Hello, everyone! My name is Márcio, I'm from Brazil, always reading this forum, and now I really need your help!

I bought my 5th Mustang and, for my surprise, it came WITHOUT the engine code! Do you know anything about it? The VIN is 7T01(blank)208803. I took off fenders and in both sides there is no engine code! The door tag IS PERFECT and we can read 701T3208803. I never saw a "3" engine code! I have 11 books only about Mustangs, I'm in Mustang collection since year 2000 and it's the first time I saw it.
I wrote to magazines and sites about Mustang and I didn't have answer for my question. The best answer was "the plate was incorrectly stamped by the plant that built the car."
Obviously, I ordered Marti Auto report yesterday and I'm very anxious about the answer.

If anyone can help me, I'll be glad!
P.S.: sorry about my poor English...

Thanks,
Márcio Costa

 

the factory has messed up before. I have seen a 1965 coupe with a factory 200 that had a K in the VIN instead of a T

 

Yeah, that is a strange mystery. Does it have a 289 C code engine in it? My guess is that the 3 should be a C, but who knows? Your first reading of the vin indicated a blank in the fifth digit. Was it blank as in a skip, or was the fifth digit a 3?

 

Yes, 289-2V engine, you're right! The VIN has the 5th digit blank (skip) only on fenders. As the door tag is perfect, we can clearly read the number 3 on the fifth digit, but ONLY on door tag. All VIN on fenders are blanked (skip). Thanks for your reply!

 

I was just reading my Texas Mustang catalog regarding this, and it shows the C code and the number 3 as being the same for a 289 2V engine. You can order their catalog toll free and check in the back for yourself. 800-527-1588

 

YOU'RE RIGHT AGAIN! I have Texas Mustang catalog and it is there! It's really a 289-2V, but engine code 3 means "289-2V low compression". Thanks a lot!!

 

Glad you got it figured out. How do you guys get classic mustangs down in Brazil? Are they expensive?

 

It's a quite strange story... I bought my two "first" Mustang in January 2000 for US$ 1.300, two '68 hardtop GT, completely molested. I restore one and sold the other. They were abandoned in a farm, 40 miles from my city. When the '68 GT presidential blue restoration was complete, I sold it for US$ 19.000! Then, in May 2002, I bought two fastbacks completely disassembled too, '67 289-2V and '68 GT 302-4V and pay US$ 5.000 for them. In November 2004, I found my dream car, a 390-4V '67! Man, I can tell you, I spent long days, nights, searching, asking in every meeting, until I found it! In South America is VERY HARD to find a true big block and, when you find, you enter a exclusive club here... Well, I guess you will have a heart attack, but see below where and how I found my car! US$ 9.500 for this... but now it's 55% (I guess) done... I spent more US$ 14.100 in parts from NPD, Texas and Summit (for the engine). I think I will finish this restoration in 1 1/2 years...

Thanks again!
Márcio Costa

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