1962 Dodge Polara 500

Fabled stories exist of amazing muscle cars saved from a junkyard crusher to become awesome examples of racing machinery. These stories are fewer and further between than they used to be, but we unearthed the story of Mike Krauchick, who first spotted this 1962 Dodge Polara 500 back in 1971.

Modifications to the new racecar began with the addition of new racing shocks, and he was off to the dragstrip. “I raced the Polara with the 361 engine until it got way too tired,” Krauchick says. “Then I started moving up with a 413 and ultimately a 426 Max Wedge engine.”

The Dyer’s supercharged and Enderle injected Hemi engine ultimately created 1,100 horsepower, so they built a 727 Torqueflite transmission paired with a 10-inch, 3,500-stall Dynamic torque converter. Krauchick comments, “Surprisingly, we can drive it around in 90-degree heat and nothing will get hot.”

The interior offers a show-worthy appearance combined with race hardware. One of the unique components still utilized inside the aluminum panels is the push-button shifter originally installed in the factory muscle car.

We asked where the car draws more of a crowd: the track, or at area car shows. He answers happily, “It’s about the same; it can get three-deep with people around it. My favorite, though, is when I cruise around town and bikers are trying to take videos on their cell phones, or when everyone in the family van is waving.”