66 moral dilemma

[towood]

Transitioning from an earlier thread. Can I ask the early 66 folks(65 build) for a favor. I have u15 733138 probably Aug 65 build. But it has a 5k8 stamp on the 170. Should be an Oct 8 motor build

Bill of sale is Oct 11. The guy kept meticulous records the 50 years he owned it, no indication of a factory motor replace or a later replace. He kept receipts for 2 dollar items. Hundreds of them

If he did replace years later what are the odds he found a 170 built weeks before his

My dilemma is this, if it’s not original is there any point in suffering with the 1966 technology. It is uncut and mostly as it came from the factory

Has anyone seen a u15 with a vin build date/ engine build date mismatch like this? If it is original it would be criminal to modify.

The only good news for the forum if I can’t explain the mismatch is there might be some original hubcaps for sale soon!

Was telling Okie4570, this is painful! Just too weird for it not to be the original motor but if it’s a replacement seems like it’s just a “tribute” 66

Hoping someone else has a similar vin/engine story- or a good source for a coyote motor!

 

[bmbm]

Maybe he needed a replacement motor soon after taking delivery. Original siezed up driving home after taking delivery.

 

[Scoop]

I think you're way overthinking this! This is not a numbers matching Vett. Or a Mustang Thoroughbred. IMHO this "discrepancy" should have little impact on value or originality given everything else is original. Even if the engine build date was months ahead of the Bronco production date there is no way to guarantee it was original to this Bronco.

 

[towood]

You are correct. It really isn’t of consequence. Just hoping to have some other possible explanation when “that guy” points it out at a hometown car show. And after a lifetime in military and law enforcement things that don’t make sense bother me more than holy water bothers the devil!

Still would love to know if all the other 65’s in the forum have vins and engine stamps that make sense

 

[thegreatjustino]

The engine being the original block is 100% irrelevant to the price or value. The value is in the overall originality and meticulous records. Modifying that Bronco and doing a V8 swap is going to cost you a heck of a lot of value.

 

[towood]

Excellent point. Actually, I would sell it before butchering it. Please ignore my rants about engine swaps

Still hoping there is a similar story among the 65 crowd.

Also thinking about finding this guys friends As much as he took care of it, ziebart day one and 3 other rustproofings,

he has to have left someone else who knew it well in the small town of east tawas Michigan

 

[fordfan]

My advise to you if you want a coyote powered, lifted, cut, modernized Bronco... ie..I call them "Cookie Cutter Broncos", is to sell your '66 just as it is, and buy what you want. Unless you can do the work yourself, to transform this '66 into that, you will be upside down in it. It will cost a minimum of 35-45K to have Coyote power, new diffs, and upgrade the other components accordingly.....and this doesn't include paint and interior. If you hire it done, you can just about double that amount....

In the life of the '66 Bronco, or 56 years, many many things can change......So what, the engine has been changed. The color change would bother me more than the engine.....

 

[mebco09]

My advise to you if you want a coyote powered, lifted, cut, modernized Bronco... ie..I call them "Cookie Cutter Broncos", is to sell your '66 just as it is, and buy what you want. Unless you can do the work yourself, to transform this '66 into that, you will be upside down in it. It will cost a minimum of 35-45K to have Coyote power, new diffs, and upgrade the other components accordingly.....and this doesn't include paint and interior. If you hire it done, you can just about double that amount....

In the life of the '66 Bronco, or 56 years, many many things can change......So what, the engine has been changed. The color change would bother me more than the engine.....

Exactly.....

 

[spap]

If the motor was replaced, the original owner who kept receipts for two dollar items, would def. Have a record of a new motor.
might have been a 170, that they found at the factory, hiding somewhere who knows. Much different times 56 years ago.
I think its pretty cool the way it is.

 

[towood]

All good points and no, no plans to sacrifice another one that has made it this far to the resto mod volcano. And yes the Chrysler color, while attractive, would be the first thing I would spend major money on

Not hearing from any others with a similar vin/block story, then the hunt continues. I am going to see if Bud Chambers had any friends or family who knew his truck well

Gotta have a hobby. More to follow

 

[markatherton]

I am unclear what you are saying. 5K8 should be an August 8th 1965 build date which is exactly what your truck should have come with. Am I missing something?

 

[jamesroney]

I am unclear what you are saying. 5K8 should be an August 8th 1965 build date which is exactly what your truck should have come with. Am I missing something?

Yeah, you missed it.
5K8 is October 8, 1965.

He has an August built Bronco with an October assembly stamp code. But @towood still hasn't posted the block date casting code. So he is making a ton of assumptions based on a single hand stamp. (and I've seen a lot of mistakes on those hand stamps.) For whatever reason, we are trying to imagine some way that the factory built a Bronco with an engine that was built 2 months late, without confirming when it was actually built. I have no clue why???

 

[towood]

Keep in mind I am like a toddler with a loaded gun here, I was a Plymouth guy had 69z28. Trans am etc. first ford. First bronco.

So in a forum folks are telling me the best guess on the vin is august and in another post a member here translates the engine stamp as Oct. I am like huh, maybe the other way around but how’s that work

Sure it doesn’t matter, but wow, what is that back story if they are 2 months apart given the one thing I have confidence in was this guy who owned it 50 years being OCD with records

Help me out on other ways to tell than the stamp on the top of the block near the distributer. The 5k number.

The Numbers on left side near motor mount are c6de. Then below that looks like 6015-a

Intake has a c6de 6090-b. X5

Exhaust has a ce28. And c8de-8480-a. Best guess on those

Again, my ignorance is immeasurable here, I appreciate the input

 

[jamesroney]

Keep in mind I am like a toddler with a loaded gun here, I was a Plymouth guy had 69z28. Trans am etc. first ford. First bronco.

So in a forum folks are telling me the best guess on the vin is august and in another post a member here translates the engine stamp as Oct. I am like huh, maybe the other way around but how’s that work

Sure it doesn’t matter, but wow, what is that back story if they are 2 months apart given the one thing I have confidence in was this guy who owned it 50 years being OCD with records

Help me out on other ways to tell than the stamp on the top of the block near the distributer. The 5k number.

The Numbers on left side near motor mount are c6de. Then below that looks like 6015-a

Intake has a c6de 6090-b. X5

Exhaust has a ce28. And c8de-8480-a. Best guess on those

Again, my ignorance is immeasurable here, I appreciate the input

It might help to understand that I have known some of the people on this forum for over 30 years. @markatherton owns beach city Broncos, and he will chime in tomorrow and realize his mistake. He does a lot of high end restorations. On the forum, he looks like he has the attention span of a gnat. But let me assure you that he is Legit, and is way too busy working on real Broncos to spend his time monitoring the web.

I gave you some specific instructions in the other thread. Your date code is cast into the block, and looks just like mine…except it’s on the distributor side, near the coil. You are looking for a digit, alpha, and digit.

Once you find it, you can never “un-see” it. I’m guessing that it will have a 5H date on it. It will also be cast as a “outie” so it’s really hard to fake.

 

[duffymahoney]

A stock 66 is about as cool as it gets and will continue to gain in value.

 

[towood]

The one below the coil? Tell me that H means august and I will stop generating boneheaded threads!

 

[jamesroney]

The one below the coil? Tell me that H means august and I will stop generating boneheaded threads!

Yes the H means August.

Generate as many threads as you want, but when I ask you a question...It's usually worth answering.

My real name is my username in case we meet sometime.

NOW you have a dilemma...

 

[towood]

What are you thinking with now I have a dilemma. I feel like that helps me out.

Sorry. I missed the question or misunderstood it.

Thanks for the help btw

I am getting the impression there are a small group of you who really know these trucks well. Doubt I will get there. But will try

Given all the combinations of unknowns, what is you guess for how many were built in august and where u15 733138 falls Definitely in Aug? Are they all what folks call bud body. Are many of the ones built in 65 still around

 

[okie4570]

What are you thinking with now I have a dilemma. I feel like that helps me out.

Sorry. I missed the question or misunderstood it.

Thanks for the help btw

I am getting the impression there are a small group of you who really know these trucks well. Doubt I will get there. But will try

Given all the combinations of unknowns, what is you guess for how many were built in august and where u15 733138 falls Definitely in Aug? Are they all what folks call bud body. Are many of the ones built in 65 still around

It's a first week build for sure, most likely in the first two or three days. 732000-745999 were the August vins shared with the f100, so 14k vehicles. If 50% were broncos, that would be 7k of the 23776 broncos built in the 66' model year in August alone. With an 11 month build window for the 66 model year, if they were built evenly over that time there's no way they built 7k a month unless bronco production was greater during the first few months and then slacked off over the year, which in the case of the 66' u13, I believe that's what happened from the vins I've found. Close to 70% of all the 66' u13 vins I've found were built in 8/65' through 10/65'.

 

[jamesroney]

What are you thinking with now I have a dilemma. I feel like that helps me out.

Sorry. I missed the question or misunderstood it.

Thanks for the help btw

I am getting the impression there are a small group of you who really know these trucks well. Doubt I will get there. But will try

Given all the combinations of unknowns, what is you guess for how many were built in august and where u15 733138 falls Definitely in Aug? Are they all what folks call bud body. Are many of the ones built in 65 still around

Now you know that you have found the original engine in your Bronco...Are you going to change it?

"My dilemma is this, if it’s not original is there any point in suffering with the 1966 technology. It is uncut and mostly as it came from the factory"

"My new dilemma is this, even if it's original is there any point in suffering with the 1966 technology?'

I think your decision was a lot easier when it wasn't original.