What "makes" a 66 Barracuda a Formula S ??

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stillrunners said:
Blue Streak tires have been mentioned and in the trunk area the tire cover and the drop down access to the rear area both have half notches in them for the 14" wheel and BS tire.
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Any of them with the 14 X 5.5" wheels came with the cut out on the trunk divider panel.
 
My 66 Formula S. 150 mph speedo, factory tach, (working WITH electronic ignition, not an easy feat). The 4 bbl cars had 10.5:1 compression solid lifters, the two bbl cars were 9.0:1. Mine has the "racing brake package", seems pretty rare. The rear drums are pretty much unobtanium, fortunately mine are good. It has Kelsey Hayes 4 piston front calipers but according to the fender tag didn't come with them. I believe the Formula S cars all had console shifters but don't hold me to that.

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demondaddy said:
My 66 Formula S. 150 mph speedo, factory tach, (working WITH electronic ignition, not an easy feat). The 4 bbl cars had 10.5:1 compression solid lifters, the two bbl cars were 9.0:1. Mine has the "racing brake package", seems pretty rare. The rear drums are pretty much unobtanium, fortunately mine are good. It has Kelsey Hayes 4 piston front calipers but according to the fender tag didn't come with them. I believe the Formula S cars all had console shifters but don't hold me to that.

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10" rear drum and 4 piston Kelsey-Hayes were quite common.
 
cudamark said:
Any of them with the 14 X 5.5" wheels came with the cut out on the trunk divider panel.
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My 1966 Form S did not come with either trunk cut outs.....but hey who knows why....and pretty sure my 1965 Form S I bought in 1975 did not as well or I would have those parts in stock still.
 
cudamark said:
It's interesting that it was delivered in September of 1965. I wonder when it was built. That's after the 1966 models were out. One of my '66's has a build date of August 17th 1965. Being specially built for a Chrysler executive, anything is possible.
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I'm not sure I buy that part of the story. 7/07 scheduled production date. If the new owner gets the IBM card it will have a shipped date. 8/1 was usually the first day of the new model year production. Our GTS has an 8/28/67 SPD.
 
stillrunners said:
My 1966 Form S did not come with either trunk cut outs.....but hey who knows why....and pretty sure my 1965 Form S I bought in 1975 did not as well or I would have those parts in stock still.
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Of the 7 '66 Formula S's and 2 others I've had with the 14 X 5.5 wheels, they all had the cut out in the divider panel.
 
cudamark said:
6 leaf springs on both sides
stripes were optional, not standard and went fore/aft over the hood, roof, and trunk lid.
The exhaust has both a muffler and resonator
Until proven otherwise to me, disc brakes were not optional from the FACTORY in 1965. Dealer installed only. Factory option in 1966. 10" drums were standard on all V8's in 1966.
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Do the 10 inch drums fit in 13 inch wheels? I have my 273 4BBl, 4Spd in storage (and have not driven it since 1987) but will check the measurements when I pull the tires for some repairs (currently soaking the cylinders to try to get it started after all this time ) . In the dim recesses of my memory my dad said the discs and the bigger drums did not come on 13 inch wheel cars, so i just thought we had the 9 inch drums.

Jeff-in-KC
 
Miranthis said:
Do the 10 inch drums fit in 13 inch wheels? I have my 273 4BBl, 4Spd in storage (and have not driven it since 1987) but will check the measurements when I pull the tires for some repairs (currently soaking the cylinders to try to get it started after all this time ) . In the dim recesses of my memory my dad said the discs and the bigger drums did not come on 13 inch wheel cars, so i just thought we had the 9 inch drums.

Jeff-in-KC
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The '65-up 13" wheels will fit the 10" drum brakes. The '64 and earlier wheels won't due to a different center hub design. You can tell the difference between the two by the size if the slots between the rim and hub. Real thin slots work, wide slots don't. Factory Kelsey Hayes disc brakes need 14" wheels. The 14 X 5.5 wheels fit fine. Some 14 X 4.5 fit too, but, not all.
 
Thanks.

On the Formula S matter, the October 1965 revision of the Barracuda order code list (form 84-380-8653) says that package 367 is the Formula "S" Package and has the following (which matches the window sticker posted on page 3 of this thread):

FORMULA "S" PACKAGE
(N/A with Group 359 or 368)
Commando 273 8Cyl. 4bbl Engine
Suspension Package-H.D.
Rear Springs, H.D.
Torsion Bars, and
Sway Bar.
Shock Absorbers-Firm
Ride-Front and Rear
Tachometer
6.95 x 14 Special Blue Streak Tires
Heavy Gauge Wide Rim
14" Wheels
14" Wheel Covers-Bolt
on type
Formula "S" Nameplates

That. is. it. Other stuff IS available by other option codes, like the woodgrain wheel, the console, AC, front disc brakes, stripe, (even vinyl roof) etc.

Group 359 is the Sport group with Woodgrain Steering Wheel and 7.00 x 13 with bolt on wheel covers and Group 368 is the Suspension package with HD rear springs, HD torsion bars and the sway bar (but not, interestingly, the Firm Ride Shocks that come with the Formula S package).

I am sure someone has already posted the order codes form, but it's a wealth of info.

1966 barracuda code list page1.jpg


1966 barracuda code list page2.jpg


1966 barracuda code list page3.jpg


1966 barracuda code list page4.jpg
 
cudamark said:
The '65-up 13" wheels will fit the 10" drum brakes. The '64 and earlier wheels won't due to a different center hub design. You can tell the difference between the two by the size if the slots between the rim and hub. Real thin slots work, wide slots don't. Factory Kelsey Hayes disc brakes need 14" wheels. The 14 X 5.5 wheels fit fine. Some 14 X 4.5 fit too, but, not all.
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Not really sure how to tell the difference on the 14 x 4.5" wheels, but both my old '66 and old '67 Barracudas had K-H discs and the 4.5" wide rims. Then again, both cars came to me that way so I never had to search anything out.
 
Jim Lusk said:
Not really sure how to tell the difference on the 14 x 4.5" wheels, but both my old '66 and old '67 Barracudas had K-H discs and the 4.5" wide rims. Then again, both cars came to me that way so I never had to search anything out.
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I don't know either, but, I've run across some that rubbed.
 
Formula S also had:
  • dual point distributor
  • muffler was straight thru type with resonator at rear with chrome tip
  • rocker covers black wrinkle paint with plastic chrome wire holder
 
old65-4spd said:
Formula S also had:
  • dual point distributor
  • muffler was straight thru type with resonator at rear with chrome tip
  • rocker covers black wrinkle paint with plastic chrome wire holder
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When you got the Commando/Charger 273, it came with the dual point and all the dress-up stuff, including a chrome air cleaner, chrome PCV holder, and chrome crankcase breather. No chrome wire holders though. They were just individual plastic holders that clipped into the aluminum finned separators on the valve covers. In '67, it is a one piece wire holder on each valve cover that holds 2 wires each.
 
cudamark said:
When you got the Commando/Charger 273, it came with the dual point and all the dress-up stuff, including a chrome air cleaner, chrome PCV holder, and chrome crankcase breather. No chrome wire holders though. They were just individual plastic holders that clipped into the aluminum finned separators on the valve covers. In '67, it is a one piece wire holder on each valve cover that holds 2 wires each.
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Oddly enough, my 273 4bbl actually came off the line with the "Charger 273" decal on the air cleaner.... it was made at Hamtramck (Dodge Main), so either a sorting mess up on the line, or a low stock on the Commando 273 ones on date B10 (November 19, 1965) I always wondered if there was a Dart somewhere with "my" Commando 273" air cleaner... :)
 
toolmanmike said:
10" rear drum and 4 piston Kelsey-Hayes were quite common.
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I have yet to see or even find the rear drums for this application. 10" drums are common, but with the flared drum? I have never seen seen an early another A body with these.

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Those are the '70-72 drums. They interchange with the non-flared drums and will fit 14" wheels and some of the 13" ones. It depends on the year and design of the 13" wheels.
 
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Miranthis said:
Oddly enough, my 273 4bbl actually came off the line with the "Charger 273" decal on the air cleaner.... it was made at Hamtramck (Dodge Main), so either a sorting mess up on the line, or a low stock on the Commando 273 ones on date B10 (November 19, 1965) I always wondered if there was a Dart somewhere with "my" Commando 273" air cleaner... :)
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There is probably 2 baskets of air cleaner tops. The assembler grabbed the wrong one. That stuff happened a lot back in those days.
 
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