Project 426 Street Wedge – Why is this 65 Coronet 500 Bare Bones?

Back in the day Dodge and other automobile manufacturers were building and selling what basically amounted to factory race cars. My 65 Dodge Coronet 500 is a good example of an early Mopar factory race car. Take a small light-weight car, shove a 426 street wedge big block engine in it, add some bigger brakes and limit optional equipment to avoid additional weight and you have early Mopar muscle built with one thing in mind.

My 65 Coronet is a super rare (one of 440) Dodge Coronet 500s that came equipped with a 426 street wedge engine and 727 automatic transmission, and it’s numbers matching. The 426 street wedge was only used in 64 and 65.

To limit weight it came with almost no factory options. When you decode the fender tag the only optional equipment was variable speed wipers, black vinyl top, heater with defroster, AM radio, back-up lights, and front bucket seats with a console. Most people view it as a plain Jane 65 Coronet, whereas I see it as a true Detroit muscle car.

These cars were the beginning of the muscle car era, in which I grew up in. This is one car I won’t let get away.

Mark Polk

Auto Education 101