While reading in the other "1963 MAX WEDGE Welded VIN tag question" thread, it made me think of the MW fender tag engine code number under the "A" option, ...the 519 and 509 engine codes.

If they only used the last digit of these codes under the "A" on the tag, how can you tell the difference? So far I have assumed the steel front end came with the low compression 509, and the high compression 519 code came with the aluminum nose, and also heard that some or a lot of the 519 codes came with steel noses and the aluminum nose was shipped with or later.

I guess my question is if the nose and/or motor was changed over the yrs how else could you tell?

PM's welcome if needed.

My understanding was if a hi-ratio car it had a 9. If not it was a low ratio. For dealer or parts ordering purposes the engine serial number stamped on the pad was used to determine what the engine was.
All maxwege cars supposedly have been identified by Daryl Davis so if you are looking at a particular car - check the vin against his book to see what it left the plant as. Again, my understanding is all aluminum cars were high ratio. Steel cars were mixed, hi and low. That's my recollection - don't shoot the piano player.

Ah,...hadn't thought much about the "mixed" HP's being put in some of the steel cars. This car in my scenario has a 9, is a steel front end, a very late build code, and a 3spd manual trans.

Always wanted to get Davis's book but never got around to it.

If you want PM me the vin and I can provide you with all the info that's in the book for it. Paint, etc.

I also have the Darrell Davis books on the 63 Plymouth and Dodge Max Wedge cars. I can tell you they made 1,196 Max Wedge Plymouths and only 40 were the aluminum front end cars. Dodge built around 971 Max Wedge cars with only 39 getting the aluminum front end. The books have all the figures on how many were the high comp 425 hp and how many were the low comp 415 hp. It also tells about the vin tag numbers. If you need something looked up let me know if you want me to look it up for you. Ron

I might have been close - but that's only good in hand grenades and horseshoes.
I think by looking at the Davis book on maxi's that all the fender tags may have the 9 (maxwedge). The actual engine serial number would then indicate hi or low ratio. The hi ratio engines had HC in the serial number where the low ratio had no designation. The early engines had cubic inches followed by TMP followed by build date - MM-DD-YY.
Later versions had cubic inches followed by TMP followed by date built - MM - DD - sequence for that day. Hi ratio motors had HC after the TMP.

9 under the "A" is 426 MaxWedge, 50 Aluminium panel sets were made available a few months after the cars started leaving so 40 were fitted to new cars a the other 10 were offered to the buyers of the earlier cars. My 63 Plymouth Belvedere max wedge had the Ali front fitted by Milne Bro's so it is one of the ten

So, if all had 9's, then without the surviving engine you couldn't tell if it came high or low?

The Chrysler Historical has the IBM cards which shows what it left the plant with. Daryl Davis' book has that same info by VIN.

Is it a 63 Dodge or 63 Plymouth ?? If its a Plymouth I have the book as well, as said if it is a Max Wedge the VIN will be it the book and it will list what the car had.
PM me if you want.

Plymouth.

Sounds like Darrel's books are pretty darn complete but not absolute. Don't mean that as a negative. Just got off the ph with Darrel earlier today and he said he has only missed 2 cars so far. Think he said one or both of those have been verified with/by Galen.

My 63 Plymouth book has all the Max Wedge cars listed by VIN. And under each VIN it list all the options that car had. Under Engine all Max Wedge cars have a 9 which means Super Stock eng. Under CR which means comp ratio if it has a 9 then its a 13.5 comp eng. If its the 11.0 comp eng then that space is blank.Under Belts it will have a 1 if the car was equipped with seat belts and it will be blank if it had no seat belts. It will list many other things like trim , radio , heater , aluminum front end , glass , tires and so on. If its a real Max Wedge car it should be in the Darrell Davis book and the book will tell all of the options. Ron

My car has NO 9 under CR and nothing under Alum but I have photos of it 1963 with Alum and SS II engine

- according to The Davis book your car was built without aluminum, is a low compression Maxie, auto trans, Coppertone paint body and roof. Looks like it was sold outside the USA.
Being your car was built as late as it was it should be a Stage II - it would have the big carbs but still retaining the 4 bolt valve covers like the Stage I, would have had the cam with more lift, 7 blade clutch fan being the most noticeable external ques. Sounds like a neat piece you have down under.

Transman, do you know roughly what month the changeover to the Stage II engine was?

On the subject of Chrysler Historical, being under the FCA now, is this the latest pricing and up to date form,...and does anyone know if they have a ph#

According to a release bulletin any vehicle ordered on or after June 18 would get the new Stage II including any vehicle in que. Again according to the book only 72 were built with the Stage II and none were released with aluminum.
As for pricing I do not know if that has changed - I'm betting Darrel knows or you can try to contact the main FCA phone number and they can tell you if there is a contact number. The museum was closed some time ago but it's my understanding a group of people still remain to handle these requests.

Oops, I forgot to attach the pdf.

http://www.fcanorthamerica.com/company/H..._Order_Form.pdf

That's the new (actually the original) address that Historical was housed at. They moved to the WPC Museum and now they have moved back to the original location. So it looks like this is the most current info.

Check the build on mine, it is very early not late, Oct 62 from memory.
It was Dealer owned and raced by Milne Brothers Plymouth Pasadena, it was them that fitted the alum and maybe the SSII stuff. ?????