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Dad’s Drag Car: 1963 Dodge 330 Max Wedge

1963-dodge-330-max-wedge

Holy Max Wedge! Now this is what I call a rare and incredible find! If you don’t know what the Dodge 330 Max Wedge is, it’s the ultimate Mopar sleeper. Dodge took the basic B-body 330 and crammed a 426 cui V8 under the hood. Now this one doesn’t have the normal street going 426 Wedge, but the track ready Max Wedge! For those that don’t know their Wedgies the Max came in two trim levels, 415 and 425 horsepower. This one as purchased new by the seller’s father, who bought it to go drag racing. It’s been with the family ever since, but their father passed away and it’s time for it to go to a home where it can be restored to its former glory. Find it here on eBay in Brewer, Maine with an opening price of $20k.

1963-dodge-426-max-wedge

So this car has quite the history. The original owner bought it to take racing, but shortly after getting it, they decided 415 horsepower just wasn’t good enough. So they had it upgraded to the “stage 2” level, bringing power up to 425! They also had the floor shift manual swapped out for a 727 automatic. The manual is long gone, but the 727 is still with the car.

1963-dodge-max-wedge-interior

It was raced that way for a few years, but eventually the seller’s mom needed it to be her daily driver. To make it streetable, the 426 was swapped out for a 360. Thankfully, the Max Wedge was retained and is sitting in the engine bay again!

1963-dodge-max-wedge

How cool is it that you could walk into your local dealership and order an 11 second dragster just as easily as ordering a family sedan? Talk about a great era for the automobile! These cars really are amazing and incredibly fast even by today’s standards. This one needs plenty of work, but the seller has some spare parts for it that are included and when will you ever find another genuine Max Wedge?

Comments

  1. Avatar PaulG

    This isn’t just cool, it’s Steve McQueen cool!
    I hope this is purchased by an enthusiast.
    If not it’ll be “restored” to an obscene level, and sent to a big buck auction house.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Glen

    So, what to do, return it to original. or as the car he raced?

    Like 0
  3. Avatar mallory

    now that’s a barn find !

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Jeffro

    Evil looking car! I love it

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Alan Brase

    What a nice time capsule. I think I’d try to make it look like new, but a dual master cylinder, maybe a higher rear end. Trips to the convenience store are pretty long with a 4.56 even. The Torqueflite is pretty easy to live with.
    This is pretty well conserved. Good for Dad! Except for the mice. Mothballs are your friends. Even if the mice are already there, put some in now! Spread them around. The damage they do is pervasive. Not quite as bad as rust, but so easy to avoid.
    Al

    Like 0
    • Avatar starsailing

      Max wedge with 4:56 gears….etc….? And……some buyer…. would worry about gas mileage going to pickup milk and bread? Totally streetable around town. If I HAD a none running max wedge…I would throw it on a trailer and trailer it wherever I went. Dr Appointment….? Yup! Church…Yuup, To work..YUUUP!….Driving to scenic Fall leaves changing colors..YUUP! Stock brakes were fine. Never saw or heard of anyone have a brake problem who maintained their brakes properly. Brother had 65 Ply 426 wedge 365 Hp 4 spd, ran all yr round, cheater slicks except in winter. Non stop street racing, never broke a thing. Last month sitting around with wedgies…even a few old max wedgers were amazed at how quick brother’s car was.
      Hemming’s last week just had a massive response to mouse problems with cars…check it it.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar Bingo

    Shame on you, son. It’s a family heirloom. Keep it!!!

    Like 0
  7. Avatar M B

    Mothballs have been known to cause MORE damage than any rodent might. As in the “fumes” being corrosive to the metal in window regulators and such. Better ways to thwart rodents . . . as in “bait”. Even something known as “cats”. Almost everything, if not EVERYTHING to make this car “right” is available, which makes it even better.

    A great car to restore and refurb!! The change from manual trans to TorqueFlite is allowable and a rather easy swap from the “harder to shift” 4-speed which Chrysler used back then. The TorqueFlite was usually a little quicker in ETs.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Srt8

      I believe that the only manual transmission offered was a 3 speed. I could be mistaken as it’s been a while but it was either the auto or a 3 speed manual.

      Like 0
      • Avatar CATHOUSE

        The ebay listing says the car was originally a 3 speed manual.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Srt8

        I was replying to the comment above mine

        Like 0
    • Avatar jim

      I agree about the mothballs, but bait inside the car isn’t the answer…why they call it bait, the mice and rats are drawn to it.

      Like 0
  8. Avatar Alan Brase

    I admit, my experience with mothballs was only with an open car, and there WAS a bit of surface corrosion on some dash knobs. Maybe I used too many. I guess I just spread a whole bag on the front floor. This was in a lockup, totally steel garage. For about 10 years.
    If it was in my own shop, a cat would be great. They may be man’s second best friend.

    Like 0
    • Avatar pogo mojo

      Hummm, the little old lady from Pasadena!

      Like 0
  9. Avatar wuzjeepnowsaab

    This is as American Muscle as it gets. What a car…great provenance, great build sheet. I would say this is for me but I wouldn’t be able to keep tires on it.

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Darren

    Amazing find . Weren’t those HP numbers a bit off the mark?? Think these cars were far more then 425 horse as advertised!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Junkfixer

      None of the mfg horsepower rating during this period were accurate, but just as many were over-rated as were under-rated. Relatively workaday cars tended to be over-rated in an effort to bolster sales, while performance machinery was deliberately under-rated to appease the almighty gods of insurance. Remember the more modern Buick Grand National? It was deliberately under-rated at 225HP, while some quick math shows that at least 300HP is needed for a car of it’s weight to post the 1/4 mile times it did off the showroom floor. 300HP is about what the car actually had, but if GM had rated it higher than the claimed 225HP then Turbo-Hydramatic wouldn’t let them put the chosen transmission in. I still don’t put any faith in factory figures to this day.

      The Stage II Max Wedge was good for about 465HP when new, with a stump-pulling and hydrocarbon-belching 540 lb-ft of torque – very tall numbers for it’s time, and still very respectable today.

      Like 1
  11. Avatar stillrunners

    Yes Darren…..and dang dang dang what a sweet car…..

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Jim

    She’s a beauty, American Muscle at its best. Watching these guys race is what got a lot of car guys hooked. I agree the hp numbers from the factories were always fudged up and down for insurance, advertising, sales or other reasons. The proof is in the time slips. You guys are also right, 3spd manual standard, optional auto but a few cars had trans swaps at the dealership with parts provided by the factory(for a cost), on the dragstrip automatic is more consistent but it’s fun rowing a four speed, if my legs were more dependable I’d swap back to stick in my cars but that’s just a dream. My first race car was a 64 Dodge model 440, 383 auto, minimal mods and would run 11.80’s all day, faster as we got in it deeper. This would be a great Friday nite cruise, nostalgia drag car.

    Like 0
  13. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Well if you have the ching, you can still walk into your local dealership and buy an 11 second dragster. And they handle great.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jim

      You’re absolutely right but they’re different kinds of cool. This one is rude and brutal, newer cars although just as fast or faster have a/c, turn and stop properly.

      Like 0
  14. Avatar Brent Mazur

    Properly restored to it’s racing condition, it would easily find a home on one of the nostalgia racing series.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar Terry

    In high school during the early 70s a buddy had an ex cop car like this but 2 more doors. Black sleeper had a 413 and pushbutton a/t. Car was a holy terror and surprised many, many cars. Lots of fun.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar VR LIVES

    After Junior High, I never thought I would want a Wedgie, once again I was wrong.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Joe Haska

    It sounds like the father was the real deal, a dedicated drag racer, and obviously loved the car. I would encourage the family (son) to keep the car, or figure out a way to restore it, and stay in the loop. Its just a car, but its their family history, and if they sell, at some point they will be sorry. Not that 20K is not allot of money, but it will sure seem that way later on.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Steve B.

    My father was part owner of a Dodge store in New Jersey in the late 50’s – late 60’s, and one day he brought home a 64 Max Wedge car. Whether he we considering keeping it or just wanted to drive it a bit I do not know. But I do remember a memorable drive in it that evening that scared the bejezus out of my mother. A few days later it was gone and we had a 64 318 powered station wagon instead

    Like 0
  19. Avatar Rocco

    VERY COOL car! Leave it as a racer. Go on local errands. Do people still go to Burger King on Sat. night?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Alan Brase

      Cops don’t like it if you go sideways.

      Like 0
  20. Avatar greg ness

    in 1963 a 4-spd was available only on 361/363 equipted cars. It was a T-10 Borg-Warner trans, with 2.22 1st gear. The 426 cars all had 3-spd std. trans. or Torqueflites. In 1964 Chrysler introduced the A-833 4-spd in everything including 6-cyl. cars. These trans. used either a 2.22/2.66,or for sixes, 273’s,and 318’s a 3.09 1st gear. I’m an OLD GUY , been there – done that . Have a great Day.

    Like 1

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