1964 Dodge 330 Series

The Dodge and Plymouth brands received the all-new 'B' body platform for the 1962 model year and were based on a scaled-down version of Virgil Exner's early works. Chrysler's then-president mistakenly understood that Chevrolet would be introducing all-new, downsized cars in the early 1960s. Elwood Engel and his team of designers were tasked with molding the then-planned design to rest on a shortened chassis. Although these small 'full-sized' vehicles were considered stylistically awkward by both the motoring press and the public, they had a tremendous advantage over the larger cars in regards to motorsports. The lightweight design and potent V8 engines helped them outclass their competition, even loosening Ford's grip on NASCAR and USAC speedway and road course competition.

Among the Dodge models utilizing the B-Body platform was the 330, produced from 1962 to 1964 in the United States and through 1965 in Canada. Its wheelbase measured 119-inches and had an overall length of 208.1-inches. Body styles included a 2- or 4-door sedan, along with a six- or eight-passenger station wagon. The base engine was the 225 Slant-Six engine with overhead valves, solid valve lifters, a one-barrel carburetor, four main bearings, and delivering 145 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. A three-speed manual transmission was standard on all Dodges, with the TorqueFlite automatic transmission available as optional equipment. The list of optional engines available on the Model 330 included two-barrel versions of 318 and 361 CID V8s, and four-barrel versions of the 383 and 426. The Dodge 330 'Max Wedge' meant it came endowed with the 426 Max Wedge with dual four-barrel carburetors and producing 425 horsepower.

Dodge produced approximately 64,100 examples of the Model 330 in 1963 and 76,400 in 1964 (not including station wagons). For 1964, the two-door sedan was priced at $2,265 and the four-door version was $2,315. The six-passenger wagon had a base price of $2,650 and the nine-passenger version added an additional $100 to that figure.

The Dodge 330 was positioned above the A-body Dart and below the 440, 880, and Polara. It wore chrome around its windshield, had rear window moldings, electric windshield wipers, and turn signals. The nine-passenger wagons had a power tailgate window.

At the 24 Hours of Daytona in February of 1964, the Hemi-powered Dodges outclassed their competition. The option code A864 transformed the 330 a worthy adversary on never every circuit it contested. Steel components were replaced with aluminum including the hood, scoop, doors, fenders, and front bumper. An aluminum intake with dual offset Holley carburetors and chrome valve covers were added to the Hemi, along with a 12.5:1 compression ratio. The engine was backed by a race-prepared 727 TorqueFlite heavy-duty automatic transmission operated by pushbuttons in the dash. The exhaust system used factory cutouts, one transverse-mounted muffler, and a single exhaust exit. The 425 horsepower produced by the Hemi was kept in check by four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes. The interior was lightened with factory lightweight bucket seats with lightweight brackets, red carpeting, and radio/heater-delete plates. The battery was relocated to the trunk and the rear seat was deleted. The rear window was comprised of lightweight Plexiglas and the side windows were made from thin plastic. In the front, the A864 optioned 330 rode on Magnesium wheels by American Racing Torq-Thrust.

The special-order A864 lightweight 330 was an exclusive vehicle with just 55 examples built for 1964.

For the 1965 model year, Dodge shifted its full-sized models to the new C-body platform which had a 121-inch wheelbase. The 330 and 440 were replaced by the larger Polara, with the 880 taking the position previously occupied by the Polara in the lineup. In Canada, production of the 330 continued into 1965 as the base model full-size Dodge.

By Daniel Vaughan | Jul 2021