Ok so i am confused. everything i hear and read says in 81 "G" in the vin = 351W. The people I bought the truck from thought it was a 351W but it is clearly a 351M (8 bolt valve covers and elongated fuel pump) and has been for the last 16 years they owned it. Also the fan cowl says "5.8L M" on the sticker. So my ? is.....is it probable that ford switched the vin code over to start the 351W's being put in (81'-82') but still had to use the 351M's up first. Or is something silly about this truck like a phoney vin??????

 

Ford started using the W mid year 82, and just used the same code for the 2bbl 351W engine. The 84 and up 4bbl engine got the vin code H.