1964 Dodge 300 Max Wedge Tribute Rules The Road in Sin City

Muscle car enthusiasts all know that feeling — the inherent head jerk that happens when you hear it before you see it, when the sound alone announces something serious is on its way. That’s exactly how it went down with this 1964 Dodge 330 Max Wedge tribute. The rev and the rumble crept closer and then a Mr. Norm’s license plate frame came into view.

The Norman Kraus signature of the Chicago-based Grand Spaulding Dodge dealership surrounding the rear plate gave a hint that this Dodge was going to be something special. And even though the frame that referenced the Mopar Hall of Famer bordered a Nevada plate, as opposed to one in Mr. Norm’s Illinois hood, it wasn’t just blowing smoke.

The 426 Stage III Max Wedge of 1964 had a 12.5: 1 compression ratio thanks to new, extensively modified, open-chamber cylinder heads. The exhaust valves were slightly smaller in diameter vs. the Stage II. Stiffer valve springs and a more radical cam drove power way up, but it remained factory rated at 425 hp at 5,600 RPM. (Photo by Jody Only)

Upon further investigation, it wasn’t clear if this Dodge had confirmed roots that led back to Mr. Norm himself. However, a deeper dive revealed its DNA did trace to another high-performance Mopar legend, and that was Bob Mosher, the specialist in 1962-’65 Dodge and Plymouth B-bodies.

Mosher’s Muscle Car Motors in Southern California shuttered its doors in 2022, but from the 1990s it was the go-to stop, known for the preservation and restoration of Mopar iron and this specific turquoise two-door sedan was one of Mosher’s own. Found in the hands of Las Vegas resident, Jeffrey Wright, this Dodge was launched into the second chapter of its life when Mosher tracked it down pre-Y2K. He located it with only 8,000 original miles and still carrying the factory-installed 383 cubic-inch V8. Sometime in the early 2000s, Mosher upped its horse, swapping in one of the most formidable Super Stock standouts of the early 1960s — the legendary Max Wedge. It was originally designed to compete with the Super Duty 421 Pontiacs, 427 Fords and 409 Chevys.

These cars came with exhaust cutouts from the factory, as they were meant strictly for quarter-mile acceleration trials. (Photo by Jody Only)

A purpose-built drag strip demon, the 426 Ramcharger Max Wedge was introduced for mid-‘63 and was specifically noted by Chrysler Corp as a “426 cubic-inch maximum-performance acceleration engine” that could be bought in a daily but was “not recommended for everyday driving,” which sounds totally perfect for any muscle car swap!

The year 1964 was the finale for the Max Wedge. Later in the year, Chrysler built 55 race Hemi engines for NASCAR and NHRA teams, but the Max Wedge continues to dominate certain drag classes to this day.

This Sin City Dodge embodies the Mosher period-correct approach with dual Carter AFB four barrels resting atop the 426 RB on a Cross Ram-induction intake. It was designed by Chrysler’s Super Stock engineers of the day to optimize air gulp. The exhale is channeled through Doug’s Headers tipped with muffs from Flowmaster and clearly blast the Mopar’s presence.

This tribute was built with period-correct fenderwell headers, but the stock manifolds were remarkably free-flowing. They were designed for racing, like everything else about the car. (Photo by Jody Only)

The built-to-race powerplant is mated to Chrysler’s A-833 four-speed manual, which was introduced for model year 1964 as a heavier-duty answer to replace the four-speed Borg-Warner T-10. The Dodge’s 4.30 gears hold in the 3,000 to 3,500 rpm when running at freeway speed. But, as originally advised by Chrysler, this was a race-bred combo, and not grandma’s featherbed. These cars were as rowdy as any to ever roll down an assembly line.

A new Crane cam replaced the original. And just as it would’ve been in the Super Stock era, the battery was re-housed to the rear for weight distribution. OG Chrysler docs rate the optional higher compression Ramcharger 426 Max Wedge at 425 horsepower at 5600 RPM and 480 lb-ft at 4400 RPM. In reality, this streetable nod to the strip makes roughly 560 horsepower at the crank with Wright speculating its quarter in the sub-12-second range.

Pie-plate cheater slicks were the hot ticket back in the day. (Photo by Jody Only)

Now roaming the streets of Vegas on cheater slicks, Wright estimates this Dodge retains at least 70 percent of its original paint, along with its full original interior and glass. The odometer shows less than 22,000 miles since the rebirth.

Wright admits the Dodge only gets about 8 mpg, but fuel efficiency was typically not what made a muscle car selling point. And, as we can all relate to frequent fill-ups and high octane gas costs are just the cost of admission when you’re all about the “run what you brung” life.