Well, the 1966 Fury VIP I won on ebay was delivered late last week.
It was pretty much as the seller described. I'm glad it has a straight body and an (original) interior in very good condition. The paint is actually a little better than the seller claimed. He said it's "faded and needs a repaint." If it's faded, it is not much.
There was one glitch. When the delivery driver was ready to take it off the trailer, it wouldn't start! I was going to stop by a shop I use anyway and have the car check out quickly. Especially the brakes. Anyway, the starter solenoid went out. Cost only $47 for that part... probably $500 for a Mercedes solenoid.
I did get to drive it yesterday. I did drive on of my brother's '66 Fury III years ago and this car felt much the same. The ride seemed smoother; I think the plush and soft seats were a factor. The seats are very impressive. Thick, plush and soft. In fact, softer than the seats in my former '71 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.
The 383-4 bbl engine in my Fury provides plenty of power. I was driving up a street which turns into a long, gradual hill and gave it about 50% throttle; the car responded well and jumped ahead. This engine had a (gross) rating of 325 hp @ 4800 rpm and 425 lbs-ft torque @ 2800 rpm. Compression ratio is 10.0:1. A 3.23:1 rear axle ratio. I am going to have it weighed at a recycling center scale in a few weeks. I estimate 4,200 lbs.
On another street, I stopped at a stop sign and started turning right, again up a hill (this time a steeper hill) the car was rolling at about 8 mph and I thought I would instantly give it about 40% throttle... the right rear tire broke loose! The former owner was right- it will spin the tires sometimes when you don't expect it to.
Here are some photos. I didn't realize this car has chrome trim on the inside of the A-pillar, the pillar between the windshield and front door windows. My '69 Cadillac does not have chrome trim in that area. This just shows that the further back you go with '60s cars, the more chrome trim there is, even on the "low-priced" cars.
I will give a more detailed report after I have driven it more.