Super Stock Style For A Street-Driven ’64 Dodge 330

01/07/2024

Mark Bonnett’s 1964 Dodge 330 is a performer that defies most of the categories and genres used today, and that’s exactly what drew us to the period-inspired Mopar.

It’s certainly not a pro-touring car and the term resto-mod suggests at least some modern updates such as disc brakes or an overdrive transmission. It’s got none of that. Even the “Day Two” descriptor doesn’t really apply, because of the amalgamation of later parts under the hood.

What it brings is a nostalgic look and a Super Stock stance, thanks to its vintage wheels and even authentic Racemaster “pie crust” slicks from the Sixties, backed up by a modernized RB big-block dressed like a vintage Max Wedge—complete with the cross-ram intake. And in true Super Stock form, this base-model 330 remains lightly equipped, with manual brakes and steering and an amenity-free cabin, with only a bench seat and no radio. The car doesn’t even have an outside rearview mirror.

“I always loved the look of those classic Super Stock Mopars and that’s exactly what I was going for with this car,” says Mark. “It’s not a total tribute car or anything like that, but it has that vintage Sixties’ drag-race style that looks so tough.”

Mark found the car through a classic car dealer and traded a ’64 Mercury Cyclone for it. Eagle-eyed Mopar mavens will note the interior wears Plymouth Savoy upholstery, trim, and even the instrument panel. That’s how it came from the factory because the car is a Canadian-built model originally sold in that home market. Chrysler commonly mixed Dodge and Plymouth parts for the models there. In the Fifties, they even put Dodge front ends on Plymouth bodies. Those cross-bred models were nicknamed “Plodges.”

Super Stock Style For A Street-Driven ’64 Dodge 330

“The car was in pretty good shape when I acquired it, but it needed some TLC,” says Mark. “The Beige paint was nice, but some of the trim needed replacement and the engine compartment had been painted black.”

Mark replaced the necessary trim and resprayed the engine compartment the correct body color but left the rest of the B-body’s exterior untouched. It was straight and with a good finish, having undergone an earlier repaint. The beige color suits the long, lean body lines very well, accenting arguably the best-looking of the varied 1962-’64 Dodge B-body designs. The 1962 model was penned by Virgil Exner, while the 1963 and ’64 updates were credited to designer Elwood Engel.

As for that Plymouth interior, it was installed at Chrysler’s Windsor, Ontario factory, where the car originally rolled off the line. And speaking of original, Mark believes everything from the carpet to the seat covers and door panels to the rubber floor mat (in lieu of carpet) is exactly that. There’s a bit of wear visible in the door pulls and a split on the driver’s side of the front seat, where the secondary vinyl section is stitched to the larger fabric insert, but because it all appears to be original, Mark has chosen to leave it alone.

“The odometer shows about 26,000 miles and given the apparent aging and feel of the interior components, I’m confident they’re all original,” he says. “The colored rubber mat is just about perfect and as far as I know, there aren’t reproductions of it, so that’s another corroborating piece of evidence. It doesn’t matter that the some of the materials show a little wear, here and there, because it all adds to the car’s vintage aura—and the fact it’s the original, Plymouth-based interior adds to the car’s history.”

The only deviations from the cabin’s stock condition are auxiliary gauges, including a period Sun tachometer mounted on a custom bracket at the top of the Plymouth-style instrument panel. There’s also a pair of Auto Meter gauges mounted in a panel at the bottom of the dashboard and Mark painted the panel to match the dashboard’s color.

As for the powertrain, the car came with a 1967-vintage 440 that Mark replaced with another RB big-block, this one a ’68 that he’d owned and used in other vehicles since the late-’80s.

“It’s ‘Old Reliable’ and I’ve always run it hard, but it has never left me stranded,” says Mark. “It’s been rebuilt a couple times, too, and just keeps pulling.”

In its current state, the original 440-cubic-inch displacement has been increased to 452 cubes, thanks to a .060-inch overbore. The rotating assembly includes a forged crankshaft and forged Keith Black pistons, along with factory Six Pack connecting rods, which were considerably stronger than standard 440 rods. There’s also a hydraulic cam with .528/.504-inch lift.

Atop the punched-out block is a set of factory “906” open-chamber cylinder heads, with stock valve sizes and mild port work. Sandwiched between them is an A&A aluminum reproduction cross-ram intake manifold topped with a pair of modern Edelbrock carburetors that, of course, are based on the classic Carter AFB carbs that were used on the original 413 and 426 Max Wedge engines. Blowing through TTI headers and into a custom 3-inch exhaust system, it’s a comparatively simple and straightforward combination that has proven durable and powerful.

“I’d guess it’s making around 435 horsepower and 450 lb.-ft. of torque,” says Mark. “It’s a really strong engine with a ton of low-end torque. In a previous car running that engine, it got off the line with a 1.68-second 60-foot time and a 12.41 E.T.”

With the comparatively lightweight package of the base-model 330 and its lack of amenities, it would be surprising if this Mopar muscle car tipped the scale at more than 3,100 pounds. That makes for an enviable power-to-weight ratio with an RB that’s much more streetable than the original Max Wedge models, which were essentially race cars sold to meet NHRA homologation requirements and featured sky-high, race-gas compression ratios up to 13.5:1. This one runs on pump gas.

Backing the big-block is a cable-shift 727 TorqueFlite used with the factory push-button gear selector on the instrument panel. It was rebuilt by Joel’s on Joy, a renowned transmission shop in South Lyon, Michigan, and is paired with a 10-inch Coan converter. From there, the engine’s torque is channeled to an 8 3/4-inch and 3.55-geared rearend fitted with a Sure Grip limited-slip differential. When it comes to putting all that mechanical energy to the pavement, the rubber meets the road via a set of original, Sixties-vintage M&H Racemaster 28 x 8-inch “pie crust” slicks mounted on 15-inch steel wheels. Up front, there’s a set of period five-spoke wheels wrapped with BFGoodrich Silvertown bias-ply tires.

This is probably where we should insert the disclaimer about the risks of driving around on 60-year-old drag tires. Don’t drink bleach, either. And certainly, don’t make toast in the shower.

That said, the tires lend even more authenticity to the car’s vintage Super Stock style—and Mark says he’s careful on the streets.

“The sidewalls back then were a lot stiffer and if you put around 25 pounds of air in them, it’s not too bad on the street,” he says. “Besides that, I do mostly local street driving. I’m very aware of the age of the tires, but they just look perfect on the car.”

They do, indeed. Mark is also quick to point out he doesn’t live an entirely reckless lifestyle. The original single-pot master cylinder for the manual drum brakes has been swapped for a safer dual-circuit version. So, there. He may have even eaten a turkey burger once, so there’s nothing to worry about.

Along with the manual brakes, the car also retains its manual steering system and stock front and rear suspension. The torsion bars were adjusted to help give the car its just-right stance. In all, his carefully and tastefully modified Mopar exudes the sort of frill-free, bare-knuckle aesthetic that was unique to a special era of factory performance, when Detroit’s manufacturers dedicated their best shirt-and-tie engineers to helping the T-shirt-wearing weekend racers gain an edge over the competition at the Christmas tree.

This Canadian-market Dodge wasn’t an original factory racer, but Mark Bonnett nailed the look and feel of it—and among today’s concours restorations and modernized restomods, it’s in a league of its own.

Owner’s View

“I’ve always been a Mopar guy, but always loved the look of the old Super Stockers. They just looked tough and ready for action—and that’s what drew me to this car in the first place. It drives very well, and I don’t mind the manual steering or brakes at all. It also feels pretty quick, and I think it would stand up to any Hemi at the stoplight.”

-Mark Bonnett