Rare 426 Wedge Wagon! 1964 Dodge 440
In 1964, the 440 was the mid-range “full-size” Dodge positioned between the 330 and Polara (sort of like the Bel Air between the Biscayne and Impala at Chevrolet). The seller’s sharp-looking example is a station wagon that comes off as a “sleeper” except for the aftermarket wheels. But under the hood is a 426 cubic inch “Street Wedge” engine and a 4-speed manual that a Govier Report indicates this “sheep in wolf’s clothing” was equipped with from the factory!
After a strategic misfire in 1962 that saw Chrysler downsize its Dodges and Plymouths due to a bad rumor, the cars slowly started to regain some of their exterior size. By 1964, the 440 rode on a 119-inch wheelbase along with the 330 and Polara. Six-cylinder engines were standard, but the majority left the factory with some form of a V8 engine. And even a few had the 385 hp, 426 “Street Wedge” like the seller’s transport. Out of 30,300 330 and 440 wagons built, we assume only a small number had the 426 and a 4-speed.
The seller doesn’t provide a lot of details about this muscle wagon, leaving it to the paperwork. We assume the engine and transmission are the ones the Dodge was built with, or maybe they’re just period correct. The seller does provide quite a few photos with stampings on mechanical parts, along with the Govier Report and build sheet. So, we’ll go out on a limb and assume this vehicle is numbers-matching.
At 105,000 miles, a safe assumption would be that this wagon has been restored. The body, paint, and interior look too nice to have that many miles without some form of attention. The seller says the wagon runs and drives great, so this should be a turn-key vehicle for outings to Cars & Coffee. The seller offers a video of the 440 doing its thing. Located in Neosho, Missouri, this interesting Mopar is available here on eBay where bids of $32,600 have yet to crack the seller’s reserve.
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Comments
Love this ,I have a 49 Dodge deluxe coupe it would look great next to it
Manual steering and brakes – this will not be fun to drive. Sure is pretty to look at, though.
With a single chamber master cylinder to boot.
My first car was a 64 Dodge Polara 500 with 426 street wedge, 4 speed, manual steering and brakes. Yes it was a bear to drive, but I was young, dumb, and strong enough to handle it. This wagon is the ultimate fantasy car of my brother, who passed away 7 years ago. If he was still alive he would buy it!
Can’t count the Mopars w/PS I’ve owned and never a prob….now take the 1964 Chevy or 1964 Ford and yes you have problems.
Negative vibes will kill you early
It was a different day and time and a matter of what you are used to. Our cars were all manual shift, steering, brakes and no air. Mom got a power steering, brakes and auto transmission on a 75 Buick. I drove it for the first time and came back and declared, “Someone is going to get killed driving that car!” Don’t try to make 5G out of dialup
Would make a great garage mate for my 63 Fury Super Stocker.
But spot on for 64
Agree Torino 👍 and what a machine here w 4sp to boot. Hang on 🏁
To me, Keystones are THE Mopar wheel !
Yessiree! The first car I’d check out at a Cars And Coffee. Unusual to see one, especially as impeccable as this!
If this thing is truly factory, is has got to be rare. No matter what, this is one seriously cool automobile. I would rank this right up there with a ’66 427/ 4 speed Impala wagon.
This would be a great stable mate for this one of mine
wagons ho!!!
wagons hoaa!
I’ll never understand why sellers can’t back up a few feet and take decent photos.
Now, this is unique. Pretty unusual to see one of these Dodge wagons out in the wild, but with a Street Wedge and a 4 speed, this has to be extremely rare. It’s the first one I have ever seen optioned like this. Very, very, cool Mopar.
Hard to remember that a single chamber master cylinder activating manual drum brakes and steering by armstrong was quite common back when this car was new. We’re now used to modern brakes and steering. It takes me a little while to reacquaint myself with this fact when I drive my 1952 Plymouth. I could suffer the brakes and steering in this one and you wouldn’t hear me complaining. I don’t ever think I’ve seen this drivetrain in a Mopar station wagon before. Personally,I like the Keystones. Stock wheel covers would work for me too. GLWTS.
That’s what all the makes were running in 1964 except Studebaker and Rambler….maybe another little manufactuer.
I own a 440 wagon in all a original condition. It is the only known Golden Anniversary package wagon in survivor condition. It also has 109,000 on the clock, but it had 83,000 when I bought it 30 years ago. Have a nice selection of trophies, mostly for “best in restored original” or similar, but did win one best of show with it. Its a 318 car, but doesn’t have AC. Which is why I’m seriously thinking of finding a new home for it, and getting something with AC (health concerns). Its rust free and clean, clean, clean. Has a few nicks and dings, but its 60 years old, and a car is only original once.
Yes, the seats in this one were definitely redone. Same pattern, but wrong material.
Always like to see these, and they’re pretty rare. I get an ulcer every time I think of letting mine go, but we just don’t have room for two.
Does anyone have a factory AC system for this? Could do that, too… But I’m not a young guy anymore!
Vintage Air or similar is the way to go. They can make it as close to factory as it can get.
Good luck, I’m old too, but I feel pretty good every time I fire up my 63 Sport Furry Super Stocker tribute!
Thanks, but they don’t make anything that will fit. They kits they have start in ’66. I even talked to Jay Leno about it last year, and he agreed that finding a donor car is probably the only way to go. My wagon is 100% original (except for normal wear items), so I’m reticent to put anything incorrect on it. But thank you for the reply.
Pastor Ron, Are you the person I communicated with briefly about your Dodge wagon a few months back. I believe that person mentioned that he lived in North Georgia? I’d like to talk to you again if you don’t mind. I’m not sure if I’m permitted to put my phone number on here as I’m not a paid member so I will wait to see if you reply.
Yes. You can find me on FB and can message there. I’m really torn over trading it off, but if the right 1973-77 Town & Country comes along… One slipped through my fingers last fall. I’d also be interested in a ’68 or ’73 Monaco wagon, or ’75-’77 Royal Monaco wagon. We are also seriously considering an Imperial, but I really want another wagon.
My ’64 was appraised in the lower 30s, based on it’s extreme rarity and all-original, never-rusted condition, but I really don’t know what the market will bear on it. It always garners a lot of attention at shows, mainly with “I’ve never even seen one of these!” or similar comments.
Pastor Ron, Just today, someone in another Barn Finds thread mentioned that they have 2 73 Town & Country wagons for sale.
The poster’s name is Richard Bischoff and you can see his comment here:
https://barnfinds.com/low-mileage-survivor-1978-mercury-grand-marquis/
Ron, they did the job–until they didn’t. Ask me how I know.
Pastor Ron, although Vintage Air doesn’t make a kit for your wagon, they do have a universal kit. I have that model in my ’65 Barracuda, with a 433 3rd gen hemi, Tremec 6-speed, and a very crowded under-dash space, with 16 coil packs, ECM, sound system head unit, and controller for active shock control system. Your wagon should have plenty of space for it.
After a long conversation with Mr. Leno and his friends at Vintage Air, it was determined that they don’t have brackets to fit my wagon (318), and that I would have to have everything custom-made. I can’t afford that, neither do I want the dash gutted to install it because that would seriously detract from it’s all-original condition. The part that sucks most was that there was a ’64 Fury sedan sold for junk in Texas a year or so ago – for $248 – at auction. For the cost of bringing it home, I’d have had a COMPLETE, intact factory system to fit my wagon. I found out about the auction a week after it occurred. I figure there’s got to be another one out there…. somewhere. The other option would be a correct vintage dealer-installed under-dash system, if I could find one. It would still be correct to the car that way.
Pastor Ron, As much as I want a 64 Dodge wagon I must get it out of my mind for now. I’m in the process of down sizing and moving to Savannah so I can’t buy any more toys. I’m downsizing from a large house to an efficiency apartment.
I had a couple mid 60s Mopars with manual brakes and steering…learned to drive in one back in 66…never really had issues with the manual ones. I am 74 now…have a 62 Corvette …manual steering and brakes…the kingpin front ends can be mighty rough parking
People moan about single master cylinders but they did the job for 35-40 years. Cars manufactured in the U.S. from ‘67 on were equipped with dual master cylinders for safety reasons.
Rambler (AMC) had dual master cylinders before that—1963.
Rambler (AMC) had dual master cylicers first—1963, I believe.
Ron, they did the job–until they didn’t. Ask me how I know.
Just BAD A$$$!!!!
Love the Keystones. Had a set on my burgundy ‘65 Corvette Coupe.
I really hadn’t planned on commenting on the wheels, but since it seems to have become something of a personal opinion thing, I have decided to chime in. In my lowley opinion, they are the most unattractive wheels ever produced. That’s just my opinion and cussing me out won’t change it.
The duel master is not bad by any means but a single master system that is maintained is a decent braking system. They stopped cars for years. The disc brakes were the game changer. The duel master came about from rusted metal lines and an occasional failed hose. The federal government mandated them, headrests, three point seatbelts, padded dashboards and even more wonderful things. Not all bad but all not necessary to operate a car safely. Geez now you can drive into a barrier and walk away. When I was 16 you didn’t hit it, you knew it would be a problem. All that said, a single pot master maintained is just fine. Oh yeah I have had a rusted brake line ruin my day, downshift and pump the brakes. Got it stopped, but was less traffic then, but wheel cylinders do leak but never had one blow out. Maintenance , maintenance people.
BTW very nice Mopar!
I wonder if this was the proverbial “bought the biggest engine to pull his boat car”? LOL!! :-) GLWTA!!
Great write up, beautiful car (what Positive comments they said above) Perhaps you meant “wolf In sheep’s clothing“? I love sleepers and I love wagons. What could be finer than…?
I’LL bet pics of the rear will show a trailer hitch. The orig. owner probably pulled a boat or something so he ordered it w/hitch, and big inch mill.
The back end photo shows it does not have a tow hitch, but it may have been removed as one that old would probably be beat up and rusted. With the power this wagon has, a tow hitch would be a perfect addition to it. Towing a boat of the same vintage behind it would be the perfect combo. — I had a ’64 Dodge 440 4dr sedan with the 318 ci under the hood with the push button torqueflite transmission. It had AC, but didn’t have PS or PB, and however they did it with the linkage, it was very easy to steer – even parallel parking, and the big drum manual brakes it had stopped the car quite well – no problem. I’d love to have this wagon – and whoever gets it is going to really enjoy it.
In the past, I have never liked any station wagons. But, ever since I subscribed to Barn Finds, I am appreciating them more and more! This one is incredible!!
Back in 1975 I bought a 1964 Dodge wagon out of an auto wrecking yard. Had to give $70 for it. Had a 318 with push button automatic. Pretty bad condition but ran like a champ. Used as a rain car for two years. Also had 2 other 64 Dodge sedans, both with 318 push button auto. Awesome cars. The two sedans were $35 and $50 cars.
In 1964 I ordered a Plymouth Sport Fury convertible with the 426/ 4spd/ sure grip rear/ p/s/ p/b. No a/c and black inside and out. I loved it back then but it’s not what I would want now. I was 23 then and 83 now, and my tastes and my abilities, not to mention my family responsibilities, have changed over the years. I kept it for four years and sold it to buy a 64 Dodge 330 wagon with 318 and push button automatic. I’ve had lots of nice cars but that wagon is what I think of most when I think back over the years.
Ended at $47,600. Reserve Not Met
I originally commented that I thought this thing was probably pretty rare, and that I thought it was a pretty neat car. I stand by those comments, but turning down $47,600? That’s approaching crazy town. Not only the turning it down, but the fact that someone even offered that. To put this in perspective, an acquaintance of mine recently sold a ’66 Biscayne wagon with a documented L-72 427/425 engine backed by an M-21 gearbox and a 4:10 posi rearend. It was rated at Hagerty #2 condition, with the only deviation from factory being ’69 Vette 8″ rally wheels, BF Goodrich TA’s, and a column mounted Sun Super tach. It sold at a collector car auction for $41,000 and folks, this was a NICE car and ultra rare. It’s impossible to know how many Biscayne wagons were equipped this way, as Chevrolet’s records only indicate full size cars, and not models. There is no universe where this Dodge would be worth more than that Biscayne.
Charles, obviously someone thought the Dodge was worth more than the Biscayne. At an auction the value is determined by what someone is willing to pay, not which vehicle you like the most.
I don’t believe that it’s a matter of which vehicle that I, or anyone else “likes” more, it’s much more about which one is worth more. While that can be a subjective thing, it generally isn’t in the collector car gig. The collect ability of the Biscayne I described far exceeds that of the Dodge. It is my understanding that the 426 street wedge was uncommon, but not rare in a full size Dodge, while the L-72 427 is something of a unicorn in a full size Chevrolet. If that wagon was a Max Wedge, it would be a different story.
Charles, this reminds me of the car discussions we used to have at the drive in where the car guys met and gave opinions of which car was the fastest. Then about midnight we scattered and met at the drag race spot and saw whose car was fastest that night. The winner that night definitely had the fastest car. This auction was like that, it showed which wagon was definitely worth the most at the time they were offered for sale. Collectability is in the eye of the collector.
Point taken. Beauty is most definitely in the eye of the beholder, but the facts remain to the same. A full size Chevrolet with an L-72 4 speed is a much rarer automobile than a full size Mopar with a street wedge 4 speed. Given that, I just don’t believe that at an auction such as BJ or Meecum, that this Dodge would bring more money than the Chevrolet. Just my opinion.