Ex-Nick Smith Collection

1964 Dodge 330 Hemi Lightweight

426ci Hemi V8 Engine
Dual Offset Holley Carburetors
425bhp
3-Speed 727 Torqueflite Racing Automatic Transmission
Independent Front with Live Rear Axle
4-Wheel Hydraulic Drum Brakes

*One of 55 A864 lightweight cars for the model year
*Aluminum & Magnesium parts from the factory
*Stored & unused from 1966 - 2006
*Galen Govier documented
*Sold new at Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

The all-new "B" body platform for Plymouth and Dodge greeted the public eye in 1962. Based on a scaled down version of Virgil Exner's early works, the B-Body was a result of a misunderstanding from Chysler's then-president that Chevrolet would be downsizing their cars for that model year. Left in a scramble, Chrysler's designers, under the direction of Elwood Engel, were forced to take the then-planned design and revise it to accommodate a shortened chassis. The result left Dodge and Plymouth marketing smaller "full-sized" cars that both the public and the motoring press found stylistically awkward, yet it was quickly learned that these smaller more lightweight cars, when fitted with a V8 motor, gained an advantage over the larger cars from Ford and General Motors when it came to motorsport.

The Hemi-powered Dodges, now 426ci, outclassed their competition at Daytona in February of 1964. Though the primary goal was to break Ford's grip on NASCAR and USAC speedway and road course competition, a secondary goal was to dominate drag racing. Among the early B-bodied Dodges was a bucket-seat sporty model called the 330. The 330 of 1964, sat beneath both the mid-trim 440 and high-trim Polara, but just above the A-body platform Dart. When assigned engineering number A864, it took the early theme of "adding lightness and power" to an entirely new level.

Option code A864 turned the simple 330 platform into a powerful contender. Building on previous packages, the Hemi models traded steel components for those of aluminum wherever possible- this included the hood, scoop, front bumper, fenders and doors. An aluminum intake with dual offset Holley carburetors and chrome valve covers dressed the Hemi block. The engine, with 12.5:1 compression, was backed by a race-prepped 727 TorqueFlite heavy-duty automatic transmission operated by pushbuttons in the dash. The exhaust system used factory cutouts, one transverse-mounted muffler, and a single exhaust exit. Interiors included factory lightweight bucket seats with lightweight brackets, red carpeting and radio/heater-delete plates. The battery was moved to the trunk- the rear seat was deleted. The side windows were made from thin plastic and the rear window was made from lightweight Plexiglas. Magnesium wheels, by American Racing Torq-Thrust, were mounted at the front.

This particular 330 on offer, chassis 9092, is one of the special-order A864 lightweight cars and one of 55 created in the spring of 1964. This example, thanks to documentation in its file, is known to have sold new at Mr. Norm's Grand Spaulding Dodge in Chicago, Illinois. Little is known of its early life but what is known suggests that some time around the late 1960s (approx. 1966), 9092 was placed into storage in the southern United States where it remained until roughly 2006. It's at this time that chassis 9092 was acquired by leading muscle car collector, Nick Smith, who immediately commissioned a restoration and thorough inspection of the car by Mopar historian, Galven Govier. It is believed that chassis 9092's engine, though having been decked and in doing so, no longer carries any identifiable stampings, is the original unit to the car. The sale of this 330 Lightweight will be accompanied with a worthy history file, various invoices, and the aforementioned Galen Govier report.

B-body platform Mopars saw great success in motorsport in both the 1960s and 1970s. A notable 330 Lightweight, finished in the iconic "Color me Gone" livery, won the NHRA Top Eliminator title at the Winter Nationals in 1964. By the mid-1960s the 330 chassis would be discontinued and Charger and Roadrunner would soon take over as the leading B-Body offerings. Both, when outfitted as Daytona and Superbird, went on to continue Mopar's dominance on the track. The purpose-built 330 Lightweight represents an important historical step in American motorsport history making chassis 9092 a suitable candidate for any great collection.