Stirring up a hornets nest

You said yourself that you plan on attending the races ONLY as a spectator. But you would have gotten better advice at a car show. At a drag strip, most people have horsepower and going faster on their minds.

Keep the 273, fix it up they way you want and enjoy it. It's a light car so the power-to-weight ratio is good, plus you'll get better fuel mileage and it's "original".