From Rusty Barn Find to 500-HP Beast: This 1964 Dodge 440 Got a Second Chance

When Mopar fans hear the number 440, most immediately think of Chrysler's legendary big-block V8. Others may remember it as a trim package offered on the Dodge Coronet. What many enthusiasts don't realize, however, is that Dodge once sold an actual model called the 440.

It wasn't around for long. Produced from 1962 through 1964, the Dodge 440 originally debuted as a more upscale version of the Dart after Chrysler's controversial downsizing program shifted the Dart into the intermediate segment.

At first, the 440 sat above the standard Dart and Dart 330 but below the premium Polara. By 1963, Dodge separated the 440 from the Dart lineup entirely, positioning it between the entry-level 330 and the larger Polara.

Buyers could choose from several body styles, including two-door and four-door sedans, hardtops, and station wagons. Engine choices ranged from the dependable 225-cubic-inch Slant Six all the way up to the mighty 426-cubic-inch Wedge V8. This wasn't the famous Hemi, but Chrysler's RB-series Wedge engine.

The 440 nameplate disappeared after the 1964 model year when Dodge reorganized its lineup. The Polara returned to full-size duty, while the Coronet made its comeback as an intermediate model.

One of Dodge's Earliest Muscle Cars

Thanks to the optional 426 V8, the Dodge 440 became one of the brand's first true muscle cars. Buyers could choose between the Street Wedge, rated at 365 horsepower, and the more serious Max Wedge.

The latter featured dual four-barrel carburetors and delivered more than 400 horsepower, making it one of the fiercest factory engines of the era.

In many ways, the Max Wedge laid the groundwork for the legendary Hemi that followed. Introduced in 1962 as a 413-cubic-inch engine producing up to 420 horsepower, it grew to 426 cubic inches for 1963, with output climbing as high as 425 horsepower depending on compression ratio.

Factory-built drag-ready versions of the Dodge 330, 440, and Polara received the Max Wedge, as did Plymouth models such as the Belvedere, Savoy, and Fury. Production numbers were low, with only a few hundred examples built annually between 1962 and 1964.

Rescued From the Brink

The 1964 Dodge 440 featured here wasn't born with a Max Wedge under the hood, but its comeback story is impressive in its own right.

When the owner discovered the car in 2013, it was little more than a rusted shell. As he later described it, the car was "ready for the junkyard." But instead of giving up on it, he decided to bring the forgotten Mopar back to life.

His fascination with the model began years earlier after seeing a nostalgia drag-racing version at an event in 2006. Eventually, he located the neglected coupe and used parts from four separate donor cars to complete the restoration.

Bodywork alone consumed four years.

More than a decade later, the car appears factory fresh. Finished in white with a red interior and matching red trim accents, it looks like it just rolled out of a Dodge showroom.

Nobody knows exactly what engine it originally carried, but today the coupe hides far more muscle beneath the hood.

Unable to locate a genuine Max Wedge engine, the owner opted for a custom-built big-block equipped with dual four-barrel carburetors. The result is an impressive 500 horsepower — more than the original Max Wedge and even beyond the output of the legendary Hemi that succeeded it.

Perhaps the best part is that the car still has the understated appearance of a classic early-'60s Dodge. It may not scream performance from the outside, but once that big-block roars to life, there's no mistaking that this revived 440 is the real deal.