• Hello does anyone in here have a hipo built around May/June 1965 that would be willing to share what information is in their original engine I’d tag? I want to order a tag from Mari company and would like to get the tag as close as possible to what it should have been. Looking at the decoders there appears to have been 5 engine codes For the hipo 289 as follows 275, 276, 554, 563 and 564. But it does not say what code is for what year. Also there is a “change level” I would need to know what that would have been about that time. And last is the plant code and if I remember correctly all HP 289’s were built in the Cleveland plant is that correct? Thanks for any support you can give ^^

  • "The 65 Mustang HiPo engine tag number was 554. There was a suffix, but Ford never listed it unless it was necessary to distingish between two different engines. Best to use the data from someone else's engine tag for the suffix. J was a common letter, but I don't know if there were others. Good place for other owners to chime in with their engine tag data. On the bottom left of the tag is the date code. Should be something like 5-G if your Mustang was built in July 1965" --Bob Mannel

    Evan

    6T09K134XXX

  • My exact build date was June 8th so I figured most of my stuff including the engine assembly would have been sometime in May. I’m with you I’m hoping someone will chime in that has a car built sometime in the month of May. Thanks for the info. I thought it was 554j just wanted someone to confirm that and now to just figure out the change level from that period and how close there engine build was to the build date of their car. Can you confirm all Hipos were built in the Cleveland plant? And if so that would be code C right?

  • Yes, All Hipo 289 engines were built at the Cleveland engine plant with the code of C on the engine tag.

    -Fred-

    65 Koupe early San Jose Phoenician Yellow 4 speed
    66 GT Koupe Dearborn Blue 4 speed
    66 KGT San Jose fastback pony interior Silver Frost 4 speed
    64 Falcon sedan delivery 289 4 speed
    65 Ranchero 289 4 speed
    66 Corvette roadster 427/425 4 speed

  • Your engine is in the changeover time period for Change level 7 to change level 8. The easiest way to tell, if everything is original, is whether your engine uses a cast iron or aluminum water pump. If it uses a cast iron water pump, that particular cast iron water pump is unique to change level 8 and was only used until August 1965. I do not see anywhere in this thread where you actually give us the casting date of the block and the engine assembly date. This information will be, not just helpful, but needed.

    -Fred-

    65 Koupe early San Jose Phoenician Yellow 4 speed
    66 GT Koupe Dearborn Blue 4 speed
    66 KGT San Jose fastback pony interior Silver Frost 4 speed
    64 Falcon sedan delivery 289 4 speed
    65 Ranchero 289 4 speed
    66 Corvette roadster 427/425 4 speed

  • Thanks Fred the block Date is 5E29. Has the cast iron pump (that I got from you) with the steel backing plate. So I think I got it figured out:

    289. C. 65. 8. fomoco

    5E. 554J

    is the 5E29, the casting date or the assembly date? That will make a difference on your date on the engine tag being that late in the month.

    -Fred-

    65 Koupe early San Jose Phoenician Yellow 4 speed
    66 GT Koupe Dearborn Blue 4 speed
    66 KGT San Jose fastback pony interior Silver Frost 4 speed
    64 Falcon sedan delivery 289 4 speed
    65 Ranchero 289 4 speed
    66 Corvette roadster 427/425 4 speed

  • Yes but my car was stolen in 1972 and striped of the engine, trans, and rear axle. So yes it’s the casting date of the replacement Hipo 289 not the original hipo to the car. With the build on the car at June 8th and casting date on the engine May 29 -9 days prior I don’t think it would ever pass as the original even if the vin was on it. So close it’s too close. But I’m happy with it.....I’m trying to get her as close to accurate as possible for now Then one day Evan will find my stuff then it will be 100% :)

  • Yes but my car was stolen in 1972 and striped of the engine, trans, and rear axle. So yes it’s the casting date of the replacement Hipo 289 not the original hipo to the car. With the build on the car at June 8th and casting date on the engine May 29 -9 days prior I don’t think it would ever pass as the original even if the vin was on it. So close it’s too close. But I’m happy with it.....I’m trying to get her as close to accurate as possible for now Then one day Evan will find my stuff then it will be 100% :)

    I sure the hell hope to find your engine. Make sure to encourage those with mismatched vins to get a hold of me here or on facebook.

    Evan

    6T09K134XXX

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