[Mr427]

Keane:

This is clearly a 1971 M.Y. engine block. The "Y" stands for an assembly plant which I don´t recognize. Probably the old Lincoln & T-Bird plant in Dearborn or that general area. Ford dealers have printed info on this. You can ask. They can decode this. It is also availalble from several printed sources and it is also included at the front of most qualified repair manuals.

The car it came from is consecutinve unit no. 100661, meaning it is the one hundred thousandth six hundred sixty-first vehicle slated for production at the particular plant.

Once you have this information in your hand, you can take it to people like Marti Auto works or others who specialize in vehicle searches and title work. This can be traced all the way back to its origin, where it was first registered, what individual car it was and where it spent its life.

Let us say that the vehicle was stolen at one time and that here you have found the engine. Then that will show up as well, if police authorities have done their work. Which brings me back to the issue of this number: That is why it is there, for police work and not old car buffs and muscle car freaks like us, but it works for us too.

All the best.