Vehicle Description
1962 Dodge Polara 500
The start of the Sixties saw several new types of cars sprouting up
in America as Detroit began fine-tuning its marketing. The
1962-1964 Dodge Polara 500 was one example. Aside from compacts,
there were also "personal-luxury" cars and high-performance
specials built to a formula that included V-8 engines, unique trim,
and bucket seats. When Dodge mixed these ingredients, it cooked up
the 1962-1964 Dodge Polara 500.
For consignment, an emerging design for 1962 in the form of a 1962
Dodge Polara 500. This example is very nice with good paint and a
like new interior. Surfaces are in good condition with only
sections of the chrome trimmings and bezels that show some pitting
and dimpling, however, remain shiny and rust free. A 361ci V8 is
under the hood, and it is fed by a 4-barrel carburetor. Plenty of
round bezels for lighting and gauges, and more Fratzogs, (Dodge's
badge from the era that denoted nearly nothing, just its shape so
it was dubbed the Fratzog which means nothing!). A unique looker
and one of the earliest muscle cars. No one would suspect pop has
some chutzpah under the hood of his cruiser.
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. Thus,
low beams were mounted low, high beams were mounted high. Both
locations have their oddities. The grille was basically undercut,
with a short wrap over at the top. In order to mount the high-beam
lights, this convex grille plane had to be scooped out for the lamp
bezels, somewhat awkward visually. The bright bezels on the outer
low-beam lamps were also unusual in that the inner bezel was a ring
of white plastic, apparently in an attempt to make the five-Inch
lamps look larger than the similarly sized high-beams. At the rear,
the staggered-lamp look is repeated in the diagonally biased
arrangement of four small, circular lamps, with the inboard lamps
again mounted higher than the outboard. An arcing, sculpted blade
in the body-side sheet metal curves over the rear wheel and then
rises rearward to meet the upper lamp. All sheetmetal is bathed in
Shell White, (off white or very light beige). Some chip off
scratches and thin spots off the paint due to wear off can be noted
throughout, especially next to trimmings and near the gaps. In
between the sculptural front and rear, the car's midsection retains
the flush body-to-glass relationship of the original design, albeit
with straight side glass. 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, styling touches
deposed Vice President Virgil Exner treasured. This example has the
upgraded wheel coverings which use the Fratzog as the faux knockoff
hub in the centers. Fratzogs also adorn the hood center, trunk lid
and rear quarters.
Interior
A swing of the doors and this will throw you back with its early
midcentury drippings. The door panels are in a two-tone color way,
those tones being light beige and cocoa, and the material is all
vinyl. These colors interplay with the cocoa on the sills and
lowers, and the light beige in the centers and these air tucked and
rolled. Another fratzog is in the center top, shiny handles and
actuators are mounted and a cocoa armrest is floating in the light
beige centers. Seats are in light beige with smooth bolsters, and
tuck ant rolled white stitched cocoa inserts. The seats in front
are a wide bomber low back no headrest style and have chrome
trimmings at their edges. In the center is an aluminum clad boxy
center console which consists of a lighter, ash receptacle and
glove box. The rear bench uses the cocoa and light beige with a
smooth cocoa center vinyl divider between the tuck and rolled
insert seats. The dash is original and in very nice condition. It
uses a lineup of round deep set gauges below the speedometer and a
central, you guessed it, Fratzog! Below is a series of pushbuttons,
drivers left are the transmission selections and drivers right are
the climate control pushbuttons. Very futuristic. The remainder of
the dash and dash top are lighter painted cocoa metallic, and all
is looking smart. Above is a cocoa vinyl headliner with chromed
dividing strips in the seams. Like new red carpeting is covering
the floors.
Drivetrain
Under the hood is a very clean 361ci V8. It has a 4-barrel
carburetor on top, and a 3-speed automatic A727 Torqueflite
transmission on back. Rear axle is a 3.23 gear ratio.
Undercarriage
Looking very nice underneath with no rust and like new primer paint
on the floor boards and primmer for the centers but then a light
coat of black is on top. Independent torsion bar front suspension
and leaf spring rear suspension is on providing the ride. Power
drum braking is installed in the fronts and power drums for the
rears. A turbo muffler system is underneath as well and is looking
very clean and no rust.
Drive-Ability
A neato car to drive and it's a looker too! It drives very nicely,
smooth acceleration at the use of a button, and solid braking.
Power steering makes it an easy, effortless driver. The A/C was
inoperable, and the speedometer did not move during my drive.
Certainly can be put in the and now for something completely
different category as to exterior design, some love it, some hate
it. If you love it, come see it in our full halls at Classic Auto
Mall.
VIN DECODE
5422127515
5-Polara 500 V8
4-Polara
2-1962
2-Detroit, MI Assy Plant
127515-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
