Ma Mopar's Least Loved Musclecars - The 273 Commando Early A Body
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Chrysler's 235 horse 273 4 Barrel was a sweet, well rounded little powerhouse and when installed in the light, nimble first generation A Body made for a fantastic mini musclecar.
But tight packaging of the small block in a space originally intended for a Slant Six, a fragile rear axle and styling that was more than a bit awkward compared to Ford and GM offerings meant that when these cars came to the end of their useful life, most were scrapped or left.to rot, making them relatively rare today.
We dropped by Kiwi's to take a look at this beautiful survivor and point out some of the things that made these cars both unique and difficult to work with. @kiwiclassicsandcustoms9160
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Here's a curious bit of trivia. The first OHV V8 Chrysler made was the 1951 Hemi, 331cu in and 180HP with a 2 barrel. A few years later it was upgraded to a 4 barrel and 235HP.
13 years later they brought out the 273 with the same 180HP 2 barrel and 235HP 4 barrel.
The 273 was a 318 block with a small bore and the same crankshaft and rods as the 318. They put thicker wrist pins in the pistons to bring the weight up so they did not need to rebalance the crank.
Those cool valve covers with the black wrinkle paint and aluminum trim rivetted on had a purpose. To dampen any valve noise from the solid lifter cam.
The 273 was Chrysler's first engine to use thin wall casting.
Those early hemis must have had very solid blocks, cranks etc. They used them alot in the front engine dragsters in the 50's and 60's ..supercharged.
@@bourbonlover7158 You aren't kiddiing. Don Garlits won many drag races with a stock block, stock crank, stock rods, stock heads, early hemi supercharged on nitro making 1500HP reliably and consistently.
@@mrdanforth3744 A great testament to the engineers.
I used to have a stash of those valve covers, air cleaners, and pie tins. Wish I still had them!
65 barracuda 273 commando 4 speed first car still have it
Lucky man.
Well done!
Nobody wanted these?? Seriously? Lmao...😂
Mine was a 67. Grandpa won the POS in a poker game.
Thoise v8 leopards, suk more fuel than my wife suk my mothly salary
I own a '66 Valiant. According to the OEM parts catalog, an 8 3/4" rear end was available for these cars as an option.
Does yours have a 8/3/4 or a 170 or 225 or 190 slant six 3 on the tree?
Love your history of Mopar stuff the most. Not really a car guy btw, but I watch all your vids!
Thanks for the vid UTG !
Wish I could find me a Kiwi’s Garage or an uncle Tony in Tucson, Arizona.
I had a 65 Valiant Signet with a 273. The starter self destructed. It would only come out in pieces and the new one put back in pieces or you had to remove the exhaust or pull the engine. I ended up putting in a mini starter. They really shoe horned that 273 in those just like you are pointing out. They would rev high and burn rubber decently in their high rev power zone. I liked it but sold it due to many of the reasons you mentioned. The 904 and tiny spindly rear end in mine were worrisome for dumping more power to if I was going to soup up the motor. On another note, I did know a guy that had a 65 Barracuda that he converted to a street/race car and he totally butchered it to make it real fast with all the speed goodies and large tires. That back window is also heavy, the valiant makes a better drag car if you wanted to butcher one of those. Nothing is easy to do on them, everything is very tight. Decent cars overall but they didn’t get a lot of love.
Uncle Tony´`s Mopar trivia knowledge is damn impressive.
Every time i see one of those cars I think of a movie from the 80's called The Wraith.
Not a Mopar guy myself but Id like to have 1. Tight engine bay, or not, still beats the stuff built these days.
When I was young, we had our own drag strip in our little town. A totally illegal one. One friday night, this fellow shows up with his Barracuda named the Blue Streak Barracuda. Blueprinted and balanced. Plus other motor work. And it was fast, very fast!!! This was 1965-66?
Thanks
COOP
...
I was just writing an article about the 1964 Plymouth valiant 273 today. What are the odds.
Cool.
We had a 63 Valiant with the Slant 6. No power steering but it was so easy to maneuver. My mother said it was like steering a baby carriage compared to the V8 powered car that replaced it.
Great history lesson UT. Thanks!! 👍
❤ kiwi is the man .Awesome. UT knowledge is deep
Seeing the early Mustang in close proximity, I wonder how hard back in the day it would have been to swap a Ford 8" or 9" from an early v8 Mustang into this early A body when the 7 1/2" blew up. Those early Mustang rears must have been everywhere in the late 60s and into the 70s.
Such a beautiful car dear gosh I'm glad he got it there with that happening! and the D Dart is a TREAT white paint Red interior 275+hp 273 one of the rare +1hp 1Cid engines out there
I absolutely love these cars and Gosh they are a bit tight everywhere I know if you take the K member out the heads will hold the engine in the engine bay I've seen it happen. my 65 the exhaust was HACKED badly to make it dual exhaust and it's been through so many 7 1/4 axles ours would snap the shaft in the differential housing and the last one ate a spider gear with the ring and pinion I can't wait to get mine back together it's scattered all across the garage since dad blew it up in 75 those valve covers and everything is just pretty.
sorry for gushing I just love seeing people give these cars the love they deserve.
Had to watch this one. 2 cars my father always talks about fondly from the 70’s are his ‘66 barracuda 273/4sp. And his 68 valiant post 360/4sp. He and his brother tuned up the ‘66 one day and took it down granville street in Vancouver sideways, taking out sandwich boards with the back end, allegedly.
Loving the fact that the steering box got THAT loose before the owner took it to a mechanic.. And the "upgrade" of brake fluid boiler. And the "All in display, but no actual access" rear window. When the head designer is not really a car person, and the marketing department decides to make it the engine designer's problem.. "We need to sell these cars! Fit a V8 in it!" "But it doesn't fit!" "Make it fit!" "Okay.."
Cooler than a 70❤ gonna be a hot thing next thanks to your channel
That is an early model as the back window trim is the valiant V and not the fish..... I had a tab break on the aluminum case, fast ratio manual steering in the 1970's .
Have a 66 valiant 2 door hardtop with the Cammando package. Desert car in southern Nevada
I’m real sure there was a leftover dark green 66 Formula S with a 340 1:33 at the dealer deep into 1967.
List was $3600 and a friendly salesman guaranteed a deep discount.
My dad was unimpressed
I remember Consumer Reports not like the fastback rear window. They thought it didn't give good enough vision.
Hi Tony love this show nobody recognize the 273 in the mid 60s my 65 coronet 440 convertible was an ordered car with a 273 2brl solid lifers .I had a chance to buy a 340 off the the machine shop it want. Put it in the coronet ..... what a mistake 340 was butcher build . That 273 was re built 30 years ago with the resort oration of car it never let me down on the evening cruise with the top down.
Great exhaust sound
In 1966, the first year of the SCCA Trans Am Series, the HP 273s in Darts and Barracudas put on a strong showing, at least for that first year at any rate. I was surprised to see that Richard Petty was involved, running a Barracuda. A Google search will bring up some pretty interesting photos and stories.
Crazy how much more space there is in that compared to my factory rhd 81 valiant. In Australia they didn’t shift the engine to the centre or off to the passenger side so we have a steering box on the cramped side aswell as an offset brake booster so that it sits above the valve cover and gaurd. Just finished making extractors fit and you have to clear the torsion bar, steering box, bellhousing, oil iflter relocation plate and the cross over linkage/bar for the shifter since its rhd, major headache
Had a 67 dart convertible with a manual and 273. Fun little car.
Is your name Mannix?
Love the green 💚
I had a 64 Dart 273 2 barrel it got 30 miles to the gallon!
Back in '70 I bought a '65 Dart GT with a HP 273 4speed (factory Hurst shifter) andi it was a sweerie. About 60k milesbwhen I bought it. Seemed to be pretty quick for what ir was. White woth a blue is nterior. Loved it, wish I could have it back now. Replaced it with a '67 Dart GT 4 speed that wasn't nearly as fast. These are really underappreciated cars by the MoPar guys.
I had a pink 66 Cuda. Factory color
Even Kiwi is carefully listening 😁👍
I like the way that master cylinder was upgraded. Sits right over the hot exhaust manifold. This is when upgrades are really down grades.
That steering box 😂 oh boy! Nice car, a little to quite but a very nice survivor!
Beautiful!
Very nice KeyWii, straight car mate, where in the bloody heck do you come across such nice cars? I'll have to put another shrimp on the Barbie after seeing this video. I'm still waiting to see that stock red jeep with the 40hp tune get down the track in the 13s that Uncle Tony owns. 😂 13s will be highly problematic. If Luke289 had that red jeep, it would be possible, even though, he did run a v8 off a lawnmower carburetor and got 40 mpg.
I wanted to build the 273 in my dad's 66 Coronet to Commando specs but my engine builder talked me out of high compression pistons. I have the Commando 4bbl intake in my garage waiting for a small AFB. Then I'll rebuild the engine a 2nd time with high compression.
I go "commando" all the time when it is hot outside.
I like the body style but I'm sure most people wouldn't now of days, I don't want to know how much that rear glass would cost to replace today
What an awesome car! Very tight fit
That's a really nice car !
My 64 dart had duel exhaust made g that little 273 scream.
Agree that the rear wheel arches make those cars look bloated. Almost like a big Pontiac with skirts, LOL.
Surprised people never cut them like 90% of first gen Broncos.
They look stationwagonie…( new word)
Found something interesting with regards to the Black Ghost:
I just did some research on this and you all can do the same but I don't think this was actually a real hemi car
In 1970 the trailer hitch option was not available for the cars with the hemi engine option selected, it was "not applicable" with it
You can go look at the options lists from Dodge in the 1970 model year and you will see that they could not be optioned like that
It is so nice car. You can make useable power with manifolds. It is plenty in compact platform. 273 commando cam is a myth. Only special racing racing cars had bigger cams.
Uncle Tony could you do a video on cars street cred for all the people who weren't born back then?
The 66 Baracuda was like something granny would drive and the 66 Mustang what her grandson would be driving. Really cool information about the 273 V8.
Noticed UT and Kiwi kept coming real close to the low hanging trailer hitch on the Mustang. Hopefully no bells rang.
You could get the Hurst shifter in 64 and 65, but they switched to the Inland shifter in 66. Why? My guess is that it fit better in console equipped models than the Hurst shifter.
Rear wheel opening looks like has skirts on it.
Best looking part is the engine
My bud dailys one of these. Has the bigger of the slant 6.
Nice car. Good video.
My 1st car.
Sweet Ride. 🇺🇸💯
Come on uncle Tony, offer him $18,000. You know you want it.
i have a 67 notch cuda with the 273 4B
Kiwis krusty kouch kushions😂
Try putting the steering box on the other side, with the engine still offset to the right. They managed to do it in Aussieland. Had to relocate the oil filter though.
That does sound lovely😂
It's a fish, Barracuda. I'd say the styling was sort of along the saloon racer. The low quarter panel opening gave the car a low stance look. Chrysler was always a lot more bold in their designs than GM or Chev was. Mopar people are definitely unique and willing to go where no man, or woman, has gone before. 😁
Wow this is a really clean example. I bought a 65 back in 2012 as my first muscle car/first mopar… such a fun car, got tons of compliments. I had restored it about 85% (still needed interior)… after a few mechanical issues I wasn’t driving it as much and some stupid reason I decided to sell it. Literally the second it drove off and I could hear the exhaust pipes getting further away, my heart sank. Instant regret. I scoured the internet for a couple weeks and found a tattered old 68 barracuda fastback and have been having a lot of fun restoring it since. One night recently while in the mopar rabbit hole on UA-cam, I found my old 65! maybe one day when I get a bigger garage I’ll try to buy it back… ua-cam.com/video/8lKPGe9Fiyc/v-deo.htmlsi=D9aVFktHORUBs7S3
My friend’s dad had one on jack stands in the garage for like two decades. It was green with baby moons, and had a 273 Commando with dual quads and a 4 speed.They sure liked talking about how insanely fast it was, but I never saw it off the jack stands!
Kiwi is fixin to get an Excedrin headache on that hitch . Safety man has spoken.
LOL!
self correcting problem
A highschool friend of mine had one of these...same spec as this car.
I remember the sound of this car. It had solid lifters. All my young friends we built muscle cars with in the late 60's and 70's became automotive engineers in Detroit
You didn't grow up in Detroit then become an "automotive engineer". People went to school all across the country then came to Detroit in hopes to become an "automotive engineer". Several people like that were women who didn't even know what a shock absorber was and did, yet become head "engineer" of the mark 8 Lincoln with air bags. That didn't work out so well. I know what you are saying but the truth is way different than the way you said it
@@williamstamper442 What kind of fool are you? I am not going to expose my name or names of my friends on line or where each of us went to engineering school or even all the cars we built. We didn't live in Detroit proper but in the suburbs and my father for example was an automotive engineer as well who worked for Chevy Engineering in Warren, MI at the tech center who brought home all the fastest cars of the late 60's throughout the 70's...from big and small block Camaros and Corvettes including a LS-6 Chevelle I street raced on Woodward. My friends and I also built the fastest car at our high school. I ended up following in my father's footsteps later in life also working at the Tech center in Warren for Chevy Engineering. Detroit is a local reference. Mo Town. The motor city. The home of the American auto industry. Growing up in the Detroit 'area'. Get a clue.
I have forgotten more about cars and likely motorcycles as well than you ever even thought about. I built my first motorized vehicle which was a minibike built from a bicycle and lawnmower engine when I was 12 years old from scratch. I was also given a timing light and dwell/tach meter around the same time period for Christmas and began tuning my parents cars including neighbors cars which had conventional points and distributor. I got my first real job as a machinist working through college because I fixed the president's son's go kart and he was impressed with my mechanical capability when I first started college. No internet. I am 70 years old.
PS. I also got my first engineering job fresh out of college working in the city of Detroit proper, the Budd Company.
Throughout my career, I rarely met a woman who knew much about cars or their design or certainly hotrodding and this sounds like you.
@@williamstamper442salty
So it's you fellas that are responsible for the absolute ugly slow useless garbage produced in the 70s and 80s? 😂😂
I'd be ok with an early 273 A body !
And 16 sec quarter miles
@williamstamper442 Thanks for that highly intelligent response.
When I was a kid the neighbors bought one of these with the 273 and 4 speed. Their kids thought it was so cool. A Baracuda woooo. I always thought it looked weird. I am a Mopar guy and still think it looks weird lol.
I understand what you said and agree completely
YEP! it looks like a Valliant with a fastback slapped onto it! I like them a little better 35 years down the road same for the 66-67 Charger....Used to hate them now...Think they are kind of cool🤓
I've always liked 'em, and always thought they looked weird too. They look WAAYYY better with the rear wheel arches opened up a bit.
I am pleased to see this because I have a same colore green 66 Formula S, 4 speed council, power disc brakes power steering, AC car. It also has some other options.
That's exactly what it was - a fastback Valiant. In fact, the first few were badged as VALIANT Baracudas.
I had a 67 Barracuda Formula S, man I miss that car!
Completely different car though. A '67 is a good looking body style. The notch backs were especially good looking cars. the '67-'69 are actually preferable to my eye over the ever so popular 1970 and up. Smaller makes 'em cooler little racers than those lager E body cars.
@@Dogboy1960 oh I know my cousin had a 64 and a 65. The push button was neat, but annoying. I always thought the 68 charger got its styling from the Barracuda and the Chevelle.
@@Dogboy1960 I was never a fan of the E-bodys, but I'm weird. I like the F-bodys, I had a '77 Volare super six. Had the a833 overdrive and 2.93 gears.
As did I- Fastback 67 Formula S, $400 off a car lot in 1975 , 273/235- factory dual points and a 727 out of a Duster , with 3.23's ; the car had more motor in it than brakes to stop it- and feared very little of anything.
@@ervinthompson6598 factory vacuum performance gauge.😁
Love those engines. I once bought a Dart wagon with a bone stock 273 4 barrel 4 speed. Guys have since told me that wasn't possible, but mine was OEM and that's what it had.
Yup, 10.25 compression, solid lifter cam, and Carter 4 barrel. You forgot to mention, and I always thought this was so cool, the factory intake manifold was a single plane. These little engines would run to 7,000 rpm and not float a valve.
Oh, and because they were solid cam, they had adjustable rockers. I put 273 rockers on the 340 in my 70 Dart later, bolted right up with the right length push rods.
Some of the 2 barrel intakes were single plane too. I used junkyard 273 rockers and pushrods in a 340 in the 1970's when I was high school.
7000 is very impressive
Had a 66 Dart GT with the 273 Commando and 4speed, Sure grip rear end, no power steering, no AC, no heater, but All the chrome trim,it was like that from the factory,i was pissed when it was stolen
I love 66 barracudas probably 1 of my favorite mopars
My first wife's dad HATED American cars, only drove European stuff whole time I knew him. The only American car he talked fondly about was a Barracuda 273 4sp he bought new. Dont know the year. Of course it was long by then he was driving Audis, SAABs, Volvos, Renaults, Jags, Peugeots, even had a Citroen. But he talked about that Barracuda a lot. Lol
the Barracuda came out months before the Mustang so the 'pony' car should really be called a 'fishy' car.
In Canada on 1975 I had a 66 Valiant fastback, it had a 273, auto transmission. One of those cars I regret selling!
Hey do you remember how many times the magazine "Car Toons" had 65 barracudas in the stories? The artists must have really liked them!
The reason people didn't gravitate to them because it just looked like a fastback Valiant.
I was thinking about how this engine gets no attention just the other day !
I had a 65 273 valant 2 door. Loved that motor
Cool cars I have 3 valiants and 65 is one I would like to add to the collection
I think it’s amazing looking it’s got some great lines. It’s it’s one of a kind I like it. I like how it looks.
I'm a fan of '60s GM styling. A few hours with the right designer and the Baracuda would have been very popular. The budget constraints probably are the why it's a compromise. They spent too much on the big glass.
My 67 dart came with a 273 ci. Wish it was a commando. 7 1/4 rear end. Grandma car. Glad they widen the frame. The 360ci fits nice
I had a 67 Coronet with a 273 and 7 1/4 rear and a 68 Coronet with a 273 and an 8 3/4 rear.
That is a Very nice Car if I seen that Right $27,000 ?? But Uncle Tony’s right you can’t do Much with it but leave it Stock.
I'm a GM guy. But I love these 'strange looking' early 60's Mopars. Especially the early 60's Mopars with the canted headlights and the crazy shapes
Hey Tony, the original Barracuda was the third best looking car to come out of the Chrysler factory ! No. 1, 59 Fury ,no. 2 , 64 Canadian Fury 3. Alex. Expat Canuck in Australia
Mopar A Bodies Forever!!!!! 🇺🇸
A bodies rock
@@cmintsurfer Absolutely Sir!!
I must contradict: I am a GM guy, but I always liked those early Barracudas. A friend of mine had one for several years. He is actually a Buick and Chevy guy. I think his wife loved it, so he bought it. I like the huge rear window. But you are right: It is terribly cramped in the engine bay.
What I liked even more were the Marlins. I never found out why people do not love those. American motors (before Gremlins and Javelins) are quite underrated to this day.
My friend's dad had a 66 with a 273, but not the Formula S. We (friend and I, not his dad) found that you can put a racing go-kart in the back seat area by folding down the seat, and wriggling the kart in thru the passenger door. I don't think his dad ever knew about that, and that was a good thing. (We did put blankets down to protect the upholstery).
always liked the A body mopars i always thought it was odd they didnt get hotrodded more this explains why pretty good
My dad has a 66 barracuda. He got a few years ago, was a 225 3 speed 7.25” rear. Now is a 408 stroker 600hp, 8.75” rear 4.30:1 gear, 4spd 833.
When my 65 Valiant steering box did that, it was because the K Member cracked around one of the steering box bolt holes. I hope that this one is just loose.
The Inland shifters look soooo cool! and the single exhaust and sound is EPIC! UT, that looks like the proper repop rear resonator-tip combo.
Tony, love your stuff, wouldn’t miss. I’m a Ford guy, 63 Falcon w/347, 38 half ton chopped, channeled ford w/49 flathead, building a f150 farm truck. You are a wealth of information, tons of tips and tricks, yer great.
Love the ‘66 Barracuda! Lost a basic one with 225 auto with console when I was 16 (thanks mom 😢)
Lol get rid of it you got to much junk the neighbors think we are a junkyard
It took me a little time to come round to the 1st gen but I absolutely love them now quirky is the word as you say Tony maybe a car only mopar guys could love but I do remember a red one with fat and skinny cragars and a beautiful stance .....it was pure magic ❤
I'm not a Mopar guy, but I remember a silver one of these at the old porter drag strip. I always thought it was the best looking Mopar I've ever seen,
I love those beautiful cars
I've never been a Mopar fan, but I loved the early Barracuda and Chargers.
Uncle Tony I'm trying to listen to the video but having a hard time because I just left McDonald's where they would not honor my app coupon and things just escalated from there. I politely told them all, the dei hires, to F off and walked away. I'm a Christian man and feel like I need to go back and apologize, but then again for what? I didn't do anything wrong! At All!
So how should a real man/car guy handle such a thing...? I choose to never go back there again which is the only thing I can figure out that works for me...
I understand if you can't or won't touch this comment, just wanted to throw it out there.
I bought a 65 Dart Charger in 1970. It had the 273 High Performance V8 which I rebuilt. I installed fenderwell headers and the 8-3/4" rear-end from a roached out 68 340 Dart I scrapped. It ran 14.70s, and I held the KOA National Record in AHRA. I used to beat 383 Roadrunners on the street. They'd swear it was a 340 but I told them look at the casting numbers on the block. I really embarrassed them!😂
14.70s even in the 70s was not what we consider "quick". My 350 cube Oldsmobile engine in a 3700 pound car ran 13.70s and would have run circles around your car.
However with that said I admire you being honest and throwing out real world numbers. I certainly wish things now were that way back then.
i built a 273 for a 1965 four door Valiant. With a four speed and 4.56 rear end it ran a best ET of 12.72 @ 108 MPH. Sold it to the famous Renteria Brothers in 1980. Oh, forgot to mention I installed Cyclone fenderwell headers and they just dropped in from the top in ten minutes time.
273 vs 350 is giving up 80 cubic engines and a lot of average torque throughout the rev range.. I do remember a guy running a well worked 273 that ran low 11s so your comparing a stock 273 to something you built and massaged, because I dought your olds 350 ran that time fresh from the factory either.. lol😊
@@kevindoherty2716👍
Just a stunning green on that unique body style, I really like it! Who cares what motor it is if it’s just a fun cruiser? Looked pretty clean 👍
This was good. While 17 years old talked Dad down to a used car lot to buy an Austin Healey, my dad spotted this 1965 Barracuda Formula S and he talked me into buying it. It was Fast, never shifted into 4th before 100 mph. It always broke everything from the tranny back, broken axles and such. It was more fun than my 69 SS 396. This explained why I had drive train problems back then. Thanks for that. That being said I wouldn't mind trying it again at my elder age.
cheers,
I have. 66 barracuda here in Australia, love it, not and S , but a 273 904 console care, love it UTG