Would "How to Build Max-Performance Mopar Big Block Engines" by Car Tech be a good choice? I am interested in parts interchange, the best heads to get, what fits what, etc. I've built engines so have some experience there but know nothing about Mopar engines.

Yes.

The 413 and 426W blocks are the same as the 440 block with the exception of the bore size. So everything that bolts to a 440 block will bolt to a 413 or 426W block. The problem is that heads with large valves might not work on a 413 or 426W since the valves can hit the block.

Don't work on a Mopar without the appropriate engine book. This will be the starting point for your reference. In this case you want the "Big Block Mopar B-RB Engine Book".

if your looking for old school speed tips Direct Connection put out a book of bulletins with really good back in the day race info

Thanks fellas I'll buy that book. I'm old I don't want to race just do a car. One more question what heads #s do I want to get that an original '63 cross ram intake will bolt up to and have the ports match. They don't have to be rare cross ram heads just heads that will work. I realize the book will tell me. I have the intake now and that Is all I have of this car to be except for the intake attachments stuff from Brewer's that came in the mail today.

You need to post a picture of the intake that you are planning to use. The heads you need will depend on which cross ram you want to use. Most likely nothing will fit perfectly so you'll end up with some compromise. Best bet is to post a picture and then work from there.

The 1962 and 1963 OEM Max Wedge, AKA Super Stock under Plymouth adds, cross ram intakes are the same manifold with the casting number, they both used the same Carter cross ram carbs with the smaller primary throttle blades and that stupid big air screw to set the idle sped and mixtures
Mopar change the camshafts, carb size, intake manifold and cylinder heads in 1964, those heads, intake and carbs are way better for making HP and torque than the smaller, earlier OEM ones
Good luck are your deal

My intake is a 2402726-1 with a casting date of 2-1-63. I have both 3705 and the earlier (is it 3447?) carb sets and both will work on the intake.

That is about the fifth M.W. intake I've seen that mod done to, removed the center divider
I've had several opportunities to buy ones like that, I passed on both
On your deal with both size carbs I would run the bigger 3705 1964 carbs.
I have several 4 hole carb. inserts that will fit into a manifold like that, I've wanted to do some back to back testing on them but no luck yet
I did a motor for a local guy who has a manifold like that, it doesn't run as good as he wants it to (do they ever ) but he started off with the wrong carbs, camshaft and exhaust size so there is a lot of changes needed to make that rascal haul tail like it should
Have you looked at the new Trick flow # 270 M.W. size heads yet? If not take a look at them
I've owned and race several 1963 plymouth M.W. cars in NHRA stock as well as bracket racing

I'll be darn I didn't notice that the center of each carb mounting surface had been removed until you mentioned it just now. I too have aluminum spacers and I tig weld so if desired I can replace the missing centers. The intakes are single plane intakes so I wonder why the engine notices when that center area is removed from the underside of each carb?

The intakes are separated side to side but there is a small window to offer a passage between the two sides of the intake, under the throttle linkage boss I think
Years ago Diamond Elkins would cut the tops off the cross ram intakes, both Hemi and wedge manifolds, and open up that passage and maybe enlarge the intake port openings a little bit and weld them back together, that was said to be at one of the old Mopar drag race seminars back before 1980
I may convince my customer with his cut up manifold to try the four hole inserts maybe not

The max performance book is good for race builds, but it lacks a lot of the basics about stock or near stock maintenance. For a good outline on rebuilding, I like Don Taylor’s “How to rebuild big block Mopar engines”. It’s from HP books. Lots of the basic rebuild and maintenance is in there. Both of these and a few others are in my library, and I reference Taylor’s book more than any other. The two of those books together will answer just about everything you could ask.

100% yes, you can't even doubt.

A long time between posts here.I think I've run across the answer as to why that center area needs to be in those intakes but have no idea why this is. I'm mainly a Pontiac guy and have restored a number of the early 60s Pontiac dual quad setups for people over the years and recently repopped the linkage for the bathtub intake they made slightly over 40 of in '63. A friend, Mike Garblik, recently built a 46? Pontiac engine to install in a '62 Catalina and dynoed the engine while fine tuning a pair of 750 cfm AFBs installed on a repop of the old bathtub intake. The holes for the carbs on those bathtubs are open, like the ones on my cross ram. During the process of tuning the carbs Mike ran them on the open holes and with what the Pontiac crowd calls a "sheer plate", which is basically a spacer under the carbs that matches the bottom of the carb and extends the throttle bores a half inch or so. The engine performed better with the sheer plate than it with the carbs sitting on the open holes. Logically to me it makes no sense that it does but it does. The bathtub if for sure a single plane deal since it is a big rectangular opening that the runners branch off of. Any way this is my take on why cutting the centers out of a cross ram is not a good idea if one is seeking max performance. I just want a street/cruise in car so the intake will work fine as is for my use.