No Vin on 69 390 block

[bryantdunivan]

I purchased a block from New Jersey. The date code is 9D15. When we received it at my restorer he said there was no partial vin on the back of the block.

Is it reasonably possible that some of the blocks were not stamped with partial vin's. Thanks for any input.

[BiffStroganoffsky]

Service/replacement engines?

[bartl]

Service replacement or industrial application. The Fed required the partial VIN from 1-1-68 an later, IIRC. Should be drivers side on the back just below the head sealing surface.

[22GT]

One time after a "partial VIN" discussion I went to a local shop and looked at nearly 30 68-73 289/302 engines, which were supposed to have the stamp. More than half did, but a lot did not. No way were all those engines S/R. I have to think that Ford just wasn't up to speed on the stamps.

[dalorzof]

I have to think that Ford just wasn't up to speed on the stamps.

30 whole blocks out of over a million made, big sample!

As it was federal law to apply them, I seriously doubt Ford had the ability to opt out. That would be pretty much the same as saying many cars never got VIN stamps on the fender. Mandated assembly line practice, with serious fines for non-compliance.

Decades on the thousands of service blocks required by law do get swapped into older cars... Not sure of specific time frames but IIRC in the 60's manufacturers were reqiured to make service replacement parts for either 7-10 years, so Ford would have been cranking out blocks as spares for a long time....

Most likely a service replacement block. But have seen some indications that in some cases the VIN was incorrectly stamped on heads or intake, but not a common practice.

[Asm109]

My 428 has the partial VIN stamped on the back of one cylinder head.
I suspect that a lot more common than people think.

[bartl]

Just remember that '68 blocks prior to 1-1-68 chassis BUILD date did not have to have a VIN (except high performance engines) and some claim that the practice from 1-1-68 was voluntary and not required.