Numbers Matching Question

Re: HEHE, new girl again...more assistance please

Hello, just to let you know a numbers matching car is very difficult to check because there are so many numbers. Probably the most important is the engine block. it is stamped from the factory with numbers matching the vin of the car as well as casting dates that were cast into the block when it was produced. Then you've got the heads, intake manifold, exhaust manifolds, carburetor, distributor, all of these things have numbers on them telling you or a judge weather or not it is the one that came on the car or not. By the way the transmission, rear end etc, all have numbers on them too. I think from what I read in your thread you should more than likely get a person in your area that's in the "know" about the number stuff and let them give you some advice. Good Luck, Randy

 

Well numbers maching usually refers to the cars Vin# matches the number stamped on the rear of the engine and tranmission. All car manufactors were required to stamp their engines so if a car was stolen you could trace the engine to the car and prove that that engine belongs to that car. Numbers correct means that the date codes and the part numbers or correct for the car, but, may or may not have come with the car when the car was built. In other words the say your car is missing its intake manifold and your car is a 68, the part number will start with C8-- which means 68, them you look for the date code and try to find a date that is about 3 to 4 months before your car was built. But like I said numbers matching refers to Vin# on the engine and it tells people that the car has it's original engine. I hope this helps

 

Cobra427 thanks for the clarification. This is also my take of what a numbers matching car is. The car sill has the original motor and transmission that can be verified because the vin is stamped on the block and transmission.

 

Another opinion on Numbers Matching in regards to a 65 Shelby. (I'll use mine as an example):
The engine was assembled by Ford in mid November 1964. The block is stamped with the Ford VIN number AND an assembly date code on the top left front of the block. To follow date codes, the engine components that had dates cast or stamped in need to be within 90 days BEFORE this date. Cylinder heads, water pump, timing cover, vibration damper, distributor.
A set of heads with a 4J3 date code were cast on the third week of September 1964. (First number is the year, the letter is the month, third number is the week)
Ford used the letters to denote months on date codes. A is January thru M for December. What's that you say? M is the 13th letter of the alphabet? Well, nitro breath, Ford did not use the letter I because it can easily be confused for a 1.
Something else: I have a friend who has a 66 Hertz car. He bought it from a dealership who purchased it from Hertz. I rebuilt the engine a few years ago. The block is stamped with the Ford VIN number, but its three digits off of the VIN number stamped on the car! Apparently the engines got out of sequence from the factory.