Where to start?

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Oldfish 65

Oldfish 65

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Nov 7, 2010
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Syracuse NY
Hi folks. I have been lurking around this forum for a while, and I enjoy seeing what everyone has been doing with their old mopars. The time has come to start planning what to do with my '65 barracuda. She has been in the family since new, and I've had her for a few years now. She runs well, The body has a fresh paintjob, and the chassis is tight. I fitted her with 14x7 indy slots that I restored myself. Interior is tip top. Stock drums redone all around. I think I found a good dual chamber MC and brake booster kit, but I can live with the stock setup for now.

Now the hard part. I think my next step is to wake up the motor. She has the original wimpy 273 2barrel with the stock auto trans. I just don't know where to begin! She is bone stock with only 19,000 miles. I'm thinking about going with a four barrel, a hotter cam, and manifold duals. I think if I crack open the 273, I'll just end up pouring in crazy cash with minimal gains. I want to keep the power steering if at all possible. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than I can help me decide where to start.

I guess what I want to know is What kind of performance gains I can realistically achieve with a stock internal 273? Perhaps I should just save my money for a complete drivetrain build. She is never going to be a race car, I just want a fun cruiser. I don't ever plan on selling her. This year I can only justify giving myself a $3,000 budget. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
 
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It depends on your needs Oldfish65. How fast do you want to go? The 273 is a high rever and is no slouch. Its no 340 but I have out run 318s with mine. I went from a 2 to a 4 barrel on mine and she is a tire fryer. Especially if this car only has 19k on her. But its your car and you should be able to do what you want.
There is a thread here somewhere on a 273 buildup.
 
Not what you want to hear but with 19k miles & being original I wouldn't screw with it at all, just drive as is on nice days. Very few nice originals left.
 
Nice car oldfish65!A 4barrel carb and a set of 355 gears would be all you need for a good street driver. Keep it clean and mean!!!
 
Welcome guys! Nice Barracuda Oldfish! Lots of good 273 info here.Look in Forums or use Search. A 273-4 barrel can run good and you already have a fresh engine. If the engine is original to the car you will need a HP273 manifold for a 65 as the bolt holes are at a different angle and the bolts are smaller diameter than the 66 and newer manifolds. Those manifolds are still around but you need to be patient. My 66 Dart has a HP273 that I rebuilt last winter. It runs good but I only have a couple thousand miles on it and I'm slowly working out the bugs and tuning. Good luck
 

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First off, welcome aboard Oldfish! It's great to have you and that beautiful '65 here with us. You'll find all the tech advice and Mopar love you could possibly want on FABO.

And Toolman, I'm loving that new engine bay pic! Can I use that on my website (unless you have one without the battery charger)? Looking fabulous my friend!!!
 
That is one nice ride.
I am agreeing.
Start with the 4 barrel . Do gears and dual exhaust.
Save all your original stuff though and see how you like it.
If you are used to the 2 barrel and stock exhaust that should keep you happy for awhile anyways.
 
oldfish,

as a 65 formula s owner I would say leave that beauty alone! It is too nice a survivor to mess with. Mine was mechanically restored but since we did not have the original 273 I put in a 318, but uses manifolds valve covers from 273 runs and looks good. Yours is so very nice as it is, the most I would consider is finding a 273 4bbl manifold set up and keep original looking. JMO One must do what makes them happy..
 
Leave it alone except for electronic ignition and good spark plugs. Otherwise one thing will lead to another and you will still never be satisfied, just poorer! For example, if you go for more power, you might bust your 7.25 rear.
 
another vote to leave it alone.....find another project to hot rod on 8)

Rickster
 
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