Is a 66' Fury III...(newbie)

I'm looking at a 66' Fury III, 313ci, auto-trans(?), 90k miles, from original owner (a little old lady). There's virtually no rust at all. Interior still has original plastic seat covers. Looks like its in good condition, though I haven't completely checked the engine. Asking price is $1500.
I'm a college student that would like a somewhat reliable car to learn off of and do a little restoration here and there while driving to school. Can anyone tell me a little about breakdown, mileage, parts, reliability, things I should look out for. I know little about Furies and I'm concerned about it being a money-pit. I've been scouring the internet for a week. Is it worth it? Opinions?


John

Jeez......if you don't buy it, I will!!
Collectors search far and wide for the proverbial little-old-lady cars in rust-free original condition.
It sounds as if its a little underpriced, unless it needs lots of work.
Generally these cars are as reliable as dirt. So long as they don't get rusty they'll run almost forever.
If it runs and drives well with no smoke or funny noises it has lots of life left in it. At that mileage, I would pay close attention to the front end - ball joints, tie rod ends etc for wear.

This car would be easy and inexpensive to repair and maintain. It, like most cars of its time is far more simple than a modern car. There are virtually no 'electronics'. All parts and systems are simple and mechanical in nature. Virtually any component's function can be easily understood by the lay person, and with a bit of knowledge and simple tools, easily repaired as well.
(Possibly the only exception is the automatic transmission, but with a bit of maitenance these old transmissions tend to last the life of the vehicle. )

Tune - ups are a bit more work than a more modern car because they must be done every 10k miles or so, and it takes a couple of hours for an ametuer to change the plugs, points, condenser and set the timing and dwell.
It also helps to be handy on adjusting the carb, just in case you find things are not running perfectly. Again, all this kind of minor work is easy to do. If you can, keep an eye out for an old Chiltons or Motor service manual from the 60's or 70's that covers these cars. They regularly show up at used book stores.
If you do buy it, do some basic maintenance first. Change the fan belts rad and heater hoses, flush the cooling system, change the vacuum lines if they are cracked or look bad. Change the oil and filter and grease all the grease fittings, on the steering, front suspension, driveshaft etc. Finally, change the auto trans fluid and filter. This is a basic part of preventive maintenance that usually gets ignored.

Finally, modern unleaded gas can cause long term harm to these older engines over the course of many thousands of miles. Unless you know for sure that hardened valve seats have been installed in the cylinder heads, consider using a gas additive specifically designed to replace lead in gas for older cars. Most old cars seem to run fine without such additives, but its a preventive measure to consider, if you can afford to do so.
BTW it is likely a 318 ci engine (not 313)

Thanks for all the information. Sounds good. I'm going to check it out again in a couple of days. Also, is it hard to find parts for a Fury? I ran across some autosales sites and they all seem to specialize in floor mats and interior rather than engine, trans, or brakes for the car. Where's the best place to find parts? Junkyard?

And.........yes it is a 318, sorry. I also saw that the car still has original operators manual & other papers with it.

Thanks for all the information. Sounds good. I'm going to check it out again in a couple of days. Also, is it hard to find parts for a Fury? I ran across some autosales sites and they all seem to specialize in floor mats and interior rather than engine, trans, or brakes for the car. Where's the best place to find parts? Junkyard?
Call a couple of the local auto parts stores in your area and ask them about engine, driveline, brake and suspension parts. Chances are most items will be easy to get. Most mechanical components for your car were used on many later model Chrysler cars (into the 1980's) so there is a steady demand for them.

Wrecking yards are only necessary for compnents thaty were expected to last the life of the vehicle, such as interior trim pieces, etc. For those, the Internet is best, (or try Hemmings Motor News). Most yards do not stock cars as old as this because the demand for parts is too low, but there are yards that do, and they can be found on the net.