FABO,
Background: I'm a retired soldier with no knowledge or experience with MOPARs or automotive restoration and repair. All I know is what people tell me, and people sometimes lie. I sobered up one day and found out that I had purchased a 1965 Plymouth Barracuda, 273 cid 2 barrel carb V8 , automatic for $1300.
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I've been working on the brakes and taking it apart... Then I decided to buy a "parts car"
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another 1965 'Cuda, advertised as a "Commando" without an engine because, why not... (It has holes, not rust holes, but thats another question for the exterior trim forum)
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Since the 'new' 'Cuda has an 8.75 (vs 7.25), a 4 speed, (uninstalled) disc brakes, sway and torsion bars and pretty much no rust, I decided perhaps I should build it first and use the original as a/the 'parts car'...
This lead me to my question:
FABO, do I:
1) put my 273 V8 into my 'Commando' and build it out?
2) try to find a 'Commando' engine to install?
3) buy a 318CID engine from a local auto salvage yard?
#3 sounds like the easiest quickest and cheapest option, unless I do #1 stock without much of a build. If you choose this option I would need to know which type of 318 to get, I hear there are a bunch of them... I believe, based upon total ignorance of the subject that it would be 'easy' and that there are not any really horrible issues, other than having a 318 in a car emblemed as "Commando".
#2 would be the most correct but would be the hardest and most difficult since I don't see any Commando engines for sale here on FABO nor on my mechanic's computer inter web parts site (didn't have any 273 CID engines at all). Also even if one of you fine gentlemen offered me an engine at a reasonable price, I live in the woods of Northern Minnesota and coming to get it would be an adventure. I went 2000 miles (round trip) to Denver to get the 'parts car'.
#1 MIGHT be the cheapest and easiest since I already have it and can start with the engine basically 'stock' and add pieces, parts and upgrades as time and money permit... But the very real possibility is that getting a 4 v intake and carb and upgrading the cam and pistons piece by piece could and probably would wind up costing more and becoming a 'never ending story' and a money pit.
Thanks in advance for you input, and if any of you have an engine or any of the parts required, please let me know what you would want for them shipped to 56461.
65Cudafix
