(SJ build 12/28/66) 67 GT500. Engine date code Correct for the car?

[Kyle]

Hi all,

I have a question about my early 67 Shelby GT500.

My car was ordered on 11/08/66 and realised from San Jose 12/28/66.
Completed by Shelby 1/25/67 and shipped 1/30/67.

My question is:
My engine block casting date code is 6H19 and assembly date of the engine is 6J28 9. The chylinder heads casting date is 6J 13 and the other one is 6J8.

My engine is a correct date code for my car please?

Thanks Kyle.

[capecodmustang.com]

I would say yes................

[Kyle]

I would say yes................

So normally the engine cast date how months they were early for the car?
I checked  (3) 67 GT500 unrestored cars and the engine is is not early 3 months.
How much week's or month's the engines were early for the early 67 Shelby GT500?
Kyle.

[shelbydoug]

To me, no. It is not original to the chassis.

It may in fact be the reality that the time period between the casting dates on the block and the installation in the chassis vary according to the time of the year and how busy the assembly line is, but I wouldn't count on that. I would expect the block to be the largest determining factor since the heads often don't even match each other.

I would expect that block to have a casting date of around 11/31/66 or 6L31 (three to four weeks before installation) with an engine assembly date about ten days to two weeks later.

6H is August of 66 which to me is way to much of a stretch.

However, that's just what I would EXPECT to find and if yours is original to the car, then "it is what it is".


In my discussions with people that I consider to be experts on this subject, unless you are going to show in "thoroughbred" where all parts are expected to be original assembly line, then it doesn't matter.

You just need to be period correct and the only place you would be getting into controversy would be if you were advertising the car for sale as all original. The engine to me, does not likely seem to be original to that build.


The only other thought I have is "Shelby" production generally speaking started much later then other "Ford" production. Ford production for the 67 model year starting somewhere around the middle of August of '66. Shelby's around the end of November, early December.

Then you need to look at what do we mean by "Period Correct" for a '67 Shelby v 67 "Ford". I'd interpret that as that engine NOT being period correct for a '67 Shelby GT500 because no Shelbys were built yet, but if no one is going to look at it under the 'glass of a "Thoroughbred", then who cares?


Complicating the matter further is that it is the 289's that have chassis serial numbers stamped into them, not 428's. So actually then you couldn't prove one way or the other that the engine was original to the chassis, just that it is Period Correct.

In addition, if THAT engine SUDDENLY appeared with a chassis number stamped into it, it would be screaming "counterfeit".


That's just my take on the subject but remember when you go to sell the car, others are not going to be kind to you on your description.

[Wedgeman]

What are the date codes on the Distributor, Carbs, & exhaust manifolds ?.....that will help

[shelbydoug]

If you are going to look at other "bolt on's" for dates, I'd look at the bell housing and transmission for both casting dates and the chassis # in the transmission.

IF you in fact had a Q code Thunderbird in there that was swapped in, I'd EXPECT other bolt ons to be transferred from the broken engine but all of a sudden if they have December '66 date codes on them, that would just be the nails in the coffin of it not being the original "long block".

It's really only the last few years that there is enough evidence to show the relevance of the casting dates. I doubt if a swap was done 20 or 30 years ago, anyone would pay attention to things like the block or heads date codes?

[GT350DAVE]

Hi all,

I have a question about my early 67 Shelby GT500.

My car was ordered on 11/08/66 and realised from San Jose 12/28/66.
Completed by Shelby 1/25/67 and shipped 1/30/67.

My question is:
My engine block casting date code is 6H19 and assembly date of the engine is 6J28 9. The chylinder heads casting date is 6J 13 and the other one is 6J8.

My engine is a correct date code for my car please?

Thanks Kyle.

The very early 67 GT 500's could precede assembly date at San Jose by up to 5 months. As production continued the dates got closer to each other.
Dave

[shelbydoug]

Hi all,

I have a question about my early 67 Shelby GT500.

My car was ordered on 11/08/66 and realised from San Jose 12/28/66.
Completed by Shelby 1/25/67 and shipped 1/30/67.

My question is:
My engine block casting date code is 6H19 and assembly date of the engine is 6J28 9. The chylinder heads casting date is 6J 13 and the other one is 6J8.

My engine is a correct date code for my car please?

Thanks Kyle.

The very early 67 GT 500's could precede assembly date at San Jose by up to 5 months. As production continued the dates got closer to each other.
Dave

I've heard that before and am not questioning you but how much data do you have on that claim?

Those 428's sound more like '66 production left overs.

[GT350DAVE]

We have been inputting engine dates from owners for many years for both the GT 500's and GT 350's.
Dave

[Kyle]

To me, no. It is not original to the chassis.

It may in fact be the reality that the time period between the casting dates on the block and the installation in the chassis vary according to the time of the year and how busy the assembly line is, but I wouldn't count on that. I would expect the block to be the largest determining factor since the heads often don't even match each other.

I would expect that block to have a casting date of around 11/31/66 or 6L31 (three to four weeks before installation) with an engine assembly date about ten days to two weeks later.

6H is August of 66 which to me is way to much of a stretch.

However, that's just what I would EXPECT to find and if yours is original to the car, then "it is what it is".


In my discussions with people that I consider to be experts on this subject, unless you are going to show in "thoroughbred" where all parts are expected to be original assembly line, then it doesn't matter.

You just need to be period correct and the only place you would be getting into controversy would be if you were advertising the car for sale as all original. The engine to me, does not likely seem to be original to that build.


The only other thought I have is "Shelby" production generally speaking started much later then other "Ford" production. Ford production for the 67 model year starting somewhere around the middle of August of '66. Shelby's around the end of November, early December.

Then you need to look at what do we mean by "Period Correct" for a '67 Shelby v 67 "Ford". I'd interpret that as that engine NOT being period correct for a '67 Shelby GT500 because no Shelbys were built yet, but if no one is going to look at it under the 'glass of a "Thoroughbred", then who cares?


Complicating the matter further is that it is the 289's that have chassis serial numbers stamped into them, not 428's. So actually then you couldn't prove one way or the other that the engine was original to the chassis, just that it is Period Correct.

In addition, if THAT engine SUDDENLY appeared with a chassis number stamped into it, it would be screaming "counterfeit".


That's just my take on the subject but remember when you go to sell the car, others are not going to be kind to you on your description.

Thanks for all the information.I am restoring this car and I need to make it with most parts original and all parts dated correctly.
Kyle

[Kyle]

What are the date codes on the Distributor, Carbs, & exhaust manifolds ?.....that will help

Thanks for helping me.
One of the carb date code is 6B1 but the other carb date code definitely is not correct date code 382.
The distributor date code is 6K31.
The exhaust manifolds 6J21 and the other one is 6J14.

Kyle

[Kyle]

If you are going to look at other "bolt on's" for dates, I'd look at the bell housing and transmission for both casting dates and the chassis # in the transmission.

IF you in fact had a Q code Thunderbird in there that was swapped in, I'd EXPECT other bolt ons to be transferred from the broken engine but all of a sudden if they have December '66 date codes on them, that would just be the nails in the coffin of it not being the original "long block".

It's really only the last few years that there is enough evidence to show the relevance of the casting dates. I doubt if a swap was done 20 or 30 years ago, anyone would pay attention to things like the block or heads date codes?

Thanks again.
My car is Automatic c6 transmission I think that they never had a chassis numbers.
Here is a photo of my transmission date code.

[Royce Peterson]

Looks like February 28 1966.

[Kyle]

Looks like February 28 1966.

Ok thanks.
It is not correct date code for the car?
Kyle

[Kyle]

We have been inputting engine dates from owners for many years for both the GT 500's and GT 350's.
Dave

Dave thanks for the information.

I saw a shelby 67 #253 on a website and the engine cast date code is 6J24.
The car order received 11/08/66 realeasd from San Jose 12/15/66.

So this car is earlier than my car but the engine cast date is later than my car.