What Is This Engine?

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A friend of mine has a 289 5 bolt block, C4OE-6015-C, cast 3L21, with an unusual assembly date stamped on the boss by the distributor of 025 over "S M C" with the M having "legs" under both the S and C. We think it's a Cobra block. Can someone verify this?

Jim

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HP289 engines in all but the last roughly 60 street Cobras were based on all physical evidence discovered so far regular production HP289 Fairlane engines and as such are marked just like them and nothing else. All other markings are most likely post production for reasons now lost to time. The heads on the genuine out of a Cobra engine on the stand here right now are stamped, one each LEFT and RIGHT but that was no doubt done long ago (this engine has not been run since circa 1968) when someone worked on the engine. Even a couple of works race cars that still have their original engines that someone has sent me data on have engines that started their days as standard Fairlane HP289s assembled by Ford.

The only way to confirm that a block was used in a Cobra would be compare the Ford block serial number to the one listed on the invoice for the Cobra between Shelby and the selling dealer or on the foot box tag for chassis CSX2201 and later.

Dan