Where to start?

Hi folks. I have been lurking around this forum for a while, and I enjoy seeing what everyone has been doing with their old mopars. The time has come to start planning what to do with my '65 barracuda. She has been in the family since new, and I've had her for a few years now. She runs well, The body has a fresh paintjob, and the chassis is tight. I fitted her with 14x7 indy slots that I restored myself. Interior is tip top. Stock drums redone all around. I think I found a good dual chamber MC and brake booster kit, but I can live with the stock setup for now.

Now the hard part. I think my next step is to wake up the motor. She has the original wimpy 273 2barrel with the stock auto trans. I just don't know where to begin! She is bone stock with only 19,000 miles. I'm thinking about going with a four barrel, a hotter cam, and manifold duals. I think if I crack open the 273, I'll just end up pouring in crazy cash with minimal gains. I want to keep the power steering if at all possible. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can help me decide where to start.

I guess what I want to know is What kind of performance gains I can realistically achieve with a stock internal 273? Perhaps I should just save my money for a complete drivetrain build. She is never going to be a race car, I just want a fun cruiser. I don't ever plan on selling her. This year I can only justify giving myself a $3,000 budget. Any and all suggestions are welcome.