Is it possible to know the toploader date range with the HEH-T tag?
If you had enough data points from original cars with the same transmission and other data/dates from those cars you could compare and graph the serial numbers to get an idea of the transmission in question "fit" the time period. Not foll proof but should apply in most cases IMO. I don't have enough examples of serial numbers from that specific trans to help out on this one
I've been messing 65-66 Mustangs since I was 12. So that's 45 years. I have never noticed a difference in the steel dash opening. I've put 5 gauge clusters into 65's with no problems, except modifying the wiring. I did a google search and got no results on any pics either.
Guess google didn't find everything. To help with that here is a picture of two K codes. Upper pictures if of the gauge opening on a standard interior car from the 5R1104xx range and the bottom from a GT and or a Deluxe interior car from the 5R223xxx range. Could have found other engine sizes but since you were specific about K codes I found two of those examples because that was what you asked about in your original post. Notice the somewhat circular cutting out below the large centered speedo in the bottom example.
Hope the pictures shows. If not click on the code
[Blocked Image: https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/gallery/21/6-220925204825-213151656.jpeg]
Hope this helps
Seems to have been asked a recently on a number of sites/forums. Not an option and the use of it would require modifications to the body, electrical systems and other supporting parts of the car,
Just because you see them on the internet does not in any way mean they came that way originally. Plenty of owners didn't like having lights instead of gauges so not a rare modification
Looking for a nice (no hammer work or major pitting) balancer. Focusing on M5 or 6A dated ones but might accept a slightly earlier one.
Have a nice spring 66 dated one if a trade works out better for someone
Thanks for taking the time.
Remember that the date on the door plate is just a scheduled date - the date a person in the office of the car plant estimated that they might be able to start building the car. That date (based on Ford production dates from other year that have records of) show that those dates could be off by three weeks earlier or later in causes.
You didn't mention the plant that the car was assembled at so when guessing at the possible real build date you have to consider in the example of the distance from the engine plant to the car plant as it is very different from one to another
Looking for a nice original balancer dated Oct-Dec 65.
Thanks for reading
I am unaware of service engines having a VIN stamp, which would have had to be done at the dealer or the owner of the Kar. An urban legend, with reasonable truth to it was for the 1966 model year. Ford introduced the Sprint six at the time that production of 289 engines were having trouble keeping up with the assembly lines. This, as far as I know, was for all 289 engines. Ford added the Windsor engine plant during 1966 to help Cleveland keep up with the demand. Hipo 289 engines were only built at the Cleveland plant. The salesmen of that time frame were told to "demo the 8 and sell the 6" which was the reason for the Sprint. My understanding is that some cars were assembled without engines and the engines came later. This was recently done with the "Chip" shortage. I have never heard of an exact time frame when all of this occurred, if this really happened, but that would make it possible to have an engine built after the body assembly. I am certainly open to any critique on this. If I am way off base on this, I will be happy to remove this thought from this page.
-Fred-
Fred - as far as cars being built without engines and storing the cars until engines arrived - Haven't heard that taking place from any Ford worker or from any documentation. Lots of stories out there but little or no proof. That would take a bunch of extra storage more car plants didn't have available plus where at the plant would they use to install the engines? No reason to use the car lines and not produce additional cars IMHO.
Did hear the one (only once 40 years ago) when a guy claimed that they delivered 65 GT350's with 6 cylinders installed to Shelby and Shelby swapped the motors over at a later date. All kinds of holes in that one plus no recall of anything like that from the Shelby Factory guys of the period.
Sure we'll see the idea you presented again either in person at a show or reported in an online blog or even picked up by AI publishing an article for some web site then picked up and repeated over and over 
If you want them to look like 65 - early 66's then don't paint them. Originals were not. If they have been polished there is no saving them
Remember that your comparing the engine dates to a date on the door that was projected or guessed when the order was received at the San Jose plant. That date could be off by as much as 3 weeks in either direction though most within a week.
Just something to thing about since so many think that the door tag date is the date the car was always built on. In the case of San Jose built cars you have to consider freight time as well as loading and unloading time and schedules. Not like they have a train waiting for just one motor to be shipped cross country.
Hello all,
in the restoration process of my K-code we have arrived at the sealing of the underbody. Am I correct in assuming that on Dearborn cars this was black and a true "sealer" while on California cars it was just oxidized?
While we're on the subject: Do you guys have any tips for the paint job? As I understand it, the cars were barely masked and they were painted through the windows, is that correct?
Guess "sealer" in your first paragraph is the same as paint or primer sealer.
For 5F07K616536 the floors from firewall rearward were sprayed with a mixture of left over body paint from the shift before mixed with an epoxy primer sealer. Depending on when during the production year your car was built we find blueish. greenish and even very dark gray that looks close to black. Just depends. San Jose used a red oxide primer sealer (no flat nor rough looking like red oxide primer) from the firewall reward to almost the rear cross member.
The best place to find what color floor color was used you need to search the corners and pockets of your car's floor where the coating might be most protected then clean those spots down to remove any overspray from the body and pinch weld black out process as well as the affects of the elements over the year to the base color. One place to look that is protected but will only provide a small look is below the bucket seat plugs in the floor. Lacking that, cars been "restored" repainted or stripped leaves you will looking at other cars built same plant and time as your
As for masking it was rarely needed. For the K code years after the red oxide primer was applied to the trunk, interior and exterior (top side) of the unibody with doors and trunk lid attached that was followed followed by the gray primer surfacer was applied to the exterior. Then the interior panels that would be seen (dash and interior door surfaces) were painted then masked off before the exterior color was applied to the trunk, door jambs and exterior surfaces while the bolt on parts (except for doors, trunk lid and rear valance on Dearborn cars) were being painted on a separate paint line later to be installed
Hope this helps some
If I have an 11/65 build date SJ 1966 car. What would be the correct date code for the timing cover? Wouldn't it have to be stamped with 9-11 dots with a 65 in the middle? .....................
The guide for dating of engine parts IMHO needs to be compared to the assembly date of the block found on the drivers side - at the front - where the head mates to the block.
Is it not true that the Rouge River plant produced the fastback before San Jose and those were sent to the Worlds Fair in NY as sales show cars? Like the ones on the Ford Rotunda? I have a very early VIN from the plant, earlier than any I have seen or read about. It’s a K code Fastback. Trying to see if it was a Worlds Fair car.
There were fastbacks produced at the pilot plant that were used for advertising and other purposes. Believe I've got some references to a couple of them from June of 64 for early road tests and/or PR days . It may be some of those cars that were used for display early in the Fairs display period. There is also a red fastback that you can find pictures of that lacks parts on the car (rear interior items easiest to see in the pictures I've viewed) that were seen and photographed at Shelby America. This suggest this was a very early Fastback where they had not figured out some of the fine details but needed certain people to view and examine the new body type
Years ago we had a very early SJ fastback that was originally equipped with cloth interior. Only one I've ever seen Unfortunately never kept track of VIN's or took pictures but did keep the seat material as a show and tell item for judging seminars decades ago
Yes the fair lasted a year so you will often find pictures taken through out that period as the displays changed and cars replaced to keep things fresh and new products in front of the public in hopes they would rush into the dealerships with orders
Im thinking sub assys like complete rear end were assembled at a sub plant and shipped to one of the three mustang assy plants to be installed in the vehicle chassis much like rear leaf springs and complete engine assys.
Correct. Since this is on the inside and not accessible by Dearborn or any other car plant worker it would have been applied at Sterling the plant that built and shipped completed full rearend assemblies out to the car plants.
Beautiful Kar,
It looks like the clamp on the short leaf is on the wrong place, shouldn’t it be on other side of leaf spring plate.
Appears to me that the springs are replacement so where a clamp may be located may not mean much
Looks like a home made tag riveted to the door jamb. Not a brass tag car nor does it appear to be anything special. Think we have another example of someone trying to make a story from crumbs or in this case a single crumb
Of course there are no records of which cars were built when or in what order. And based on other years we have records for the lowest VINs were not usually the first ones down the line. Suggest that for 65-66 the only bragging can be done with titles/statements like having the lowest VIN rather than the first off the line.
What I've collected so far
It's a small number but is as follows
Four examples of
C6ZF - F
A 5HE
Two examples of
C6ZF F
A 5JC
Two examples of
C6ZF F
B 5JD
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
C6ZF-C
? 5JD
C6ZF - C
B 6BD
Don't post over here much at all though I do visit. Looking for any documentation, observation or input related to the assembly dates found on either of these two carburetors. As of right now what I'm founding is only groupings on specific dates sometimes close other times with a great amount of time from an earlier date.
So if you have any information to help from an original tag please help by identifying which model/carb it is and the assembly date (smaller lower line) stamping. Currently have only about ten examples to start with
Thanks
Pics of the Markings on the side of the front frame rails,any idea what they mea
While the unibody of the car was being painted its exterior color the fenders were hanging on hooks in another part of the plant floor. Those numbers identified the hook each fender was hung from so that workers could identify the correct fenders for each specific car.
Since the numbers identified the hook the same number will be seen on many other Mustangs but not always the same pair of numbers. This was a practice seen at only San Jose so far during 65-66 production
