The Dodge 330 was produced briefly from 1962 to 1964 when it was part of the Polara line. Chrysler’s first full-size B-body sedan, the 330 wasn’t the most iconic Dodge from the 1960s, but it did spawn one of the rarest race cars of its time: the Max Wedge.
Dodge only built a few for the Super Class of stock, and the surviving cars are now some of the most valuable Mopars from the 1960s. 330 Max Wedges and examples of numbers are hard to come by. Low miles are extremely rare.
Amazingly, such a car appeared on eBay after it had been in storage for so long. There’s some bad news, though: the original Max Wedge factory is no longer in operation.
The cool thing about this powerful 330 is that you can’t tell it’s a race car. It looks just as mundane as the regular 330, fitted as standard with a 145-horsepower 3.7-liter inline-six. This example is no exception and it doesn’t even have flashy colors. It is finished in plain black, so it will fly under the radar.
According to the seller, who bought the car in 2008, the 330 has been in the garage for the past 12 years. The black two-door car has not been repainted, so it retains the original paint color. The exterior shows various signs of wear and tear, but no rust and it really isn’t too bad as this 330 is 57 years old as of 2021.
The story is the same inside the cabin. The all-red vinyl and fabric upholstery is still original and it looks absolutely beautiful except for some discoloration. The floor has a bit of surface rust, but that’s an easy fix during a light restoration.
Now comes the disappointing part. This 330 no longer has the original Max Wedge under the hood. The owner doesn’t seem to know the whereabouts of the original engine and transmission; they have been replaced by slightly more modern units.
The original Max Wedge came with a large 7.0-liter RB-type V8 with a four-barrel carburetor. It is rated to have a huge capacity of 425 horsepower, on par with a muscle car from the early 1970s.
These cars were the fastest factory-built vintage cars over a quarter-mile when they debuted. Especially since they are equipped with lightweight, aluminum front clamps.
For example, the 330 here is one of only 23 built. It’s also one of only two examples that combine a black exterior with red interior trim and optional heating.
So what will replace the iconic Max Wedge engine under the hood? The owner says it draws its juice from a “more modern” 7.2-liter V8, which is connected to a “1965+” transmission and rear end. He doesn’t know how much output it produces but says the engine will run, despite having been idle “for years.”
