1963 Plymouth Belvedere Max Wedge
Plymouth’s 426 Super Stock V-8 was the point of the whole exercise in a 1963 Belvedere Max Wedge. Growing from the prior year’s 413 CI unit (rated at 410 or 420 HP), the 426 arrived with a larger 4.25-inch bore and two states of tune: 415 HP at 11.0:1 compression, or 425 HP at 13.5:1.
Getting there required dual 4-barrel carburetors, short-ram intake manifold tubes, special exhaust headers, and purpose-built cylinder heads, camshafts, pistons, valves, and valve springs.
Supporting hardware included a special oil pan, deep-groove drive pulleys, a heavy-duty radiator, a closed crankcase ventilation system, and a large-pinion 8¾-inch rear axle.
The Belvedere itself received a styling refresh for 1963 (three inches longer and one inch wider than the ’62), with a flat roofline transitioning to a flatter rear deck. Max Wedge cars typically wore a lift-off fiberglass hood with a large scoop.
Transmission choices included a 3-speed manual, a Chrysler A-833 4-speed (available beginning in early 1963), or a push-button TorqueFlite automatic.
On a 116-inch wheelbase, the Belvedere sat in the intermediate class (B-body), putting a big-block in a lighter body at a time when most of the competition hadn’t yet worked out that formula.
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