Original engine

[Rex]

I have a May build 67 GT500. I am having some extensive resto work done and the engine is one issue. After the engine was pulled,guy said it looks from the numbers my 428 is a December 1966 date code. Is this possible, normal etc? Don't ask for the stamping as the car is 100 miles away. Thanks in advance.

[Bob Gaines]

I have a May build 67 GT500. I am having some extensive resto work done and the engine is one issue. After the engine was pulled,guy said it looks from the numbers my 428 is a December 1966 date code. Is this possible, normal etc? Don't ask for the stamping as the car is 100 miles away. Thanks in advance.

Is this possible gives a lot of leeway. It is possible but not very likely IMO. It would be highly questioned and treated with skepticism in the SAAC DIV I or MCA thoroughbred class for example.

[gt350cs]

Date should be relative to San Jose not Shelby American build date. A May car from SAI would be earlier from San Jose. December may be correct for your car, but as Bob said not likely.

[Rex]

Ok. Yes I understand the Shelby/San Jose part. I personally know all the owners and they never changed the engine. The wild card it that it was originally sold to a Dr. In California. He is long deceased so that is that.

[Richstang]

The SAI completion date in May is even a broad time frame to work with.
The majority of those cars were built at SJ in April, but a few are as early as Jan 30 and as late as May 15th.
It would definitely help to know more. The SJ build date, or the Shelby VIN would help so we could look up the details.
PM me if you prefer not to post the customers Shelby VIN on a public forum.

[Rex]

Ok, it would be this weekend. Thanks for your help.

[JD]

I have a May build 67 GT500. I am having some extensive resto work done and the engine is one issue. After the engine was pulled,guy said it looks from the numbers my 428 is a December 1966 date code. Is this possible, normal etc? Don't ask for the stamping as the car is 100 miles away. Thanks in advance.

Casting Date of the block and the build (assembly date) of the engine are different dates - which of these is the December date the "engine" guy is referring to?

The engine wasn't cast or assembled in California that occurred much further east and was then shipped to San Jose for installation in the car Ford assembled. That is why the actual Ford build date of the car is important to know.

[shelbydoug]

For a mid-May '67 SJ car build I would expect casting dates in early to mid April '67. An engine assembly date somewhere in the middle of April about a week after the latest date which is probably the block.

A December casting date for a May SJ build isn't likely. The problem in identifying what you think is going to be the original block is that the '67 428's didn't have the chassis number of the car like the 289's did stamped into it.

So you really can't tell if the block is original to the car only if it is "period correct" for it. A Dec' 66 isn't.



Let's put it this way. If you needed a block you'd be looking for a 7D15 and heads around that, as well as the bell and the water pump.

The distributor might be a little earlier?

That's what I'd be looking for in casting dates.

[texas swede]

My car was built in the end of January 1967 at San Jose and end of May 1967 at SA.
Texas Swede