Commando V8

[68vipguy]

Wondering if someone could clear something up for me. The commando v8 emblems on front fenders for our C bodies. The cars that were equipped with a 383 Hi Po 4 BBL were often referred to as Super Commandos but, never had actual Super Commando emblems. Is that correct?

 

[mrfury68]

I believe so. Fender badges just stated Commando V8 whether a 2 or 4 bbl. IIRC The Super Commando had the "pie tin" on the air cleaner. The 2 bbl, G code 383 had no pie tin.

 

[CBODY67]

"Commando" was a Plymouth-only marketing designation. Dodge used "Magnum".

In the earlier '63-'64 Plymouth full-size models, there was "Golden Commando" (which was a gold-tone fender emblem) for the higher-level Commando 413. Looked pretty neat! But for '65 and later, the only fender emblem was "Commando V-8" with the air cleaner pie pan emblem affirming the 4bbls and such.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[abloch]

In '62 the Golden Commando was for the 361 4bbl. In '63 it went to the 383. '64 the "Golden" was dropped all together and the term Commando covered 361-383-426. 413 was available as a special order "race only" package and was not considered a Golden Commando.

 

[Badvert65]

Because the Slants needed one as well.
jus sayin.....

 

[Ram Fury]

Lads --
Darrell Davis, a retired Chrysler Corp. executive and author of several books on the Chrysler Corporation cars built from 1960 to 1965 with high performance engines (race hemis, max wedges, ram-inducted, etc.) told me there never were any engines specifically labeled or badged as "Super Commandos" through the 1965 model year. As to the '65 Plymouth Fury line itself, any car with the 270 HP version of the 383 with the single two-barrel, the 325 horse 1X4V carb version, or the 426S had the "Commando V8" badge on the front fender. In addition, the 383 cars had a gold "383" label on the bar across the bottom of the hood ornament and those with the 426S had a red "426" in that bar. Under the hood, either 383 had the normal blue valve covers and silenced black air cleaner while the 426s came with chrome unsilenced air cleaners and chrome valve covers. The '65 SF with the 426S/4-speed I had from 1964 until 1967 had the pie tin with "Commando 426" but it seems later in the production year the pie tin was discontinued with the decal applied directly to the chrome air cleaner as I can't find one for my current 426S SF
Incidently, the 350 CID mill with 2X4V carbs in 1958, the 361 with 1X4V carb from 1959 to 1963, and the 1X4V carb 383 from 1960-63 were all called "Golden Commandos" but the '58 and '59 cars didn't have fender badges (we used to call them "scare emblems") while the '61 had a single one on the right rear side of the deck lid. The 361s from 1959 through 1961 also had gold air cleaners with a small "Commando 395" decal and the "395" referred to its torque rating which some people thought was its HP or CID. The ram-inducted Plymmers in 1960 had "SonoRamic Commando Power" badges on each front fender just in front of the door but the '61 had its badge on the deck lid again.
Joe Godec
'57 Chrysler 300C, '60 Fury SonoRamic, '65 Vette Fuelie, '65 Sport Fury 426S/4-speed

 

[fury fan]

...Under the hood, either 383 had the normal blue valve covers and silenced black air cleaner ...

I think that author is not fully correct.

From what I've seen the 'HP' 4-barrel engines had a smaller-dia unsilenced air cleaner, which was also used on B-bodies and some Slant 6 engines. (HP means not the 315hp single exh engine available in Chrysler and Dodge) 2-barrel engines gt the single-snorkel silenced air cleaner.

For 66, the 4-barrel engines got a dual-snorkel air cleaner and the small unsilenced air cleaner was gone from C-bodies.

 

[Ram Fury]

I think that author is not fully correct.

From what I've seen the 'HP' 4-barrel engines had a smaller-dia unsilenced air cleaner, which was also used on B-bodies and some Slant 6 engines. (HP means not the 315hp single exh engine available in Chrysler and Dodge) 2-barrel engines gt the single-snorkel silenced air cleaner.

For 66, the 4-barrel engines got a dual-snorkel air cleaner and the small unsilenced air cleaner was gone from C-bodies.

Fury Fan --
Back in the day when the '65 Fury was new, the new car brochures show that both 383s came from the factory with the silenced schnorkle air cleaner, probably because the Fury was not directed to the performance car market like the Belvedere 383. Nowadays, it seems that every Fury 383 has the 4V carb, chrome valve covers, and an unsilenced air cleaner.
Joe

 

[pomonamissel]

this is a golden commando 63

 

[fury fan]

Fury Fan --
Back in the day when the '65 Fury was new, the new car brochures show that both 383s came from the factory with the silenced schnorkle air cleaner, probably because the Fury was not directed to the performance car market like the Belvedere 383. Nowadays, it seems that every Fury 383 has the 4V carb, chrome valve covers, and an unsilenced air cleaner.
Joe

I understand what you're saying, but brochures are known to not be 100% accurate to production.
I cannot recall seeing an original/accurate 65 Fury with 383-4 and single-snorkel.
My own Fury came with an unsilenced, and every other part on the engine with a casting# or a part# was correct for the engine. It was a nglected car but not molested - I don't believe someone changed the air cleaner and nothing else.

 

[Ram Fury]

I understand what you're saying, but brochures are known to not be 100% accurate to production.
I cannot recall seeing an original/accurate 65 Fury with 383-4 and single-snorkel.
My own Fury came with an unsilenced, and every other part on the engine with a casting# or a part# was correct for the engine. It was a nglected car but not molested - I don't believe someone changed the air cleaner and nothing else.

Fury Fan --
You might want to check Nick's Garage web site as it goes into some detail with pictures and detailed explanations in a section called "Identifying Air Cleaners for High Performance Mopars." I made a mistake when I said both 383s came with silenced air cleaners and you are quite correct that your 330 horse 383 has an unsilenced air cleaner. I should have read my material rather than just looked at the photos and rashly assumed that since both 383s had a schnorkle air cleaner, they both were silenced; the specs for the 330 horse engine do say its air cleaner is unsilenced.
Mea culpa.
Joe

 

[fury fan]

Fury Fan --
You might want to check Nick's Garage web site as it goes into some detail with pictures and detailed explanations in a section called "Identifying Air Cleaners for High Performance Mopars." I made a mistake when I said both 383s came with silenced air cleaners and you are quite correct that your 330 horse 383 has an unsilenced air cleaner. I should have read my material rather than just looked at the photos and rashly assumed that since both 383s had a schnorkle air cleaner, they both were silenced; the specs for the 330 horse engine do say its air cleaner is unsilenced.
Mea culpa.
Joe

No problem. Air cleaners are something I have some expertise with, and I just try to correct info when I can. I presumed the executive/author told you wrong.

I've used Nick's site many times for air cleaner ID, but even his site mentions some items he's unsure about.

And although I have some expertise, I learned something new today - it seems some E85 440 Dodges got dual snorkel air cleaners from the factory (I don't remember the exact discusion so I'll type no further on that)..

As for incorrect marketing info, check this one I saw on here in that discussion, looks to be from a 71 Dodge publication of some sort.
It clearly shows rectangular snorkels on a 65-67-type air cleaner (bottom engine). Comparing the wingnut area of the bottom engine to the top one, the top one is clearly larger and would take a pietin, so the bottom one is the earlier style with small wingnut area. And the top engine should have a round snorkel, I believe. I've never seen a cake-pan type aircleaner with rectangular snorkels.

 

[Greg von stolzenheim]

Wondering if someone could clear something up for me. The commando v8 emblems on front fenders for our C bodies. The cars that were equipped with a 383 Hi Po 4 BBL were often referred to as Super Commandos but, never had actual Super Commando emblems. Is that correct?

 

[Greg von stolzenheim]

Have a 63 Sportfury 383 factory 4 speed
Does have, gold rocker covers and un-silenced air cleaner similar to slant.
Please note Golden Commando Power emblems are missing! If anyone has ?

 

[Greg von stolzenheim]

 

[pomonamissel]

i've got them on my sfgc car

 

[Dick Landy]

I understand what you're saying, but brochures are known to not be 100% accurate to production.
I cannot recall seeing an original/accurate 65 Fury with 383-4 and single-snorkel.
My own Fury came with an unsilenced, and every other part on the engine with a casting# or a part# was correct for the engine. It was a nglected car but not molested - I don't believe someone changed the air cleaner and nothing else.

I never saw an original pie pan of a '65 383 4bbl. Do you have such a thing on your car? And when..I happy to see a photo of

 

[fury fan]

Pie pans didn't come out until 67 and then only on certain models.

My 65 383 has the unsilenced aircleaner similar to what is shown in post #15, this cover was also used on some Slant 6 and 273 4-barrel engines. When decorated from factory, was done with decals. Covers were either gold, black or chrome depending on application.