Looking for detailed pictures of max wedge cars

I am just starting the assembly of a 1963 plymouth savoy and looking for some pictures of detailed front and rear suspension and engine pics. car only had 40,000 miles and looking to make it nice without going overboard on the restoration. starting with front and rear suspension. car is white and any pics of the blackout of the front radiator support would be welcome.

Is this Herb or Rico?
This sounds like Rico's car!

I don't have any to post or I would, just not many early cars out there done to a high degree of originality to refer to (most are over restored or have a ton of "day two" mods).

I would hunt for pics of any 63 with good detailing for suspension references because your low compression steel nose car should not have many "unique to Max Wedge" chassis finish details. Mike Mancini may be able to help, he has a 64 MW that received an O.E. Gold award at the Mopar Nationals this year. I know it wasn't perfect but it should be good enough for what you are trying to accomplish.

*Some think that Max Wedges had silver painted leaf spring assemblies, I've seen two examples like this but both were high compression aluminum nose 64 cars. Yours might have been black.

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Took a lot of pictures prior to disassembly so have a good idea of how it was put together. Trying not to go overboard with the car but make it a clean fair example of what was factory delivered. I can tell you the leaf springs were black on this one with a unpainted 391 geared 8 3/4 pumpkin.
Lower control arms, strut rods were also painted black. Scott, this car is originally equipped with the 13.5 compression 426, t-85 3spd trans and the 391 gears. Other than the powertrain and the hood bracing notched for the cross ram air cleaners, it is standard 4 door fare.

I just spoke with a guy here in Washington with a 63 Belvedere 2 door hard top, also a 3 speed car but a LC engine. I PM'd his number to you, might be of help, his car was purchased new by his father.

You know you and Rico are always welcome to call Greg Lane. Good to hear you feel well enough to turn wrenches, Herb.

I have greg on speed dial! Just looking for as much good info as possible. I cant seem to figure out how to post pics or would show a few of this cool car. Right now in process of spraying some undercoat in the freshly painted wheelwells. Being this car is white, cant leave in body color. Also going to tackle spraying radiator support blackout without making a mess! And yes I am feeling a bit better and almost done. Will keep updating progress as we go along.

I think we can all agree that nothing in this world is perfect, however the 64 Savoy Max Wedge Pilot car that my company American Muscle Car Restorations restored was cheered on by many of the foremost Max Wedge experts at Carlisle this year.
Several called it the "bench mark" for 64 Maxies. This car was the 64 Pilot car that was 1st down the line 3 weeks ahead of regular max wedge production. It is a low compression steel car.
There are some odd ball things with it that are unique to it being a Pilot car but if I can be of any help with info for your project, feel free to email me at vintageignition@yahoo.com
Thanks
Mike Mancini

I looked over that car as well as the bird you had at Carlisle to be judged, they were stunning, good job Mike.

Mike, thanks for the offer of information, its appreciated! Where would I find some pictures of your project?

FWIW, Bob Matthews' 64 aluminum nose car...

2002 Spring Fling Best of Show winner

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I took this pic at Carlisle from this 63 as its is a very well done and I believe 100% correct. I believe his name was John Compton or very close to that. Wish I had taken more pics but this was about 10 years ago when I took this. Good luck with your 63 and I would love to see pics of it as you build it. Ron

Excellent pictures, sorry about the delayed response! I remember that maxie at the 02 fling. We have deviated from the factory on the upper and lower control arms and brake backing plates, and went with black powder coating instead of the correct galvanized finish. Car will be driven and used, and powder coating will give better clean up. Will try to post some pictures as I move forward.

This is a clone 63 but is more accurate than most real ones.

I have yet to see a restored car with the truly correct fuel filters (see pic below).

These are of a restored 63, not 100% correct but nicely done

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Torque Boxes, interesting?

Scott, what are your thoughts on the correct engine paint color?
Is there really such a thing as race hemi orange?

It's a convertible (torque boxes) something most people have never seen on a pre 1966 car.

There is no specific paint code for Race Hemi Orange than I'm aware of but Frank Badelson sells a correct shade of orange for your engine. It is a much paler pumpkin orange as compared to the reddish orange of Street Hemi Orange.

Race Hemi Orange:

1962-64 413/426 Max Wedge
1965, 1967, 1968 Race Hemi
1966-1968 Street Hemi (and possible some early 69's)

Street Hemi Orange:
1969-1971 Street Hemi

Frank has a few color matches he's done off of original engines he's had, he came up with 3 shades, Race Hemi Orange, "Early" Hemi Orange, and Street Hemi Orange. You need his Race Hemi Orange. I believe the only difference between Frank's Race Hemi and Early Hemi Orange is a slight shade difference simply due to paint lot variables.

Scott, as always your input is appreciated. I will contact Frank when I get to that point and order up some engine paint. I know that mopar performance used to sell race hemi orange paint, but was a crap shoot if it would spray properly!

It is pathetic that a company bearing the Mopar name has such poor quality control.

Same here as one time I bought like 4 cans of MP Hemi orange and not one can would work right. I have a dumb question but what did they call the orange they used on the Max Wedge engines from 62 to 64 since the 426 Hemi was not out yet ?? I dont think it was called Hemi orange in 62 or 63 ? I am enjoying following this just to be sure some things are about right on my 63 even if its a original 383 car I still like to have as much right as I can. So I hope you dont mind me following this post also ? Ron

See my post a couple above yours. They didn't have a particular color code that I know of but Max Wedges were the same pale pumpkin orange that was used on all 64-68 Race Hemis, as well as all 1966-1968 (and some 69) Street Hemis. Today most refer to it as "Race Hemi Orange". All other big blocks in B-bodies of the early 60's era were turquoise blue

I might be wrong but I thought some 383's in 68 or 69 were the Hemi orange ? I know my buddies was in his 68 four speed Cuda but I dont know if it was the original 383 in it when he got the car in 1973. Ron

Sorry, speaking of Hemi's and Max Wedges only, 383's and 440's past 1967 were a different deal but yes, 69 383's were Street Hemi Orange, same year it was first used on Street Hemis.

wasn't that just the 335hp 4bbl engine only ? wasn't the 300[?] 4bbl engine still turquoise ?

moparx, no, not all 1969 383's were orange, it varied with application and HP ratings. This is why I said that 383's and 440's were a different deal, there were variables. I believe the HP difference you are referring to is the 330hp vs the 335hp versions. Here's an original 69 383 330hp (383 Four Barrel) version (N code Coronet Station Wagon) which was not orange.

just wondering scott. my charger had the 335hp engine, but it was turquoise. i still have the valve covers and the intake, but no pics of the engine compartment. "n" code was the 330 and "g" code the 335hp ?

clone car. I know my wiring harness isn't perfectalong with brake lines. But I used Mopar Engine paint and had great results. The cans all sprayed very well.

Hood bracing did not need to be cut out either. Decided to leave it in for strength. Hood clears air cleaners just fine

I had the PPG paint code for race hemi orange but most suppliers don't have the right pigments anymore to make it..now I cant find where I posted it. Tim

Interesting that this post still has some life. I have not yet reached the stage for engine paint, but moving toward that end. Front suspension is just about done, and rear getting there. Kept the factory leafs unpainted as well as the 3rd member center section. Started cleaning the front drums yesterday and see traces of black paint. These appear to be the originals, so going to shoot them black. I need to learn how to post some pictures.

lets see if I can post a couple shots?

Cleaning, lots of cleaning, of old dirty parts.

Wow thats looking great ! Thanks for posting them pics and post as many as you like when you want too as I will enjoy looking at them. Ron

some more pictures of our project car.

a couple more.

getting ready to blackout the front radiator support. Have good pics of what it looked like when car was disassembled. Going to try and duplicate original spray pattern.

The more I've researched these vehicles the more I've come to realize the mid 60s vehicles don't fit into the cookie cutter component plating and finishes that the later years seem to be shoehorned into..There's a big variance...Here's a fun project we have going..Had to get creative with the early K member bracing on the drivetrain stand... They don't have the bottom pin locating holes that the later years do...Original 64 MW engine...Not completely correct but it will see the road when completed not hid away..

Very nice! Here is a 63 clone but with pretty accurate engine detailing. Better than most originals LOL!

B&W was an early pic from Hot Rod Magazine

Impressive... The master cylinders seem to cook in no time on the road we added a shield to try and get more life from it. Here's an undercariage shot... 64 Sport Fury convertible...Had a single stage satin urethane mixed up for the "primer" coat...I tried to get some pics but the camera kept glossing out the grey color that day giving the illusion it's glossy ...The original 64 primer coat is darker than the later musclecar years...

A four door Maxie!???

Yes, a factory built 4 door, 3spd, hc426 car.

Thinking of bringing this car down to Spring Fling 30? Restored or In-Progress.

Is this the car from WA state

Dont think it will make the fling, though it would be a cool in progress display. And yes from wash, but originally sold in south san francisco.

I don't see it mentioned here but in the past the best paint I could find (close to original color when compared to parts painted originally in the 60's) was PlastiKote 226. I sold it back in the day and used lots of it on restorations and race engines without issue. And it covered in one coat - two max. The Direct Connection paint back in the 70's and 80's was garbage - it ran if you got any decent fuel on it. PlastiKote was the best back then - not sure today. Check it out. Another option back then was Rustoleum "Safety Orange" in brush on or in a rattle can. Also check out PlastiKote HP-15 High Temp Paint.

While its a hot subject.
Was the fuel pump to carb lines routed differently between 1963 and 1964?

Yes, because the 3447 carbs had inlets in different locations than the 3705. 1962 and 1963 had the larger routing of the lines while the 1964 had the lines running between the carbs towards the front of the engine. Bob Matthews brown car is correct for the 1964 model years. The black and white photo above is correct for 1962 and 1963.