Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury
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Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury



Really vey nice to here some history on a long time dealership. My 57 Plymouth was delivered to Wells Auto Sales in Metropolis Illinois. I have not been able to find any history on them at all. Any of you folks able to help? Also does Chrysler Historical have build records for Dodge trucks in 1957? Thanks Dick

From: John Hagen
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 8:16 PM
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury

Edwards Motor Cars. Later to be University Dodge when the Edwards Family, then headed by son-in-law Tom Rogers, decided to get out of the Business. When Tom wanted to retire there just was no one left in the family to take over.

 

One of the original dealers for Dodge brothers, they were at 3601 W. Wisconsin Ave for over fifty years. They also acquired a Chrysler-Plymouth franchise which had their showfloor in the building next door. The showfloors were connected and never let it be said that some Plymouths and a few Chryslers didn’t end up on the Dodge side. In fact, they had a turntable in the corner of the Dodge building and most of the cars that made it onto the table were Chryslers or Imperials. The turntable, being on the well traveled corner of Wisconsin Ave and 36th St was very visible from the street. One of the cars on display there was one of the extremely rare, short-long ram equipped 400 horse 300F’s with a Pont-a-Munson 4 speed trans that were built expressly competing in the flying mile at Daytona in 1960. IIRC, all six (of seven) of the 300F’s that competed all ran at speeds from 147 + to 142 or 143. Imagine those beautiful, two and a half ton beasts running down the beach at 147 mph in basically street trim! In 1960! Mopar rules and others drool. I still remember seeing that beautiful, red 300F on the turntable and, looking inside, the shift lever for the French-built 4 speed transmission.  

 

Edwards covered a full city block and a half. They had a separate, large service department, big body shop and Tri-State Motor Parts, a Mopar parts distributor with business in WI, IL, and I think MN (could have been in the U.P., hard to remember after all these years). At one point they also had a truck only service facility that filled another half block fronting on 35th St. After the truck shop was closed the building was purchased for a Ford dealership and later became Quinlevan Buick. When Edwards shut down in ’66 or ’67 IIRC, Dodge took over the Dodge building and the used car lot and kept it open as University Dodge, a part of their Dealer Enterprise program, until then end of 1970.

 

John Hagen

 

From: John Bartell [mailto:59fins@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 6:01 PM
To: John Hagen
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury

 

Hi John,
    When you speak of Hagen motors in Milwaukee... Is that Wisconsin or??   I grew up in Milwaukee Wi and surrounding area, never heard of them there.   Hub Chrysler Plymouth, Doering Dodge, Ernie Von Schledorn etc...  I am partial to the 59 Plymouths, but like all years and models of Mopar!
John in Neillsville WI    10 above zero and windy as hell... 15 - 25 below wind chill tonight

On 2/10/2012 5:30 PM, John Hagen wrote:

Jim,

 

I was referring to Fury’s with the Christine remark. I someone want to do a Christine with a Belvedere, it’s ok by me. I am sorta PO’ed about the sheer numbers of General Lees around, many of them made from some really nice ’69 Chargers. 1969 was the high water mark for Chargers in my humble opinion. It was the second year with new body and there several improvements made over the ‘68’s, as there usually was with the second year back in those years. I do prefer the ‘68’s taillights but other than that……  And the ‘70’s were cheapened in content and the new front end never looked quite right, unless one screwed the torsion bars down to lower the front. Plus that was the beginning of depowering the engines. Although the ads didn’t say anything about depowering, most of the 1970 engines were lower in hp.

 

And I’d heartily agree with your plans for the ’61 Chrysler. I love those Sonoramic long rams. Bunches of torque and the sound they made! One of dad’s last field cars was a ’61 Dart Phoenix 4 drht with that the 383 version. I managed to crash it one night with a car load of girls after a dance. Not my fault got broadsided by a drunk in a ’53 rat Chevy doing 50 + in a 25 over a bridge. I also got to drive a ’61 Dart convertible with one of those mills and a 3 speed! It had been traded in to Edwards Motor Car and they let me take it out one time. Talk about tire smokin’ ability! I also really liked the 300J’s short-long ram motor. It was like a streetable version of a Max Wedge with more torque at lower engine speeds (albeit with more higher rpm power than the Sonoramics), solid lifter cam and exhaust heat for warm up (along with the manual chokes). And the 340’s, the 330 horse 383 4 barrel engine (my ’63 440 had that motor) and….. Hell, there ain’t many Mopar motors I don’t like.

 

Yeah, when I get to keying (used to be called typing) I get diarrhea of the fingers too.

 

John Hagen

 

 

From: Forward Look Mopar Discussion List [mailto:L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim Rawa
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 4:33 PM
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury

 

I admit, as a kid i loved the car for 2 reasons: 1 for finding a 57 fury in town that this fella would decorate for Christmas, I'd go there on street cleaning day just to watch it move around.. it was in sorry shape [mind you this is around 1990 when i was about 11] and of course the movie, once i was allowed to watch movies with cursing..

that said my first plymouth 2drht, in its second incarnation, is red and white... this was when you'd see a 57 or 58 plymouth at about every 17th car show you went to.

 

the real fact of the matter is that a red and white "christine" conversion is actually statistically worth about 3 times more to an enthusiast than a standard 57/8 in any color combo/trim level  Furys aside.

 

245+ cars later as a hobby and with 4 houses at age 32.5, i can credit the love of Christine for a decent part of those accomplishments considering the numerous incarnations of the car I've sent around the globe, not to mention all the sets of inserts sold worldwide and a very equitable cost for all those who convert to christine [and simply belv or fury clones] worldwide...

 

In closing on the matter- i tend to hate seeing red plymouths now- !!!!! i had the only 1 [or 2] in any car scene in my state for many years- now there are 4 more in NJ alone- and as much fun as it is, mopar meets yield Furys and Christine clones....  the sad part is i heard someone's wife at carlisle a few years back say " don't these guys here have any imagination? they only make these cars tan or red???"   that was probably 3 yrs ago when we had a record showing of christine clones, and the year after our record Golden Fin Society attendance...

 

I just support anything that is forwardlook- of all interests and genres from ratrods/kustoms up to rotisserie senior-winning furys.  and i go all ways from currently owning a 57 fury, 3 57 savoy 2drhts, 2 57 belv 2drhts, a 58 Golden Commando Savoy 2drht, 3 58 belv 2drhts [2 of which are christines] and a 57 2dr suburban... not to mention 57 and 8 desoto hardtops, 2 59 dodge hardtops, 59 NYer 4drht soon to be Kustom, and a 61 newport 'vert with 34k actual miles- which to some will be ruined when it gets a 440 with F sonorams and 62 727...

 

sorry for the narrative!  i don't get the opportunity to respond as much here as i used to, so when i do- its long!

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: John Hagen <sprinthag@xxxxxxxxx>
To: L-FORWARDLOOK <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Fri, Feb 10, 2012 4:56 pm
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury

A nice car and, as stated, it has not been made into a Christine. Man I hate those cars almost as I hate all the ’69 Chargers that have made General Lee clones. What is wrong with people? To me that kind of crap lowers the value by at least 50%.

 

Actually, I like the 57 taillights better but other than that I prefer the changes made for 58. I do have a hard time believing it went for that kind of money. Well, 77 maybe but I would not pay 99 for a 318. I like the early 318’s a lot, especially the single and dual four barrel motors. But for 99 I want the Golden Commando.  My brother owned one he got in 58 as a demo with a couple of thousand miles on it. It had the Golden Commando and it would just fly.

 

I once ran across a 58 w/the GC and a 3 three speed. Factory 3 speed as, although it had been converted to a floor shift, it still had the 3 speed column with just the shift lever removed. It was in for some mechanical work at Edwards Motor Company in Milwaukee when I spied it about 1962 or 1963.

 

John Hagen

 

From: Forward Look Mopar Discussion List [mailto:L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of debenson2
Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 1:38 PM
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury

 

Mel has or had a '57 just as nice for about half the 99 BIN.

I like the air cleaners on the 57's better and the tail lights too...

But do like this 58 even with some non correct flaws as I buy my cars to drive anyway....

Ever as this would be sacrilege to some I would add ac to this car if it were mine......

Did it on my 57 Belvedere makes it much nicer to drive in our hot and humid summers.....

----- Original Message -----

From: Richard Whelan

To: debenson2 ; L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 1:30 PM

Subject: Re: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury

 

They sure have come a long ways since I paid $290.00 for mine in 1963. O. K. this one is in a lot better shape. I remember the painted wheel cover centers from Carlisle but can't remember whose car it was. Dick

 

From: debenson2

Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 1:36 PM

Subject: [FWDLK] pretty nice 58 fury

 

Nice to see a '58 fury in not like Christine, this one looks better then new.

 

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