I recently purchased a 1968 mustang california special, and I have a few questions.
1) how can I tell what engine is in the car, the previous owner told me it had the original engine and that its a 351 w. I dont know much about the car so i would like to clear it up.
I think its a 298.
2) my second questiong is whether or not i can put twin turbo kits on a carburated car, and would it benefit from that at all....?
If the engine is original, it will not be a 351w. It would be a 289 or (more likely) a 302.
Sure, you could put twin turbos on it, but it would be a very involved job, you would need lots of expert help. Not sure what you are wanting to do with the car, but there are a lot easier ways to get a decent-performing car than going twin turbo.
__________________
1969 Boss 302 (Vintage Race Car) Calypso Coral
2002 Saleen SC281 True Blue
1967 Coupe, 5-speed, Grabber Orange
is there any way to look up the serial number anywhere to find out for sure what engine it is?
also if there are any ideas on how to improve performance with out going with the twin turbo i would really appreciate it.
i dont know much about cars, but i love the way these look.
i bought it for 4000 and it runs great but needs dent work, paint, and transmission work. the interior is pretty good.
You can find the casting number on the block, you have to remove the starter to see it. It's stamped at the rear right (passengers) edge of the motor on a ridge that runs just above the oil pan flange. You'll probably need a toothbrush and some degreaser to read it. It should start with C7 or C8 to be a '67/'68 casting.
If it's a real GT/CS I'd restore it to original, it'll be worth more as they are more rare than other cars. If it's a clone of a GT/CS do whatever you like. The vin stamped into the drivers side upper front fender apron will tell you a lot about the car when deciphered and the drivers door plate, use the above links.
AND - we want PICS! car/motor, whatever you can post. Let us know what you find out from the vin numbers as far as what the car originally was.
Jon
__________________
'67 Coupe 289 C4, Candyapple red w/red deluxe int., PS, ext. decor group, light group, foxbody seats.
Next to install> stroked 333, AOD, 9" w/3.50:1, PDB.
'09 Black Warriors In Pink with glass roof - the wifes Mustang.
"If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet" -Jon
The 351w didn't come in a mustang tell 69 the car is a 302 289 was gone in 68.Some came big blocks those are rare.A turbo on a carb is hard to keep air to fuel ratios right efi is better on a turbo.But if it is the factory engine id pull it out and put it up if your trying to make it faster use a newer 302 this way it blows your not hurting the car.
What is the 5th digit of your VIN? This letter is the code for the engine your was built with. Can you post photos of your engine to help identify it.
If you have tried posting photos, but had no luck. Maybe you need to reduce the size of the photos. If they are too large, they won't upload to the post. Photos in .jpg format need to be less than 1MB in size.
__________________
I contend, that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity, is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
—Winston Churchill
Well you can't always trust an air cleaner. When I got my '65 it had the fancy 289 decal on the air cleaner. The previous owner told me that it was the original 289. When we pulled the engine to get it rebuilt we discovered pretty quick that it was a 302 from a '71 pickup. Which ended up being fine with me because you can pull some more horse power out of the 302 block and I was never too concerned about keeping the car original. But I guess my point is that these old cars are almost never what they seem or what the previous owner may swear up and down that it is. Quite often they were misled when they got the car or they made modifications so long ago they simply forgot.
From your photo, I'd say that it looks like a 289 or a 302.
Derfiticulum is right on the money. I had no Mustang experience when I bought my '67. It had a 289 sticker on the air cleaner and 289 fender badges. The previous owner told me he believed it was the original engine. It turned out to be a '74 302-2V.
Look for casting numbers on the intake and block. It could be a C7... or somethin like that. Some engines have a stamped number on the block at the forward end. This can be read standing over the radiator looking at the drivers side, forward end of the block, in the area where the cylinder head meets the block. If you can get under the car, the block date casting code is in the area of the starter.
Post the numbers you find here.
__________________
I contend, that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity, is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
—Winston Churchill
Yes, that is either a 289 or 302, both were available in 68. The 302 was introduced shortly into the model year. Some 289s actually wound up with 302 blocks when the 289 blocks ran out. My 68 289 C code car is one of those.
The casting numbers above the starter is the best way the other thing you can do is look very carefully at the top of the block between the intake and bell housing. In 68 and later partial or full VINs were stamped there.
__________________
1968 Mustang coupe, Acapulco Blue, 289 2v, C-4, Power Steering.
Hopefully a 1969 convertible or Sportsroof (non Mach or Boss) for next Mustang project
Trying to find my father's 1973 Mustang Grande he bought brand new. 3F04F126773 last known registration and title was in New Jersey, 1982.
1968 mustang california special 
1968 mustang california special 
