Information on the 273
The 273 2bbl is a fine, reliable engine, but will seem underpowered compared to other V8s. The 4bbl is a completely different animal. It still suffers from lack of torque compared to larger displacement engines, but it revs like crazy. To get the most out of it you want a lightweight car with a manual transmission — then it can be a lot of fun. Mine is in a 3300lb car with a stock 904 and a 3.23 axle, so it doesn't have neck-snapping performance, but it really pulls from say, 40 to 80mph. The torque & HP graphs from the factory brochures are very informative: the 2bbl has a torque peak at 1600rpm, and the 4bbl has a torque peak at 4000rpm — that's a very different proposition.
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The 273 2bbl is a fine, reliable engine, but will seem underpowered compared to other V8s. The 4bbl is a completely different animal. It still suffers from lack of torque compared to larger displacement engines, but it revs like crazy. To get the most out of it you want a lightweight car with a manual transmission — then it can be a lot of fun. Mine is in a 3300lb car with a stock 904 and a 3.23 axle, so it doesn't have neck-snapping performance, but it really pulls from say, 40 to 80mph. The torque & HP graphs from the factory brochures are very informative: the 2bbl has a torque peak at 1600rpm, and the 4bbl has a torque peak at 4000rpm — that's a very different proposition.