1967 Shelby GT 500 motor information

[Rickcholewinski]

Message
I bought a 1967 Shelby GT500 years ago with no motor and trans. Trying to buy right date code parts.
Ford production date was February 13, 1967.
Getting a lot of different information. First off is engine block. Look like block date should be no more them two months of production date of car. So December 66 to February 67correct?Also A on back of block with reinforcement webbing to be completely correct for a 428 police interceptor motor?'
Also cylinder head, identification numbers, and date codes?
Looks like only one intake manifold option. 2x4.
Also exhaust manifold. Look like 390 GT manifold. 66/67 year.
A lot of the engine blocks are not reinforced that I have been seeing and I don't think that's right for this car. I know you cannot tell the difference once it is in the car as long as I have the right gate code.
AnyInformation would be great.
Thanks Rick.

[highland green]

1967 "A" scratch on back of block, no reinforced webbing on mains. "C" scratch production didnt start until July ?? I dont think 1967 Shelbys received "C" scratch blocks. Others will know more.

[roddster]

  You have to watch as a lot of T-bird 428's end up being sold as PI blocks.  Or attempted to.

[shelbydoug]

An "A" scratch is an "A" scratch. They could have been in any vehicle built with a 428.

There is no PI block just as there is no CJ block. It depends on what configuration the engine was built into.


67 "A" scratch blocks are 428 blocks. None that I am aware of were stamped with the cars serial number. They are blank.

An ideal date code would be 3 to 4 weeks before the Ford build date but could be closer or much earlier.

Late builds tend to be closer to the Ford build dates, maybe as close as 2 weeks to 10 days. Early builds could be a couple of months to 6 weeks earlier. It varies during the build year.


FE blocks evolve. There are at least '66 cast "A" blocks. Maybe 65's as well? Mine is late. May 31, 1967. Features are added during the runs. A 65 block may not have the same features as a late 67?


"C" blocks seem to start to appear in late June '67. It is thought that some late 67 GT500's may have received the earliest of the "C" blocks?

Mine is 3074 with an early June Ford build date but still has an "A". Personally I think the casting date is more important then the A or C but there will always be debates over what is right or wrong for a specific car. Get used to it now.

I just rebuilt the engine last year. The block has the reinforcing. 7E31 date code.



In reality you can't prove that the block in one car is original to the car or is just "period correct" because of no serial number stamping. That's why the casting date is important.

The heads can vary from the block and may not even match each other date wise. My heads are C, March '67. If they were March '68, that would be a red flag.


The cars serial number was actually stamped into the bottom of the transmission but not the block itself. So you build the engine to be "period correct" for your car.

There are date codes much more difficult to find then the block. For me the most difficult is the date coded bell house. The carbs as well with a reasonable build date. You can find them both but to find certain dates they are just SOB's to find simply because the vast majority were for GT500's and the production numbers for them are relatively very small by comparison to the rest of Ford production.


The advice that I got was find the closest you can now and if you find a better one later, sell or swap out what you have. For sure, someone else will be looking for it.

[Rickcholewinski]

Ok thanks for the info.