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I can only report what was in the 1965 Shelby American parts list. The last time I replaced one in a Cobra was in the mid-1980s.

Driven Gears (installed on speedometer cable) Group 17271
Driven gears were selected by gear count depending on differential gear ratios and the diameters of original equipment tires.  Cobras street and race had variables in deferential gearing and tire diameters 1962-64 (even "1965" Cobras were built with 1964 model year differentials and tires).  Part numbers listed in the May 31, 1965 Shelby American service parts book include:

COAA-17271-A      17 tooth Nylon
COAA-17271-H      21 tooth Nylon
COAA-17271-J        18 tooth Nylon
COAA-17271-K        19 tooth Nylon
COAA-17271-N            20 tooth Nylon

Hi, Dan,

I know this is an old thread. I noticed that there are no dimensions on the photo above, though lines were drawn in over the clutch forks. Is there an obvious identification approach?  Perhaps that is a dumb question...  I have a fork with no numbering, and I am trying to identify its application, early or late. They look to be about the same overall length.  Do you have the measurements or other suggestions? 

Thanks much!

I did not put dimensions on the slide on purpose. I do not think I even kept tape measure dimensions. The parts are so different in shape between the pivot point and rod tip pocket, that has been sufficient to distinguish 1963-64 versus 1965 and later designs.

Dan

New original Cobra or new original 427 Cobra, makes a difference. Sold as service replacement or new car version(s)?

Yes, used original production sets marked 1963-64 for Cobras have been for sale before and original production sets for 427 Cobras used and new old stock have been for sale before.

In all cases the public offerings were so far apart in years I would not imagine what a "market" valve currently might be. Originality plus condition would be the key factors in my opinion. Car owners have tracked down used sets for specific cars for decades and except in my case, I have no idea what pricing was in private sales.

Dan

Before the 1965 model year some 427 Ford engines were exempt from Civil Defense radio interference rules from ignition systems and used what Ford described as "wire" cored secondary ignition cable sets. 1963½-1964 High Performance 289 engines were also allowed to used wire core cable sets. The last documented to date 1964 HP289 engines were made July 11, 1964. Almost immediately 1965 model year engines went into production. Ford indicated that all 1965 model year engines had radio resistant secondary ignition wiring with what they described as "linen" core sets. Bob Mannel covered this topic in more detail in his online book. When 1965 MUSTANG GT350 SFM5R002 was first completed as a race car it used radio resistant secondary ignition wire as shown in the original Sports Car Graphic photograph set. Bob's book also mentions dealers sometimes swapping in wire core sets to satisfy owner complaints.

Yes, some five bolt HP289 engines manufactured as 1964 model year engines late May 1964 through July 11, 1964 went into early "1965" Mustangs (plus 1964 Fairlanes and 1965 Cobras) . Just saying 1965 Mustangs with HP289 engines does not separate out the early cars with five bolt 1964 HP289 engines and most with 1965 HP289 six bolt engines.

In a direct quote from a publication sent to dealers for the 1965 sales season (service parts). (Bear in mind that service items were often different than assembly line versions in many cases. Here, I do not know one way or the other.):

FORD 289 HIGH PERFORMANCE ENGINE GENERAL PARTS USE
 
63    C3AZ-12259-F    Spark Plug Wire Set - Steel Core (Fairlane) - 4V                        9.00
64    C4OZ-12259-F    Spark Plug Wire Set - Steel Core (Fairlane) - 4V                      10.00
65    C3OZ-12259-H    Spark Plug Wire Set - Linen Core (Fairlane, Mustang) - 4V      7.50

I have no idea what might have been different between the C3AZ-F and C4OZ-F sets unless it was the coil wire assembly. Service parts wise in the time frame, there were a linen core (1 version) and wire core versions (3) available to dealer service departments in the same document as above. Fairlane parts also applied to Cobras.

Ford also had a over the counter service set.
65    C5ZZ-12259-A    Spark Plug Wire Set - Steel Core (Fairlane, Mustang) - 4V      10.00

SX was a maker's mark logo for Essex Wire Corporation. The ink stamped SX is a plain text representation of the maker's logo printed or in some cases metal stamped somewhere on every electrical item Essex Wire made for Ford Motor Company in the mid-1960s

Note the artistic SX logo stamped into the Ford FDD-14303-A grounding cable assembly ring terminal.


I found this corporate logo online.

Block date 3E10, Assy date 3E15A and Carb 3DC (still has original Autolite).

Is the carburetor a C3OF-AB assembly or C3OF-AJ assembly. The date 3DC falls in between the known dates of 3DA for C3OF-ABs and 3EB for C3OF-AJs.

The general question of whether or not a given 1963-64 five bolt High Performance 289 engine was an original engine for a new Cobra comes up several times a year.

#1 First, the math is not favorable for any loose engines being original to a new Cobra long ago.

1963½ model year High Performance 289 engines.
Approximate number manufactured = 1,550 each
Approximate number installed in new street Cobras = educated estimate about 88.
Chance than any 1963½ engine went into a new street Cobra = about 6%. Remember, some engines sent to Shelby's works were race prepared and went into Cobra racers and or any other car somebody bought a complete race engine from Shelby American for.

1964 Approximate number manufactured = about 5,300 to 5,400 each
Approximate number installed in new Cobras = educated estimate 400 plus.
Chance than any 1964 engine went into a new street Cobra = about 8%. See race engine note above.


#2 Second, if an unrestored intact engine does not exhibit all or at least most of the deletes and additions made specifically for new Cobra installations, chances are probably zero it was factory installed in a new Cobra. A really easy one to spot, new engines for new Cobras received an engine oil temperature measuring sensor in their oil pans.  Yes, oil pans can be swapped around but if the engine is completely intact as day one and is missing the sensor, it was not an engine prepared to go into a new Cobra.


#3 Third, people think Cobras and Fairlanes when they think five bolt High Performance 289 engines but that was not all. Several different performance and or racing cars in the USA and elsewhere used them. Example: Early Ford Advanced Vehicles GT40s used what started off a as five bolt High Performance 289 engines from Cleveland Ohio. Genie sports racers, Lotus 30 racers, very limited number of Mercury Comets, and others used these five bolt engines.  There was even a group of 1965 Mustangs completed with "1964" five bolt High Performance 289 engines before six bolt engine production started in July 1964.

Wouldn't the HiPo's also have a VIN Stamped on it?  Did SAI Stamp any Vin's on them?

Shelby American did not put chassis "VIN" identification on High Performance 289 engines of any car I ever heard of or studied. Almost all of 1962-1964 Experimental High Performance 260, High Performance 260, Experimental High Performance 289, and High Performance 289 engines were assigned numbers and stamped with them by Ford Motor Company during engine assembly. That was engines made in 1962, 1963, and 1964 before the last week of July 1964.  The "1964" model exception was the special "1964" High Performance 289 engines made just for new Cobras in August 1964 did not get Ford serial numbers.  (Yes, 1964 model year five bolt engines made after 1965 model year six bolt engine production had been in progress a month already.)

In late July 1964 Ford's Cleveland engine plant started producing six bolt engine assemblies of low and high performance types. The six bolt High Performance 289 street engines were not given serial numbers by Ford from then on.  There was a very small number of race only High Performance 289 engines in the 1967 model year that not only got serial numbers but a manual with the number written on it also.

Somebody else needs to comment on VIN numbers Ford vehicle assembly plants added to High Performance 289 engines in starting in mid-1964.

If you happen to have an engine in your possession - would you be willing to share the casting date on the block? This might help further determine a car missing an engine near that time window to help narrow down a bit. For example if your block is say 3C15 (March 15th 1963) it might help to understand it's from an '63 car within X build window vs. 3K15 (October 15th 1963) which is considered a '64 engine installed in a car perhaps 75 cars later. I only suggest this because not all COBRA records clearly identify an engine. As well, knowing the model year it was intended for may help understand its market accuracy and value.

Pictures of a mostly intact engine before rework tells a lot. Some parts and methods were applied by engine installers at vehicle assembly plants. A number of ancillary parts were unique to new Cobras. Said another way, if the engine was prepared for a Ford Fairlane it would not have all the same ancillaries as one prepared to install into a new Cobra.

Wouldn't the HiPo's also have a VIN Stamped on it?  Did SAI Stamp any Vin's on them?

Cobras did not have VIN stamped engines.

Chassis numbers no. Street car engines no. Shelby race department prepared race engines, not car VINs but they were assigned race engine serial numbers and were so stamped. The numbers were used in company documents including engine build and test reports. No matter what car the race engine was in it kept its race shop engine number the best I can tell. 

Team car induction systems often had serial numbers stamped by Shelby American. Race prepared had Shelby American serial numbers in marked pairs. Sometimes Weber carburetors got race shop serial numbers added.

The engine number was stamped on the Shelby serial number tag on at least some 289 Cobras.

Typically, the Cobra footbox tag began at the CSX22xx mark. (The beginning of the third contact of cars.) AC Cars Ltd stamped the VIN number on the tag and Shelby American stamped the engine number on the tag. Some Cobras below CSX22xx had footbox tags added at a later time. Perhaps some stated required an easily found and displayed VIN.

CSX2201-CSX2589 roadsters left England with A.C. Cars, Ltd data tags with chassis number stamped into them COB/COX6001-6062 cars also had tags. True or not, one European source claimed it was a change in English law that made the installation of data tags mandatory. For title and registration purposes the number stamped into the frames was to be used. Some states in the USA titled and registered new cars not by their chassis or vehicle identification number but by engine number.  That was not fool proof for American market cars as engine numbers stamped into tags did not always match the numbers on engines and in some cases no engine number at all was stamped into a car's tag.

That makes perfect sense. Again, great info. Like...

You can go to Harr, New Egland's largest FORD dealer and order your own "Cobra ! or Cobra !! or a GT350"

Thanks!

You are welcome.

Good call.  I believe the 289 Cobra I reference was upgrade to "Stage III", not Cobra III.

I'm mainly trying to identify the "Cobra I & II" graphics on my Dad's GT350. 

Guess, that was an advertisement for the sales of new Cobras, 427 Cobras, and GT350s (second line).

The January 15, 1965 Shelby American parts book there were "COBRA I" and "COBRA II" vehicles. It was very important to tell the parts department what your chassis number was so they knew which parts your car would require. (The race wheels Halibrand created for 427 Cobra as marked "COBRA II" I believe.)


The December 23, 1966 Shelby American parts book there were "Model 1...1963-65" Cobras and "Model 2 in the Cobra series indicates the Cobra 427...".

Found this on the web.  Not sure if it has been shared before.

Jon

It is a 427 Cobra.

I had no idea early 66 GT350s did not have the S2MS number on them.  I know they were not exactly assembled according to SFM number but what's the best guess as to around what serial number the S2MS numbers began appearing?  Did carryover cars have no markings or were they using S1MS numbers?

Thanks

All 65 and some early 66 GT350's had the 3259 list number only. After the 581 date code batch was done I believe was when the S2MS number was added besides the 3259 list number.

Information I have collected since the mid-1970s.