Holy Grail 1963 Dodge 330 Lightweight Flexes Numbers-Matching Max Wedge V8

Chrysler began making powerplants with hemispherical combustion chambers for production cars in 1951. It dropped the design in 1958 but revived it six years later. The second-gen HEMI, the famous 426 V8, arrived in 1964. Nicknamed the "elephant engine," the HEMI was produced for use in NASCAR and hit race tracks in the Plymouth Belvedere.

The engine found its way into production cars for the 1966 model year, mainly for homologation purposes. And it ended up motivating all Plymouth and Dodge muscle cars through 1971. But it wasn't the only hot Mopar V8 of the 1960s. The Max Wedge preceded the HEMI by a few years.

Developed during the Detroit drag race wars of the early 1960s, the Max Wedge was based on the RB block and debuted in 1962 as a 413-cubic-inch (6.8-liter) mill. It was rated at 410 horsepower with an 11.0:1 compression ratio and 420 horses with a 13.5:1 ratio. Designed primarily for racing, it was known as the Ramcharger 413 in Dodge models and the Super Stock 413 in Plymouth cars.

Chrysler enlarged the engine to 426 cubic inches in 1963, an upgrade that added a few extra horses. The 11.0:1 compression engines delivered 415 horsepower, while the 13.5:1 mills came with 425 horsepower on tap. The latter was just as potent as the HEMI that followed.

The Max Wedge was exclusive to intermediate Mopars of the B-body variety. It was available in the Dodge Dart, Polara, 330, and 440. Plymouth offered the V8 in the Fury, Savoy, and Belvedere. The engine helped Chrysler dominate the drag racing scene and spawned some of the greatest muscle cars of the early 1960s.

And even though they're not quite as popular as the HEMI Mopars, the Max Wedge cars are notably scarcer. That's because Dodge and Plymouth built only a few hundred cars each from 1962 through 1964. The 1963 Dodge 330 you see here is a one-of-one gem and a holy grail rig among Mopar enthusiasts.

Only of only 34 made that year, but the only one in silver over red, this 330 is one of those street-legal cars that tackled the drag strips alongside the factory-backed Ramchargers. Its history is known; it ran locally at Minnesota Dragway and competed at the 1963 NHRA Nationals in Indianapolis.

The original owner sold it in 1965, but the 330 remained a regular at the drag strip (in various classes) until the 1970s. Yup, this Mopar was raced for more than a decade, yet it survived to tell its story. And it looks the part, thanks to a restoration that returned it to 1963 specifications.

The fact that it still retains its factory lightweight components is just as impressive. This car still rocks the aluminum hood, fenders, and bumper it got from the factory. The 425-horsepower Max Wedge engine is still highly original, as is the 727 push-button automatic gearbox. It might not be as iconic as a Ramcharger, but this 330 has to be one of the most original Max Wedge rigs out there.

The Mopar made a rare appearance at the 2023 Chattanooga Motorcar Festival, and you can see it in detail in the video below. You can also hear the mighty Max Wedge roaring through its exhaust cutouts toward the end of the footage.