Topic: Front radiator support markings for San Jose 12/64

[GregM]

I have seen many people post the markings on their front radiator support but haven't seen any from my time period yet. I actually have a picture of the car with its original support in place but cannot see any markings. Then someone decided to rpelace it rather than repair it It wasn't even damaged bad. We took one out of a car built the same time period and replaced the Taiwan junk.
Does anyone have pictures of markings for a San Jose build around 12/64 that they can post pictures of for me ?
Although I am far from ready for this stage I want to get everything done well in advance to be ready. We are finishing up the metalwork and getting ready for body prep. Thanks

[ChrisV289]

Greg,

Check these two threads out:

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=701.0

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=283.msg1331#msg1331

I believe your markings will depend on the color/options for your car (body color, interior color, back-up lights, etc...).  Charles or Jeff should be able to assist.

[CharlesTurner]

Only markings I have seen are a rotation number on the driver side and an engine size code on the bottom.  Seen 'K' and '6' marked there.

[J_Speegle]

Its not typical to have markings on San Jose cars from that period (under the black paint) as we see on Dearborn and some early San Jose cars. As Charles mentioned you would normally have an engine code (if it were a K or 6 cyl) on the front cross member over the black in yellow (the k or K's in conjunction with a "D")

Also the second rotation number in thin white marker is over the engine compartment black also

[livetoride60]

My 10/64 San Jose K showed the yellow markings Charles & Jeff describe.  KD followed by two more Ks on top of the black.

[CharlesTurner]

My 10/64 San Jose K showed the yellow markings Charles & Jeff describe.  KD followed by two more Ks on top of the black.

If you remove the bumper and rock panel, you will most likely see the 3 digit rotation number written in the area on the opposite side of the voltage regulator.  Looks like I can make out something in your pic, maybe one number.

Your car may also have had sound deadener/sealer sprayed on the radiator support to black out the horn wires.  Would be interesting to know what you found.

[livetoride60]

I'll try to check that out this weekend.  I need to take the bumper & rock guard off anyway to straighten.

Unfortunately the PO or someone before him sprayed the engine compartment with shiny black.  This includes the area on the front of the radiator support above the rock guard.  Below the guard they didn't bother thankfully.  Hopefully I can find something.

[livetoride60]

If you remove the bumper and rock panel, you will most likely see the 3 digit rotation number written in the area on the opposite side of the voltage regulator.  Looks like I can make out something in your pic, maybe one number.

Score!  Found the number 240 on the drivers side of the radiator support opposite the voltage regulator.     Used Citristrip.  After the first 5 minute application and easy scrape, saw nothing.  After the second 5 minute application, the 240 number was visible.  I'm amazed it didn't take off the grease pencil.  See pic.

Your car may also have had sound deadener/sealer sprayed on the radiator support to black out the horn wires.  Would be interesting to know what you found.

I'm am seeing shiny black paint on the horn wires.  It looks like some deadener on the engine side of the radiator support, right above the battery.  See last pic.  Not seeing any deadner on the front of the radiator support.  The paint however looks like the same cheap shiny black the PO sprayed on the whole engine compartment, so not sure if it's original.

[CharlesTurner]

Looks like paint on your horn attaching bolts, so most likely done by a previous owner?  Sound deadener on the back of the rad support doesn't make much sense.  Might also have been something done in the past?

[livetoride60]

Looks like paint on your horn attaching bolts, so most likely done by a previous owner?  Sound deadener on the back of the rad support doesn't make much sense.  Might also have been something done in the past?

Took another look and that's just paint on the back of the rad support, not deadener.  Some of the shiny black paint the PO applied turned out very rough for some reason.  Not seeing any sound deadener on front or back of rad support.

[CharlesTurner]

Thanks for the follow-up, helps to narrow down dates on some of these details.  Ford paid a lot more attention to aesthetics than people give them credit for.

[livetoride60]

Stripped the passenger side a little bit more and found a yellow "K" under the original black paint, directly on the metal.  Wasn't seeing any of the other codes, which sounds consistent with SJ cars from this timeframe per previous posts, so didn't strip all the way.

Found a small 2" horizontal yellow line on the right side under the original black paint, but haven't stripped that side yet.  Is there anything normally on that side under the original black paint?  The line was exactly at the bottom of one of the brackets that supported the condenser of an A/C system, thus the two holes in the circle. 

[J_Speegle]

Stripped the passenger side a little bit more and found a yellow "K" under the original black paint, directly on the metal.  Wasn't seeing any of the other codes, which sounds consistent with SJ cars from this timeframe per previous posts, so didn't strip all the way.

IMHO the K under the black is unusual (can't figure out the purpose for that) but some worker added it to this particular car. Would not expect to find it on other K codes at that plant in that location. The marking of the radiator support was typically similar to Dearborn or nothing depending on time period in the 65-66 period

Thanks for sharing

Found a small 2" horizontal yellow line on the right side under the original black paint, but haven't stripped that side yet.  Is there anything normally on that side under the original black paint?  The line was exactly at the bottom of one of the brackets that supported the condenser of an A/C system, thus the two holes in the circle.

Since your car appears to be one of the ones the guy marked on the radiator support, the drivers side surface with the line would have normally included exterior color code (above that location) and the interior code below (in that general area)

Is the second rotation number #246? Difficult to make out the third digit

[livetoride60]

Since your car appears to be one of the ones the guy marked on the radiator support, the drivers side surface with the line would have normally included exterior color code (above that location) and the interior code below (in that general area)

Thanks Jeff.  Found a 5 for Twilight Turquoise exterior and D6 for White with Black interior as you describe.  Both characters were yellow, although I scrubbed too much off on the 5.  See pics.

Is the second rotation number #246? Difficult to make out the third digit

240.  I traced over the original with chalk to accentuate. 

IMHO the K under the black is unusual (can't figure out the purpose for that) but some worker added it to this particular car. Would not expect to find it on other K codes at that plant in that location. The marking of the radiator support was typically similar to Dearborn or nothing depending on time period in the 65-66 period

I found a quote from Charles in the thread below that states the only cars prior to the GT option (March 65) that had duals were the K's.  Since my car is in that timeframe (10/64), could the yellow K under the black been used to tell the workers to setup the rear frame rails differently during 1st half of production, as I "assume" the rear rails are different between single & dual exhaust cars at that time?  Also wonder if the "D" in the "KD K K" along my lower radiator support on top of the black might have meant duals for 2nd half of production?  See earlier picture.  Of course it could also be that "Dave" was the guy making the marks. 

Just theorizing.  I guess we'd have to find more yellow K's under the black from this plant / timeframe to consider a pattern.

http://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=3722.msg20279#msg20279

[CharlesTurner]

Don't think the rear frame rails were different, the hanger screws for the Arvinode system and transverse just went directly into the metal, no sleeves or nut inserts.  The rear floors had the reinforcements though.  It wasn't until the GT style exhaust came out that the sleeves in the rear frame rails were added and the rear hanger configuration changed.