Reading & Understanding Ford Part Numbers
Casting numbers are those big long codes (C7ZZ-7528-H etc) that you will find on every single Ford part ever made. Some which are too small won't have one physically cast into it, but it still has a casting number.
Casting numbers tell you what the part was originally designed for, and when it was designed. This does not mean that the part you are decoding came off of that particular car,
it simply tells you what it was made to fit at the time. Often something would be built for one car and found to fit on another, so you may have a casting
number which indicates a Galaxie but was also used in Mustangs.
Something important to note: there are two types of Ford Part Numbers, specifically when referring to "vintage" parts.
The first type is the "Casting Part Number", which is cast into pieces
like engine blocks, transmission housings, door handles, body trim, etc.,
or stamped onto the back of soft trim like door panels. The second type
is the "Service Parts Part Number" that you use to order the part from
the Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealership. Please note that the Casting Part
Number and the Service Parts Part Number are rarely, if ever, the same.
For example, cylinder heads have a Basic Part Number on the castings of
"6049", but a Basic Part Number in the Service Parts books of "6090".
In addition, the Suffix used on the casting is very often different
from the Suffix used in the Service Parts book.
It is also important to note the usage of a basic part number. A basic part number is embedded in the casting number and indicates what the part is, not what it was for or when it was made. An example could be an intake
manifold - most intake manifolds carried a basic part number of 9424 or 9425, but there countless different manifolds for different years and engines. They all are intake manifolds however, and share a basic part number.
Let's use an example and break it down:
C5OE-9425-C
C - Decade of Manufacture - 1960's in this case
5 - Decade Year - This is a '65
O - Car line - Fairlane/Torino
E - Engineering Department - This came from the Engine
9425 - Basic part number - 9425 is an intake manifold
C - Design Change - 289 4v with emissions
Casting Code Definitions
Decade of Manufacture:
A=1940
B=1950
C=1960
D=1970
E=1980
F=1990
Decade Year:
The digit of the year. A C8 would be 1968, a D1 would be 1971, C3 is a 1963.
Car Line:
| Code |
Car Line |
|
Code |
Car Line |
| A |
Galaxie |
|
D |
Falcon (60-69) |
| F |
Outside US, T/A Racing |
|
G |
Comet/Montego |
| J |
Industrial |
|
M |
Mercury |
| O |
Fairlane/Torino |
|
P |
Autolite/Motorcraft |
| R |
Rotunda |
|
S |
Thunderbird |
| T |
Truck |
|
V |
Lincoln (61+) |
| Z |
Mustang |
|
|
|
Engineering Department:
| A |
Chassis |
|
B |
Body |
| E |
Engine |
|
F |
Engine Accessories |
| J |
Autolite (67-72) |
|
P |
Auto Transmission |
| R |
Manual Transmission |
|
W |
Axle |
| X |
Muscle Parts Program |
|
Y |
Lincoln/Mercury Service Parts |
| Z |
Ford Service Parts |
|
|
|
Basic Part Number:
This is the number that identifies what the part actually is - 5230 is a muffler or 6200 is a connecting rod. For years, if you had a pair of part numbers (LH/RH), the lower basic number
was always the right, and higher number was always the left. I have also been told that even number is right, odd is left (ie. 2B120=RH, 2B121=LH). I have never been able to confirm
this to be completely true, or if it was true, if the practice still continues to this day. Either way, they break down into groups:
| 01000-02000 | wheels and brakes
| | 03000 | front suspension and steering
| | 04000 | rear axle and drive axle
| | 05000 | frames front stabilizer and rear suspension
| | 06000 | engine parts
| | 07000 | MTX transmission and clutch, A7000 ATX transmission
| | 08000 | cooling and grill
| | 09000 | fuel
| | 09500 | carburetor
| | 10300 | generator, alternator, starter, distributor
| | 13000 | lamps, wiring, and electrical except for 10300 series
| | 16000 | fenders and hood
| | 17000 | speedometer and associated parts
| | 17500 | bumpers, jack, mirrors, washer/wipers, speedo cables
| | 18000 | air conditioning, heaters and radios
| | 00000 | body front (door posts and ahead and floor pans) including instrument panel and dash, but not gauges
| | 23000 | body sheet metal and exterior rubber bits
| | 40000 | back half of the car (trunk, roof racks, T-roof etc)
| | 50000 | exterior mouldings, emblems, and nameplates
| | 60000 | seats
| | 70000 | doors, windows, (not windshield), seat trim/covers |
Design Change:
The Suffix denotes the change level, for example:
A = 1st change level, B = 2nd change level, etc. Often this indicates what application the basic part is used for. For example - 9425-A is for a 289 2v motor, whereas a 9425-B is for a 289 4v motor.
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