Drag racing, ’60s style is back courtesy of this cool 1965 Plymouth Belvedere Super Stock! It’s listed as being refurbished so is it an original Super Stocker or a tribute? Let’s look it over and find out. This Belvedere two-door sedan is located in White Lake, Michigan and is available, here on craigslist for $36,500. Thanks to Pat L for this tip!
By 1965, Plymouth had just exited its full-size downsizing program that it, along with Dodge, embarked upon in 1962. They were back to a full-size, intermediate-size, and compact line-up with the Belvedere occupying the middle slot. Trim levels included the Satellite, Belvedere II, and Belvedere I. Subjectively speaking, Plymouth nailed the styling! Our subject car is a two-door post, Belvedere I, the perfect body style for hitting the 1320.
Horsepower was all the rage in the ’60s and Mopar firmly had their right foot planted on that endeavor. Belvedere’s engine line-up went from a lowly in-line six all the way up to a “Super Commando”, 425 HP, 426 Super Stock V8. This Belvedere is packing a 505 CI stroker under its hood but it’s dressed to resemble a 426, complete with “Super Stock” valve cover decals. The seller states, “Motor runs like a champ, very wicked sounding, a real head turner“. A four-speed manual gets the oomph to the drag slicks.
Sinister best describes the exterior, its raven black finish has been professionally applied and exudes an all-business attitude. While there was almost no ginger-bread applied to a Belvedere I, its single stainless side strip has been removed, further adding to this Belvedere’s menacing image. The finish was applied a few years ago and being garage kept, it still presents itself perfectly. The seller doesn’t detail specific modifications but it’s a safe bet that the rear axle has been narrowed and the rear wheel-wells tubbed to accommodate the drag slicks. The hood scoop doesn’t look exactly like a Super Stock item from back in the day but it’s close, just a little lower in its profile.
Inside, we find a new interior, including the carpet and headliner. It’s not exactly a hard-core racing interior but it’s perfect for what this Belvedere represents – a tough-looking street brawler. The radio, assuming that it had one, has been replaced with auxiliary gauges, and an aftermarket steering wheel and old-school style tachometer have been added. It all helps to solidify the racer vibe.
My bet is that this Plymouth is a nicely finished tribute, not one with a born-with performance orientation. It has been very nicely outfitted but it’s not trying to pass itself off as a true drag strip warrior. I have a friend who has a ’64 version of this Belvedere, I believe his is actually a Savoy model, but it’s decked out in a very similar fashion. He takes it to local car shows and Cars & Coffee gatherings, and occasionally cruises the main roads near where we live – it’s not a serious racer either but boy does it look like fun, right?
Those rear tires, holy wide bat man!
The “Mo” in Mopar.
I always thought it was “super stock” Dodge…, and max wedge Plymouth. But so what, the car is just plain evil.
I think you are correct. I just rolled with it since the owner labeled his engine as such.
JO
Looks like a tribute to me. Nothing wrong with that as long as it’s represented as just that. Had a little experience with that intake and dual quads on a 426 Max Wedge, they can be finicky to get adjusted right but once in sync a real beast. Some don’t like to hear this, but it was a thirsty beast. 3-4 mpg is not something to write home about and that’s what the car owner got while it was still in the car.
100% street car. Nothing wrong with that, especially since they didn’t plaster it with decals or fake class designations.
Steve R
SS cars had differnent quater panels and shorter wheelbase
Those cars were running were A/FX, not Super Stock.
Steve R
As a child of the sixties I appreciated these things with naïve enthusiasm. As an adult with clear eyed retrospect, they were ugly as sin, poorly assembled, blew up with regularity, and now are so overpriced it isn’t funny. Mopar = Junk. Sorry, not sorry.
Hmm. Maybe. But junk is in the eyes of the…….withholder?
Might be a fan of ‘Ol Henry or more likely a disgruntled member of the General’s crowd.
No problems with the Ford guys; at least they showed up to race.
AS for the General, could not proceed past the initial staging groups having been blown apart by the top running Fomocos and Mopars.
So what did they do? The General quit racing and went home to sulk.It was the 409s and 396s that grenaded on a regular basis from my early 1960’s recollections.
MOPARS RULED! HEMIS RULED! AND THEY STILL DO!
Fords did okay.
The General was JUNK!
End of story.
“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
And these childish things are “Murican Iron”. I’ve blown up a lot of Fords and Chevies too, junk is junk.
“Super Stock Plymouth winding out in low” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
But, a bad a** car!
This car perfectly represents the reason I support hybrid vehicles. More gas for me. “You got a heatem up”
I agree , a lot of engines did blow up with regularity. A lot held together too. I think this is awesome, and i wont tell the car its a clone, or that with its bigger motor its faster. The only negative i see is the interior change. Keep it original
The real reason the high performance engines (all brands) blew up is because people pounded on them every time they drove them. Every engine ever built even today’s engines can only take that crap for so long. The faster they were the more they got pounded. I would not blame anyone of them,they were all good but unfortunately got beat on every time some gear head drove them.They were all fantastic Motors in my book !
I
Love
It.
If it is an old Super Stock Car where is the tool bar? And there were no 505 cu in. In those days
Hope that’s a Dana 60 under there to handle the torque and the meats.
A lot of SS engines period blew up. Not only the MOPAR line, but also GM & FORD. They were built to race, not to last.
The seller does not say it’s an authentic super stock, if it was,it would be priced into the stratosphere. This is nice to show,and go!
Can anyone say “Hole shot”?
For the record, no factory max wedge cars made in ‘65 – HEMI’s were the SS package engine starting in mid ‘64 through’65. You could have ordered a “Street Wedge” (426 with a single four barrel) in B and C bodies in ‘65.
That said, this is a very nice car built just they way someone wanted; nothing wrong with that at all.