[alt63bird]

Let's have some fun understanding Mercury engines. I'm attempting to develop a comprehensive list of FE-series (352-390-410-428 and 427/427 SOHC) engines by the Engine ID code used on engine tags, in part to help people figure out if the engines in their T-birds are original to their cars or swapped from something else, i.e. trucks, Mercurys, etc. So far I have pulled together info from Ford MPCs for cars/trucks from the late '50s through mid-'70s, but am now attempting to pull in Mercury info, for which I have an incomplete library of MPCs (I'm missing '60, '64 and '67-up info, for instance)

In the '65-'66 L-M Chassis MPC there were listings for a '65 390 Interceptor/F-4 carb with ID Tag Code #'s

368J/N-368J - F-4/Manual
369J/N-368J - F-4/Auto
(the N-prefix means no emissions reduction equipment)

which according to notes in the Remarks column were ID'd by chrome valve covers, but no VIN codes or HP ratings were provided in the listing. I'm guessing this was the "P"-coded engine? I thought Ford/Merc P/Is prior to '64 used a Holley 4-barrel (H-4) and would have carried over but the lists say F-4's were used.

In going through various engine listings I'm finding Mercury had 352s listed with an "X" code in the VIN, which I find suspect. Ford's engine ID listing charts show ID code numbers for '64 using:
287 - F-4/(need transmission info - assume Manual?)
289 - F-4/(need transmission info - assume Automatic?)
Did Mercs use 352s in '64-'66, and if so what are Mercury's ID numbers for the 352-4v (F-4) "X"-code engine? They didn't show up in the '65-'66 L-M Chassis MPC.

The following ID codes also show up for '65-'66 Mercury 390 applications in the '65-'66 L-M Chassis MPC (these ID code numbers do not show up in Ford car lists and would appear to be unique to Mercury). I'm trying to place these with their VIN code letters, as well as find '67-'69 info:

370 - F-4/Auto - P (? hp) or Z (300/315 hp)?
371 - F-4/Manual (3sp/4sp) - P (? hp) or Z (300/315 hp)?
(372 not listed)
373 - F-4/Auto - P (? hp) or Z (300/315 hp)?
(374 not listed)
375 - F-4/Manual (3sp/4sp) - P or Z? HP rating?
376 - F-2/Manual (3sp/4sp) - Y or H? HP rating?
377 - F-2/Manual (3sp/4sp) - Y or H? HP rating?
(378 not listed)
(379 not listed)
380 - F-2/Auto - Y or H? HP rating?

Any and all help appreciated. And, yes, I probably should be scouring the 'net for copies of the L-M MPCs I currently don't have, but shelf space is running out...