Topic: 1968 Cougar S code/4 speed driveshaft markings

[PacificaXR7GT]

I decided to clean up and restore my driveshaft while replacing the u-joints. Looking for some help/confirmation on the markings. My Cougar GT was built in San Jose in January 68 and has an S code 390, wide ratio 4 speed, and open 3.25 9" rear end.

So far, I have found light yellow paint on all non-machined surfaces of the slip yoke.

I found reddish orange on both ends of the driveshaft.

There is a 1/4" stripe about 10 inches from the differential end (measuring from the weld seam) of the driveshaft. It appears to be a bright orange, lighter than the orange on the ends.

There is a "X" along the seam about 13 inches from the differential end. It appears to be yellow.

There are three wider stripes beginning about 18 inches from the differential end. Each stripe is about 1/2" to 5/8" wide and they are spaced about 2" from each other. From the differential end they appear to be PINK - LIGHT BLUE - WHITE.

After the three stripes, there are two 1 inch lines aligned roughly on the opposite side of the shaft from the weld seam. The first is about 1/4 inch from the white stripe and they are about 2 inches apart. They appear to be white.

I am fairly certain about the pink and light blue stripes because I was able to find a few flecks of vibrant color under the surface rust and grime. I am not certain about the white stripe and I would appreciate any guidance from folks who are in the know. I have searched high and low and have not found any information on this driveshaft, only on the C6 version.

Thanks in advance.

[J_Speegle]

Sorry there are not allot of 4 speed Cougars out there to find the build sheets in or original cars with legible markings left. Adding to the mix is that you have a San Jose built cars and they were pretty good about tossing buildsheets in the trash rather than the car - but not always.

Looked through my pictures and don't have another example to compare.

The yellow on the trans yoke is interesting. Not something I would have expected

Sorry can't be of any assistance currently

[PacificaXR7GT]

Thanks very much for checking! I appreciate the response.

[sportyworty]

Build Sheet for a 68 R code Cougar optioned with a 4 speed is called out
BL RED LGR unfortunately different than your S code PacificaXR7. Figured I?d check for you but may as well share. It?s Extremely rare verified info regardless for someone someday

[RoyceP]

Info from the 1969 MPC - the 1968 R code and S code should be identical.

[sportyworty]

I bet that would have been appreciated last year.
There are cases of same part number having different color identifiers. It has been suggested that different plants could show variance as well as application. For example CJ vs SCJ.
We do know as a sub assembly the S and R car use a different shaft considering yolk and joints. The build sheet likely has a L in front of the BLU but is on a crease shared with Radiator L1 so matching chart. Sometimes faint daubs, stripes and even casting dates and vins are easier to see with some guide or hint of what could be expected or the norm. Perhaps his White is LGR and Pink is faded RED as an example.
Anyway some good points observed outside of published manuals here worth a read if interested.
https://www.428cobrajet.org/id-driveshaft

[PacificaXR7GT]

This is a duplicate of a post I made on the Classic Cougar forum and Royce was kind enough to quickly respond with that information over there back when I first posted. If anyone is interested to see better images of what I found on my car, here is a link: https://classiccougarcommunity.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=9851&hilit=driveshaft&start=60

I am a complete novice, both with this specific information and with Mustang/Cougar restoration. The only car I have experience with is my own 68 GT Cougar.

I did spend quite a bit of time looking around on the web and I noted any build sheets I could find. Here is a summary of what I have found so far. Each instance is either noted with the VIN or with a URL for where the information came from.

I only used information from build sheet images that I found on the web or from verified owners who provided information from their own build sheets. Any VIN numbers listed were already available on open source so I didn't feel the need to redact here.

This spreadsheet only contains data regarding 68-70 Mustangs and Cougars equipped with MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS.

Edited 2/25/21 with new data points on spreadsheet. Thanks to Jeff Speegle for sharing (data from Jeff in bold)

Edited 2/26 to remove '69 S code Cougar (determined to be C6 transmission)

Edited 2/27 to include data from Cobra Jet registry (thanks Sportyworty!)