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Do you want a real Max Wedge?

skyman51

skyman51

Well-Known Member
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I had an absolutely perfect restored 1963 Dodge Polara 500 Max Wedge. Incredible documentation and a car you won't find as nice anywhere. The problem was is the car truly is a race car. It is very difficult to drive on the street where stop and go is the norm. Well I made a deal with RK Motors for a 1967 Hemi GTX. The Max Wedge is available again at
www.rkmotorscharlotte.com
It is a no excuse 99% correct car with all correct part numbers and date codes.
As some of you may know it is black with a black/white interior.

If you truly want a Max Wedge, you will probably never find another like this.
 
The ones on e-bay are "recreations" NOT original Max Wedge cars. In terms of value, there is a HUGE difference.
 
What would the value be of a nicely restored 1963 Savoy, in black, with a 426 engine, with crossram and a 4-speed?
I am restoring my car and i need to appraise it when it is done.
 
:huh:I see rk is going to restore the last 71 charger hemi built
 
I love having my clone. I have to drive it alot as thats the fun of owning a car like that. Ron

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383man said:
I love having my clone. I have to drive it alot as thats the fun of owning a car like that. Ron

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Ron, thar's great to drive your car. The one I am talking about is definitely a collector/trailer queen.
I am curious though as to your definition of a Max Wedge. The Max Wedge engine is barely streetable for a whole variety of reasons. That being no comment on your car.
 
Thanks for the kind words. I guess what I mean is with my car not a real one I dont worry as much driving it. Yes I do worry as I like to keep it in great shape but what fun would it be not to drive and race it ? I guess you would buy a real one more for an investment then to drive it. Kinda like my buddy who has a 68 Sox & Martin Cuda. Its the last one Ronnie drove built by Bob Reed. He wont tell me what he paid for it and he only takes it to big shows as he tows it to the shows in his enclosed trailer. The only way I get to see it is at big shows but many are not local.

About a Max Wedge eng not being street friendly..........................Its funny as I see so many nasty engines driven on the street today that are way more nasty then the stock Maxie eng was and many guys drive them all the time. I think the standards are much different today as what we consider street friendly. But I dont run a crossram as I like the single four carb just for the reason of great drieability even with my solid flat tappet cam thats 264 & 270 @ .050 with .631 and .628 lift with my 1.6 rockers. Its a 110 LSA and I have it on a 106 ICL. And do I love to drive it. I dont know if my car would be considered a Maxie clone as I dont run a crossram but I have and love the look of the Maxie cars with the Maxie scoop and the TT front wheels and steelies out back. Externally I would say my 63 is a Maxie clone but not 100% under the hood. I do understand though if you buy a real one and dont want to drive it and chance hurting it. Ron


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383man said:
Thanks for the kind words. I guess what I mean is with my car not a real one I dont worry as much driving it. Yes I do worry as I like to keep it in great shape but what fun would it be not to drive and race it ? I guess you would buy a real one more for an investment then to drive it. Kinda like my buddy who has a 68 Sox & Martin Cuda. Its the last one Ronnie drove built by Bob Reed. He wont tell me what he paid for it and he only takes it to big shows as he tows it to the shows in his enclosed trailer. The only way I get to see it is at big shows but many are not local.

About a Max Wedge eng not being street friendly..........................Its funny as I see so many nasty engines driven on the street today that are way more nasty then the stock Maxie eng was and many guys drive them all the time. I think the standards are much different today as what we consider street friendly. But I dont run a crossram as I like the single four carb just for the reason of great drieability even with my solid flat tappet cam thats 264 & 270 @ .050 with .631 and .628 lift with my 1.6 rockers. Its a 110 LSA and I have it on a 106 ICL. And do I love to drive it. I dont know if my car would be considered a Maxie clone as I dont run a crossram but I have and love the look of the Maxie cars with the Maxie scoop and the TT front wheels and steelies out back. Externally I would say my 63 is a Maxie clone but not 100% under the hood. I do understand though if you buy a real one and dont want to drive it and chance hurting it. Ron


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Ron

Your car is great and I would enjoy driving it everywhere.
The true Max Wedge is difficult for many reasons.
1. four blade fixed fan with no shroud. Will overheat every time.
2. cross ram mnifold looks awesome, but was designed for the track. There is no heat tube from the exhaust manifold to the intake. It has a manual choke for the carbs and is a real bear to gat started.
3. Eats plugs if you idle it to much, which requires blipping the gas to keep it running at a light.
4. Carbs are jetted for WOT
5. couple all the above with a race cam and high compression. All I ran in it for the very little street time it got was Cam II 110 octane leaded race fuel.
This car is an awesome car, and is really something to hear running, especially with the cutouts open, but it was designed for one thing, the 1/4 mile. One of the magazines back in the day ran this car at 12.0@117 mph right off the dealer floor with just uncapping the cutouts and narrow slicks of the day. At the time neither GM of Ford had anything that could touch it, and anyone could buy one just by checking the right boxes at the dealer. This engine is still a force to be reckoned with today at the track.
 
I've heard the guys in the shop talkin about a fella that had an original Max Wedge car in Milledgeville when it was new. They all said the same thing. That the car ran like crap in stop and go traffic but would peel the pavement up when it was opened up. Today we have way more advanced carburetors and ignition systems. Big viscous or electric fans and massive aluminum radiators that will cool a dump truck in traffic. Intake manifolds light years ahead of the crossram......although I will agree for WOT it was pretty badass back then and still is. There's no doubt those cars are a testament to factory race cars back then. There was literally nothing else like them except maybe the 68 Race Hemi cars.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I've heard the guys in the shop talkin about a fella that had an original Max Wedge car in Milledgeville when it was new. They all said the same thing. That the car ran like crap in stop and go traffic but would peel the pavement up when it was opened up. Today we have way more advanced carburetors and ignition systems. Big viscous or electric fans and massive aluminum radiators that will cool a dump truck in traffic. Intake manifolds light years ahead of the crossram......although I will agree for WOT it was pretty badass back then and still is. There's no doubt those cars are a testament to factory race cars back then. There was literally nothing else like them except maybe the 68 Race Hemi cars.
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The 1967 Hemi GTX I got in a deal with the Max Wedge is awesome. Only 720 were built. It is basically the race Hemi detuned but still rated at 425hp. It is a pleasure to drive on the street with 3.23 gears, but put your foot down and it breaks loose and just smokes the tires.
 
RustyRatRod said:
I've heard the guys in the shop talkin about a fella that had an original Max Wedge car in Milledgeville when it was new. They all said the same thing. That the car ran like crap in stop and go traffic but would peel the pavement up when it was opened up. Today we have way more advanced carburetors and ignition systems. Big viscous or electric fans and massive aluminum radiators that will cool a dump truck in traffic. Intake manifolds light years ahead of the crossram......although I will agree for WOT it was pretty badass back then and still is. There's no doubt those cars are a testament to factory race cars back then. There was literally nothing else like them except maybe the 68 Race Hemi cars.
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I agree with both of you. With the ign , carbs and intakes of today its unbeleivable how well my eng in my drives compared to an original Maxie. And I have much more cam then a real Maxie. I wish I had a real all stock Maxie anyway as it would be cool and if I had a real one I would leave it all stock. Skyman51 is the beautiful black 63 the one you owned ? And your GTX is one awesome Mopar. Ron
 
383man said:
I agree with both of you. With the ign , carbs and intakes of today its unbeleivable how well my eng in my drives compared to an original Maxie. And I have much more cam then a real Maxie. I wish I had a real all stock Maxie anyway as it would be cool and if I had a real one I would leave it all stock. Skyman51 is the beautiful black 63 the one you owned ? And your GTX is one awesome Mopar. Ron
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Yes Ron the blaack one with black/alabaster interior was mine. Thanks for the compliments.. A driver like that woulbe very cool, but as stated before by others, an aluminum rad, multi blade clutch fan, shroud, electric choke on one carb, heat from the exhaust manifold are just a few thing that would be needed for the street. The GTX starts and drives like a lady even though it has dual quads. It was designed to do just that.
I would love to see a forum member get my formerly owned 63 Max Wedge Dodge.:toothy10:
 
skyman51 said:
Ron, thar's great to drive your car. The one I am talking about is definitely a collector/trailer queen.
I am curious though as to your definition of a Max Wedge. The Max Wedge engine is barely streetable for a whole variety of reasons. That being no comment on your car.
Click to expand...

A man after my own heart.

That is EXACTLY what it is all about.

I know you drive your car alot including to and from the race track when you race it.
 
well i know where you are coming from,
i rearly drive my original aluminum nose 1964 max wedge,
1/2 the crowd say i'm crazy for not driving it and the other 1/2 gave me crap when i said i was going to build a clone to drive on the street..
i have only clocked under 20 miles since i rescued mine back in 2009. but when it's 100% original paint and only 31k miles, resting in the garage is the best thing i can do for it..
 

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OG max wedge said:
well i know where you are coming from,
i rearly drive my original aluminum nose 1964 max wedge,
1/2 the crowd say i'm crazy for not driving it and the other 1/2 gave me crap when i said i was going to build a clone to drive on the street..
i have only clocked under 20 miles since i rescued mine back in 2009. but when it's 100% original paint and only 31k miles, resting in the garage is the best thing i can do for it..
Click to expand...



Wow that an aluminum front end car ? I would not drive it much at all either if I had it. Aluminum dents too easy and its gotta be worth a ton of money. Thats a real nice cool car ! Ron
 
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