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Full-size performance

1964 Dodge Polara Max Wedge

Full-size performance powered by Ramcharger 426 Stage III V8.

Exact-year stock-presenting Polara two-door front three-quarter view retained for the grille, lamps, hood, fenders, hardtop roof, bright trim, steel wheels, glass, bumpers, and stance; the image establishes body context but does not independently prove a Max Wedge drivetrain.
Factory name Ramcharger 426 Stage III, the final Dodge Max Wedge.
Engines 11.0:1 and 12.5:1 versions were rated at 415 and 425 gross horsepower.
Transmissions T-85 three-speed, new A833 four-speed, or heavy-duty TorqueFlite.
Identity Street Wedge, Race Hemi, and later Max Wedge conversions are separate from a factory Ramcharger car.

Story

The 1964 Dodge Polara Max Wedge was the final version of Dodge's Ramcharger 426 factory acceleration package. It was not one separate Polara trim. Dodge listed the engine for the 330, 440, and Polara lines, and the model-year range also included the Polara 500. Keeping those series and body choices on one page preserves the ordering structure instead of turning each combination into a different car.

Ramcharger 426 Stage III

The 11.0:1 engine retained its 415-horsepower and 470-lb-ft gross ratings. The high-compression version moved to 12.5:1 while retaining 425 horsepower and 480 lb-ft. Dodge's bulletin describes a revised 15-inch aluminum short-ram intake, two Carter AFB-3705SA four-barrels, larger valves, improved heads, compression-specific camshafts, stronger connecting rods, a six-quart baffled oil pan, and a fixed oil pickup.

Three transmission paths

A floor-shifted T-85 close-ratio three-speed was standard. The new A833 four-speed was optional, making 1964 the only production year for a four-speed Max Wedge. A strengthened TorqueFlite Eight provided the automatic path.

Axle calibration depended on the engine: 3.91 Sure-Grip with the 11.0:1 version and 4.56 with the 12.5:1 version. Special rear springs, heavy-duty driveline hardware, lightweight 10-inch manual drum brakes, and streamlined exhaust manifolds completed the package.

Lightweight was optional

The aluminum front-end package added aluminum fenders, hood, dust shields, and bumper supports. Its hood carried a functional scoop and air horn. It was optional equipment, not proof that every Ramcharger car was a lightweight.

Keep the engines straight

The 365-hp single-four-barrel Street Wedge and the midyear Race Hemi were separate 426 programs. A cross-ram, scoop, four-speed, badges, or restored race appearance cannot establish Ramcharger identity by itself. Authenticate a car by reconciling its body tag and Chrysler record with engine, transmission, axle, paint, trim, dealer, and ownership evidence.

Exact-year stock-presenting Polara two-door front and side view retained for the hardtop profile, grille, lamps, body-side trim, steel wheels, hubcaps, bumpers, glass, and stance; the image is body context and does not authenticate Max Wedge equipment.JOHN LLOYD via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

Market Observations

  • Auction sale $95,700

    Mar 8, 2024 · Mecum, Glendale

    Factory 426 Max Wedge four-speed Dodge 440 lightweight, chassis 6242145442, listed in Darrell Davis's Max Wedge book and described as one of ten in the configuration. · restored · excellent Venue-published completed result after a comprehensive restoration. The lightweight body, 30,913-mile odometer reading, restoration, condition, component originality, and fee basis are not normalized to other records.
  • Auction sale $82,500

    Jul 30, 2022 · Bring a Trailer

    Documented lightweight 330 retaining production records but fitted with a replacement 500-ci engine and extensive modifications. · modified · good Completed sale; modified state prevents direct stock-value comparison.
  • Auction sale $27,500

    Apr 12, 2019 · Barrett-Jackson, Palm Beach

    Restored automatic Polara, chassis 6342209551, with a 426 Stage II Max Wedge engine, Stage III heads, new pistons and rods, and a 2,800-rpm converter. · modified · unknown Archived completed result. The modified mixed-stage engine and driveline prevent an original-drivetrain comparison; documentation scope, condition, actual mileage, component originality, and fee basis are not independently established. Its earlier 2016 sale is context, not a separate comparable.
  • High bid $90,000

    Jan 14, 2017 · Mecum, Kissimmee

    Factory 426/425-hp automatic Polara 500 Max Wedge, chassis 6442151952, identified by a Chrysler Registry Report as the last known example of five built. · restored · excellent Reserve-not-met high bid, not a completed sale. The car was refreshed and restored with NOS parts while retaining reported original undercoat and trunk paint; believed mileage, condition, component originality, restoration quality, and fee basis are not independently established.

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

1964 Dodge Polara 500 with its engine bay open. The photograph provides layout context only and does not identify the installed engine as a Ramcharger 426.Bull-Doser via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
  • Standard-compression Stage III 11.0:1, 415 gross hp, 470 lb-ft · 1964 Ramcharger 426 · engine assembly / specification
  • High-compression Stage III 12.5:1, 425 gross hp, 480 lb-ft · Optional 1964 Ramcharger 426 configuration · engine assembly / specification
  • Stage III short-ram induction 15-inch aluminum manifold and two Carter AFB-3705SA four-barrels · Both Ramcharger 426 configurations · intake manifold / specification

Transmission

  • Factory transmission T-85 close-ratio floor-shifted three-speed manual
  • Factory transmission A833 floor-shifted four-speed manual
  • Factory transmission Heavy-duty TorqueFlite Eight automatic

Options

One Factory Package reference for the 1964 Dodge Polara Max WedgeClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

Paint

Interior

1964 Polara 500 cabin showing bucket seats, console, instrument panel, and pushbutton controls; this is series context rather than Max Wedge proof.Christopher Ziemnowicz via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0

Authenticity

Short-Ram Dual Quads reference for the 1964 Dodge Polara Max WedgeClassic Muscle · Reference illustration
  • Package identity Factory Ramcharger 426 Stage III installation on an eligible 1964 Dodge B-body · Body tag, Chrysler production record, dealer documents, and ownership history · fraud detection
  • Engine configuration 11.0:1 415-hp or 12.5:1 425-hp Ramcharger 426 · Engine number, castings, dates, compression, heads, cam, induction, and records · numbers matching
  • Transmission T-85 three-speed, A833 four-speed, or heavy-duty TorqueFlite · Case, stamp, linkage, controls, dates, and production record · numbers matching
  • Lightweight equipment Factory-ordered aluminum front-end package when claimed · Y9 or equivalent production record, body tag, original aluminum panels and hinges, dates, and provenance · fraud detection
  • Body, paint, and trim Series, body, paint, and interior consistent with the individual record · Body tag, Chrysler record, protected finishes, upholstery, and paperwork · trim correctness

Still Researching

  • production The reviewed registry establishes 61 four-speed Max Wedge Dodges across all offered models, and a secondary vehicle record reports approximately 70 lightweight cars, but the complete Dodge total and per-body, engine, transmission, and lightweight tables remain in an unexposed guide.
  • interior The reviewed factory dealer-book scans now establish all 33 listed upholstery codes and exterior-paint groups across the 330, 440, Polara, and Polara 500 body groupings. The scans do not publish dated trim prices or revisions, prove which permitted combinations were built with the Ramcharger 426, or establish individual-car originality.
  • brakes The package-specific 10-inch manual-brake configuration, shared base-car dimensions, lining sizes, hydraulic dimensions, and factory service numbers are documented. The broad AMA's separate 426 column does not distinguish Street Wedge and Ramcharger ordering paths; individual-car ordering records, assembly dates, supplier markings, and production correctness remain unresolved.
  • option packages Factory application to the 330, 440, and Polara series, all three transmission paths, the optional aluminum-front package, and the documented lightweight's QR09, A3, T7, and Y9 codes are now represented. The complete body-style, regular-versus-lightweight, sales-code, dependency, and incompatibility matrix remains unavailable.
  • authenticity markers The page defines evidence requirements but cannot authenticate an individual car or certify numbers matching.

Codes & names

Names & Engine Codes

Common names and codes are grouped so LS6 references point to the same engine, not separate pages.

Three Transmission Paths reference for the 1964 Dodge Polara Max WedgeClassic Muscle · Reference illustration
1964 Dodge Ramcharger 426 Ramcharger 426 Stage III V8
Ramcharger 426 III Ramcharger 426 Stage III V8
Stage III Max Wedge Ramcharger 426 Stage III V8
Dodge 426/415 Ramcharger 426 Stage III V8
Dodge 426/425 Ramcharger 426 Stage III V8

Photo and video gallery

Gallery

6 photos and videos

Sources & Documentation

Reader contributions

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