Rick Zeitlin is a guy who knows what he wants. He's also a Mopar guy with a few other Mopars to prove it. When it comes to his latest ride, he found this '64 Dodge 330 while surfing online looking for another car to add to his collection. He knew he wanted it, so he bought it without ever actually seeing it in person. Now, that might not seem like a big deal to a lot of guys, as many of us have done that. The problem is that many of us have also gotten burned buying things that way.
Rick tells us that when the hauler arrived with his '64, it looked great. The car was beige, with what Rick calls an ugly green interior, a four-speed, and a cross-ram Hemi under the hood. But the happiness didn't last long. According to Rick, "When the car arrived off of the trailer, it was everything I had hoped forùmanual steering, manual brakes, radio delete, and a cross-ram Hemi under the hood. Unfortunately, the seller forgot to mention that the Hemi smoked worse than a forest fire."
After thinking about his new acquisition, and knowing that it needed some attention, Rick knew that he needed to make the 330 his own. So the car was stripped of everything that could be, and the body was given to Mark Kaufman for repairs and paint. Unfortunately, Rick can't remember the name of the gold paint they used but remembers looking at a lot of samples and deciding on gold because 1964 was Dodge's Golden Anniversary. Luckily, the body was in great shape and only needed minimal repairs.
For the "ugly green interior," Rick had Jose of ABC Discount Upholstery remove the bench seat and replace it with a pair of A-100 seats and door panels covered with a beige leather. The gauges were sent to Redline Gauge Works for some revamping, and the rest of the interior was brought up to the quality required.
A ’64 Dodge never came with...
A ’64 Dodge never came with a leather interior, but we have to admit it looks great. The door panels are covered in the same leather as the A-100 seats, and the gauges were restored by Redline Gauge Works.
When it came to the smoking wonder under the hood, the only thing that Rick reused were the engine mounts. It seems that the Hemi needed more work than he was willing to put into it, and he decided that a crate engine would be a better choice. Don't worry about the smoking engine, though; he sold that to his friend Doug so it could be rebuilt and put in Doug's 'Cuda. Refilling the area under the hood is an Indy Cylinder Head 426 Legend Hemi. Rick says that it's worthy to note that the fenderwells required some extensive modifications in order for the Legend Hemi to fit. The Legend Hemi from Indy comes with a single four-barrel intake, but keeping with the period look meant a change to the cross-ram intake. Since Rick sold the first Hemi to Doug, he now needed a new intake, so he found a reproduction unit from A&A Transmissions. Another change came when friend Doug Schneider and John Arruzza came up with a camshaft change that would complement the vintage intake system. Modernizing the Hemi just a bit is the March serpentine pulley system.
It took the better part of five years to complete the rebuild, and Rick credits his friend Doug with handling probably 95 percent of the work, but now Rick has exactly what he wantedùa cool cruiser that he can take to shows and cruise nights, one that doesn't smoke like a forest fire.
Fast Facts:
'64 Dodge 330
Owned by: Rick Zeitlin, Las Vegas, Nevada
Mopar Power
- Engine: If you're going to build a '64 Dodge, what fits better than a 426 Hemi? Rick's version isn't the one that came with his car, but is an Indy Cylinder Head Legend. The Legend features a 4.250-inch bore, and a 3.750-inch stroke mandated by the Eagle connecting rods and crankshaft. It runs on pump gas, thanks to its street friendly 10.25:1 compression ratio. Although that is a nice trait for a street engine, Rick changed the pistons to JE's. The heads are by Indy, and feature 2.25- and 1.94-inch valves. The camshaft is a Comp Cams unit with .574 and .551-inch of lift, and 242- and 248-degrees of duration at .050-inch lift. Up top is an A&A reproduction magnesium cross ram intake with twin 770 Holley carburetors. Ignition is by MSD. Finally, a set of tti headers with a 3-inch exhaust and Flowmaster mufflers let you hear him coming.
- Transmission: Stirred by a Hurst "round stock" handle, this one is an aluminum TKO 600, Perfect for long-distance cruises.
- Differential: Stock 8 3/4 design with an r.p.m. inducing 4.10 Sure Grip
Sure Grip
- Suspension: While the front suspension utilizes stock components, the rear carries a set of Super Stock springs.
- Brakes: A set of Wilwood binders with cross-drilled rotors, and a hydro-boost system brings it all to a screeching halt, really quick.
- Wheels and Rubber: A set of 15 x 7-inch Torque Thrusts support the 245/60/15 T/A radials on the front, and adding to the nostalgic look are a pair of steel 15 x 8-inch wheels painted body color, wearing 275/60/15 drag radials by BFG.
High Impact
- Body: Unchanged from original, except for the addition of the fiberglass Max-Wedge style scoop.
- Paint: A friend of Rick's, Mark Kaufman in Las Vegas, handled the spraying of the gold hue over the sheetmetal.
- Interior: Stock/restored by ABC Discount Upholstery of Las Vegas. The A-100 truck seats and other pieces are covered by beige leather, and Grant steering wheel adds a nice touch. The gauge cluster was restored by Redline Gauge Works, and features all-new, updated senders and gauges.
Nothing screams nostalgia...
Nothing screams nostalgia like a Hemi with a cross-ram. This one features two 770 Holley carburetors and custom made Super Stock–esque air cleaners.