, rear: live axle, leaf springs, traction bars
Brakes: front/rear drums
Wheelbase (in.): 115.5
Weight (lbs.): 3,225
Top speed (mph): 120-126 (at end of quarter-mile); 0-60 mph (sec): 4.5 (est)

(Source : Wikipedia; How Stuff Works)
(Pic sources : Photo Bucket, Mustang and Fords)

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