At some point the 8-3/4 became available with a four speed and 235hp/273. that might have been in the '65 model year, but it was not in all of them. My old '66 Commando four speed Barracuda (October 1965 SPD) had a 7-1/4 until I broke an axle. The previous owner had broken the other axle and two sets of spider gears in the five year he had the car. I was not going to have that problem again.
