Just bought a 73 convertible (base) with a 302 (2v). Its a cruiser and not looking to go to the drag strip but would like to pep her up a bit. First thoughts are to replace the intake and carb (put in a 4v) and swap out the rear end gearing (move to 3.5+).

Does this sound right or should I be thinking otherwise?

(I spec'd out a blueprint 302 and stroking the motor....these options are a bit out of my $$ realm)

Any thoughts here would be appreciated.

-GH

 

Edelbrock and Holly have carb/intake combos that are designed to work together to get the most power for your investment. Also you have to make sure that the Carb/Intake you choose will work with your existing cams unless you're going to change those out too.

Is your current ignition setup using point/condensor or Electronic? 73 was the changover year. Regardless, a good upgrade to Accel or MSD on your ignition system would be in order if you're upgrading the carbintake.

Once you get that setup, then you can look at your Torque Converter (fi you're automatic) and your rear gear to see what makes sense for your power band. The nice thing is you can do this in phases.

 

Thanks for the information...been looking at those combos as we speak. I appreciate the input! My 73 looks to be points/condenser...not electronic.

 

If you want to upgrade to electronic ignition without investing a ton with a new distributor etc, you should look into Pertronix. They have a basically drop-in replacement for the points/condensor (ignitor series) where you can keep your original distributor. However, if you're looking to upgrade the intake/carb, cam and possibly gears. May as well invest in a complete electronic ignition from them or others already mentioned.