1962 Dodge Polara

1962 Dodge Polara 500 Hardtop For consignment, a 1962 Dodge Polara 500 with a title verified 10,110 actual miles and 1 of only 12 1962 Polaras to receive the 413ci Max Wedge engine and 1 of 5 with the 3-speed manual 410hp combination. Even with 1,100 cars in our building, (at time of writing), this stands as one of rarest and if youre not a Mopar Head, you might not know such a beast exists. This one was restored in the late 80s and early 90s. Lets take a closer look. Exterior Leave it to Virgil Exner who helped pen this unique exterior styling for the 1962 model year for the Polara. The high beam headlights are tucked into bright recesses in the upper corners of the vertical grille work, while the low beam headlights are housed in circular chrome bezels nestled under the fender blades. Both locations have their unique features and the bright bezels on the outer low beam lamps are also unusual in that the inner bezel was a ring of white plastic. At the rear, the staggered lamp look is repeated in the diagonally biased arrangement of four small circular lamps, with the inboard lamps mounted higher than the outboard. A sculpted blade in the body side sheet metal curves over the rear wheel and then rises rearward to meet the upper lamp and inside it, design trim in blue reminiscent of a jet as it ends at one afterburner tail light, standing out against the Polar White paint. Blue also adorns the shoulder line spear that flows its way onto the hood and is bordered by polished trim. The belt line is notched up aft of the front door to reduce the height, (and cost), of the rear side glass. The base of the windshield is pulled further forward at the centerline to meet the rising speedboat cowl and the entire exterior design is a complex treat for the eyes and is in very good condition. Imperfections include some filler work down low, cracks in the paint down low as well, scratches, chips, and some bubbling Interior A swing of the doors and this will throw you back with its early mid century drippings with door panels that are two tone light blue and white in vinyl, the rising insert in stitched pattern. The front bucket seats keep the colors but this time putting the stitches on blue inserts around white surroundings. The back seats, in fact, the entire back of the cabin is a beautifully coordinated presentation in blue and white, airy and light and stylish and all is looking good. A white steering wheel is offered to the driver with a chrome horn ring, and it leads to a wonderful instrument cluster that is symmetrical, two circle gauges on each side of a circled Dodge emblem under a horizontal speedometer and underscored by ribbed metal trim and the push button vent controls. We note some patina on the cylindrical rims of the gauges. An AM radio, looking original, is dead center of the dash while a simple Hurst shifter rises from the floor and is topped with a white handle. Blue low pile carpet on the floor is in good condition with built in heel pad for the driver, its circular features copied on the three pedals at your disposal. Metal braces cross a white perforated headliner thats in great shape and the trunk looks showroom fresh with plaid pad and space saver spare. Drivetrain And there it is, in all its orange glory, the 413ci Max Wedge motor rated at 410 horsepower and fueled by split dual 4-barrel carburetors adding up to eight barrels of Mopar fun. A Borg Warner 3-speed manual transmission sends that big herd of horses to the 8 inch rear with SureGrip. Drum brakes live in front and rear. The bay itself is very clean and the engines configuration presents a rare show stopping layout. Undercarriage Clean but not concours level underneath, its mostly free of surface rust, present only on hardware such as clamps and random occurrences. A light film of oil is on the transmission pan but thats the only fluid we see on this otherwise dry underside. The dual exhaust takes an interesting path with capped short outlets that start heading towards the sides, as the standard pipes keep going to run tandem down the car to find a pair of stock style mufflers finally terminating on either side of the gas tank just before the bumper. Just before the junction of the cut-outs, theres an H-pipe, shaped more like a U to join the two sides. Torsion bar suspension is noted up front with leaf springs in the back. Drive-Ability The simplicity of the pedestrian interior along with the stylish exterior design belie the belly of the beast, where a 410 horse powerplant awaits for what would be a brisk ride for the family on a Sunday drive in the country. It powers up with all the gusto something called Max Wedge should and propels this car eagerly onto our test loop, delivering substantial acceleration with a soft ride and decent handling and braking that is pedestrian in comparison. This nicely restored car gets a passing grade for all operational items in the car. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. Our consignor indicates this car has won awards and has been featured in magazines and as one of 12, we dont doubt it. This is a piece of Mopar history, even if somewhat obscure to the general public, but it will be your job to educate them and boy, wait until the jaws drop when you open the hood. This is one for the discerning collector and if you dont have a collection, this would be an amazing first addition! 5422164599 5-Polara 500 4-Polara 2-1962 2-Detroit, MI Assy Plant 164599-Sequential Unit Number