Mopar 273 comando motor. How do you tell if it is in fact a true comando motor.?

I purches an 69 dodge dart and this motor was included i thought it was a 318 at first but after i got all the grease and crap off it i found out its a 273 but how can i tell if its a comando motor or just a regular 273, and would it be a good fit for that car or would a 318 be better? if it is a 273 camando my plan is to build it, any tips or should i build the 318?Mopar 273 comando motor. How do you tell if it is in fact a true comando motor.?
i own two of those old 273 engines and that was one of the highest revving engines chrysler ever built due to the short stroke it had,but none of them was ever called the commando,i got one that came out of a 66 barracuda,that runs right around 275 horse power,stock no modifications,they also had factory aluminum intakes on them,and solid lift cams,in a light body car they was hard to beat,you can buy any piece you want for that engine, i rebuilt mine about two years ago, jegs has any piece you want for that engine,i bought a master rebuild kit for less than 500 bucks,pistons and all,the 318 is a better engine to build but the 273 would smoke it on a 1/8 mile track,in its time nothing anyone else had would touch it coming out of the hole ,not even fords popular 289 would touch it,i know i use to race them every saturday night,good luck.
I don't remember the 273 engine ever being called a "Commando", a term usually reserved for the big block engine, 361 cubic inches and up, in the Plymouth line.



The last year for the 273 powered Dart was 1967 I believe and if that's the case it would not be an original engine to a '69 Dart.



The highest horsepower 273 was a 275 which required a .500 lift cam and used solid lifters. The biggest problem were the small valved heads, a four barrel carb with standard four barrel cam was 235 horsepower. Any parts for a 273 engine would be hard to come by and more than likely have to be custom machined.



My opinion, a 318 would be a better choice as speed parts are readily available and 325 horsepower is fairly easily to reach.Mopar 273 comando motor. How do you tell if it is in fact a true comando motor.?
The real key will indeed be the engine serial number. Some visual clues for the commando 273 are:
Chrome air cleaner cover (center would have red paint with chrome spelling out Commando 273).
The valve covers were painted black with the top fins unpainted aluminum.
And the oil filler and crank case vents (1 on each valve cover) will both be chrome.

The 273 Commando powered the "Goldfish", a 1965 gold colored Plymouth Barracuda. Won the F/Stock nationals in 1965 with 13.47/103.68

The 273 was not an option for 69 in the Dart.
The Commando 273 was not an option for any year Dart (Plymouth)

So...you could have a commando or not. The presence or absence of valve covers or other aesthetic items should not be taken as proof, either way.

The "correct" engine can be decoded from your car's build plate. If it came with a V8 it was likely the 318 but there were a few 440 and a special run of 426's for Hurst. If you have a Commando, it is worth looking further into a rebuild.

Edit: LOL Somehow this question drew a lot of negative for so many good answers, or there is a place in the world where the thumbs down is a GOOD thing.
I think there were 3 versions of the 273



the first was the two barrel, then a standard 4 barrel, then a really high performance version



the first indication would be is it a 2 or 4 barrel motor? Does it have a manually adjustable valve-train? Dual point distributor?



I would build the 318 myself and store the 273 for a more original project carMopar 273 comando motor. How do you tell if it is in fact a true comando motor.?
Get the motor serial # %26amp; go to the Dodge dealership