Put a cam only 5.7 hemi in it. And sub 100k long block, with a car 5.7 intake, springs and a cam will put down about 330rwhp. You'll make more power than most combos with something simple. A little less than 400 crank with room to grow.

If you find a complete shortblock, you can have it running and in the car for $5-8k depending on how thrifty you are.

The Hemi is the cool choice.

Sorry to pee in others' Cheerios, but there's nothing a 273 can do that a 318 can't do better.

318 advantages: 750 more cc, or 45 cubic inches, same stroke, same rotating mass, larger bore makes the heads flow better. Plus they're the same weight, and you can get them for about free. I have been given three 318s in the past few years, and missed a fourth for $50 complete, due to a flaky seller.

I would like to see a 273 stroker but it'd have to use another engine's pistons to be worthwhile, meaning no $600 custom forgings.


R.

I used to think that all the 273's had forged cranks & adjustable rockers so I kept one out of a 67 barracuda for years when I was scraping decided to pull the crank which ended up being cast & it had a hydraulic cam w/non-adjustables