Hi I’m new to the group and I’m from italy.
actually I was born in new york and I always dreamed of buying a fastback(67/68).

At the moment I’m looking for a 67/68 4-speed manual but in italy it’s very hard to find one and if you find it the Italian dealer asks way to much…….they want to earn money robbing people.

Maybe I found something interesting but I have a problem the car should be a 302ci(fastback 68)

How can I know that it’s a 302 or a 289???

What should I look at to find out the difference?

Thank

 

Right offhand for a quick reference- The 289 was used up until halfway through the 1968 [Mustang] model year. So taking a real quick look at the engine block casting numbers- if it starts off with a C7 (denoting 1967) block or earlier small block, you are looking at a 289. C9 and after would be a 302. Also if the motor is original, you can check the door data plate and look up a classic mustang decoder online and that should tell you what you are supposed to have. Usually 289/302 components bolt up to each other, so it may be tough telling the difference from outside the motor.
If you want to use the actual car as an indicator, the 68 1/2 Mustang will usually have its rear side reflectors flush with the panel whereas the earlier 68s had reflectors that protruded. However this is not always true because my 68 1/2 has protruding reflectors. Also ford was notorious for using up parts from previous years in newer models to exhaust their supplies, so even a 68 1/2 mustang has a chance at having a 289. Also what I have told you applies only to Mustangs- there may even be a chance someone may have swapped out to a non-original engine.
here is also an additional resource-
http://www.mre-books.com/interchange/interchange2.html

For famialrity with door codes- http://reviews.ebay.com/Decoding-you...00000002872882
Referring to the SECOND letter in the car's VIN- C, A, K designate 289's, J indicates 302, again, assuming the motor wasnt swapped out.

I hope that helps!