64 426 street wedge?????????

[khryslerkid]

yes there was a street option 426 single 4 bbl in 1964 but did not have the heads/cam etc of the race engine. I was asked to evaluate a NEW '64 Plymouth with that engine and 4 speed trans, it would have been much better with an auto trans. still a heck of a street ride. if it was a factory street 426 the hood ornament would have said 426.

Thanks for dredging this thread up from the dead. Wow what a debate between two Members!

I've always known the 1964 426 "Street Wedge" to be turquoise in color also.

Here's a TriY set on a 1964 I saw this year. They look like they weigh a ton!

 

[streetwedg]

Block exactly the same on 426 street and max except for AAQA on front of block. Block was of high nickel content. Compression between the two obviously different between race and street motor. The big difference is between the heads and intake. All max wedge cars have a cross ram which only fits the 286 heads. Correct me if I'm wrong, am sure you will. Do not know of any single 4 barrel intake for max wedge but I have seen homemade ones. There not that hard to fab. laryatlas

Block exactly the same on 426 street and max except for AAQA on front of block. Block was of high nickel content. Compression between the two obviously different between race and street motor. The big difference is between the heads and intake. All max wedge cars have a cross ram which only fits the 286 heads. Correct me if I'm wrong, am sure you will. Do not know of any single 4 barrel intake for max wedge but I have seen homemade ones. There not that hard to fab. laryatlas

The high nickel blocks were not just max wedge.
I have a 65 ply Street wedge with the original engine plus two extra blocks. They all have AAQA cast on them. They are stamped A 426 and are not notched.
The street wedge had the same heads and exhaust manifolds as the 383.

 

[Geri]

Thanks for dredging this thread up from the dead. Wow what a debate between two Members!

I've always known the 1964 426 "Street Wedge" to be turquoise in color also.

Here's a TriY set on a 1964 I saw this year. They look like they weigh a ton!
View attachment 630270 View attachment 630271 View attachment 630272

they do weight a ton and the street 426's were turquoise/green.same as the rest of the stock engine family engines. (318/273 were red)

 

[streetwedg]

The Crome valve covers on my Street Wedge do not have the notches for the valve cover gaskets. There are 6 studs in each head to hold gasket while installing cover. Uses all studs and nuts, no bolts.

 

[383man]

Block exactly the same on 426 street and max except for AAQA on front of block. Block was of high nickel content. Compression between the two obviously different between race and street motor. The big difference is between the heads and intake. All max wedge cars have a cross ram which only fits the 286 heads. Correct me if I'm wrong, am sure you will. Do not know of any single 4 barrel intake for max wedge but I have seen homemade ones. There not that hard to fab. laryatlas

The only single four barrel intake for the Max Wedge that I know of is the Nascar intake which they can only use a single carb so there was single four barrel intake from Mopar for the Nascar Max Wedge cars. Ron

 

[62MAX]

HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW WITHOUT GUESSING !
https://maxwedge.com/

 

[andyf]

I have a B426 block so evidently they made a few street wedges in 1966 as well.

 

[Geri]

Offy made a 360

The only single four barrel intake for the Max Wedge that I know of is the Nascar intake which they can only use a single carb so there was single four barrel intake from Mopar for the Nascar Max Wedge cars. Ron

Offy made a 360, single 4 bbl manifold for the max wedge heads.

 

[Geri]

HERE IS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW WITHOUT GUESSING !
https://maxwedge.com/

Who's guessing? (thanks for the hyperlink)

 

[Johnpat]

Glad I'm not in this discussion

 

[Photon440]

Glad I'm not in this discussion

None of the original posters are in the discussion any more either. It's been years since anyone on the first page of this thread posted anything.

 

[Geri]

There was no Max Wedge after 64. 64 was the introduction of the race Hemi. A 62 Max Wedge was a Stage I and was 413 c.i.. They had a slightly different intake and carbs with smaller venturis than the Stage III. They also had bolt in rocker stands. Stage II also had the bold in rocker stands and both I and II had 4 bolt valve covers. Stage III had cast in pedistals and 6 bolt covers. They were 64 only. 63 and 64's were both 426c.i.

Maybe I'm not explaining it well. So go here and read it. It's a good site.
http://maxwedge.com/orangemonster/orangemonster.html

http://racehemi.maxwedge.com/topics/heads.php

both the Hemi and the wedge were available in '64. I've seen many at that time and know many racers who ran them at the drags. one of the 426 max wedge engines I bought was out of a '64 fury convertible (factory). he lost a rod bearing and didn't want to mess with it. I got the engine air cleaneres to pan for $250.00
'62 was not called a stage engine it was the 413 SS engine with the short crossram 405 HP? and carters.the '63 was a stage ll available in 415 hp and 425 depending on compression. the alum front end was offered in '63 but only on the 425 HP version ,I bought a 415 HP and the alum was not available on that- had I known at the time I'd have ordered the 425 HP. the '63 engines still had the 4 bolt valve covers, the '64's had the 6 bolt. the '63 had the aluminum rocker shaft stands -'64 had the cast in pedestals. it seems that was a mid year head design change- but just trying to remember.there was no short crossram with out the max wedge heads- that had to have been done by the owner at some point. but it is something I've done a few times. the 426 max wedge could be ordered in '65. it was also offered in the Dodge pickup. I don't remember if it was called a D-100.

 

[Geri]

the

Ok I had to get in on this as I love Max Wedge cars. :yes: Here is what I know:

The 413 was around with its standard port heads a few years before 1962. In 62 when the 413 Max Wedge was released they added new heads with much larger ports and new pistons for 11.0 or 13.5 comp. Also the crossram with the 2 carbs and the new solid lifter cam. And better valve springs were added. Also the cool exh manifolds and exh system. So the 413 Max Wedge was nothing like the standard 413 with small port heads and it's hydraulic cam. At that time there was no Stage names given to it. They just called it the SuperStock 413 for Ply or the Ramcharger 413 for Dodge.
In 1963 it was bored to 426 cubes and was basically the same for the rest of the eng and of course it was called the 426 SuperStock or 426 Ramcharger. Then in the middle of 63 they did some head work to flow better and added larger carbs and a bigger cam.
That is when the Stage name came about as Ply called it the SuperStock 426 Stage II and Dodge actually called it the Ramcharger 426-A but everyone else called it a 426 Stage II. The Ply valve cover said 426 II and the Dodge valve cover said 426-A.
Then in 1964 they did more head work and added a better cam so they called it the Stage III. All 64 Max Wedges were Stage III and no 62 or 63's were Stage III's.
So only some 63's were Stage II's and all 64's were Stage III's. And they did not use the Stage name until the Stage II's came out as they were just called Max Wedge's until the Stage II's.

Now Mopar kinda thought the lower comp 11.0 cars might be bought for driving on the street even though they were the same as the 13.5 eng other then the lower comp. But they found out most people did not know how to drive them on the street and be street friendly with the cable choke and all that cam.
So thats why in 1964 they just took the good old standard port head 413 with the small hydraulic cam and its single AFB car with an auto choke and bored it out to 426 cubes. This was built to be driven on the street as it was very easy to drive as a normal car. Thats why the 426 street wedge is in no way anywhere near what a Max Wedge eng was. The 426 street wedge was 365 HP and did not come out until 1964 and was also in the 1965 cars. There was no Max Wedge after 1964 but many people think when they see a 426 street wedge in a 1965 car that they may have a Max Wedge car. But they dont as they just have a mild street wedge. Ron

413's were a large CID engine for Chrysler pre '62.seems they were offered in the sport fury with long rams in '59 or two 4 bbls inline.other models and Dodge I have no idea.

Thanks for dredging this thread up from the dead. Wow what a debate between two Members!

I've always known the 1964 426 "Street Wedge" to be turquoise in color also.

Here's a TriY set on a 1964 I saw this year. They look like they weigh a ton!
View attachment 630270 View attachment 630271 View attachment 630272

 

[Johnpat]

I have a B426 block so evidently they made a few street wedges in 1966 as well.

I talked to a guy at a cruise that swore the 426street
wedge in his 66 Belvedere was factory installed.
Maybe he was right???

 

[andyf]

I talked to a guy at a cruise that swore the 426street
wedge in his 66 Belvedere was factory installed.
Maybe he was right???

I don't think there is any factory info that says a '66 Belvedere came with a 426S but who knows. I asked GG about the B426 block years ago and he said that some early C body cars came with the 426S engine since the 440 engine wasn't ready yet. I don't think the master parts book says anything about a 426S in 1966 but I do have one and GG says some cars came that way so perhaps it is true.

 

[Geri]

... ok lets start over.....stage anything is a nick name,,as is the street wedge. the real names are different between dodge and ply.
ply being the most popular i will go over them...
now this is some fact... and some are nicknames ..i will try to show the diff.

1962 413 max perf wedge....factory name ...nickname super stock413
no stage anything
1963 early 426max perf wedge. factory name
1963 mid year light weight cars and some cyl.head changes
factory name .... super stock 426 11
this began the stage name referances.... all nick names
1964 factory named ...superstock 426 111 ply.
ramcharger 426 111 by dodge
even more confusion cuased by two different compresion motors in each year....
1962 413 ... 11.0 comp....410 hp
413 ..13.5 comp 420 hp
1963 426 ..11,0 comp.. 415hp
426 ..13.5 comp... 425 hp no mention of early or late 63
1964 426...11.0 comp... 415 hp
426...13.5 comp.....425 hp
.. a lot of confusion was in the low comp motors ...and many refered to them as a street wedge ....and the stage two ...for the hp level being one down from the max wedge.....
never having a real name for the 426..365 hp single carb motor ....they were offen refered to as a stage 1..as in the lowest hp of the 426 wedge motors.....
so it is alot of perception, and even changes from the part of the country you live in...call them what you will ...they are one thing for sure ...ma mopars bigest step into history....

thats the best i can do without digging back into paperwork that goes back 40 years.

ma mopar also put out a bunch of odd balls...so you may find a "one of "in most any of her lines

any/all 413-426 with cross ram were SS /Ramcharger engines whether 410,415,425 HP,there was no connection between them and the street version with the single 4 bbl . the "green engines" were all Hyd cam, basic wedge heads and were never a stage anything. there was never an erngine made by Mopar that had the short crossram and stock heads- never happened.
in mid '64 a friend bought a Hemi Belvedere 4 speed, he had already blown up the 3.90' gears and was running a non sure grip 3.73 (I think that was the ratio).Beings I had the 4.56 gears, sure grip and auto trans I thought it would be a close race, -not even close- all I ever seen of that car after the first 30 feet was tail lights, I ordered a Hemi car soon after, by then the '65's were being built.. it arrived at Mike Johnson Chrysler/Plymouth Auburn Calif, 2 weeks after- I along with 19,000 other people were laid off at AeroJet General Corp in Sacramento. Mike Johnson offered me the car for 2 K- he'd pay the rest if I put his name on the car, I still couldn't afford it. Ron Powers of Marysville California got the car. I thought they will be around forever- no big deal. by '66 I'd lost a lot of interest in racing and became just a passive spectator/fan. my interest revived in '68 when I bought a Charger R/Tand high performance was alive and well again. then got a '69 Cuda 440, when my charger was totaled from a rear end collision.
seems like yesterday and a century ago at the same time.

 

[Lefty71]

View attachment 630309


The high nickel blocks were not just max wedge.
I have a 65 ply Street wedge with the original engine plus two extra blocks. They all have AAQA cast on them. They are stamped A 426 and are not notched.
The street wedge had the same heads and exhaust manifolds as the 383.

I thoroughly agree with this post, my street wedge block has the same casting number as the maxis, no notches, A426 (for 65), and I do indeed have a single four barrel max wedge aluminum intake (not from this motor). It is dealer only, pre direct connection, and I've always heard it was intended for the NASCAR boys back in the day. Anybody know, were all the 365hp motors chrome air cleaner and valve covers, or is that a mystery too?? HTH, Lefty71

 

[streetwedg]

All 426 streetwedge’s I’ve ever seen had Crome valve covers & air cleaners. But only the c body Plymouth’s got the Comando 426 air cleaner decal

 

[Geri]

All 426 streetwedge’s I’ve ever seen had Crome valve covers & air cleaners. But only the c body Plymouth’s got the Comando 426 air cleaner decal

I don't remember the chrome engine trim but I'll bet you are right.

 

[383man]

And the hp ratings of the Max Wedges were 410 and 420 for the 413 and 415 and 425 for the 426. Don't matter what stage the 426 was they all had the same 415 and 425 hp even though they dropped the 13.5 comp to 12.5 in 64 on the stage III eng. Ron