1971 Plymouth Fury
1972 brought the Gran Fury name, as well as the 400 cid V-8 (a bored 383 ); the base engine remained the 318 V8, with no sixes available. The front end received a new treatment, with two separate blackened grille areas and the word "Fury" in the middle. The upper level models were the Fury Gran Sedan and Fury Gran Coupe (depending on the doors). (Gran Sedan/Coupe: Bob Kecskemety).
While the Fury and similar Dodge Monaco shared a roof and had similar front fenders, the grilles were different, as was the sheet metal from the firewall to the tail. The Fury kept Chrysler-like fuselage styling, and the Polara was had more defined creases. The Monaco gained covered headlights around 1971, which the Fury and its Chrysler versions never had; while the Fury gained new low-beam headlamps with better visibility, and brighter backup lights with a larger light pattern.
The wheelbase was 120 inches, length a full 217 inches, width 80 inches, height 55 inches. There were two-door hardtops and formal hardtops, and four-door sedans and hardtops; six wagons, with two and three rows of seats (all in the Fury Suburban line). Electronic ignition was optional on the 360, 400, and 440 engines. There was also a better ignition lock, an inside hood release, rubber isolated wiper bushings (to reduce noise), lower cranking effort and better sealing on two-door car windows, and new roof-rail weatherstripping. Radio reception was improved, with a solid antenna replacing the telescoping one.
Emissions were reduced with exhaust gas recirculation, vapor saver improvements, an evaporation control system and charcoal canister filtering, pressure vacuum filler caps, and lower compression ratios to deal with lower gas octane ratings.
Washers and wipers were given more distinctive switches to help drivers locate them by feel; the seat belts were changed for easier use, to a new single-buckle three-point locking system. |
