The Pick of the Day is a rare piece of Mopar muscle car splendor, a 1964 Dodge 440 Lightweight packing a 426cid Max Wedge V8 under its air-sucking hood.
Backed by a 4-speed manual transmission, this no-nonsense Ramcharger is a factory lightweight car built specifically for fiery performance. The Tucson, Arizona, dealer advertising the Dodge on ClassicCars.com says it is one of just four Dodge 440 hardtop lightweights with 4-speeds that were produced for 1964.
The legendary Max Wedge engine, produced from 1962-64, was the precursor of the 426 Hemi V8. It was a favorite in its day among Super Stock racers, and with 12.5-1 compression, it produced a resounding 425 horsepower, according to period reports.
“Extremely correct no-expense-spared restoration by previous caretaker Don Fezell,” the dealer says in the ad. “All-aluminum front sheetmetal, bumper brackets, and lightweight-steel front bumper.
“This car is very well known in Super Stock Mopar circles and is listed in Darrel Davis’ Max Wedge book. Runs amazing, built to factory specs.”
Pre-restoration photos of the car shows that all of its original lightweight aluminum parts remained intact, and there are pictures of the build sheet and notes from the restoration.
Officially named Maximum Performance Wedge engines, the hot versions were equipped like this Dodge with a pair of Carter 4-barrel carburetors staggered atop a cross-ram intake manifold. The battery was moved to the trunk for better weight distribution.
The 426 configuration was designed in accordance with the NHRA limitation of Super Stock engines to a maximum of 427.2 cubic-inch displacement. It was said that you could drive your Max Wedge-equipped car straight from the dealership to the drag strip, and run the quarter mile in the low 12s.
Max Wedge Dodges and Plymouths are still highly popular among Mopar competitors in vintage drag racing, and this one could fill the bill.
According to the large gallery of photos, this Dodge lightweight appears to be in absolutely top-notch condition throughout. These cars were purpose-built to keep mass to a minimum, and the restoration appears to have kept everything highly original.
The price tag on this mighty Mopar is $145,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
They have advertised this as being one-of-four produced with a 4-speed transmission yet in the prior-to restoration pictures it clearly shows it being an automatic transmission car. There is zero explanation in their description about this. So, is it real or not?
Hey Neal…THANKS for your noteworthy observation and comment. I actually sent an inquiry to the selling dealer on the same issue…also mentioning the presence of the Torqueflite (auto-trans) “pushbuttons” on the left side of the steering wheel, and lack of a clutch pedal in the pre-restoration photos. The other fact worth noting is the “cover plate” in the “push-button area in the post-restoration photos. Something is not right here…makes me lean toward a conclusion that it was originally a Torqueflite car, but restored to “clone” an ultra-high-value, 6-figure “1 of 4 factory-built Mopars”! The selling Dealer has not yet responded to my inquiry.
The typewriter drive is on the right of the steering in the picture posted in this article, very astute observation Grunt. Cheers, Keep safe!
It’s a nice Clone, worth approximately 50 to 60K.
Neal, the picture in the article of the interior shows a 4-speed shifter.
All you have to do verify if this Mopar is for real and Not a clone, contact Galen V. Govier. His web site is: galengovier.com
Oddly, the clutch pedal is there, in the “prior to restoration”, it seems to be held back to the firewall. Possibly this was a 4 speed car that someone put an auto in at some time. Hard to tell with that big AC unit in the way, could be a hole there too… Worth some further splainin…
Gentlemen… Respectfully, you have no idea what you are talking about. This is an authenticated aluminum 4 speed car. Go here: https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0117-269780/1964-dodge-440-lightweight/
I had a 63 superstock Plymouth with the 426 wedge . The three speed trans was available but the automatic push button with cut down vanes and able to take the torque was quicker, a 383 in a “normal” model could tear up the BW T 10. I don’t know when a four speed became available that could take drag racing off the line starts .
Nice looking, but I wonder about the “correctness” of the car. The pre restoration pics show a definite automatic push button trans shifter on dash. How do I know… I own a 64 Dodge Max wedge. Pre 66 Chrysler vin # pretty much say its either a V8 or 6 cyl car. It wasnt until after 66 that the vin# on the car really got specific and it would say exactly size of the motor 273, 318, 426, 440 etc. You can buy the parts and pieces via a couple of vendors to make a Max wedge clone. Starting from e brake brackets to velocity stacks to throttle linkage fuel lines to spark plug wire looms, which btw are mounted upside down on front of the motor, they hang down from the exhaust stud , engine bay wiring harnesses. The paint colour on the engine is the wrong shade of orange..the paint on the motor is either a later hemi orange or possibly a chevy orange. Max wedge motors are painted in what is called race hemi orange, which is several shades lighter than what is shown here. I have seen time to time people selling oem aluminum fenders (big bucks) the bumper brackets are repopped now. It’s a great looking car… whomever buys it needs to go over it with a fine tooth comb to actually verify things.
The Dodge 330 was the light weight car not the hardtop model
Don Garlits has the car that was built for his Wife in The Don Garlits Museum near Ocala Florida. Stop in and see it!