deciphering my new 65 Barracuda

cosgig said
This is a 273 2 bbl car, and from all indications, that is a 66 273 engine. There is no way to tell if it's even a commando engine unless you pop one of the heads and look for the domed pistons, as all other mechanical components are identical to 273 2 bbl motors, except the profile of the camshaft, which could be checked with a dial indicator with the intake off.

I would agree. I went back and edited my response about the engine. It appears that the block is for sure a late 65 (66). The date code on the heads are reasonable that they belong with the block. The intake bolt angle and bolt size would tell the story as well as looking up the intake part number just to double check.