Ford VIN and engine number decoding by year and month

Wondering what the engine number means on your Ford Escort Mark II Pinto motor? The below information is valid from around mid-1970 to the introduction of the VIN in 1981.

The number on the machined flat spot is the engine number – this is the bit you should find on your rego papers. In this case the number is CK42XG91563R.

The first two numbers

CK42XG91563R. The first letter – C indicates it’s Australian-made. The next letter: G indicates Broadmeadows (Vic) assembly plant and K means a Homebush (NSW) assembly. A Pinto motor in an Australian-made Cortina starts with CG, an Escort CK – so we know this is from an Escort.

The second two numbers

CK42XG91563R. These indicate the model type. The list of Ford body series codes:

Body code	Vehicle
1C	Transit 125 End/Side Load Van
1D	Transit Sundowner Van
2C	Transit 125 Kombi
2D	Transit 175 Side Load Van
2P	Escort 2-Door GL Van 2000cc (CK build)
3C	Transit 125 Chassis Cab
3P	Escort 2-Door GL Sedan 2000cc (CK build)
4C	Transit 125 Bus
4P	Escort 4-Door GL Sedan 2000cc (CK build)
5C	Transit 175 Van
5P	Escort 4-Door XL/GL Sedan 1600cc (CK build)
5R	Laser 3-Door Sport. (UK/UG build)
6C	Transit 175 Chassis Cab
6P	Escort 4-Door Ghia Sedan 2000cc (CK build)
7C	Transit 175 Chassis Windshield
7P	Escort Sundowner Van 1600cc (CK build)
8C	Transit 150 Bus
8P	Escort Sundowner Van 20000cc (CK build)
9C	Transit 125 PMG Kombi
14	Capri Deluxe Sedan (CK build)
17	Capri GT Sedan (CK build)
30	Capri XL Sedan (CK build)
40	Escort 2-Door L Sedan 1600cc (CK build)
41	Escort 2-Door RS 2000 (CK build)
42	Escort 4-Door RS 2000 (CK build)
43	Escort 4-Door L Sedan (CK build)
44	Escort 2-Door XL/GL Sedan 1600cc (CK build)
46	Escort 2-Door Ghia Sedan 1600cc (CK build)
47	Falcon Sundowner Van (JH/JG build)
48	Escort 2-Door XL Super Luxury (CK build)
49	Escort 2-Door GT Sedan 1600cc (CK build)
50	Escort 2-Door L Van 1600cc (CK build)
51	Escort 2-Door XLGL Van 1600cc (CK build)
52	Cortina L Sedan (Taxi) 4-cyl (CK/CG build)
53	Cortina XR Sedan Bench Seat (CK/CG build)
54	Cortina XL Wagon Bench Seat (CK/CG build)
55	Cortina GL Sedan Bucket Seat (Taxi) (CK/CG build)
56	Cortina GL Sedan 4-Cyl (XL Sedan Bucket Seats) (CK/CG build)
57	Cortina Ghia Sedan 4-Cyl (XLE Sedan) (CK/CG build)
58	Cortina GL Sedan 6-Cyl (CK/CG build)
59	Cortina GL Wagon 6-Cyl (CK/CG build)
60	Cortina Ghia Sedan 6-Cyl (CK/CG build)
61	Cortina L Sedan Taxi 6-Cyl (CK/CG build)
75	Cortina Deluxe and L Sedan Bench Seat (CK/CG build)
76	Cortina GL Wagon 4-Cyl (XL Wagon Bucket Seats) (CK/CG build)
78	Cortina GT and GTL Sedans (CK/CG build)
79	Cortina L Sedan 4-Cyl (CK/CG build)
80	Cortina L Wagon 4-Cyl (CK/CG build)
81	Cortina L Sedan 6-Cyl (CK/CG build)
82	Cortina L Wagon 6-Cyl (CK/CG build)
83	Cortina Ghia Wagon 4-Cyl (CK/CG build)
84	Cortina Ghia Wagon 6-Cyl (CK/CG build)

The fifth and sixth

CK42XG91563R. These indicate the year and month of production. In this case the numbers are XG.

Look confusing? The pattern is a 16-character repeating set – JUMPBRAGCKDELYST. Why it is that I don’t know… it does mean that they repeat on a four year cycle.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
1965	EJ	EU	EM	EP	EB	ER	EA	EG	EC	EK	ED	EE
1966	FL	FY	FS	FT	FJ	FU	FM	FP	FB	FR	FA	FG
1967	GC	GK	GD	GE	GL	GY	GS	GT	GJ	GU	GM	GP
1968	HB	HR	HA	HG	HC	HK	HD	HE	HL	HY	HS	HT
1969	JJ	JU	JM	JP	JB	JR	JA	JG	JC	JK	JD	JE
1970	KL	KY	KS	KT	KJ	KU	KM	KP	KB	KR	KA	KG
1971	LC	LK	LD	LE	LL	LY	LS	LT	LJ	LU	LM	LP
1972	MB	MR	MA	MG	MC	MK	MD	ME	ML	MY	MS	MT
1973	NJ	NU	NM	NP	NB	NR	NA	NG	NC	NK	ND	NE
1974	PL	PY	PS	PT	PJ	PU	PM	PP	PB	PR	PA	PG
1975	RC	RK	RD	RE	RL	RY	RS	RT	RJ	RU	RM	RP
1976	SB	SR	SA	SG	SC	SK	SD	SE	SL	SY	SS	ST
1977	TJ	TU	TM	TP	TB	TR	TA	TG	TC	TK	TD	TE
1978	UL	UY	US	UT	UJ	UU	UM	UP	UB	UR	UA	UG
1979	WC	WK	WD	WE	WL	WY	WS	WT	WJ	WU	WM	WP
1980	AB	AR	AA	AG	AC	AK	AD	AE	AL	AY	AS	AT
1981	BJ	BU	BM	BP	BB	BR	BA	BG	BC	BK	BD	BE
1982	CL	CY	CS	CT	CJ	CU	CM	CP	CB	CR	CA	CG
1983	DC	DK	DD	DE	DL	DY	DS	DT	DJ	DU	DM	DP
1984	EB	ER	EA	EG	EC	EK	ED	EE	EL	EY	ES	ET
1985	FJ	FU	FM	FP	FB	FR	FA	FG	FC	FK	FD	FE
1986	GL	GY	GS	GT	GJ	GU	GM	GP	GB	GR	GA	GG
1987	HC	HK	HD	HE	HL	HY	HS	HT	HJ	HU	HM	HP
1988	JB	JR	JA	JG	JC	JK	JD	JE	JL	JY	JS	JT
1989	KJ	JU	KM	KP	KB	KR	KA	KG	KC	KK	KD