• Welcome to the CaliforniaSpecial.com forums! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all our site features, please take a moment to join our community! It's fast, simple and absolutely free.

    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

    Please Note: If you are an existing member and your password no longer works, click here to reset it.

Curious--how much less is a CS worth w/o...

x-codegtcs

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Messages
549
Location
Kaysville, UT
I have a Dearborn Convertible 289 with no numbers stamped on the top location as discussed. My X-code GT/CS also has no stamping (this motor was rebuilt once, but according to the owner who had it rebuilt, the block and heads are the originals).

The only numbers I have seen on a block is my friends 289 HiPo?!?!

As mentioned above, I do not thing that I would discount a car if it was not numbers matching by 50% (of course unless it was highly overpriced to begin with). I think the Pricing Guide on this site is VERY accurate with the considerations of market supply/demand. I would think that if one wanted to get really picky, and they were say paying $100K for a GT500KR Convertible they could probably really want proof - but if you tried to buy it for $50K, they wouldn't sell and the next in line would buy it.

It seems to me that there are so many parts out there that are being repopped and the chances of a 35 year old car being in SOME kind of accident would generally indicate that your chances are slim to none to find an numbers matching car. Mustangs were not taken seriously (excluding Shelbys) until recently ('90+) and since then how many have received the AutoZone/Checker crate motor?

Anyway, what I have found is that a car's value is in the buyer's secret place where the nostalgic memories of yesteryear lay dormant until rekindled by sight, touch and smell.

My two bits worth.
 

our special

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
146
Location
Newfoundland Canada
Just a thought. Our GT/CS has a 289 cuin. engine which has the serial number stamped in the block. When I took the engine down last yesr to freshen it up, I noticed that the block has a 302 stamping in the top of the block which would be under the dome. I have heard of other 289 cuin. engines having the 302 cuin. blocks as well. ( story in Mustang Monthly some months back ).

I was wondering if all 289cuin. engines were produced in '68 or were there some 289's carried over from '67.

I don't remember seeing a serial number on the block of my '67 289cuin.

Maybe the 289's without the serial number were produced in in '67 and the '68 produced 289's were stamped. Like I said, just a thought. Dave
 

Russ

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
394
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
Question: Where is the serial number stamping on the 200 ci six, and where is it located on the 390ci?? Lots of discussion on the 289/302. I checked two other 1968 289 engine blocks I have, and guess what........no stamped VIN numbers on that machined surface behind the intake maniflod. These blocks are January and April 1968 blocks.

The issue of having a 289 engine with a 302 block is fairly common in later 1968 Mustangs. The cubic inch displacement was made up by changing the crankshaft. The 289 engine had a crank with a "1M" cast into the first journal and the 302 had a "2M" cast into the same journal. While the cranks look identical, this number makes them easy to identify.

As I said in an earlier post, I'm still not convinced that ford stamped every engine with the VIN. Just my thoughts.

Russ
 

our special

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 25, 2002
Messages
146
Location
Newfoundland Canada
Our GT/CS was assembled on March 18 1968 ( Marti Report ) and has the 302 block, 289 heads and dome. As Russ points out, the internal difference in cubic inch displacement between the 302 and the 289 was made up with the crankshaft. My thoughts are that the Ford plants used up their remaining 289 engines from their 1967 production, and then used 302 blocks for all remaining orders. I would imagine the installiation date of the 302 block, depended on how many 289's a paticular plant had available. As you know, a 302 2bbl was not available for 1968. Dave
 

BrandonB

Well-known member
Joined
May 21, 2003
Messages
292
How do you figure out if you have a 289 block with 289 heads or a 302 block with 289 heads?
 

Russ

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Messages
394
Location
Flagstaff, AZ
When you take the intake manifold off the car, a casting number is found in the area where the hydraulic lifters are located. Some blocks are identified with 289 and some with 302. On the heads, the identification numbers can be seen when you take the valve covers off.

Remember, its the crank and rods that determine the cubic inches on these engines, not the bore. I read in another post that a 289 was bored out to 302, and the result was a car that heated up. These blocks are called "thin wall casting" blocks, and the maximum overbore that is recommended is .030". Any more that that and you can assure yourself a heating problem.

Hope this helps,
Russ
 
Top