Engine numbers

[AK1161]

I see on my V5 the engine number for my AC cobra mkiv (AK1161) is 1161.
   This is obviously a number given by the factory and not a Ford numbering.
   Does anybody know where I can find the engine number as having looked around the block i cannot find anything.
   Thanks, Luke

[dkp_cobra]

The block number is near to the starter:
   
   
   
   This is a 1965 block (due to the C5 casting number).

[AK1161]

The number that i am looking for is not the castting number but the number that is individual to each engine.
   Any thoughts and thanks for the help.
   Luke

[B.P.Bird]

William,
   A.C. sometimes serialised American Ford engines, most often using the car number. Ford did not, the nearest being the alphanumeric stamp giving build date. The stamping on the small blocks was on the short machined 'ledge' by the distributor socket on the block. The stamp is in the example form 5F14. You get the decade from elsewhere (casting numbers, car model and so forth) so the first digit is the year in that decade, say 1965. The next letter is the month, omitting 'i' thus in this case 'F' signifies June. The next two digits are the day, the 14th as exampled. Mostly one finds a subsequent single letter tacked on the end of this which I think is the engine plant responsible. As you can see a days production would all shew the same stamping. Not very helpful I fear, but as A.C. gave your engine a serial number you can use this ?

[AC Ventura]

Barry is right. Early Ford engines were date, type and plant coded, but not individually serialised. They did not use engine numbers on the FE and many other series until the very late sixties. So a number matching no 1965 Ford Galaxie is a bit of a misnomer. In the UK and in the absence of any serial numbers, the only number that could be used for V5 registration and insurance purposes was the chassis or casting number.
   
   PS It may be that the (1161) was on a brass tab attached by Autokraft to an engine bolt. If that's gone missing you could simply replace it. You might want to do that, rather than alert the DVLA who could give you an irrevocable Q reg, if they decide your car is misrepresented.