Posts tagged 1968 Mustang

Cowl Reinstallation Tips for 1965 – 1968 Mustang

Nearly all 1965-1968 Classic Mustangs and Cougars should have their cowl vent panel removed. This area harbors hidden rust, ugly scaly paint overspray, and water leaks. If not repaired properly, rust will continue to eat away at the cowl panel and then the firewall. You’re better off taking care of the cowl panel before this nightmare happens.

Upon removing the cowl panel, clean, repair, repaint and re-install it. Here are some tips for how to re-install the cowl panel.

Align the cowl panel. Make sure when re-installing, that the position of the cowl panel is correct. It should line up evenly with the rear edge of the hood. It should also line up evenly with the front fenders. Temporarily install the hood and fenders to get the positioning correct. Self-tapping screws work really well for temporarily installing body replacement panels. When the cowl position is correct, attach the cowl with a few self-tapping sheet metal screws. This will temporarily hold the cowl in proper position. Remove the hood and fenders so that you have access to the cowl.
Weld the cowl panel. Beginning from the center of the cowl panel and working outward, make a plug weld every 2-3 inches. A plug weld is a weld that fills a hole in the top piece and attaches to the bottom piece. This type of weld is about 1/4″ size. Complete the plug welds until you have welded the entire panel.
Grind the welds. Using an air or electric grinder, grind the excess welds so that they are flush with the cowl panel.
Seal and fill the welds. Using a quality seam sealer or body filler, fill any grinder marks or unwelded holes. Once the sealer or filler has cured, sand the area smooth.

You are now ready to paint the cowl area and permanently reattach the hood and fenders.

Exterior, How-to guide, Restoration Information

1964 1/2 Mustang, 1965, 1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang, 1967 Mustang, Classic Mustang Restoration, Cowl Panel Reinstallation, Cowl Panel Replacement, Unibody Repair

Remove your 1965 – 1968 Mustang Cowl Panel?

Exterior cowl panel once removed

Many restoration shops don’t take the time to remove the exterior cowl panel. Should you insist this be part of your Mustang’s restoration? Here are some things to consider when restoring your Mustang.

1. Hidden Rust. Rust forms around the heat and air intake, then spreads to the door post, cowl side panel and firewall. This rust remains hidden unless the cowl panel is removed. Once the panel has been removed, the area can properly be inspected.

2. Leaks. Rust holes cause water leakage from under the dash. If the cowl panel has not been removed and restored, rust can go unnoticed until bigger problems surface. If your cowl does not leak, rust still might be forming inside. You would still need to examine the area by removing the cover.

3. Proper Inspection. Inspecting the cowl from under the dash is not adequate. To completely see all of the areas, the cowl panel must be removed. It is a lot of work to remove it, but will be worth it to inspect this area now and properly restore and seal this area to protect the longevity of your Mustang.

4. Concours Restoration. Once the cowl has been removed and restored, the cowl area can be painted. Mustangs that have had this area painted look much nicer. There is no longer any scaly paint inside the cowl vent grills (a common problem with Mustangs that have not had their cowl panels removed).

This picture is from our current restoration project, a 1965 Mustang factory GT Fastback. It was thought to have a rust-free cowl since there were not any leaks. After removal of the cowl panel, however, you can see the moderate surface rust located around the air intake area. This rust is minor now, but if the cowl was not removed, this area would continue to rust.

1965 Mustang left hand cowl air intake (driver’s side)

The picture below shows the cowl heater intake vent (passenger side of the Mustang). It has moderate surface rust located near the door post. It is still solid, but given time, this rust would cause serious problems.

Right hand side of the cowl panel, heat intake vent area

It took several hours to locate and drill all of the spot welds. But this time is well spent as it will save many hours of grueling repairs in the future. The cowl will now be sandblasted and epoxy primered to eliminate any possibility of future rust.

Tips for removing a cowl panel: see our Mustang Guides, Locating Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement and Drilling Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement for removing spot welds.

Important Note: When re-installing the cowl cover, make sure the alignment is perfect. This is critical for proper hood and fender alignment. If your original cowl cover will be used, simply align all the drilled spot welds. If a replacement cowl cover is used, fenders and hood may need to be bolted on and aligned to achieve this proper cowl alignment. Without proper alignment, you can be sure to need some Tylenol, as you will be faced with many headaches!

Exterior, How-to guide, Restoration Information

1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang, 1967 Mustang, Body Panel, Concours Restoration, Factory GT Fastback, Mustang Cowl Exterior Panel

De-rust Your 1964 ½ -1973 Mustang Door

Original Mustang doors have rust. This is common knowledge that 40+ year old doors are going to suffer this fate. How do you handle this? What do you do when you discover rust on your classic Mustang door? We have an economic and environmentally friendly solution to this rusty problem. This guide will give tips on how to de-rust the bottom section of your Mustang door, as this is the main area that problem rust occurs.

Rust on the inside bottom seam is not visible to the eye, but is generally present. This rust causes the bottom edge of the door to swell if it’s not eliminated. No amount of sandblasting will remove rust from this area. Thus, utilizing this environmentally friendly chemical dip is imperative to remove this hidden rust before swelling occurs.

Materials Needed

4 – 5 gallons Apple Cider or Distilled White Vinegar
1 54″ long piece of PVC pipe (6″ or 8″ diameter)
2 end caps
PVC pipe cement (glue)
Rust inhibitor paint (such as POR 15)

The Process

This process will walk you through creating a container made from PVC pipe that holds vinegar. The bottom section of the door is then submerged in the vinegar.

Prepare the door: Complete any patchwork, sand off paint, remove excess rust scale, and clean the inside of the door with a vacuum or compressed air.
Using PVC pipe cement, glue an end cap to each end of the PVC pipe. Allow time for them to completely dry.
Cut out a section of the PVC pipe large enough to fit the door in it. Once cut, it will resemble a trough, and look like a canoe with two blunt end caps. PLEASE NOTE: You can use or devise a different non-metal container that suits your needs. I have found that cutting PVC pipe in this manner works well.
Fill the trough with 2-4″ of vinegar. TIP: large containers of vinegar are often sold at grocery outlet stores.
Submerge the door in the trough and prop it up so that it won’t tip over.
Leave the door submerged in the vinegar for 7 days. Check progress after 7 days.
If rust still appears, leave it submerged for another 7 days.
Remove the door from the trough of vinegar and rinse the door with water.
Place the door near a heat source where it can thoroughly dry on the inside and on the outside.
Using compressed air, blow any remaining moisture and water from the groove located on the inside bottom section of the door.
Apply rust inhibitor paint to the inside of the door, along the seam.
Your door is now ready to have the body work completed.

Exterior, How-to guide, Restoration Information

1964 1/2 Mustang, 1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang, 1967 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang, 1971 Mustang, 1972 Mustang, 1973 Mustang, Rust

Re-skin a 1967-1970 Mustang Fastback Trap Door

Often times Mustang Fastback trap doors (trunk access doors) have speaker holes cut in them. Many people want to restore the trap door to it’s original condition, without speaker holes. But how do you re-skin the trap door to properly repair this modification? This guide is written to provide you with some tips for doing just this. Please remember to indicate below if this guide is helpful to you!

Tools Needed

Spot Weld Driller
Drill
Hammer
Chisel
Pliers
Door Skinning Pliers
Felt Tip Marker
Metal Brake (optional)
Dolly

The Process

Determine if the trap door frame has been cut.
If the frame has been cut, we do not recommend you re-skin it. Since the frame has been cut, the part is pretty much useless. However, you could obtain a reproduction trap door and replace the reproduction skin with an original skin piece. Why would you want to replace the reproduction skin? Because the reproduction trap door skin texture does not come close to matching the original texture pattern, but the frame is okay to use. If you are interested in doing this, proceed to Step 2.
If the trap door frame has not been cut, you will be able to use your original trap door frame to apply an original skin piece. Proceed to Step 2.
Obtain an original skin piece.
Where do you find an original skin piece? Not all Mustang Fastbacks came with a trap door. Some were equipped with an attached textured metal panel (skin piece) instead of the trap door. You will want to find one of these textured metal skin pieces for use as your trap door skin. Original metal skin pieces can ONLY come from a 1967 or 1968 Fastback that did not come equipped with a trap door.
Compare the textured metal skin piece to the trap door skin.
Lay both the trap door and the metal skin piece upside down to compare them. They should be identical, with the exception of the skin piece not having the frame around it.
Remove the damaged trap door skin.
Using your spot weld driller, drill the few necessary spot welds that hold the skin to the frame (for more information, see our Drilling Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement guide). Now, using your hammer, chisel and pliers, separate the metal skin piece from the frame by prying the edges of the skin that hold it to the frame. This will remove the damaged metal skin piece from the trap door frame.
Replace metal skin piece on frame.
Carefully place the frame onto the backside of the replacement skin piece. Center the frame evenly onto the skin piece. Using a felt tip marker, mark the edges of the frame onto the skin piece. You will now need to begin to bend the edges of the replacement skin piece around the edges of the frame, just like the original one used to be. This can be expedited by pre-bending the edges of the replacement skin with a metal brake (a metal bending tool). Pre-bend the edges to 90 degree angles. Place the trap door frame into the prepared skin using your door skinning tool or pliers. Completely pinch the trap door skin around the frame. If additional tightening is necessary, use your hammer and dolly (a metal block that is used in conjunction with a hammer for straightening).
Spot weld the skin to the frame.
This step is optional, depending upon the results you want to achieve. If you choose to spot weld the skin to the frame, spot weld the folded edges of the replacement skin to the frame as necessary.
Your trap door is now ready to be stripped and refinished! Trap doors are a nice option on a Classic Mustang Fastback or Shelby. Utilizing these tips, you will be able to restore your trap door to an original condition while having a texture that matches the rest of the interior.

How-to guide, Interior, Restoration Information

1967 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang

Drilling Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement

Drilling spot welds to remove unibody panels such as your cowl, rear quarter panel, floor pans and wheel wells can be tedious, but it is a fairly straightforward process. This guide will help you tackle spot weld drilling like a pro. Please remember to indicate below if this guide is helpful to you!

Tools Needed

Sand Paper and/or Wire Brush
Drill
Pilot Drill Bit: 1/8″ diameter
Spot Weld Cutter: 3/8″ diameter
Heavy Oil
Hammer
Flat Metal Chisel

Spot Weld Drilling Process

Locate the spot welds needing removal
This is done by looking for small, round depressions located every few inches where the body panel is attached to the vehicle. If your vehicle is severely rusted or has been painted several times, these welds can be difficult to locate. You would then need to clean the spot weld areas with sand paper or a wire brush to locate the welds. Please see our Locating Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement guide for more information.

The drill bit is pointing at the small depression/spot weld.
Using your 1/8″ drill bit, drill a pilot hole through the center of each weld
A pilot hole is a centering hole for the spot weld cutter. Helpful tip: Dip the tip of your drill bit in heavy oil prior to drilling each spot weld. This will prolong the life of your drill bit.

This picture shows the pilot hole being drilled.
Once all pilot holes are drilled, use your spot weld cutter to drill a hole through each spot weld.
Using a specialized weld cutter minimizes the damage to the panel underneath the panel being removed. When drilling with the weld cutter, only drill deep enough to remove the desired panel. When I drill a weld, I watch the drilling area change from clean metal to light surface rust. This would indicate that I have just reached an area between the sheet metal panels. At this time, there is usually a little “poof” of rust dust. I stop at this point, since I know I have just drilled through the first panel without over-cutting the second panel.

Here is one style of weld cutter. This is a sheet metal bit, 3/8″ size.
Here is the weld cutter at work, drilling the top layer of the spot weld.
The weld is drilled!

After all welds have been drilled, carefully use your hammer and flat chisel to separate the panels.
This is done by laying the flat edge of the chisel between the panels and gently hammering to loosen any bits of weld that were not cut by the drill.
Now that your panel is removed, you are ready for the next process. Please see our Patch Panel Installation – Unibody Panel Replacement Guide for further information.

You are on your way to spot weld drilling! I have drilled over 5,000 spot welds throughout the last 15 years and I will probably drill 5,000 more in this year alone!

Exterior, How-to guide, Restoration Information

1964 1/2 Mustang, 1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang, 1967 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang, 1971 Mustang, 1972 Mustang, 1973 Mustang

1965-1973 Ford Mustang Headliner Installation

Installing a new headliner into your Mustang is probably your first step when restoring your vehicle. Use this “how-to” guide to help during this installation process. I have installed many headliners and used to install headliners using clamps until I came across a new trick of using cut up pieces of windlace instead of clamps. I’ve found that this way is much easier and tends to yield better results. Installing a headliner should not be intimidating. You can save a few hundred dollars by doing the installation yourself, while at the same time fostering the pride of completing this task all on your own.

Materials

Headliner
Sharp Scissors
Razor Blade or Sharp Knife
3M Spray Adhesive
32 Pieces of Cut Up OLD Windlace (cut into 2″ pieces)
New Windlace Strips

Definitions

Bow– the metal rods that hold the headliner against the roof of the car. Mustang Coupes generally have four bows, while Mustang Fastbacks generally have three bows.
Windlace – the long plastic trim cap that runs alongside the door glass seal on the body.
Moonskin – the texture of the headliner material.
Roof Rail – the part of the roof frame where the headliner bows insert into.

Installation steps:

For best results, remove the windshield, rear window and weather stripping channel in the door openings. It is VERY difficult to tuck and secure a headliner without removing the glass (besides, it will look horrible and have wrinkles if this is attempted).

Before starting, lay your new headliner flat to remove any folds or wrinkles. It may help to lay it in the sunshine to make it more pliable.
Completely remove the old headliner, while taking note of exactly where the headliner bows are placed (this information will help you when installing the new headliner). SPECIAL NOTE – it is important to know that each bow may vary a little in length and curve. It may help to number the bows as you remove them and assign a numerical number from front-to-rear, while laying the bows in the order that you will insert them again into your new headliner.
If the old insulation pad is still intact and in good condition, you may reuse it (depending upon your degree of restoration, you may choose to reuse the pad or purchase a new one). If the pad falls apart, find a new insulation pad and securely glue it in place by spraying both the pad and the roof with 3M Spray Adhesive.
While using your metal headliner bows that you have numbered from front-to-rear, begin with the forward-most bow piece and slide the metal headliner bows into the forward most sleeve of the new headliner. Repeat the same steps with the other numbered bows, continuing to work from front-to-rear.
After all bows have been inserted and CENTERED into the headliner sleeves, trim the excess sleeve material back, exposing about two inches of both ends of all the bows. When trimming, just trim the excess SLEEVE material…DO NOT TRIM THE MOONSKIN YET!

Next, begin to insert the headliner into the vehicle, starting with the rear bow. Insert the rear bow into the holes of the roof rail. Then insert the other bows into their corresponding holes of the roof rail. Your headliner will be “baggy” and hanging at this point. The bows are hanging downward.
Beginning with the front bow, rotate the bow so that it is snug against the ceiling of the vehicle. Repeat this step, working from front-to-rear, until all bows are snug against the ceiling of the vehicle and are no longer “baggy”. The bows are now upright and in the correct position.
Working with the rear bow, hook the center of the bow with the two springs that connect to the rear window opening (you probably noticed these two springs when you removed your old headliner). SPECIAL NOTE – If the two springs are in poor condition, find a suitable replacement (I have actually used spring steel wire and cut and bent it to fit as a replacement).
Now it is time to begin to stretch your headliner. This is where the old cut up pieces of windlace comes in handy! Starting in the center of the front windshield opening, pull the headliner material gently through the windshield opening, holding it on the roof, and secure it with a few pieces of windlace. This is done by pushing a piece of windlace (using the channeled groove) onto the sheet metal edge of the window opening. This will hold the headliner securely to the sheet metal. Repeat this step at the rear window opening, again using windlace to secure the headliner to the sheet metal. Best results are achieved when using approximately eight pieces of evenly spaced windlace at both the front and rear windshield areas.

Next, continue to stretch and secure your headliner to both door window openings. Again, use approximately eight windlace pieces per side. Thus, you have now used 32 pieces of windlace. SPECIAL NOTE – for a Mustang Coupe, the rear pillar has a metal tack strip that holds the headliner in place. You’ll achieve better results if you keep stretching and re-securing the rear pillar portion of the headliner. This needs to be done carefully, as the headliner may begin to tear. I have found it helpful to cut a piece of window screen, spray it with adhesive and stick it to the back of the headliner where the tack strip will puncture the window screen. This aids in preventing any serious rips in the headliner.
Do a visual check of your headliner to locate loose or wrinkled areas. If these areas are present, continue to work your way around the vehicle, removing windlace pieces and gently pulling the headliner and re-securing the windlace pieces. The headliner should be wrinkle-free, but not too tight.
The headliner is now ready for adhesive. Remove 3 or 4 pieces of windlace from one area (I usually begin with the windshield area opening). Spray adhesive on the headliner backing and on the metal window opening edge. DO NOT ATTACH THESE TOGETHER YET! Allow a few minutes for the adhesive to dry before re-securing the headliner to the metal window opening edge. This is the recommended method of the spray adhesive (see the adhesive can for further instructions). Once the adhesive is ready, re-secure the headliner to the metal window opening edge. Repeat this step until all edges are glued.
Now the headliner is ready to trim. DO NOT REMOVE THE WINDLACE PIECES YET. Using a sharp razor blade, carefully cut the excess headliner from the front and rear window openings. Leave about 3/4″ of headliner material so the rubber window seals will cover them when later installed (REMEMBER, DO NOT REMOVE THE CUT WINDLACE PIECES FROM THE FRONT AND REAR WINDOW OPENINGS UNTIL THE GLASS IS TO BE INSTALLED).
For the side window openings, have your brand new windlace strips ready. Remove one windlace piece at a time, while pressing your NEW windlace strip in place. Doing it this way will prevent any headliner movement. Do this to both window openings, installing both NEW strips of windlace.
Now the sides of the headliner are ready to be trimmed. Simply run a razor blade along the outside edge of the new windlace strip. Do not leave any extra headliner material hanging on the outside edge of the windlace strip (installing the weatherstrip channel will hide the outside edge of the windlace).
The headliner is almost complete. Now, you’ll need to finish the inside windshield pillars. Locate the screw hole for the trim piece that covers the seam and cut the headliner so that the trim piece will hide the edge of the headliner material. This may require some adhesive. Repeat this step with the rear window opening (that is, if are installing a Fastback Headliner). SPECIAL NOTE – For a Mustang Coupe (referring back to STEP #10), re-stretch the area if necessary. The rear pillar of a Coupe is the most challenging area to achieve wrinkle-free results.

Congratulations! Your headliner installation is complete.

We hope these steps have been helpful, especially using the tricks with the cut up pieces of windlace. If you are an experienced headliner installer, perhaps this guide offered you some new tricks to try during your next headliner installation.

How-to guide, Interior, Mustang Information, Restoration Information

1964 1/2 Mustang, 1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang, 1967 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang, 1971 Mustang, 1972 Mustang, 1973 Mustang, Classic Mustang Restoration

1965-1970 Mustang V8 Conversion

Do you want more power from your Classic Mustang? Many are choosing to convert their 6 cylinder engine and suspension to a V-8 engine and suspension to enhance performance. But what kind of donor car will you need to find that will yield the best parts for your conversion? This guide will give some recommendations of what to look for in searching for your donor car.

1965-1966 V8 Conversion Ideal Donor Cars

1970-1977 Maverick or Mercury Bobcat with a V8 engine

1970 – 1977 Mavericks and Bobcats have an excellent front disc brake setup along with the V8 engine and transmission needed to perform the conversion. The rear end housing on these vehicles will fit right in a 1965 or 1966 Mustang. Donor cars with 6 cylinder engines still have the same suspension and rear end as a V8 car does. Ideally, however, you will want to find a donor car with a V8, since you will have the proper parts for both the V8 engine and the transmission.

Your 6 cylinder Mustang transmission cross-member is the same as a V8 cross-member, thus you will not need to replace it.

If you would like additional information on converting your 1965-1966 Mustang to power disc brakes, please see our 1965-1966 Mustang Power Disc Brake Conversion guide.

1967-1970 V8 Conversion Ideal Donor Cars

1975-1979 Ford Granada or Mercury Monarch with a V8 engine
1970-1977 Maverick or Mercury Bobcat with a V8 engine.

1975-1979 Granadas and Monarchs have an excellent front disc brake setup along with the V8 engine and transmission needed to perform the conversion. The rear end housing on these vehicles will fit right into a 1967, 1968, 1969 or 1970 Mustang.

1970-1977 Mavericks and Bobcats will also work, but the rear end housing is a little narrower than the 1975-1979 Granadas and Monarchs.

Donor cars with 6 cylinder engines still have the same suspension and rear end as a V8 car does. Ideally, however, you will want to find a donor car with a V8, since you will have the proper parts for both the V8 engine and the transmission.

Your 6 cylinder Mustang transmission cross-member is the same as a V8 cross-member, thus you will not need to replace it.

How to find Donor Cars

Search local newspaper car ads, internet websites, auction websites (eBay!) and automotive salvage yards or wrecking yards. I happen to find a lot of my donor cars by simply keeping my eyes open when driving around. I have found some donor cars in alleys, alongside garages and in back yards! Then, I simply ask the owner if he/she is willing to sell the car.

These donor cars are often inexpensive and a good value, given the fact that their parts can be used on your Classic Mustang V-8 conversion. Good luck hunting for your donor car!

How-to guide, Mechanical, Mustang Information, Parts, Restoration Information

1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang, 1967 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang

How to decode your 1965-1970 Mustang engine block number

Classic Mustang restorers who are looking to restore a vintage Mustang to concours condition will need to understand how to identify the casting number and date code number on an engine block. Matching numbers are important to collectors. The correct casting numbers ensure the Mustang is rebuilt to its original condition and has the correct numbers that would have been assigned at the factory years ago.

This guide is written to help you determine what numbers to look for when accurately restoring your Mustang. Please remember to indicate below if this guide is helpful to you.

How to decode your 1965-1970 Mustang engine block number

Where to find the engine block numbers: look toward the back of the engine block on the right hand side, above the starter. You will find the casting number at this location.

For the purpose of explaining each individual letter and number, we have created asample engine block number and date code. Then we have broken these numbers down, explaining what each number and letter represent.

Sample engine block number: “C5AE-6015-E 7C20”

C – Designates the decade that the engine block was made.C = 1960’s; D = 1970’s; E = 1980’s and so on

5 – Designates the particular year that the engine block was made.
5 = 1965; 6 = 1966; 7 = 1967; 8 = 1968; 9 = 1969; 0 = 1970

It is important to note: a more accurate date of when the engine was made is reflected in the date code which follows the casting number. Casting numbers were sometimes a year or two ahead of the block’s date of manufacture (sometimes they were even behind the date of manufacture).

This is evident, for example, in a 1964 1/2 Mustang with a 289. The casting number “C5AE-6015-E” and the date code “4D17” show differing years of the engine block’s manufacture date. One might think that “C5” indicates the engine block was made in 1965. However, according to the date code, it was actually manufactured in 1964. Always look to the date code for the correct manufacture date.

A = Designates the vehicle the engine was designed for.
A = Galaxie; D = Falcon; F = made outside the USA; G = Comet; J = Industrial/Marine; M = Mercury; O = Fairlane; P = Autolite or Motorcraft; R = Rotunda; S = Thunderbird; T = Truck; V = Lincoln; Z = Mustang

E = an engineering number used by Ford
(The 289 was originally designed for the Ford Galaxie and the letters AE stayed on the engine block number even after other models were added to the lineup)

6015 = Designates an engineering number used by Ford.
“6015” meant “289 Engine Block”

E = Designates the location that the engine block was made.
Engine blocks were made in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Canada
The next set of numbers, “7C20”, indicate the date code. In this example, even though the casting number reads “C5″, it doesn’t mean that the engine was made in 1965. You would need to look at this date code to see when it was made, which in this case is 1967.

Breaking the ” 7C20″ date code down:

7 = designates the particular year that the engine block was made (remember to look at this date code for an accurate reading of the engine block’s manufacture date)
5 = 1965; 6 = 1966; 7 = 1967; 8 = 1968; 9 = 1969; 0 = 1970

C = designates the month that the engine block was made
A = January; B = February; C = March; D = April; E = May; F = June; G = July; H = August; J = September; K = October; L = November; M = December
(the alphabet letter “I” was not used in the sequence)

20 = Designates the day of the month

Deciphering the code:

In summary, the engine block sample number ” C5AE-6015-E 7C20″ tells us the following:

At first glance, one might think that this is a 1965 Galaxie 289 engine block. However, according to the date code, this engine block is a 289 block made on March 20, 1967.

Ideally, you would want the engine block date code to be 2 – 6 weeks BEFORE your car’s build date. If you had a car that was built June 1, 1965 and you found an engine block with a date code of 5E10, which is May 10, 1965, this would be a match made in heaven!

Good luck deciphering your dead Mustang scrolls (not to be confused with the “dead sea scrolls”, although I have a few Mustangs that look as if they spent some time on the bottom of the ocean)!

Casting, Decoding, Mustang Information

1964 1/2 Mustang, 1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang, 1967 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang, 1971 Mustang, 1972 Mustang, 1973 Mustang

Posts tagged 1968 Mustang

Cowl Reinstallation Tips for 1965 – 1968 Mustang

Remove your 1965 – 1968 Mustang Cowl Panel?