Topic: 69 MACH 1 390 Dress Up Kit Identification

[RoyceP]

Yes and other items like chrome handle dip stick, chrome radiator cap, chrome brake master cylinder cap.

Did the dress up kit include a chrome oil filler cap also?

[J_Speegle]

Your 1969 390-4V IP would have blue painted valve covers, a black oil cap, and blue painted air cleaner lid originally. If it was equipped originally with the chrome dress up kit option it would say that in the options list on the Marti Report.

My research indicates this detail depends on where the car was built but for the OP focus (69 San Jose) I would agree . Talked to a friend that also did the same research in the early 2000's last week and he confirmed that he had seen and documented the same thing. Differences based on the individual car plants since the air cleaners were added there and there may be a production period related difference but he could not quantify that at the time. Just haven't gotten his list or pictures yet to add those to the list

[STAUBY38]

I have not seen a Marti to date that indicates the dress up feature have any of you?  If so what does it say the option is called?   My car has date correct chrome valve covers, master cylinder cap, chrome rad cap but currently has a painted air cleaner.  It appears all date correct but I have no idea if it was that way originally..

[krelboyne]

Just throwing this out there. It is my understanding that:
The 1969 S code air cleaner assembly is in fact shared with the 1969 Q code 428CJ non-ram air cars. Also worth mentioning is that the snorkel is also 428CJ but with a reducer spot welded to the lower portion where the S-Tube would connect. 390IP engines used a paper S-Tube necessitating the need for the reducer.
It is not uncommon to find these two items to be changed out, for 302/351 (or 390 passenger car) air cleaner bases, lids, and snorkels.

[RoyceP]

Valve covers in 1969 have date codes that include a day and a month and a shift - no year. When you say "date code correct" what's the date you are seeing?

I have not seen a Marti to date that indicates the dress up feature have any of you?  If so what does it say the option is called?   My car has date correct chrome valve covers, master cylinder cap, chrome rad cap but currently has a painted air cleaner.  It appears all date correct but I have no idea if it was that way originally..

[STAUBY38]

They are dated  C 19  D 2   which I decipher to be March 19? Correct?    My car build date is March 28.   They appear to have the correct emission sticker on them also    Any other date codes to look for to help narrow down what it actually came with?   What does the MARTI list the "Dress up option" as being called?   

[J_Speegle]

I have not seen a Marti to date that indicates the dress up feature have any of you?  If so what does it say the option is called? 

Sorry seems like that was asked in the original post but we got side tracked with all the other related points. Looked at the dozen or so 69 S code Marti's I have and found nothing that could be seen as related to the chroming of engine parts. Didn't find anything either in Cougar Marti reports either 

Believe the option is listed in the salesman guide for the year and model

Only have one 69 S code buildsheet and have no idea where the option was located on the sheet. If it was it may have been in a unmarked (just numbered) box if this car even had the chrome

My car has date correct chrome valve covers, master cylinder cap, chrome rad cap but currently has a painted air cleaner.  It appears all date correct but I have no idea if it was that way originally..

Not sure of the condition of your car when you got it or how much had been altered or played with since new. Think it might be unusual for someone to swap out all of those parts from another engine and come up with the dates on the valve covers as you report.  If the factory valve cover gaskets with the staples in place that would be another important indicator IMHO. Swapping out an air cleaner lid might be a completely different thing since you could use one even from 67 or other 69 engines

Could also be a mistake (wrong lid) on this specific car which just adds to the confusion. As mentions friend that studied and restored a San Jose S code found chrome lids at that plant, year and application

Didn't think this was going to be easy when you first posted. Good thing is that an air cleaner lid is something that can be swapped out quickly if you can determine what was original in the future

[STAUBY38]

Very good info Jeff as always.  I didn't think the Marti listed the Chrome option as I to have never seen that.  I think my covers are original since the date codes appear to be correct.   Car appears to have a chrome master cylinder cap(in sad shape) a chrome rad cap(in sad shape) and what looks like at some point a chrome tipped dip stick that was painted blue.  Air cleaner is Blue but who knows if original and the intake is not original nor are the valve cover gaskets so cant use them for an indictor.    The oil filler cap is original Autolite but was either painted black over original chrome or is just a black cap.   Did the chrome kit come with a chrome filler cap?    At this point I think I will just make it chrome since that seems to be the majority on this car and the fact that SJ seemed to have more of them.   Just not sure if the oil filler cap was chrome or black with that dress up kit.  You would think chrome to match the valve covers but again who knows?   More questions lead to more questions.

[J_Speegle]

Very good info Jeff as always.  I didn't think the Marti listed the Chrome option as I to have never seen that.  I think my covers are original since the date codes appear to be correct.   Car appears to have a chrome master cylinder cap(in sad shape) a chrome rad cap(in sad shape) and what looks like at some point a chrome tipped dip stick that was painted blue.  Air cleaner is Blue but who knows if original and the intake is not original nor are the valve cover gaskets so cant use them for an indictor.    The oil filler cap is original Autolite but was either painted black over original chrome or is just a black cap.   Did the chrome kit come with a chrome filler cap?    At this point I think I will just make it chrome since that seems to be the majority on this car and the fact that SJ seemed to have more of them.   Just not sure if the oil filler cap was chrome or black with that dress up kit.  You would think chrome to match the valve covers but again who knows?

Only finding chrome on engines with the chrome dress up and black on engines without the chrome. If yours in painted over - easy enough to remove the paint and check what is under.  Of course like others things we're discussing everything is pretty easy to loose, change or replace over the years. Valve covers having more indicators that the rest. 

Never seen an original with a master cylinder cap chromed. Might want to double check its the original version for the year and application.

   More questions lead to more questions.

Yes they often do

[STAUBY38]

Its possible the Master Cylinder cap isn't original.   I haven't looked at it closely yet.   Been working on the motor components mainly.  Thanks again for the info!

[specialed]

I have had 69 chrome c9az m/c caps in the past but not sure where they came from .

[Brunofxst]

I have a 69 S-code built June 3 of 1969. Four-speed factory AC car Mach1. Mine has the original engine never been removed from the vehicle. It has the painted valve covers an air cleaner.  There was no chrome dress up option for these vehicles. By my understanding, because the engine was being phased out, the late production ones used the painted versions. Probably because the chrome parts supply ran out before the end of the model year.  This was verbally shared with me.  But I have not been able to find documentation to prove this otherwise.

[J_Speegle]

First - welcome to the site. Hope you find the information shared and the support helpful in your efforts

I have a 69 S-code built June 3 of 1969. Four-speed factory AC car Mach1. Mine has the original engine never been removed from the vehicle. It has the painted valve covers an air cleaner.  There was no chrome dress up option for these vehicles. By my understanding, because the engine was being phased out, the late production ones used the painted versions. Probably because the chrome parts supply ran out before the end of the model year.  This was verbally shared with me.  But I have not been able to find documentation to prove this otherwise.

Thanks

During the year you had the option though the percentage of how many owners choose to pay a little more or the chrome is unknown to me

Need to look at the MPC for 70 to see if they still carried the chrome valve covers - if so that would suggest that the story told you was something made up by someone but no way of telling without more effort

Looking at what I have I thought I would offer the following for reference purposes. Holes in certain parts of the year only means that I've not collected enough data from those periods. Since this was an engine plant thing where the car was build does not make a difference or should not - though in a really odd, odd situation I guess a delivery problem with air cleaners would change some details but we have no indication that took place. Just trying to cover all bases Added approx month just for comparison purposes

Standard warnings about collecting and comparing but we have to start with something and the greater the numbers the more chance that the altered cars will stand out in surveys

Unrestored cars of course

9F103xxx - chrome - Sept 68
9F108xxx - painted - Sept 68
9T123xxx - painted - Oct 68
9R120xxx - chrome - Nov 68
9T1515xx - chrome - Dec 68
9F138xxx - chrome - Dec 68
9F139xxx - chrome - Dec 68
9T1565xx - chrome - Dec 68
9R1349xx - painted - Jan 69
9R1389xx - painted - Feb 69
9R1429xx - chrome - Feb 69
9T1757xx - painted - Feb 69
9R1561xx - chrome - Mar 69
9R1572xx - painted - Mar 69
9T189xxx - chrome - April 69
9F1857xx - painted - April 69
9F1978xx - painted - May 69
9T201xxx - painted - May 69

[Brunofxst]

Again, based on what I have heard from numerous sources, the 390 IP Engine was always assembled in Deerborn. Then shipped to either San Jose or Metuchen. Mine is a Metuchen car. All the reference books I?ve read, and magazine articles etc., never indicated that there was a chrome appearance package as an option. Since the majority that I have seen have the chrome, I doubt it was a dealer installed options as well. Great conversation, but there?s no concrete evidence. I wish there was so I have something to hang my hat on.

[Bossbill]

I have a vested interest in 70 Mustangs, but still find time for the 69s!

Ford media publishes some of the old "Fact books". These were evidently repacked by other vendors as standalones.

From the 69 Mustang booklet there is listing of available engines. There is also a description of a dress-up kit as standard on the 390 -- it's an RPO. The contents of the kit are not described.

https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North%20America/US/2013/11/18/1969_Mustang_Data.pdf