This is a 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury 4-speed that’s been fitted with a 440 cubic inch Max Wedge V8 that started life as a 426 before being overbored when it was rebuilt by Ohio Crankshaft.
The 426 Max Wedge engine was capable of 420+ bhp from the factory, so the highly-modified version fitted to this car would likely be capable of considerably more. Power is sent back through a 4-speed manual transmission to a Ford 9″-style rear end, then down to the asphalt via a pair of 15″ wide tires.
Fast Facts – A Max Wedge-Powered Plymouth Sport Fury
- This 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury has a rebuilt 440 cubic inch Max Wedge V8, originally a 426, upgraded with a Comp Cams camshaft, cross-ram intake manifold, dual four-barrel carburetors, and MSD ignition. Power is delivered through a 4-speed manual transmission to a Ford 9″ rear end with wide 15″ rear tires.
- The Max Wedge engine, built for NHRA super stock drag racing, was sold from 1962 to 1964 in limited numbers. It utilized a unique “Cross Ram” intake system for optimized torque and power, making it a popular choice for drag racing and earning its reputation as a proto-muscle car.
- This Sport Fury benefits from upgraded suspension, four-wheel Wilwood disc brakes, and custom rear leaf springs moved inboard for wider rear tires. It rides on Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R tires and includes a 3” dual exhaust system with electrically actuated cutouts and DynoMax mufflers.
- Inside, the car features a two-tone black vinyl and copper-accented interior with bucket seats, Vintage Air climate control, and a Hurst pistol-grip shifter. Additional amenities include Bluetooth-enabled Plymouth Transaudio AM radio, power steering, and a clean Ohio title, with the vehicle currently listed for sale on Bring a Trailer.
A History Speedrun: The Max Wedge
The Max Wedge, originally named the Maximum Performance Wedge, was a series of big block V8 engines developed by Chrysler engineers and offered between 1962 and 1964 in Dodge and Plymouth vehicles built on the intermediate-sized B Platform.
Offering 410 bhp, the Max Wedge V8 was among the most powerful production car engines of its time – on either side of the Atlantic. Image courtesy of Dodge.
The Max Wedge was built on the Chrysler RB block initially in a 413 cubic inch displacement, then a 426 cubic inch displacement. The Dodge and Plymouth vehicles fitted with the Max Wedge have retroactively been called proto-muscle cars due to the fitment of a powerful big block V8 in an intermediate-sized car.
Muscle cars would generally be defined as an intermediately-sized car with a large, powerful V8 engine fitted. Early examples of proto-muscle cars include the first Oldsmobile 88 which could be ordered with the Rocket V8 engine which was quickly followed by the Chrysler Saratoga and the Lincoln Capri.
The most famous muscle cars would be offerings like the Pontiac GTO, 400 Oldsmobile 442, 396 Chevrolet Chevelle, 400 Buick Gran Sport, and the 390 Mercury Cyclone, as well as icons from the age like the Plymouth Road Runner and the Dodge Super Bee.
The Max Wedge V8 entered development in 1959, it was based around the RB block fitted with the unusual “Cross Ram” induction system which had been developed years earlier by the Ramchargers Club, a group of Chrysler engineers who worked on high-performance projects.
The Cross Ram intake consisted of long intakes that essentially criss-crossed over the engine, with the carburetor for the right cylinder bank on the left, and vice versa. This system was said to maximize power and torque, particularly at low and mid-range engine speeds, by optimizing the intake airflow dynamics.
The Max Wedge had primarily been developed for NHRA super stock drag racing, a form of motorsport that had been rapidly rising in popularity from coast to coast. The cars that received the engine were street legal, but they were really intended for racing.
This is the 400 cubic inch version of the Max Wedge, it’s based on the 426 version of the engine but it’s been overbored. It also benefits from a slew of other upgrades, and now offers much more than the original 420 bhp.
Super stock drag racing does allow significant modifications to the vehicle, however the engine block, cylinder heads, and carburetor must remain in place – meaning that to be competitive the car had to be quick right off the showroom floor.
The Max Wedge was only sold for three years from 1962 until 1964 in limited numbers, which means it’s a rare car today and it remains relatively obscure, far less well-known than many of its contemporaries.
The Max Wedge-Powered Plymouth Sport Fury Shown Here
The car you see here is a convertible 1963 Plymouth Sport Fury that now benefits from a slew of major upgrades, the most significant of which is the fitment of a recently rebuilt 440 cubic inch Max Wedge V8.
This engine has been fitted with a Comp Cams camshaft, a cross-ram intake manifold, dual four-barrel carburetors, an MSD ignition, a March Performance pulley, a Griffin Radiator aluminum radiator, and a 3″ dual exhaust system with electrically actuated cutouts ahead of DynoMax mufflers.
Power is sent back through an A833 4-speed manual transmission and a Ford 9″-style Musclepak rear end from Moser Engineering. The rear leaf springs have each been moved inboard 4″ to allow for the fitment of wider wheels and tires than stock, the car now rides on 29×15″ Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R tires in the rear, with matching 28×10″ front tires.
Four wheel power disc brakes with vented and slotted rotors and red Wilwood calipers are fitted, and the suspension is said to have been overhauled during the refurbishment.
That large hood scoop funnels cold air into the dual four-barrel carburetors atop the 440 cubic inch V8.
Inside the car you’ll find a two-tone Black vinyl bucket seat interior with copper-colored accents, Vintage Air climate control, a Hurst pistol-grip shifter, and black carpeting. The car also has a Plymouth Transaudio push-button AM radio with Bluetooth capability, and power steering.
The car is now being offered for sale out of Ottawa, Ohio on Bring a Trailer with records from current ownership and a clean Ohio title in the seller’s name. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.