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Parts Chase

Induction Parts

As I continued searching for the parts that had been removed by one of the previous owners, I turned my attention to chasing induction parts.

I started by attempting to locate the original factory cast iron manifold. Ironically, for years these were often discarded as more and more owners opted for a lighter aluminum intake manifold.

This made finding one with the proper date code challenging. After months of searching I was able to locate one that was in excellent condition…but it was in Florida. Nothing like shipping a 75 pound intake manifold across the country!

Factory original cast iron intake manifold. Date code, 9D14, means April 14, 1969.

With the proper intake now in my possession I turned my attention to trying to find an original, date coded, C8AE-A ported vacuum switch. Since my Mach 1 had come from California, the ported vacuum switch had long been removed due to the states NOX program. Luckily, I was able to find one at Dead Nuts On with the proper date code that had already been restored.

Original ported vacuum switch, now fully restored.
Date code 7-H-69 means July 1969. In this case the H is simply the manufacturer code.

Now I had to find the proper color coded vacuum hoses that would have been attached to this vacuum switch. Each color designates its intended location and purpose. In this case Marti Auto Works offers a reproduction kit with the authentic hose markings. The factory coloring was not bright, but actually more muted in color.

Color coded vacuum hoses.

It was now time to turn my attention toward locating the appropriate carburetor. In 1968 all 390 Mustangs came with a Holley 4150 carburetor. However, for 1969 Ford switched to an Autolite 4300 carburetor on its 390 Mustangs.

So for months I tried to locate one with the appropriate date code for this car. After months of looking, I spoke with a gentlemen who specializes in Ford carburetors who explained to me that by the middle of June 1969 Ford had discontinued the Autolite and returned to using the Holley 4150 in anticipation of the 1970 model year. With this information in hand it didn’t take me long to find the correct date coded carburetor.

Fully restored Holley 4150 carburetor.
If you look closely at the line below the word ‘list’ you can barely see the date code, 964, which means this carburetor was produced on June 4, 1969

One of the unique features on the 390 Mach 1s was the carburetor spacer which featured a pass-through connection for the heater hose. This was designed to allow the warm coolant to flow thru the spacer warming the fuel to allow for easier starts in cold weather.

This picture shows the unique carb spacer with the heater hose attachments.

Next Step: Air Conditioning Parts