by Bob Chambers edited by Rick Kopec from The Marque, S.A.A.C. Publication Vol. J, No. 1, Dec.-Jan., 1978, published in the June 1978 RootesReview
The Ford numbering system does work. As a parts man, I know a lot of people acquire a sour look when I hand them the book with my Jimmy Carter smile, knowing that they will be up to their ears in C9ZZ’s and S7MS 8190’s. I really would like nothing better than to make it possible for each SAAC member to be able to go into any Ford dealership, grab the parts books and deal with the man behind the counter on an equal basis. That is, however, wishful thinking, as it would take more time and space than The Marque permits.
So, here’s the drill: I’ll give you a brief rundown on what makes a parts man come to life (besides the calendar with the acetate negligee). I’ve been looking through the books at work and I’ve got some good news for you 6570 Shelby owners.
Decoding
| C90Z | 6250 | C |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Suffix |
Group 1
The first four characters contain the information relating to the original release date of the part, which vehicle line it was intended for and where the part is warehoused. The last time that Ford reviewed their parts numbering system was back in the 1940’s. The first LETTER of every part number will indicate the decade in which the part was released.
| A - 1940's | B - 1950's | C - 1960's | D - 1970's |
|---|
The second character is the year within that decade that the part was released. For example, C6 would indicate 1966. The third character represents the car line for which the part was originally intended.
| Character | Model |
|---|---|
| A | full size Galaxie |
| F | Pinto, Maverick, Falcon |
| L | Mark IV |
| M | Mercury |
| O | Fairlane |
| R | Capri |
| S | Thunderbird |
| T | Truck |
| V | Lincoln |
| Z | Mustang, Mustang II |
The last character of this group is merely a code that the Ford dealers use to designate where the part is warehoused.
Group 2
This group normally consists of four numbers, but it can contain both numbers and letters and may be up to six characters in length. In any case, it indicates the general type or area of components, such as cylinder head, wheel, body panels, interior pieces, etc. On parts that have a left or right designation, the last digit of group 2 will be even if it is a right hand part and odd if it is a left hand part.
| Series | Parts |
|---|---|
| 1000 | wheels, bearings, drums rotors |
| 2000 | brakes, brake cables, boosters, handles, etc. |
| 3000 | front end and steering parts; steering wheels, control arms, rubber bumpers, pitman arms |
| 4000 | rear end parts; gears, axles, housings |
| 5000 | front and rear springs; exhaust systems and related parts |
| 6000 | engine parts |
| 7000 | clutch, standard and automatic trans parts |
| 8000 | grill and front end parts (excluding body pieces); radiators, supports, water pumps, hoses, mouldings |
| 9000 | fuel system, gas tank, carburetors, manifolds (both), fuel pumps, gas gauge sending units, dash gauge |
| 10000 | battery and electrical parts; voltage regulators, generators, alternators, wiring harnesses |
| 11000 | starting systems (electrical); starter, headlight switch, ignition switch and related parts |
| 12000 | electrical points, condenser, cap, rotor, wires, coil, distributor |
| 13000 | electrical, relays, signal switches, flashers, tail light lenses |
| 14000 | window relays, miscellaneous electrical |
| 15000 | parking lights, side markers, running lights |
| 16000 | fenders, fender emblems, fender braces, stripe kits, fender mouldings, front extensions, hoods, latches, click pins, etc. |
| 17000 | body parts, bumpers |
| 18000 | heaters, cores, motors, switches, cases, related parts |
| 19000 | air conditioning parts |
After this section, the beginner is left out in no man’s land. Body parts start, followed by trim parts and soft trim and the interior and exterior section. And, all too often, you’ll look in the exterior moulding section for a part only to find a “refer to group 16224 in the chassis section” notation and that’s enough to make even the most capable parts
man wince.
Suffix
The singular character suffix at the end of a part number is an alphabetical code designating the blueprint revision of the original design. For example, the suffix “C” would indicate a third revision, an “E” the fifth revision, etc.
Armed with the preceding information, a cease fire can be called between you and your parts man. While not making you an actual parts man, it may help to strengthen your case if your parts guy is the “Oh #$%!@! here comes that @#$% Shelby nut -type of individual.