273 Commando - UTG

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Good article but he is wrong about the rear end option. Those barracudas came factory with the 7-1/4” or optional in 66 was an 8-3/4 rear. I believe it was the towing package. I know this because my 66 barracuda has one.
 
Good article but he is wrong about the rear end option. Those barracudas came factory with the 7-1/4” or optional in 66 was an 8-3/4 rear. I believe it was the towing package. I know this because my 66 barracuda has one.
My 66 Dart has a 8 3/4 SG with no "towing package". Like always, Tony doesn't do his homework and goes off half cocked, spouting stuff that isn't true.
 
You could get an 8.75 in a dart or barracuda

My understanding is they were “sort of” available in the late 65 model year.

I parted out a late 65 Dart GT (mid June build) with a 4 speed and had an 8.75 3.23 non-SG. The motor was gone but everything else was there in an extremely rusty body
 
My 66 Dart has a 8 3/4 SG with no "towing package". Like always, Tony doesn't do his homework and goes off half cocked, spouting stuff that isn't true.
Mike- I thought the towing package was just an option package? I could be wrong. Back in 66’ it is to my understanding that the package was upgraded cooling, stronger rear axle and lower ratio.
The fact it was called “towing” was just a selling point as chrysler if they sold the trailer hitch and or trailer wiring… it was dealer add on. As for UTG. He has a lot of followers but it seems his research is sometimes little to none. Or his research is from the wrong sources. He uses a lot of filler words and sentences I assumed was to increase the length of his videos. His videos are pretty good quality so I will assume he has a crew of people but I don’t know the man. When I see his, “boomer chair.” I click off. lol!
 
"Same cam as 340"??
Yes- before the 340 even existed- lmao!
Special top secret “skunkworks” kind of stuff. Originally developed for the Chrysler small block in the marine / tractor market.
That cam shaft was even in the Apollo rocket and went to the moon and back. Hahahahahah.
 
Mike- I thought the towing package was just an option package? I could be wrong. Back in 66’ it is to my understanding that the package was upgraded cooling, stronger rear axle and lower ratio.
The fact it was called “towing” was just a selling point as chrysler if they sold the trailer hitch and or trailer wiring… it was dealer add on. As for UTG. He has a lot of followers but it seems his research is sometimes little to none. Or his research is from the wrong sources. He uses a lot of filler words and sentences I assumed was to increase the length of his videos. His videos are pretty good quality so I will assume he has a crew of people but I don’t know the man. When I see his, “boomer chair.” I click off. lol!

I see the trailer tow package wasn't available with the 273-4. Mine has the Rallye Package you see listed on the left and the 8 3/4 rear with 3.23 Sure Grip. Mine is a 66 and so is this information.

1713098254639.png
 
The towing package is another option that includes HD springs and shocks as well as the 8 3/4. I see the trailer tow package wasn't available with the 273-4. Mine has the Rallye Package you see listed on the left and the 8 3/4 rear with 3.23 Sure Grip.

View attachment 1716236380
That is the facts I’m sure UT did not see or get the memo on. Maybe he can chime in and comment. Nice detective work tool man!
 
That is the facts I’m sure UT did not see or get the memo on. Maybe he can chime in and comment. Nice detective work tool man!
And how many of his followers believe the misinformation that he says. :BangHead: :BangHead: :BangHead: :thumbsup:
 
340 cam, real ***** to work on, no 8 3/4, closed chamber heads, can't just throw headers on....
 
My understanding is they were “sort of” available in the late 65 model year.

I parted out a late 65 Dart GT (mid June build) with a 4 speed and had an 8.75 3.23 non-SG. The motor was gone but everything else was there in an extremely rusty body
Yes I do believe late 65. I got my 8.75 out of a 65 barracuda from the wrecking yard.
 
The 7 1/4" rears weren't holding up behind the 273-4 engines especially with a 4 speed. Many people were buying these cars with that engine and drive train as performance cars and they were driving them hard and breaking rear ends.
 
Ma Mopar started putting 8.75 rears in 4 speed cars mid production year of 1965. This was due to the number of 4 speed cars coming in for warranty rear replacements. Same year NHRA made a rule change that allowed 8.75 rears in Stock/SuperStock 65 cars. 66 saw 8.75 rears as standard in 4 speed cars. I would assume if the right box was checked you could get the 8.75 in an automatic.
 
I thought the video was inaccurate and biased. But I have to make a comment about the 7.25 rear end reliability.

It’s been nearly 58 years since I bought my ‘65 GoGo in September of 1966. I can’t recall the mileage on it, but it was low, probably less than 7,000 miles. I beat the hell out of that car, racing it at the strip and on the street (mostly.) My first set of tires lasted 6,000 miles - and I didn’t rotate them. The stock Auburn clutch ( a three-spring design, as I recall) didn’t last very long, so I replaced it with a clutch from a local rebuilder that was sort of a “poor man’s Sheifer.”) That clutch was much stiffer, and I beat the pedal so hard, that the pedal assembly cracked the firewall at the mount, forcing me to weld it up. Somewhere I picked up a set of SBP 14” wheels with recapped “cheater slicks” that I used for the strip and selected street events. I read every article I could find on tuning and hopping up the 273. The two most helpful were one on jetting the AFB, and setting up the distributor, which I did on the Sun distributor machine in the very well-equipped auto shop at NW Classen. My final mod was a “dump” pipe I welded in just past the “Y” in the exhaust pipe. Running 104 octane DX Super Boron (Sunoco 260 in other areas) I could break into the high 14’s at the local stip in OKC (I believe it was called Sun Valley.) The standard limited-slip never missed a beat until I sold the car the following summer to help pay for my college tuition. It had a little over 16,000 miles on it, and was on its’ third set of tires. The little 7.25 never failed to leave two dark strips on the asphalt with either slicks or street tires. It was also very quick off the line, which won a lot of races on the street.

As for this guy’s. love for Mustangs and Camaros, I owned a ‘65 Mustang 225hp 289 four-speed a few years after that, as well as a ‘67 Camaro with a very built 350. My Dart out-handled and out-stopped both of them, and I thought it was a better car overall, not to mention having a back seat large enough for recreational purposes. It was also quicker and faster than my Mustang, and I beat a bunch of stock 289’s on the street with my Dart. I was looking for a Formula S Barracuda when I bought my car, and didn’t even know a Dart GoGo existed until I saw mine on a used car lot across the street from my high school. I did know about the 235hp 273, and it was love at first sight when I raised the hood and saw that beautiful motor. The Hurst Competition Plus was icing on the cake, as was the yellow paint, gorgeous black interior, and, just like the Formula S, rally stripes. It even had a small RAC tach mounted on the dash.

Just my two cent’s worth.
 
I thought the video was inaccurate and biased. But I have to make a comment about the 7.25 rear end reliability.

It’s been nearly 58 years since I bought my ‘65 GoGo in September of 1966. I can’t recall the mileage on it, but it was low, probably less than 7,000 miles. I beat the hell out of that car, racing it at the strip and on the street (mostly.) My first set of tires lasted 6,000 miles - and I didn’t rotate them. The stock Auburn clutch ( a three-spring design, as I recall) didn’t last very long, so I replaced it with a clutch from a local rebuilder that was sort of a “poor man’s Sheifer.”) That clutch was much stiffer, and I beat the pedal so hard, that the pedal assembly cracked the firewall at the mount, forcing me to weld it up. Somewhere I picked up a set of SBP 14” wheels with recapped “cheater slicks” that I used for the strip and selected street events. I read every article I could find on tuning and hopping up the 273. The two most helpful were one on jetting the AFB, and setting up the distributor, which I did on the Sun distributor machine in the very well-equipped auto shop at NW Classen. My final mod was a “dump” pipe I welded in just past the “Y” in the exhaust pipe. Running 104 octane DX Super Boron (Sunoco 260 in other areas) I could break into the high 14’s at the local stip in OKC (I believe it was called Sun Valley.) The standard limited-slip never missed a beat until I sold the car the following summer to help pay for my college tuition. It had a little over 16,000 miles on it, and was on its’ third set of tires. The little 7.25 never failed to leave two dark strips on the asphalt with either slicks or street tires. It was also very quick off the line, which won a lot of races on the street.

As for this guy’s. love for Mustangs and Camaros, I owned a ‘65 Mustang 225hp 289 four-speed a few years after that, as well as a ‘67 Camaro with a very built 350. My Dart out-handled and out-stopped both of them, and I thought it was a better car overall, not to mention having a back seat large enough for recreational purposes. It was also quicker and faster than my Mustang, and I beat a bunch of stock 289’s on the street with my Dart. I was looking for a Formula S Barracuda when I bought my car, and didn’t even know a Dart GoGo existed until I saw mine on a used car lot across the street from my high school. I did know about the 235hp 273, and it was love at first sight when I raised the hood and saw that beautiful motor. The Hurst Competition Plus was icing on the cake, as was the yellow paint, gorgeous black interior, and, just like the Formula S, rally stripes. It even had a small RAC tach mounted on the dash.

Just my two cent’s worth.
The 7 1/4 Sure Grip's were pretty strong. The opens carriers weren't. An open carrier with 13" bias ply tires weren't a good combo.
 
I do not watch tony, as so much stuff he says is wrong..
I love the 273, either in two or four barrel mode. I own a 65 GT four speed Dart lifetime until me Arizona car, and a 69 273 Dart. I prefer 273 engines in that every one I ever had also gets better mileage, and will run with a 318 in the same car.
Just my opinion
 
i refuse to click on any of that idiots videos. hard to believe that clown has any followers.

I do not watch tony, as so much stuff he says is wrong..
I love the 273, either in two or four barrel mode. I own a 65 GT four speed Dart lifetime until me Arizona car, and a 69 273 Dart. I prefer 273 engines in that every one I ever had also gets better mileage, and will run with a 318 in the same car.
Just my opinion
That guy....
Does anyone ever remember reading his magazine articles? The dude went off on rants that were totally unrelated to the car that was being featured. Paragraph after paragraph of this guy ignoring the car and instead blabbing about everything else. He is like that neighbor that has a bunch of cars in his yard, none of them are reliable and complete, he always has opinions about what YOU should do but never does it himself.
The YouTube channel of his sometimes has a nugget of wisdom.....sometimes.
I noticed early on but never dwelled on it, the common theme of him building really crappy looking cars and rarely doing anything with them.
Slant six Miata?
A huge 4 door 318 "race car" ?
That green Duster, the 66 Dart, that trailer park tech 4 door to 2 door Valiant "SlagHammer" ?
Then he goes off the rails and focuses on Jeeps? Who the hell cares?
Reading the comments in his videos, it is clear that there are a LOT of dipshits that seem to hang on every word he says and can't wait to watch every video he puts out.
I try to step outside my own preferences and consider what others may be thinking to see if I am being unreasonable. I do this when I wonder if I am being too critical or too trusting.
With UTG, I had to just assume that it is just an act, a ruse he does to earn a living. "Actors" are pretending when they are on camera. It may be no different for him.
 
I tend to look at the guy's shop. if it is nasty looking with junky worthless cars and a chicken coop in the back yard, then I recommend not posting on U tube. You are judged by your appearance, so people quit listening. then throw in the shade tree mechanic thing.(I actually like chickens, but not on a car site!)
I grew up poor, and had to see people like that all the time. YIKES!
 
Nobody wanted them is a little off for sure.
When the 67's came with a 383, sure that was better.
And in 68 when that 340 came along, that was a hot car.
So the folks that wanted a lighter car that could handle, the 65-66 cars were still in demand.
But they had a hard time at the drag or street drags.

I would sure like to find a 65 "S", still a very cool car.
 
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