1962 Max Wedge Police Dart Lays Down the Law
Slideshow: The Dodge Dart has played a huge influence on one man's life since the early '60s.
Big Dreams, Small Cash
Back in the '60s, every muscle car fan lusted over the many big-inch engine options available. Pat Lyman most certainly did, particularly the 413 Max Wedge engine that could be had in the Dart back in the early '60s. But as is the case with many young folks during that era, Lyman didn't quite have the cash to make his dreams come true. But that didn't mean that he wasn't going to make it work, as we learn from his car's feature in Hot Rod.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
Proper Bargain
So Lyman did what any other enterprising teen would do - he waited around and found the next best thing. In this case, that was a 1962 Dart equipped with the police package, a car selling for a tidy $750 back in 1964 when new Darts were running over $2,700.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Creeping Performance
Lyman's "second choice" Dart was equipped with a few performance goodies, including a 361-cube V8, four-barrel carb, and dual exhaust. And since Lyman lived right down the street from the Weiand Engineering factory, quite a few of that legendary manufacturer's parts began showing up on his beloved new ride. And fittingly enough, that police package Dart might have just played a part in Lyman's 35-year career in law enforcement, too.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Cheap Power
The '60s were a great era for cheap performance, as Lyman explained to Hot Rod. “I used to take my Mopar up to John Garrety’s to get it dyno’d for the San Fernando drags every Sunday. It was 30 bucks back then, plus parts to dial in the power on my car. My Dixco tachometer was functional but caused me grief from friends who would tell me constantly to pay the extra buck and get a more accurate Sun tach, but I never did. Comparatively, things were much cheaper then, heck, even the AM radio back then was $12 from the Chrysler parts house in Los Angeles. It was a great time to grow up.”
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Reignited Flames
After many years of enjoyment, Lyman finally parted ways with his Dart. But the fire it ignited within him never completely fizzled out. It was completely reignited back in 1988 when he saw a pristine Max Wedge Dart on the cover of Hot Rod magazine. And that was all it took to set his gears back in motion.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Patience Pays Off
One year later, Lyman had located a suitable candidate - a non-Max Wedge Dart that he could build into his own lifelong, personal dream car. It took a few years to collect all the parts he wanted to use, many of which were rare or difficult to find. All-in-all, seven years passed before the project was finished. But clearly, all that patience paid off in a big way.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Personal Build
As Lyman explains, he didn't build this Dart to impress anyone else. He built it exactly the way he wanted it. “I wasn’t trying to make this a clone of anything. What you see here is exactly what I wanted back in the day. I can’t really call it a restomod, as I used all period-correct parts and kept it pretty much stock throughout. There are some very rare parts on this car that make it truly special for me.”
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Max Power
Perhaps most importantly, this particular Dart is quite the burner. Packing a 1969 vintage 440 cube Max Wedge mill, it's run a best quarter-mile of 11.97-seconds at 118 mph. The engine is obviously a far cry from stock and now features fully forged internals, 906 heads with enlarged valves, and a pair of 500-cfm AFB carbs.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Push to Shift
The big engine is backed up by Chrysler 727 TorqueFlite that Lyman shifts via Chrysler's famous push-button factory setup on the dash. It sends all that power back to a 3.55-geared Sure-Grip rear end and a set of 820×15 Firestone Cheater slicks mounted on classic American Torq-Thrust wheels.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
Age-Old Dream
Even though Lyman built this Dart to his own spec, we doubt there's anything here that a true Mopar fan could possibly dislike. But perhaps the most impressive thing about his story is that he never gave up that age-old dream he first had decades ago!
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this classic Police Package Wedge Dart right here in Dodge Forums.
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