Green Cleveland ????
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Stanton,Ne
Green Cleveland ????
Here's a question I've wanted answered for awhile now, but I didn't remember it untill just now. About 8-10 years ago a buddy and I bought an old 72 Merc Monterey that an old boy hit a tree with. He said(and proved) that he was the original owner and that the miles were right,79 or 80k if I remember right. We wanted it because it had 351c in it and we were racing them at the time. We blue wrenched between the headlights and yanked it out trans and all. When we got it to the car wash and hit it with the hi-pressure lo and behold the motor was a light green. We broke the trans off and got it on the stand, rolled it over and found a brass tag in place of the regular block numbers. Got the pan off and saw four bolt mains on a 2bbl intake. When I chased the V.I.N. it came back that it should have had a 400 in it. We figured they had a bad 400 at the plant and stuck this 351c in as a factory reman. Like the old targetmaster G.M. motors were. Any other ideas?
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,323
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From: Montana Territory
There were many 4 bolt main blocks that left the factory with 2v carbs and heads...
Somebody switched the motor and trans though...I'm pretty sure VIN codes for 400s were always S in the fifth position... 351C had a H or R 351M/351W also used H.
I've never seen a green ford paint though... thats a mystery....
Somebody switched the motor and trans though...I'm pretty sure VIN codes for 400s were always S in the fifth position... 351C had a H or R 351M/351W also used H.
I've never seen a green ford paint though... thats a mystery....
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
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Some of the old Ford paints reacted with the caustic soap and turned green. Saw that many times. The paint is actually blue tho. It is strange to see them turn color tho. Kind of like those old toy cars that turned color when dumped in hot water. I have seen the motors turn back blue also after they were rinsed and sat for a while.
Cross-Country
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Barneyville USA
Green Cleveland???
Around here ( New Joizee) there was a Saddle Brook based Authorized Ford Re-manufacturer who used to paint their engines green. I installed a few 351M's and 400,s because of the two- piece valves coming apart. These were done out of warranty, but we used Ford's re-mans because they would pay labor if it bounced back. Also, I don't ever remember doing a Cleveland.....Bill
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From: Stanton,Ne
I don't know about the paint turning color but this never changed back to blue. As for the V.I.N. We checked it several times and even went to a local Ford fanatic and he agreed with us about the V.I.N. reading 400. If this old boy changed the motor it had to be along time before we got the car 'cause everything came apart like it hadn't been done before and there weren't any messed up bolt heads or nuts. And I'm still wondering about the brass tag that was over the spot where the block I.D. numbers were. It looked like it had been riveted to the block. I don't know but it still has us scratching our heads.
