# mystery engine code



## 65GTO65 (Apr 12, 2015)

Just put a down payment on a '65 and haven't taken delivery yet from the east coast. Seller says it is a 389 but not original motor, and was a tri power but not now. I'm wanting to make it a tri power again and asked him for the engine code to determine compatibility with used tri power set up components I'm shopping for already. He sent me two photos of the engine, one of which appears to say YN (above, not below) 007532. I've tried researching this online myself and come up empty. Can anybody help please?
Thanks,
Jim


----------



## Colorado67GTO (Sep 11, 2014)

Are you sure it is a 389? Looks like it is a 326 for 66. If it is a later motor, it could be a 350.


----------



## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

1st you need to find your block casting codes found on the distributor pad 1964 to 1967 or near the #8 cylinder from mid 1967 and on. 2nd you need to find the engine's date casting also on the dist pad. The YN is not a 389 block code. Once you find all of those info you can figure out what application the block was used for. From what I see in my book the engine is either a 326 or 350 as the other poster mentioned.


----------



## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

YN engine code was used on a 326 from 65 thru 67, a 350 from 68 thru 71 and 74 thru 75 and was a 400 in 73.

It was never a tri-power, 389 nor was it used on a GTO.

I would also recommend that you verify the car is actually a GTO, In 64 and 65 the GTO package was an option to the Lemans. Ask him for a picture of the data plate and vin tag and post the pictures here, also you can verify thru PHS-Online.com that the car was optioned as a GTO.

Good luck,


----------



## 65GTO65 (Apr 12, 2015)

Thanks for all the help fellas. First and foremost I confirmed this car is the real deal per photos the seller sent me of the VIN tag and data plate (see attached). At first I was heartbroken because I saw the vin didn't start with a 242, which I learned awhile back is a must for a true 70 GTO I was looking at. So I checked some more and, like you guys already know, the 242 beginning for a GTO VIN didn't start until 1966. I'm learnin'........ Long story short is the data plate does have the 5N designation. What really got my attention and may well get yours is the paint code is 2-2, which doesn't appear on any paint decoding info I could find. The seller then told me that, oh yeah, this was a special order blue, not even a Pontiac color. I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE ME IN DETERMINING WHAT THAT COLOR ACTUALLY IS SO THAT I CAN DUPLICATE IT ON THE CAR. The seller has also provided me photos of the PHS documentation which will be given to me when I pick up the car (should be next week). The photos are low quality and I couldn't zoom in on anything that might give me a clue about what other GM blue was used on this car. Getting that right is obviously going to be a critical part of the restoration as it will make this once-glorious vehicle stand out in a crowd once again (smaller crowd now of course).... As for the motor, the seller said he thinks the 326 and 389 are the same size block, but it really doesn't matter to me if it's a 326 at present since I intend to replace it with a correct (not numbers matching though) 389 tri power. Actually found one of those close to home that the guy says is correct for a 65 GTO. I'll obtain numbers off of it and then go to the well once again, calling upon my new GTO brethren to help this newbie confirm engine correctness.

THANKS MUCH AGAIN!

Jim


----------



## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

You need to really get a PHS yourself. Your in dangerous ground just going by the 5N on the cowl tag to verify the GTO. 5N generally mean the GTO option but all that means to me is that cowl tag came most likely from a GTO, but did it come from that car? Cowl tags can be swap to have that famous 5N. The VIN chasis number and the date code on the cowl tag seem to be legit though.

PHS will tell you more about the paint code than what we can. My book says 2 is for Hurst Gold, but I have seen Hurst gold used with other numbers in the paint code. My book says the code number of 1 is for non Pontiac paint.


----------



## nineteen 65 (Jul 8, 2013)

I agree with the above regarding going through the PHS process. Unfortunately just having 5N on the cowl tag will not be enough to establish that the car is an actual GTO with out the supporting paper work. One of my cars had what appeared to be the original tag on the firewall and indicated the 5N designation. I sent in my application for PHS documentation only to find out that the files are incomplete and there are 'blocks 'of serial numbers that are missing. PHS could not therefore give me actual documentation that my car was a true GTO. They returned my application along with my check. Since then I have run into other owners of 5N cars that had the same experience. Not sure if it was this forum or the Ames forum that has a posts from other owners that had the same issue. Hopefully your car does not fall into this category. If your plan is to restore this car I would still try to get documentation before starting the restoration process. These cars are expensive to restore and is still good to know you are working on the real thing, just my .02


----------



## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

What Roger and 65 said. That trim tag has been painted over and blended with the firewall with non-original paint. From the story so far, I am _very_ suspicious. Get the PHS docs and be sure.


----------



## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

Interesting note. I have a '65 data plate I removed from a GTO that was scrapped. Same style/shape of plate as pictured. Style is the same -65-23737. Paint code is 2-2. It has the 5NW code. Has somewhat similar codes, like upper left - 07B5 "B" instead of "C". Mine is PON47906. Just above the 5NW I have 02LGP. Interior was 215-B, gold/buckets.

If I am not mistaken, this was taken off a ragged out convertible that my brother-in-law owned. And if so, the 2-2 indicates the color (2) and the convertible top (2) which listed as black. The car was indeed blue, but Pontiac colors seem to be letter codes.


----------



## Roger that (Feb 6, 2010)

Original paint 2-2 code 65 GTO cowl tag (notice Gold in color verified by original owner as Hurst Gold), PHS verified as unknown in color.


----------



## 05GTO (Oct 6, 2004)

PontiacJim said:


> Interesting note. I have a '65 data plate I removed from a GTO that was scrapped. Same style/shape of plate as pictured. *Style is the same -65-23737*. Paint code is 2-2. It has the 5NW code. Has somewhat similar codes, like upper left - 07B5 "B" instead of "C". Mine is PON47906. Just above the 5NW I have 02LGP. Interior was 215-B, gold/buckets.
> 
> *If I am not mistaken, this was taken off a ragged out convertible *that my brother-in-law owned. And if so, the 2-2 indicates the color (2) and the convertible top (2) which listed as black. The car was indeed blue, but Pontiac colors seem to be letter codes.


I believe a convertible would be 23767, I agree with Roger That, the 2-2 would indicate special paint for the body and top of the car.


----------



## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

05GTO said:


> I believe a convertible would be 23767, I agree with Roger That, the 2-2 would indicate special paint for the body and top of the car.


You are 100% correct, "67" is a convertible. I was thinking that was the car I had taken it off of. He had 2 other '65 GTO's that did not run out in a field and eventually went to the scrap man as well. One was painted hotrod primer black and I do not recall the color of the other one. I knew the convertible was blue as it was the one he drove when I had my blue '67 convertible -we would sometimes cruise together tops down having a little fun -30 plus years ago.

My bad.:blush2:


----------

