Engine Date Coding

OK, Need some help....Question for all you gurus out there.

Got a 65 Coupe GT/K build date 01R (April 1 1965) Correct me if I am wrong....

Engine has all the K-Kode stuff in it and never looks like it has been removed. I am concerned that the date codes on the engine are not consistent with the Warranty Plate Build Date mentioned above.

Now Page 6&7 of the 4th Edition book states that my car should have a 6 bolt bell housing and the numbers cast into the block behind the starter should be C5AE-6015E and this is consistent with the April 01,1965 build date being after August of 1964.......

.....but....ready, the date code above the C5AE-6015E casting is 5C12....I interpret this to say March 12th 1964, 13 months prior to the build date. March would be great if it was a 1965 March which should be Q....yes/right/maybe? ugghhhh

So....since the C5AE-6015E casting says the motor is newer than the August 1964 equipment then it should not have a 5C12 casting unless someone flubbed the casting run and put a C for March instead of a Q that the book defines for 1965 cars. All other castings on the heads, and intake are 5C2 and 5C3 dates.......

I thought maybe it was a warranty or replacement block done at the dealer after purchase which might make sense based on the casting and if a failure of the original engine caused a dealer replacement then an early March block etc might have been dusted off and put into the car.....no?

Still, the C5AE-6015E casting is throwing a loop into that theory and I am thinking someone was imbibing on the job at the casting factory and accidently used a C cast for a 1965 batch of parts versus the expected Q????

Any thoughts???

Thanks,

SoCal65GT-K

Fred,

That is music to my ears! Like the tapping of the solid lifters coming from under the hood of my coupe!

I have yet to find the stamping on the block. It should be passenger side and I am familiar where it should be based on history of owning other cars. The transmission is stamped correctly but I have not found the engine stamp, if it exists.

Based on all the notes in the Mustang book I had expected that the 1965 March would have been designated by a Q versus the C but it would be a heck of a coincidence to have it set up with a March 64 block.

Appreciate the feedback. Smiling in San Diego,

Andy

Yep,

I for some reason kept interpreting the book to date code the parts the same way the warranty tag was.

You guys have been very helpful.

Although my block does not appear to be stamped with the VIN I have to assume it is correct in the fact that the block, intake, and heads have all the correct date coding, correct hipo markings on the heads, has the larger harmonic balancer, fan and shroud are still in place as well as the exhaust manifolds.

I can't imagine this car has ever been taken apart.

My next step is to take off the exhaust manifolds to look for the stamped VIN. If it is not there I can justify that this is just one of those engines that did not get VIN'ed.

I bought this car on a whim from a guy who did not think it was original. Hoping that this car is all that it can be.

How can I validate it is a true GT, etc?

Any feedback would be welcome.