The wife of a buddy who passed away a couple month ago called me today to ask what to do about selling his car.

She's love to keep it for a while, but she doesn't fell comfortable trying to drive it.
The trans has a manual valve body in it and that completely messes her up.
She says "Automatics are supposed to shift themselves"
Then again my wife says the exact same thing.

The car is a 64 Plymouth Fury Convertible that's done up as a Max Wedge clone.
Black car with a red interior with a push button automatic.
I'll verify the engine but I was always told that it was a 440 with Max Wedge heads, cross ram intake and the Max Wedge exhaust manifold.

It's a very presentable car, but has some what I would call minor issues.
The heater box is not in the car (they have it though) and it's a manual shift valve body in the trans so shifting is required.

He knew the end was coming and they discussed what he thought the car was worth, but she wanted actual current opinions on it.

She would rather see the car go to someone who will love it rather than just go to someone who will just flip it as fast as they can to make a buck.

For now this is the only pic that I could find, I try to come up with more pics.

Opinions on what's a realistic sale price????

Why not replace the manual valve body for an automatic one for her?

I think the car looks great! And I agree with Stumpy...Put the correct VB in it.

Might have the MVB because there's no kick-down linkage...
A MVB is easier than a stick, if she can manage a manual, but maybe she doesn't want to fuss around.

So, going out on a limb, it looks like a nice convertible, plus the Maxie stuff...I'm guessing around $45,000 asking, if there are no issues.

The lack of kickdown linkage availability when it was built is why I suspect it has a manual valve body.
A previous owner built the car years ago.

Installing kick-down linkage was suggested to her right after he passed, but I think she simply doesn't feel comfortable driving the car.
She was always the passenger in it with no aspirations of driving it.

Like I said before, her opinion is that you shouldn't have to shift an automatic other than put it in drive.

Different people in the group have offered to do the work to make it more drive able (to her specs) but it seems that isn't what she wants to do.

I think she's afraid of the power that the car has.
It's more than anything that she's used to driving.

Sorry for the loss of your friend and to the wife, I'm sure it's difficult to move on.

Price-wise I would say 35K plus or minus. Not sure how much love there is for these models.
Regarding manual valve body, how does that work with a push button automatic? Not familiar with them and never thought of a MVB and a push button automatic together before.

Best of luck regardless, hope it goes to a good home.

She sent me a few pics so I thought that I'd as them here.

I was wrong about the exhaust manifolds, it has headers on it.

I really like it with the exception of whatever is going on below the glove box and the idea of manually shifting with the push buttons would get really tedious. Nice car. My gut was in the $40's too (and you see lots of hardtops advertised in that range) but they are listed for a long time and I consistently hear they are a tougher sell than the 68-71 stuff. I love them.

I like it too, but I agree with others about the trans. It may not bring more money with a conventional valve body, but I bet it would sell faster.

The dash mural and upper header panel pinstriping, and the oil leakage at the intake, don't help the car's market value, but I'd guess they won't be addressed.
Good colors, though.
Early Bs are definitely a smaller market than the later cars.

They may address some of the issues. Her brother in law Tom is a Mopar guy, has a 69 Charger R/T and he’s taken over doing the maintenance on the car.

$40-$45k is what was discussed before he passed, so they’re in the ballpark.

Thats the same thing i was thinking as far as changing the valve body

More pics for valuation.

It looks like a manual steering car too. That could be an issue for her. Beautiful car though.

I've been watching them for the past few years as I'm in the market..the vast majority one's that I've looked at in similar condition have been priced anywhere from $27k to $35k..most very nice and fully streetable with 361-440's. Looking seriously at one in the Pacific northwest..440 auto w/ac for $28k. Obviously the color combo and mw engines pieces have to be taken into consideration.

64 is a year when Plymouth got everything right , good looking cars by far my favorite . Ragtops, well not so much . Drop top people typically want them stockish , .. be a tough sell I think

Yeah, I think the crowd that would really want that car would want power steering/brakes, no MVB trans, maybe even front discs. Dash mural is an easy fix. It looks like a really nice car.

It is no doubt a decent car. To get top dollar the transmission should be fixed, Heater box installed and working, battery up front out of the trunk, dash painted, Upper windshield header painted. The way it sits 32k to 37k.

had a 64 belvedere post car. turquoise poly paint, with a poly engine and pushbutton. absolutely no rust with the exception of a couple blisters starting at the chrome trim below the rear window, due to the foam piece that keeps the trim level at the attaching screws, trapping dirt and moisture. that car ran and drove like a champ, and all the trim was mint !
my plan was to turn it into a maxie replica. i gathered up the complete top end and exhaust manifolds, plus a big block pushbutton transmission, but life and storage issues forced me to let it go.
at that time, newspapers were the place to advertise, so i placed it in the pittsburgh papers. had a couple nibbles, and a couple guys stopped to look.
i was asking $3500.00 for it, it was that nice ! guys said it was too much..........
one guy stopped and looked, but said he was going to look at one that was a grand cheaper, and i should consider taking that for my car.
a few days later, he called back and asked if i still had the car. seems the car that was $1000.00 cheaper had no engine, had the typical cowl rust, a shot interior, and the trim was dinged up pretty bad.
he bought my car instead.
i wished i still had that car...............