New Street Cobra Engine Block Numbers 1962-1964

[Dan Case]

Reposted here from another forum, I thought this might be of some interest to readers of this forum. DC

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“ Hello, Does anyone know if SA or Ford ever stamped vin numbers or anything specific ( other than build dates ) on early 65 289 hipo blocks used in Cobras?
Thanks in advance,…”
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VIN numbers no, engine assembly serial numbers yes. Street or race? New car or service replacement?

The ones I can address are new street Cobras. 1965 model year wise only fifteen (15) new Cobras received 1965 model year specification engines. Most Cobras received 1962 (XHP-260, HP260, or in one case a 260 2V), 1963 (HP289), 1964 (HP289), or Cobra only part 1964 specification and part 1965 specification HP289s (48 engines documented but only 42 going into new street cars) produced August 25, 1964 (odd five bolt engines assembled after six bolt engines were being made).

Those fifteen engines were 1965 Fairlane HP289s assembled for use with automatic transmissions and they were mated to 1965 Fairlane high performance C4 automatic transmissions. Shelby American assigned engine serial numbers to these engines. The serial numbers didn’t have anything to do with the VIN of the chassis they went into.

For general information, Cobra wise. All 4V induction 1962, 1963, and 1964 model year engines SAI or Ed Hugus or AC Cars received from FoMoCo were stamped with serial numbers related to manufacture of those engines. As far as we know each series started off with Job 1 and increased from there. Said another way, as far as we know there was an XHP-260-1, HP260 #1, and HP289 #1. HP289 wise there is no evidence that Ford started renumbering each model year but rather picked up serial numbers where the previous model year left off.

By late summer SAI still had chassis without engines and Ford no longer produced PRODUCTION five bolt bell housing 289s of any version. Forty eight (48) HP289 engines were obtained from Ford made just for new Cobras. They had five bolt blocks and a mixture of 1964 specification and 1965 specification parts in them. Ford did not serialize these engines so SAI created their own numbering system. Shortly thereafter fifteen (15) 1965 Fairlane HP289s for automatic transmissions were obtained and also given SAI serial numbers.

SAI didn’t publish a list of what chassis received what engine or its serial number so some detective work is required for most Cobras to verify “matching numbers”.

Each engine block used in a new Cobra will have a:
engineering number for the casting (for HP289s there were several different ones between circa December 1962 and mid September 1964) (Ford)

date cast (Ford)

date machined (Ford)

date engine assembled (Ford) Note: If anybody milled the block decks post production this number will no longer exist.

serial number (FoMoCo or SAI) only for high performance engine assemblies intended for installation in a new car

That is the short answer. My notes on serial numbers include multiple paragraphs in my 72 pages of Cobra engine notes.

Dan Case