Hi, I'm new to thunderbirds. I'm looking at a 1956 Thunderbird and I'm trying to figure out if its got an 1956 engine in it. I can see codes on the intake and exhaust manifolds. The intake casting info is as follows.

64 Q
2 E0Z 9425A

I'm use to other Ford parts having a 4 character prefix like C5OE 9425A where C5 stood for 1965. I would have thought their would have been a code with a B6 in it. Can anybody tell me if this intake is out of a 1964 312 truck or a 1956 Thunderbird?

The exhaust manifold casting info is EOH 9430A and its appears to have 64? stampedon it also. I can't tell what the ? mark character was. Again is this part off of 56 or a 64

John,

Ford did some experimenting with numbering about the time of the mid '50's. Lucky you. These number could be correct but I too am not familiar.

If you need immediate help I would try to reach John Draxler at the Thunderbird Ranch or do a post on the VTCI message board in the '55-'57 section or specifically to an Alan Tast. Both folks are very knowledgeable.

If you have time (and you probably can still use the info later), you could buy the concours rules book from VTCI for $15.00. This has a lot of information. The limit is the data is only on Thunderbirds, it will not tell you for example what the application for a particular 312 if it is not a Thunderbird.

As an aside, I recall a lot of Fords were equipped with "the Thunderbird V-8". Don't know if the casting numbers are identical for a Fairlane vs Thunderbird or not.

As much as I can help. Good luck. Vince

thanks for the contact info. I'll send john a request.