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A Father, A Son, and a Fury

In August 1979, my father, Dan Wellings, purchased this Plymouth Sport Fury GT from a longtime family acquaintance in our small town of West Union, West Virginia. The car had been in the area since it was new, and Dad had admired it all through high school. So when the opportunity to own it arose, he jumped at the chance. However, his time behind the wheel was short-lived. In 1981, the Fury got away from him—he ran through a fence on our farm and down a small hill. After a little heart to heart chat with my Grandfather, he decided to park the car. And so, for the next 44 years, the Fury sat in our farm shop, untouched, collecting dust but never forgotten.

As a kid, I dreamed of bringing it back to life. I’d often sneak down to the shop, sit behind the wheel, and imagine the rumble of the engine, the sound of the exhaust purring as I cruised down the road. One night in college, that excitement got the best of me. My buddies and I—after a little too much fun—decided we had to go see the Fury. Piling into my Ford Explorer, we set off down the mile-long road to the farm shop. But the icy, winding West Virginia roads had other plans—I ended up in a ditch before even reaching the car! So, if nothing else, Dad’s got one up on me. He wrecked the Fury out of excitement driving it, while I wrecked my “Exploder” just trying to see it. Fast forward to Christmas 2024. I told Dad that if he wasn’t going to do something with the car, I was dragging it out myself and making my childhood dream come true. He gave me the green light: “I haven’t done anything with it in over 40 years, and I’m not going to now. Go have fun.”

And that’s exactly what we did. What started as my dream became our dream together. I like to think my enthusiasm reignited a spark in my dad. Together, we’ve shared a tremendous amount of excitement and joy bringing this car back to life.

Today, the Fury isn’t just a car. It’s a symbol of passion, perseverance, and the bond between a father and his son.

Brent Wellings of WA

1970 Plymouth Sport Fury GT

One of the most popular (and populated!) area's of the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals show is our Barn Finds & Hidden Gems section. Every year we have an entirely "new" group of often forgotten cars and of course, some that will be resurrected after years of being stashed away. This year we will host 20-22 prime examples of American Muscle, all with interesting stories. Not just forgotten projects, these cars are the real deal and here is one that you will see. Take a close look, as this isn't just an ordinary big old family car. Can you see why this is something special?