Chrysler, The Early Years.

[HEMIDARTDAVE]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

Dave, just curious but do you know if your '63 Max Wedge Dodge convertible has any race history to it or was it a street driven car...also is it a steel or aluminum front end, it seems they were dealer installed or done by the owner/racer, what do you think?

HEMIMOOSE, I think my car was street driven, and it came with the steel front end, just like the red car did. I dug up history on the red car and talked to a few previous owners. I was told that the car was bought new, then within a week, the original owner ordered the aluminum nose and had the selling dealer install and paint it. The car was first street raced in Scarsdale and Ossining, NY area, which is quite hilly, and the steep geared orange monster won most if not all challenges in the early sixties.

[Hemi Moose]

Anyone here have 'Dodge Fever'...

[treessavoy]

I'm going to make this "Aluminum" thing even more confusing.

In 1963 Chrysler had not sold enough aluminum cars to make the option legal for NHRA. In order to meet the production rules Chrysler actually sent complete front ends to racers that had bought steel cars so they could show NHRA data that would legalize the aluminum option.

They would send the package to the dealer that the racer bought the car from and have them notify the racer to come get his FREE aluminum front end ! I had one of these cars, a '63 Plymouth, that I bought in 1970 and it came with complete documentation and with the invoice from the dealer in Austin TX.

Wish I had kept the car!

JimR

[MFR440]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

A pair of '62 & '63 Plymouth's duke it out...

Anybody know the deal on the scoop on the '62 in this photo? Looks like a Hemi scoop, but AS/A on the car? Maybe it was running a Mod Prod class or match racing?

[Phillip marvetz]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

I give up...who is it.

Yes Dave Wren, Real Aluminum nose car and he still races it with the 3 point roll bar.

[Charlie A]

Originally Posted by Hemi Moose

Anyone here have 'Dodge Fever'...

Yes.

[Hemi Moose]

Originally Posted by treessavoy

I'm going to make this "Aluminum" thing even more confusing.

In 1963 Chrysler had not sold enough aluminum cars to make the option legal for NHRA. In order to meet the production rules Chrysler actually sent complete front ends to racers that had bought steel cars so they could show NHRA data that would legalize the aluminum option.

They would send the package to the dealer that the racer bought the car from and have them notify the racer to come get his FREE aluminum front end ! I had one of these cars, a '63 Plymouth, that I bought in 1970 and it came with complete documentation and with the invoice from the dealer in Austin TX.

Wish I had kept the car!

JimR

Jim, I have heard of this story as well before too, I just never heard it in quite such detail as you explained it, you actually have some paperwork to back up what they did back then. So what was your '63 Max Wedge Plymouth, a hardtop or sedan, auto or 4-speed, you got any old pics of it.

[Hemi Moose]

A few more oldies...

[Hemi Moose]

[Hemi Moose]

Here's the Aluminum Package offered in 1964 from Dodge & Plymouth...