Photo: Mecum Auctions
Monterey is the place to be if you’re in the market for old-school muscle cars. One of the highlights of the 2016 Monterey auction is this 1963 Dodge 330 Lightweight here, an unsung hero of the 1960s horsepower and marketing wars.
Gearheads know that the Swinging Sixties is the era when the horsepower war was in full swing in the United States of America. One of the most hideously underrated cars born during that epoch is the Dodge 330 Lightweight. Only 34 units were ever made in model year 1963.
According to Mecum Auctions, this baby is S/N 6132174418 and it is believed to have been driven just 490 miles (788 km). If anything, the photographs depict a car that looks as if it got off the production line yesterday. It’s a time capsule with the period Polar White paint job and red cloth and vinyl interior.
Compared to the regular 330, as in the one equipped with the 225 cubic inch (3.7-liter) Slant-6 engine, the Lightweight draws its motivation from a 426 cubic inch (7.0-liter) V8. The big-block monster is affectionately called Max Wedge and it shouldn’t be confused with the 426 HEMI V8. It’s best to think of the Max Wedge as the predecessor of the 426 HEMI V8. With more than 400 HP on tap and a compression ratio of 13.5:1, this bad boy is pretty buff.
The eight-cylinder motivator is backed up by a classically correct A727 TorqueFlite heavy-duty three-speed transmission. Now try to get your head around the fact that this 330 is as lightweight as a full-size American bruiser from the 1960s can get. The key to this lightness comes in the form of aluminum fenders, bumpers, hood, and the deletion of the heater and radio. Uncompromising is the word that suits the Dodge 330 Lightweight best of all.
And as expected, a badass collectible such as this one doesn’t come cheap. The estimate on the drag strip warrior featured in the adjacent pics ranges from $135k to $165k. Is it worth it, though? Have your say.
According to Mecum Auctions, this baby is S/N 6132174418 and it is believed to have been driven just 490 miles (788 km). If anything, the photographs depict a car that looks as if it got off the production line yesterday. It’s a time capsule with the period Polar White paint job and red cloth and vinyl interior.
Compared to the regular 330, as in the one equipped with the 225 cubic inch (3.7-liter) Slant-6 engine, the Lightweight draws its motivation from a 426 cubic inch (7.0-liter) V8. The big-block monster is affectionately called Max Wedge and it shouldn’t be confused with the 426 HEMI V8. It’s best to think of the Max Wedge as the predecessor of the 426 HEMI V8. With more than 400 HP on tap and a compression ratio of 13.5:1, this bad boy is pretty buff.
The eight-cylinder motivator is backed up by a classically correct A727 TorqueFlite heavy-duty three-speed transmission. Now try to get your head around the fact that this 330 is as lightweight as a full-size American bruiser from the 1960s can get. The key to this lightness comes in the form of aluminum fenders, bumpers, hood, and the deletion of the heater and radio. Uncompromising is the word that suits the Dodge 330 Lightweight best of all.
And as expected, a badass collectible such as this one doesn’t come cheap. The estimate on the drag strip warrior featured in the adjacent pics ranges from $135k to $165k. Is it worth it, though? Have your say.
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