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440 to Polara conversion

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Dec 1, 2018
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Location
Ida, MI
Has anyone converted a 1964 440 to a real Polara? I'm talking the hood chrome, trunk two-chrome strips, taillight full width bezel, center backup lights add. And Polara side chrome for good measure?
 
Has anyone converted a 1964 440 to a real Polara? I'm talking the hood chrome, trunk two-chrome strips, taillight full width bezel, center backup lights add. And Polara side chrome for good measure?
You could do it 330 440 Polara and Polara 500 all different trim. It would be a lot of hole to fill and drill and would have to change the tail panel. I think the 440 in a hardtop is the best looking one just my opinion.
 
Not possible under it all, its still a 440 and never will be real Polara with the vin..
 
Yes, it can be done . Hardest part is to find a good donor car with the trim that you need.
 
The real question would be why.... simplicity is sometimes the best !
1964dodgepolara 064.JPG
 
A 440 has a lot of nice trim already. Taillights would be your biggest expense as I turned down $2500 for the Nos Polara bare Tail light housings I have... Honestly these days probably easier to buy one..
 
You could do it 330 440 Polara and Polara 500 all different trim. It would be a lot of hole to fill and drill and would have to change the tail panel. I think the 440 in a hardtop is the best looking one just my opinion.
440's are OK, but I'm crazy about the taillights on the Polara and the chrome strips on hood and trunk. I've owned two '64 Polara's in my life (both white hardtops, one four door and one two door) and kick myself for selling them every time I see one. :BangHead:

Not possible under it all, its still a 440 and never will be real Polara with the vin..
I would care about that if I were trying to pull something over on someone. I'm just after the Polara look that my first ones had. I should add that I'm after the 318 and pushbutton transmission. Not at all interested in racing. To be honest I hate what people are doing to these '64's.

A 440 has a lot of nice trim already. Taillights would be your biggest expense as I turned down $2500 for the Nos Polara bare Tail light housings I have... Honestly these days probably easier to buy one..

$2500?! What are these worth (they're all I have left :( ) Easier to buy one? You can be sure I'm looking for someone to sell me their baby without me having to take out a second mortgage - I'm retired!
Img_0474.jpg
 
The hardest part would be filling in the lower 440 chrome strip holes.
The rest would be a drill and chill.
You can get non-perfect, non- nos taillights relatively easy and cheap.
 
440's are OK, but I'm crazy about the taillights on the Polara and the chrome strips on hood and trunk. I've owned two '64 Polara's in my life (both white hardtops, one four door and one two door) and kick myself for selling them every time I see one. :BangHead:


I would care about that if I were trying to pull something over on someone. I'm just after the Polara look that my first ones had. I should add that I'm after the 318 and pushbutton transmission. Not at all interested in racing. To be honest I hate what people are doing to these '64's.



$2500?! What are these worth (they're all I have left :( ) Easier to buy one? You can be sure I'm looking for someone to sell me their baby without me having to take out a second mortgage - I'm retired!
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Not those. I am talking about Polara Tail light housings and a Nos pair of them... Like these pictured below from a member of this site..

535521-57db0b0bdd662b2e29040c41fa055324.jpg
 
I really prefer the Polara as well. I probably wouldn't do it though, that's a lot of holes to fill, a lot of holes to line up and drill and finding all that Polara trim could drive you to drink or to the poor house. Then to make it look right the interior should be dealt with as well.
When I did my Polara I did have all the trim but I spent quite a bit of money rechroming the taillight surrounds and quite a bit of time fabbing up trim cliips for the side chrome. I salvaged the clips I could but others I had to make. You just don't go to Pepboys and buy them all.

64 polara.jpg


oldmopar6.jpg
 
It is hard to find Polara tail light base plates that do not have the fine grooves destroyed by pitting. These pieces are impossible to repair and rechrome. However, Bill at Special T's near Chicago has come up with a set of machined stainless steel panels that replicate this appearance. They sit on top of the damaged area, and are held in place by the tail light bezels. Although they are not inexpensive, they are way cheaper than repairing a bad set or buying NOS pieces. I bought a set and installed them on my '64 Polara. Although they would not likely fool a Concours judge, I am happy with the improvement in appearance for the $$$ spent. Repro tail light bezels have been produced, but most of them have been bought up. It might be time for another run of these. Be aware that there are 3 different bezels depending on application.
 
It is hard to find Polara tail light base plates that do not have the fine grooves destroyed by pitting. These pieces are impossible to repair and rechrome. However, Bill at Special T's near Chicago has come up with a set of machined stainless steel panels that replicate this appearance. They sit on top of the damaged area, and are held in place by the tail light bezels. Although they are not inexpensive, they are way cheaper than repairing a bad set or buying NOS pieces. I bought a set and installed them on my '64 Polara. Although they would not likely fool a Concours judge, I am happy with the improvement in appearance for the $$$ spent. Repro tail light bezels have been produced, but most of them have been bought up. It might be time for another run of these. Be aware that there are 3 different bezels depending on application.

Wow, thanks for the info on the aftermarket panels. Do you have a link for this "Special T's"? I'm finding plenty of T-Shirt "Special T's", but nobody making Polara parts...

There's three different bezels?! That's new to me! What's the difference?
 
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There's the ones that mount directly to the car.. and the ones that mount to the big finish plate. (In a nut shell)
 
Dick Landy liked the three tail light look so much he would add the extra ones to his 330.
Screenshot_20230327_143922_Chrome.jpg


I think the 440 model has just as much prestige as any other model including the Polara and 500. If you like the Polara better sell the 440 and buy one.
 
Try Bill Petrow at Special T
Wow, thanks for the info on the aftermarket panels. Do you have a link for this "Special T's"? I'm finding plenty of T-Shirt "Special T's", but nobody making Polara parts...

There's three different bezels?! That's new to me! What's the difference?
 
The bezels that mount directly to the car body ( 330 series and U.S. 440 series ) have a left or right curvature to match the fender shape. This is the outside left or right bezel. The inside bezel is a flat one like the ones used in the Polara base plate. Canadian 440 series use a shorter base plate than the Polara, and use the flat bezels. I found that I had to use two tail light lens gaskets under the lenses to hold them tight, after installing the new repro pieces on the original base plates.
 
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