Recently had a 1966 Barracuda land in my lap for $1. Went on a fishing expedition in a strangers garage and got the disassembled car on a trailer with a truck full of extra parts including a rebuilt 273 LA short block engine by some company out of San Mateo Ca. At first I was in horror and had buyers remorse. Now I am very intrigued by how cool this car and motor are. I will be selling some parts here to fund my vision. I want to finish off the pictured rebuilt 273 LA with a four barrel intake, headers & ignition, cam; but keep the stock grandma look. Clean, primer any bare metal, new carpet kit, new upholstery, but all thrashed original vinyle will go back in, slap all the existing chrome back together. Buff and polish , but leave all small dents and blemishes in place and drive it. All new rubber and seals and will save the steering brake upgrades for retirement. Parts I have for sale : 1964 Valiant tail light, 1966 pair of Valiant tail lights, Extra complete 1966 Barracuda dashboard with all guages and odometer, two original door handles, full left hand side quarter panel and few more things. I will post for sale items periodically. I need a four barrel intake manifold for starters. Super excited about this sled.
New Mopar Addict
- Thread starter 3rdScout
- Start date
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Now that’s the most interesting tag I have ever seen.
Nice car and super nice score!
Have you played the lottery recently? You should!
Nice car and super nice score!
Have you played the lottery recently? You should!
You stole the car for $1.00. Are you sure you didn't hold a gun to his head and force him to take the dollar bill? LMAO Just kidding, for that money you are bucks ahead of where some of us started. Good luck with your new "FISH". In your search for an intake, make sure of the year casting of the heads, 64 & 65 used a different angle on the mating surface and 66 to pre Magnum is another angle.
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Cool score!
from 
from 
Scody21
Just send it
Welcome. Super cool find. My 72 duster lived in Aptos for a while by a prior owner. I have family in the area.
Also might want to watch this video to explain why loading a car backwards is not a good idea.
Also might want to watch this video to explain why loading a car backwards is not a good idea.
I've seen this awesome video on towing. However tires were flat and cracked on the front and I had to block the entire street to winch it up onto the deck without help. I crept home. I was more worried about the small block on the back; pulled over a few times to ensure it was secure. Actually pretty smooth transit. Likely I'll never tow a car again; fingers crossed.
Thank you for the reply; my wife doesn't think so. This car will swallow $100 bills with ease. I think any 318 intake post 1966- should work due to head angle, but I'm not sure about ports. I've found some great threads on this site for intakes. Never built a motor and the more I read it seems it might be necessary to break that American Motors Rebuilt Power Pak short block down, inspect oil passages, double check for tolerance stacking in the crank and re-assemble and torque? Sound pretty daunting. I still need to check compression and pull the heads off the old 273 in the car. If compression and valves look good I may just get the existing motor up and running and build the power pak block later.
Buyer's remorse over one dollar? Seriously? You're a hard one to please.
Very cool score! Not sure if you knew but "Power Pak" was an OEM name for the Commando motor. Pistons in that block arent Commando pistons but no big deal. More just an fyi what power Pak meant. Also that could be a Formula S car with a Power Pak/commando.
Hindsight, I should have gone over and looked at it. He showed me a picture of it and I went with a borrowed trailer thinking I could change the plugs, clean the carb, put some new shoes on it and drive it; I've done this with Scouts. I thought it was in one piece. Spent the whole day looking for parts mixed in with mustang parts and valiant parts. Had no idea it was completely stripped inside and motor torn apart. I got anxiety on the way home and called a friend that's a car guy to see if he was interested; last thing I needed was a ground up project. He convinced me to sit on it for a bit. I'm glad I did. I know it was hard for the owner to give up. The owner found me. I stay in touch and I think he's happy that I'm stoked on it. I've been learning a lot. Hopefully I can get it on the road for <5K?
So I've heard about the power pak commando set up. I don't think this is related. I think those blocks were just re-conditioned by American Motors in San Mateo as drop in replacements. I know nothing about motors. I will see if I can identify the pistons. Curious to see what size they are and if it's been bored? If the existing motor will run, I will take my time with that short block. I pulled the timing chain it was pretty loose, there's lots of sludge on the motor and valvtrain was covered in thick fuzzy sludge; about 80k on the motor. will check to see if valves are straight and seats decent. Learning as I go.
They've been identified. @4spdragtop already that for you. They are the low compression non Commando pistons. There were only two pistons available for the 273 and a blind man would know the difference. They've been identified.
Good to know. Bummer. I was under the impression that the stock 273 heads should be high compression. I may strip the block completely. I will read up on the pistons and performance differences.
No bummer, heads are very similar 2 bl to 4 bl. They are closed chamber. Same casting #'s for both I believe.
Main difference in Power pak is pistons cam 4bl intake DP distributor and possibly stronger valve springs?
Main difference in Power pak is pistons cam 4bl intake DP distributor and possibly stronger valve springs?
It's a good engine either way. Not a thing wrong with it.
I thought p-pak pistons help function at higher rpm in conjuction with the the closed heads? Was looking at the Egge's, $600 dollars a piston, not doing that. If the difference is minimal then ill let it go. So the power pak block is a 65. The Cuda is a 66. Wonder if I can use those heads and open up my options for an affordable easy to find 4bl intake. Or just strip and rebuild the old 66 block and find a new home for the power pak blok?
The higher compression the Commando pistons gave is nothing that a set of good flowing heads cannot duplicate in terms of power. I'd take higher flowing heads with non Commando pistons any day.
Appreciate your input, thank u.
You bet. It's splittin hairs man. Just get the heads worked right and maybe the bowls cleaned up and you'll essentially have a Commando engine.
PlymCrazy
Well-Known Member
Beat me to it lol
PlymCrazy
Well-Known Member
Welcome to FABO from NY!
Welcome! Nice Barracuda! Have your heads done right and bolt them on. Best thing you can do is pick a good mechanical cam and a double roller timing chain. Those pistons are good, they should be close to .020 below deck. Any 318 intake will work since they have the same size ports, make sure your heads have 3/8 intake bolts (9/16 wrench). It should be easily get 1 hp per cu in with a .425-.450 lift cam with good machine work. Also looks to have a forged crankshaft. It should be red, not blue. LOL
Welcome! Man, for a buck you could throw 1 rim on the junk scale and they'd give ya a dollar for that !!!! Looks like a fun project!
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