Even though it's rare and valuable, 1-of-15 Ramcharger Max Wedge-powered 1963 Dodge Polara 500 still makes quarter-mile passes
07/03/2022
The Lebanon Valley Run Pass sticker on the windshield of this 1963 Dodge Polara 500 listed for sale on Hemmings.com (and the accompanying photos showing it in the staging lanes at the drag strip) tell us everything we need to know about the car. Yes, it's rare—one of 15 convertibles with the Ramcharger Max Wedge 426. Yes, it's nicely restored with that cross-ram intake and an underside as clean as a nun on Sunday. And yes, it's valuable, with an asking price in six-figure territory. But at the same time, the seller has been out there exercising that Max Wedge and includes a small tire shop's worth of rubber for the next owner to do so as well. From the seller's description:
In May of 1962 Chrysler released its highly engineered drag racing package for the “B” body Dodges and Plymouths to the public. For Dodge it was called “Ramcharger” and for Plymouth it was called “Super Stock”. The 413 cubic inches high-nickel AAQA block came in two versions: an 11:1 compression ratio version producing 410HP and a 13.5:1 version with 415HP. Both packages could be ordered with a 3-speed manual transmission or a special, high-performance version of Chrysler’s 727 3-speed automatic with 105 pounds of line pressure and a governor set to shift at 5,800 rpms. Included in the package were: two Carter AFB 4-barrel carburetors mounted on Chrysler’s proprietary cross-ram intake manifold; 3” cast iron exhaust manifolds connected to a highly sophisticated exhaust system with an “H” pipe and 3” factory cutouts that could be opened for sanctioned racing events; a 3.91 sure-grip rear; and high-performance internal components. This was well documented in Motor Trend magazine’s summer issue and a copy is included with the car.
In 1963 Chrysler increased the cubic inches to 426 and increased the horsepower to 415 and 425 respectively. Fifteen convertibles with the 11:1 compression motor and 727 automatic transmission were built. This is one of those factory-built cars and one of two built in this color combination. It has a date-correct AAQA 426 high-performance block, all the max-wedge package components and is fully documented in Darrell Davis’ book “The 1963 Dodge Ramcharger Guide”. It is further documented in Galen Govier’s “Chrysler Registry”; has its original fender tag and Chrysler’s IBM card and the odometer shows less than 23,000, believed to be original, miles.
The 1963 Dodge Polara 500 Convertible was sold new by Farmingdale Garage, Inc. in Farmingdale (Long Island), New York and delivered with the $577.60 Ramcharger Package, a heater, radio, 7.50 X 14 white wall tires and some minor options. It has an original max wedge fuel pump; dated coil; “Forward Look” voltage regulator, transmission cooling lines filter and oil filter; dual-point distributor with Pertronix electronic ignition (points-style breaker plate and points included); and correct dated 3447 Carter carburetors. It will be delivered to its new owner with 5 Goodyear Custom Super Cushion 7.50 X 14” with 1” white wall tires mounted on original Chrysler 14 X 5 ½” wheels; 4 Diamond Back Classic radial HR78 X 14 Bluestreak tires; two RADIR 7.75 X 14” cheater slicks with wide white wall and checkered flag tread design mounted on Chrysler’s rare 14 X 6 ½” wheels; and original Dealer Album, owner’s manual and supplement for the Ramcharger Package, brochures, radio “Fact Sheet”, parts book, service manual, and Album with dyno sheet, owner history and receipts. A high-quality vinyl spring loaded show poster is included.
The car is a joy to drive on the highway and could be taken to the drag strip to compete in nostalgia racing on weekends. When rebuilt, the motor was slightly bored and stroked so that the compression ratio could be lowered to 10:1 without sacrificing performance. It dynoed at 558 ft,lbs. of torque at 4,000rpms and 450HP at 5,500rpms and can be driven with 93 octane gas. When taken to shows, I don’t have to worry about seeing another one and it always draws a crowd!
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Smack dab in the heartland of America, Enid, Oklahoma is an exceptionally friendly small town with a triad of great car shows that occur in three consecutive weekends. The fun starts with the Boy Scouts Show, which is always the last Saturday in March, then the Corvette Expo on the first weekend of April. For 2024, there is a newcomer to Enid’s car show scene: the Shepherds Show & Shine, which lands on the second Saturday in April.
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Harold Clay, owner of Clay’s Collision Center and Harold’s Hot Rod Shop in Enid, called me at home in California and asked if I could offer our mutual friend Tom’s daughter some tips on how to put on a charity car show for her church (St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School) for its first attempt. I’m in Enid several times a year, so I knew the Boy Scouts car show is traditionally held on the last Saturday in March followed by the Corvette Expo always on the first Saturday in April. I Googled to see if April 13th was okay to hold Shepherds 1st Annual Custom & Classic Car Show & Shine and it looked like the coast was clear.
Kim and Liz Price's stunning 1935 Ford cabriolet glowed at the Boy Scouts Show. The Ford is painted in a knockout Gold Metallic. Photo: John Gilbert
Famous last words. On January 28, 2024, I posted Shepherds Show & Shine flyer on Clay’s Collision Center’s Facebook page to help promote the new show. Immediately the proverbial poop hit the fan. Folks had misread the flyer and erroneously thought Clay’s Collision Center was the promoter of Shepherds show, so Clay’s phone started ringing off the hook with people asking for show information. Who knew Easter would fall on March 30, 2024? I couldn’t find it announced anywhere online that the Boy Scouts Show had moved their date from late March to April 13, 2024, one week after the 32nd Annual Corvette Expo came to Enid.
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The wheels were motion and it appeared that neither party would back out, so consequently both car shows were set to take place on the same day. The early morning of April 13 started out a little stressful and then as the morning progressed plenty of cars, pickups and motorcycles started rolling into Shepherds 1st Annual Custom & Classic Car Show & Shine. A great success, the Shepherds show was an absolute nostalgic time warp. St. Paul’s church was built in 1926 and the beautiful old houses in the neighborhood circa 1927 set the mood. It was a good scene, the adjacent fenced schoolyard to the car show grounds was packed with children playing and dogs on leashes were everywhere… classic rock ’n roll music filled the air.
Harold Clay's 1960 Chrysler New Yorker was on display. The big Chrysler features a chopped roof and to the delight of anyone lucky enough to ride in it, ice-cold air courtesy of Vintage Air.Photo: John Gilbert
At 1:30pm Harold and I jumped into his chop-top ’60 Chrysler New Yorker and headed over to the Boy Scouts show that was hosted by the Enid Antique Auto Club at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center. Just like the Shepherds Show & Shine, admission for spectators at the Boy Scouts Show was free to all. Interestingly, the cars shown indoors at the Boy Scouts Show were mostly of a different style than the cars that rolled into Shepherds Show & Shine held outdoors, so the number of show cars was high at both locations. And Harold and I noticed a lot of the spectators we spotted at Shepherds were also present at the Boy Scouts Show, so apparently all that is well, ends well.
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