One new race Cobra is claimed to have been sold with a Ford Advanced Vehicles numbered engine. Shelby American was not the only user of HP260 or HP289 engines in prototype or production street or race cars. We have no idea how many HP260 engines were made but there were at least 137 of them because we know where that one is. In regards to Cobras they were HP260 and HP289 engines made prior to about July 1964. #2:Ford Motor Companyâ€™s engine production division. Shelby American was not the only user of XHP-260 engines in prototype or production street or race cars. There is some evidence that only thirty five of this type engine were built. Their serial numbers started off with a prefix XHP-260. In regards to Cobras they were the Experimental High Performance 260 engines. #1:Ford Motor Companyâ€™s engine engineering department that created very hand built (as in many parts were manually produced as required) prototype engines. There are four (4) different sources of â€œengine numbersâ€ known for new 1963-65 Cobras day one: COX/COB60xx and 61xx over seas cars are a related subject but not included below and they have an additional 'engine number' topic.) gets asked so many times in so many forums I thought I would put in my commentary for anybody searching this site. I realize this is an old thread but 'Cobra engine number's (That's 1960s AC/Shelby/Ford cars sold under CSX2xxx chassis numbers. Stamping split between left front and left rear block tooling pads.These numbers that were already stamped into the block was what was stamped onto the Shelby footbox tag.Īpproximately 30 cars finished after August 1964 got odd off specification built just for Shelby five bolt engines with Shelby engine assembly numbers stamped into the block by Shelby personal in left rear of engine block on tooling pad.This number was then stamped onto the Shelby footbox tag.

The short answer to your question is most HP289 MKII Cobras (including works and AC Cars racers) got engines pulled out of standard HP289 Fairlane production so they had stamped engine block (not engine) serial numbers on the left side and hand painted on the back of the block just like all HP289 Fairlanes (and Comets). I had to verify my answer with my friend and Cobra Master Dan Case. If one part was modified it becomes difficult to verify for certain if another aspect of the car is modified also. It was somewhat common for competition Cobras to not have the Shelby footbox tag.It is extremely hard to verify some of this info because Cobras frequently were modified from original in some aspect.

289 engine serial number