1963 · Dodge · United States
1963 Dodge Ramcharger 426: Enlarged, Raced, and Never Precisely Counted
The Max Wedge grew to 426 cu in, rated at 415 or 425 hp, and a Ramchargers Dodge driven by Herman Moser won Stock at the 1963 NHRA Nationals; Ramcharger production remains unsourced.
United States · researched through 2026-09-23
Dodge's 1963 full-size line, the 330, 440, Polara, and Polara 500, all shared a 119-inch wheelbase, with the Polara 500 distinguishing itself as standard equipment leader by adding bucket seats, a padded instrument panel, and a 383 V8 where the other trims started with smaller engines. Above all of them sat the enlarged Ramcharger: Chrysler bored the engine out to 426 cubic inches using a 4.25-inch bore, and a June 13, 1963 technical bulletin introduced it as the direct successor to the 413 Ramcharger and Super Stock engines. Over-Drive's fact sheet lists two ratings for the dual-four-barrel short-ram 426, 415 horsepower on 11.0:1 compression and 425 horsepower on 13.5:1, both at 5,600 rpm, with the option itself priced at $445.1,2
The Ramchargers, a free-standing club of Chrysler engineers racing under their own name, campaigned a Max Wedge car that NHRA itself refers to as a Dart, and NHRA credits driver Herman Moser with winning the Stock class at the 1963 NHRA Nationals in it. NHRA's own account of the event says officials inspected and sealed the car's engine each night of the meet, a detail that speaks to how closely Max Wedge Stock-class cars were policed even as factory teams pushed the rules toward all-out competition machines.3
How many 1963 Ramcharger 426 Dodges Chrysler actually built is not something any source inspected for this record can answer. No factory production count for the engine survives in the documents read, and an auction or feature article's claim of 162 Dodge 330s with the 13.5:1, 425-horsepower engine, possibly fewer than 50 with the 426 at all, comes from a piece that names no underlying factory record, so the record holds that figure as an unpublished lead rather than a reported fact. A separate registry of Max Wedge serial numbers by Darrell L. Davis may hold the answer, but its per-year, per-body totals are not public on the page consulted.1
The factory AMA specifications sheet lists two further 426 variants beyond the dual-carburetor Ramcharger, a single four-barrel version at 370 horsepower on 11.0:1 compression and another single four-barrel at 385 horsepower on 12.5:1, plus a 383 with dual long-runner four-barrels at 325 horsepower, but the page read does not explain which cars each of those extra variants actually went into. Whatever the exact application, every 426-engined Dodge needed larger rubber: 7.50x14 tires all around as standard, with a 9.00x14 rear tire available as an option, up from the 7.00x14 tubeless tires that came standard on the rest of the 1963 line.4,1
Set against the full-size Dodge line's own production, the Ramcharger's rarity stands out even without a precise count: the 330 series alone built roughly 64,100 cars for the year, the 440 about 44,300, and the two Polara series a combined 47,100, adding up to a rounded 181,600-car total across the whole 119-inch-wheelbase line, wagons included. A base Dodge 330 two-door sedan V8 started at $2,352 and a 440 two-door hardtop at $2,477, while a Polara 500 two-door hardtop ran $2,965, prices that make the $445 Ramcharger option a substantial addition on top of an already mid-priced car rather than a small line-item upgrade.1
Fact sheet · 1963 · United States
The numbers
1963 Dodge 330, 440 and Polara with the Ramcharger 426 — The Max Wedge grew to 426 cu in, rated at 415 or 425 hp, and a Ramchargers Dodge driven by Herman Moser won Stock at the 1963 NHRA Nationals; Ramcharger production remains unsourced.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge 330, all engines, rounded1 330 · sedans · not stated Host-series context (the lightweight Ramcharger cars were 330-based); not a Ramcharger count. | 64,100 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Dodge 440, all engines, rounded1 440 · sedans and hardtop · not stated Host-series context. | 44,300 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Dodge Polara, rounded1 Polara · sedans, hardtops, convertible · not stated Host-series context. | 39,800 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Dodge Polara 500, rounded1 Polara 500 · hardtop and convertible · not stated Host-series context. | 7,300 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Dodge Wagons (330/440), rounded1 330 and 440 station wagons · 4-door wagon · not stated Host-series context; the wagon line was not offered with the Ramcharger 426. Read directly from the linked production table on 2026-09-25. | 26,100 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 Dodge full-size line, all series (330, 440, wagons, Polara, Polara 500)1 all 119-in Dodges · not stated Whole-line context, all engines; not a Ramcharger 426 count, which remains unpublished. Equals the sum of the 330, 440, wagon, Polara and Polara 500 rows above. Read directly from the linked production table on 2026-09-25. | 181,600 | built, model-year | Reported |
No production count of 1963 Ramcharger 426 Dodges, and no body-style production for the 330/440/Polara line, was found in an inspected source. Auction and feature articles repeat a count of 162 cars with the 425 hp engine; that is held as an unpublished lead.
Over-Drive's 1963 table note repeats the 1962 rounded series totals word for word, so the note is not used; the 1963 series totals come from the table rows.
The linked '1963 Dodge Mid-Size Car Production Figures' PDF was read directly on 2026-09-25 (previously only its rounded series rows were transcribed); it adds a wagon row and a printed 'Total Mid-Size Production' line, but still gives no Ramcharger-specific count.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Base price, Dodge 330 2-door sedan V-8 (TD2-L 611)1 | $2,352 | base price as tabulated by Over-Drive, 1963 model year |
| Base price, Dodge 440 2-door hardtop V-8 (TD2-M 622)1 | $2,477 | base price as tabulated by Over-Drive, 1963 model year |
| Base price, Polara 500 2-door hardtop (TD2-P 642)1 | $2,965 | base price as tabulated by Over-Drive, 1963 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ramcharger 426, dual 4-bbl short ram, 415 hp1,4 426 cu in · 2 x 4-barrel Carter on short-ram intake | 415 hp @ 5,600, 470 lb-ft @ 4,400 (manufacturer published (basis not stated)); 415 hp @ 5,600, 470 lb-ft @ 4,400 (SAE gross (AMA high-performance options sheet)) | optional | Not yet sourced |
| Ramcharger 426, dual 4-bbl short ram, 425 hp1,4 426 cu in · 2 x 4-barrel Carter on short-ram intake | 425 hp @ 5,600, 480 lb-ft @ 4,400 (manufacturer published (basis not stated)); 425 hp @ 5,600, 480 lb-ft @ 4,400 (SAE gross (AMA high-performance options sheet)) | optional | Not yet sourced |
| 426 V8, 4-bbl, 370 hp1,4 426 cu in · 4-barrel | 370 hp @ 4,600, 460 lb-ft @ 2,800 (manufacturer published (basis not stated)); 370 hp @ 4,600, 460 lb-ft @ 2,800 (SAE gross (AMA high-performance options sheet)) | listed; application not stated | Not yet sourced |
| 426 4-bbl V-8, 385 hp (12.5:1, as printed)4 426 cu in · 4-barrel | 385 hp @ 5,200, 465 lb-ft @ 3,600 (SAE gross (AMA high-performance options sheet)) | printed under the single-four-barrel 426 heading; application not explained on the page read | Not yet sourced |
| 383 2x4-bbl long-runner V-8, 325 hp4 383 cu in · two 4-barrel, long runner | 325 hp @ 5,200, 420 lb-ft @ 3,600 (SAE gross (AMA high-performance options sheet)) | high-performance option | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| Three-speed and four-speed manual; TorqueFlite automatic1 | as listed; applicability by engine not stated | Not yet sourced |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
426 CID Ramcharger V81 | $445 | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
A |
Turquoise1 | Not yet sourced |
B |
Onyx1 | Not yet sourced |
C/D/E |
Light / Medium / Dark Blue1 | Not yet sourced |
G/H |
Surf Green / Forest Green1 | Not yet sourced |
J |
Aqua1 | Not yet sourced |
K |
Slate Turquoise1 | Not yet sourced |
L |
Teal1 | Not yet sourced |
M |
Ivory1 | Not yet sourced |
N |
Steel Gray1 | Not yet sourced |
P |
Vermilion1 | Not yet sourced |
W |
Polar White1 | Not yet sourced |
X |
Beige1 | Not yet sourced |
Y |
Sandalwood1 | Not yet sourced |
Z |
Cordovan1 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase1 | 119 in | 330, 440, Polara passenger cars |
| Overall length1 | 208.1 in | non-wagon bodies |
| Overall width1 | 76.5 in | as printed |
| Tires1 | 7.00 x 14 tubeless | as printed |
| Shipping weight, Dodge 330 2-door sedan V-81 | 3,218 lb | TD2-L 611 |
| Tyres with the 4264 | 7.50 x 14 (9.00 x 14 rear optional) | 426-engined Dodges |
Identification
- Serial number car line
- In 1963 Chrysler serial numbers, car-line digit 6 is Dodge V8 (digit 5 is Dodge 880 V8).5
Identification
Read a 1963 Dodge VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1963
- Buick Riviera Buick's first Riviera, a four-seat personal-luxury hardtop limited to 40,000 cars, with a 401 Nailhead standard and a 340-hp 425 added in December 1962.
- Buick Wildcat The Wildcat became its own series, adding a convertible and four-door hardtop; 35,725 built.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova First Nova Super Sport year in the source production table. Enthusiast-compiled production: 372,626 cars; Super Sport 42,432.
- Chevrolet Impala SS Super Sport (RPO Z03) peaks toward the 1960s high: 153,271 built, plus the Z11 427 drag package.
- Chrysler 300 letter series Hardtop-only and trimmed exclusively in Claret Red leather, the 300J carried a 390 hp short-ram 413 as its only engine; 400 were built, the smallest letter-car run.
- Ford Fairlane Hardtops and wagons joined the Fairlane line; reference-site counts give 28,268 bucket-seat Fairlane 500 Sport Coupes, beside 97,444 Fairlanes and 246,443 Fairlane 500s.
- Ford Falcon Sprint The mid-year 1963 1/2 Sprint put the Fairlane's 164 hp 260 V8 into the compact Falcon for the first time, as a hardtop and a convertible.
- Ford Galaxie The 406 opened the year and was replaced mid-year by the 427, in Q-code (410 hp, one four-barrel) and R-code (425 hp, two four-barrels) form, while a fastback Sports Hardtop was offered in the Galaxie 500 and 500 XL series.
- Ford Thunderbird The Sports Roadster's second and last year: only 455 were built.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 The S-55 line grew to four bodies, and the mid-year fastback Marauder hardtop arrived with 390, 406 and 427 V8s available.
- Oldsmobile Starfire A squared-off roof with a concave rear window; production fell 38 percent to 25,890.
- Plymouth Savoy, Fury and Max Wedge The Super Stock engine grew to 426 cu in at 415 or 425 hp, a Stage II revision followed, and Chrysler's own four-speed arrived in May 1963; Super Stock production remains unsourced.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty Three Super Duty 421 ratings up to 410 hp, then GM's racing withdrawal ended them early in the model year.
- Pontiac Grand Prix Production more than doubled to 72,959 at an unchanged price.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans A V8 for the Tempest, and about a dozen Super Duty Tempests built for racing before Pontiac's January 1963 withdrawal.
- Studebaker Avanti Studebaker's fiberglass four-seat coupe went on sale with a 289 V8 and an optional $210 Paxton supercharger. It was billed on the strength of a 1962 run of Bonneville records, and 3,834 were built as 1963 models.
- Studebaker Hawk The GT Hawk could now be ordered with the Avanti's R1 and supercharged R2 engines, and a spring 1963 package created the Super Hawk. Old Cars Weekly counts 396 R1 cars among 4,009 domestic GT Hawks.
- Studebaker Lark and Super Lark Studebaker offered the Avanti's R1 and supercharged R2 engines in the compact Lark and added a Super Lark package in April. No source read gives an R2 Lark count; the estimates run from about 200 to a few hundred.