1977 Plymouth Gran Fury, E86, U-code, 440-hp, 727-hd, Sure Grip, Police Pursuit on 2040-cars

INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION 

You are viewing my 1977 Plymouth Gran Fury ex-United States Border Patrol vehicle.  This police specification, pursuit-class vehicle is equipped with the "440-HP" (440 cubic inch, and "HP" stands for "high performance", not horsepower) engine, and the 727 heavy duty "TorqueFlite" three-speed automatic transmission mated to the heavy-duty 3.21:1 "Sure Grip" 9.25 inch differential.  The engine, transmission, rear end, and body panels (e.g., doors, sheet metal, etc.) are "numbers matching" (except as noted) as installed at the factory. It did its service duty along the US border with Canada in Washington state.  Date of pictures and video is August 2013.

Let me say upfront that Yes, the color scheme is the one used by the Border Patrol in that era: Light Moss Green with an Ivory roof.  People often comment on it .. love it or hate it, debate about its actual usage, etc.. all of which is expected.  But for me, I know what this car is and my restoration decisions were toward trying to preserve this rolling piece of American history nearly as it was when it did its service.  I never for a moment thought to change its colors.

This Gran Fury has had three car-collector owners (including me and I know who the other two owners before me were) since it was retired after about five years of service by the Border Patrol.  After retirement, it rougly spent a decade in Washington State with its first owner, about a decade in Arizona with its second owner, and then the last decade under my ownership.  The vehicle shows just under 124,000 miles which I believe to be original. 

Recall that 1977 was the final model year of these big, bruisin' C-body 440-HP Gran Fury (and Royal Monaco) models, so this is among the last C-bodies put into Border Patrol service.  I have personally been in contact with the National Border Patrol Museum in El Paso Texas regarding this car.  While they could not confirm any of its history with the Border Patrol, they were able to provide a picture from 1979 of a similar Gran Fury "on duty" in San Ysidro California (see last photo).  

Per selected information on the VIN and fender tags,it has paint code "V02" = "Two-Tone Special Paint" , "U" and "E86" = High Performance 440 cubic inches with four-barrel carburetor, "D36" = heavy-duty 727 TorqueFlite, "K" = Police-spec, and "D" = built in Belvidere Illinois.  Second tag has all the "specials"..Special Paint, Special Mask, Special Order, and Body in White (e.g, plant instructions to build a police body).  The rare third tag, often lost over time, is for plant inspection notations that a police car body was assembled (unique body structures, extra welds, etc.).  

Note that the driver door has a VIN sticker differing only by the last two digits (ends in "303) while the VIN sticker and the title VIN of course ends in “301”.  Somewhere along the way the Border Patrol probably swapped in a door from a "sister" vehicle (fleets often bought vehicles with consecutive VINs).

The vehicle runs and drives very well.  Engine compression is near the OEM specification, engine does not smoke, and transmission shifts smoothly at all speeds in all forward gears and in reverse. The brakes and shocks were recently done.  The dual exhaust is recently done as well and exits correctly amidships just before the rear bumper.  The mufflers are "Flowmaster 50" in terms of sound quality (they rumble quietly), but they are not Flowmaster-brand pieces.  The catalytic converters, one on each side, are still present.

The police mechanicals were complete as well when I bought it, meaning all the police “hard part” content (the 140 mph speedo, anti-sway bars front/back, the big brakes, the auxiliary fluid coolers, dual exhaust, etc.) of the pursuit-class cars was and is still there.  The vehicle was built without factory air conditioning (notice factory "plug" in passenger dash vent and there is no "H51" option code).  I have rebuilt the original Thermo-quad carburetor and re-cored the heater core (I could not find a big-block, non-AC heater core anywhere in the country).   The Lean Burn system is still operating.

This Gran Fury was still wearing its original paint (and the wheels were body color) when I bought it but was thin and oxidized on the upper surfaces,  The floor pans, trunk pan, and frame did not require any repair as there was no rust-through or damage present.  The vehicle was professionally refinished in base coat/clear coat under my ownership but the under-hood, firewall, and under-deck colors are factory original.  The lower doors required minor repair inside along the seams. 

All glass is good and appears to be original except the windshield which was replaced under my ownership.  The chrome/stainless trim parts are driver quality, meaning intact and in good shape but showing imperfections (the front bumper has faded quite a lot, there are assorted scratches on the trim, etc.) consistent with the vehicle's age and past usage.  One of the rear bumper extensions on driver side is mis-shapen due to its age.

The tires are virtually brand new 225/70-15 Firestone Firehawk PV-41 "V" rated, high performance radials designed for police and other emergency vehicles.  The wheels are the correct, heavy-duty, 15x6.5 inch steel police-spec items.  The "dog-dishes" are the aluminum (versus the stainless steel) pieces that are also original equipment.   There is no spare tire or jack equipment.  I do not have an owner's manual (it was the same as the civilian manual so another can be easily found).

The dash, door panels, and rubber floor covering are all original and in "fair" (door panels) to "very good" (everything else) condition.  The original headliner is intact except it has significant staining due to water coming through the roof holes in the past.  The original, heavy-duty front and back seats are in great shape except for driver side headrest.  I have a new driver door weatherstrip and the other weatherstripping is driver-quality and appears to be original.  All electrical components still operate..the wipers, the horn, the gauges, all the interior and exterior lights, but not the rear defroster or wiper fluid system.

The vehicle was ordered as "radio delete" so there is no civilian radio (the factory dash "delete plate" is intact).  There is no police electrical equipment in the vehicle. There is no evidence it ever had a fast-idle switch. The UHF antenna shown is mounted correctly but is not the original piece.  Authentic "Border Patrol" door patches correct for the late 1970's in non-reflective magnetic vinyl will be included.

The light bar that is correct for this vehicle is shown in the vintage photo (I do not have it).  It is a Federal Signal-brand "Twin Sonic" (this vehicle still has a hole in the roof for the light bar wiring and is plugged with a rubber boot) with amber lenses.  There are two small holes in the grille bezel just aft of the front bumper where the Border Patrol had one red and one blue "flasher" light (rectangle-shaped, but they could have been round). 

This Gran Fury Border Patrol pursuit-equipped vehicle is a very nice, very rare example of the last model year of the C-body, big-block Plymouth pursuit-class police cars.  While I have no idea how many remain today, I am fairly confident it is among the last few of its kind left anywhere in the world with a unique, specialized government service history like this one.  

Like the "mythical beasts" that people say they have seen roaming the deep woods of the Great Northwest, pursuit-class police specification Border Patrol vehicles from this era were rumored to still exist today but do not show their faces that often.  But unlike those other deep woods legends, here one really is "in the flesh" so to speak, low growl and looking almost ready to prowl like it did back in the day.

Seriously, this actual vehicle did its job 35 years ago looking and sounding almost exactly as it looks today.  A new owner can of course do whatever they want with it, but I hope it is not dismantled or has its colors changed.   Those hopes having been stated, let's see if it finds a good home where another caretaker will to continue to preserve and improve upon it for another few decades.

AUCTION SUCCESS CONSIDERATIONS

I have established a reasonable reserve (reserve will not be revealed while the auction is running) for this 1977 Plymouth Gran Fury Border Patrol Pursuit Vehicle.  Please consider bidding during the auction to the extent and level you deem appropriate and based on whatever factors are important to you. 

Note that I reserve the right to end this auction at any time at my sole discretion.  If you are not standing in front of me in person, please do not ask me for a BIN (Buy-It- Now) price ..during or after the auction... unless you accompany your inquiry with a potential offer you would like to discuss.  If for whatever reason you decide not or are unable to bid, or choose not to provide a value indication with your inquiry, we will not have a good basis to discuss the car.

If reserve is not met, I may provide Second Chance Offers (SCO) through the Ebay system, but note that this is only possible with people who actually bid during the auction.  If you get a SCO (which is a Buy-It-Now auction that only the seller and the bidder to whom it was sent can access), it will only come through, the Ebay system (meaning it will appear in your Ebay mailbox) and it will be for a 24-hour duration. 

Depending on where the recorded bidding ends, and if the reserve is not met, I may also write the high bidder(s) through the Ebay system only, one at a time in the order of their final recorded bids, to discuss the item.  If I do not hear back from a bidder within 24 hours after writing them, I will assume that person is not interested and I may move on to the next person.

I am sorry in advance for the following realizing it will not apply to the vast majority of responsible Ebay members:   Encountering non-paying or unresponsive bidders is a very disruptive event that makes the auction experience unpleasant for both the seller and any legitimate potential buyer(s).   Please BE SURE BEFORE YOU BID that you have done whatever you need to do to STAND BEHIND the actual bid(s) YOU MADE and were recorded during the auction.  

Because of a tendency to simply misunderstand or just outright ignore Ebay and seller auction requirements, bidders with less than 5 (five) feedback ratings may, at my discretion have their bids canceled (I may or may not try to contact you before canceling your bid) and then blocked from further bidding on this auction unless they contact me in advance of bidding. Bidders who make and then cancel their bid(s) will also be blocked from further bidding on this auction.

Bidders outside the continental United States are welcome to bid but also must email me before bidding to discuss important payment and shipping procedures.   

INSPECTION AND WARRANTY INFORMATION

Please ask any questions that you may have that may not have been answered by this detailed listing narrative and visual media attachments. My listings are constructed in complete sentences in order to communicate my knowledge of important facts and to encourage independent thoughts and then any questions from interested parties.

But respectfully, I do not know what is important to you that may not have been discussed or depicted herein unless you ask me.  Any and all relevant and appropriate questions you submit while the auction is running will be answered promptly and as thoroughly as possible by email only to ensure clarity of any correspondences.  

Given that this is a used law enforcement vehicle, please do not have unreasonable expectations as to its current condition or future condition under your ownership. Also given its obvious age, this vehicle represents whatever standards of quality and workmanship that existed when it was built, so comparisons to improved build standards of today's vehicles is not appropriate.

Your bid forms the basis for a binding, legally enforceable contract.  As such, if you require it, please make all pre-purchase inspections (at the sole expense of the bidder) before committing to purchase the vehicle.  Inspections can be done by appointment only by you or your designated inspection service.  Although I believe I have described and depicted (with numerous high-resolution photographs and video) this vehicle accurately, please note that this vehicle is sold "as-is, where-is” with no express or implied warranties or guarantees of any kind.

With the required legal statements provided, I am a reasonable person and I know potential buyers may not be able to see this vehicle before bidding.  If the winning bidder was unable do a pre-bid inspection and then determines that, after submitting a timely deposit but before taking delivery, I did not accurately represent the vehicle in some significant and obvious way, I will immediately refund your entire deposit and we can both move on without any further obligation to each other.  Please recognize that this is not an invitation for potential bidders to skip your own pre-purchase due diligence and is not an opportunity for me and the winning bidder to try later to negotiate away our respective contractual responsibilities.  

PAYMENT AND STORAGE

A $1000 deposit is required from the winning bidder, due electronically via PayPal within 24 hours after the auction ends, to hold the vehicle.  I will not be accepting trades.   Full payment is due within 3 days of auction end via cash, bank-to-bank or wire transfer, or certified bank check (drawn on a major US bank).  Clear title in my name is in hand and vehicle can be scheduled for buyer pickup by appointment at anytime after full payment is received and cleared.  I can hold the vehicle in indoor storage for 15 days (or longer, if weather or other uncontrollable factors emerge) at no charge to the winning bidder after the auction (the charge is $15.00 per day after 15 days).

Thank you for viewing my auction.