VIN Explained

• Pre-1982 Mustang 13-digit VIN codes provide data on the color, trim, day and month of manufacture, location district, axle ratio and type of transmission. Essential details of the body, engine, year of manufacture and factory follows the 13-digit number. The plate also contains a six-digit number, which is the order in which the Mustang left the assembly line. Vintage Mustangs had the VIN affixed to the left front wheel apron, under the hood, or to the driver's side doorjamb, near the latch. Model year 1982 and later Mustangs feature a 17-digit VIN affixed to the left corner of the dashboard and visible from through the windshield.
  
  

Vintage Mustangs

• Reading from left to right the first three digits denotes the body description of pre-1982 Mustangs. For example, "65A" identifies the car as a coupe with a standard interior while "76A" denotes a convertible with standard interior. Under "Color" on the plate is a letter or number/letter combination identifying the exterior color. "A" means Raven Black. Under "Trim" are two numbers indentifying the interior trim, such as "45" for white vinyl with red trim. The date code, like the identifer "A," points to the day and date of the Mustang's manufacture. A DSO code places the vehicle in a specific district mapped by the Ford Motor Company. The number "11" is for the Boston region. A single digit number under "Axle" denotes the rear axle ratio, such as "1" for a 3.00-to-1 rear differential. The transmission code uses "1," for example, for a three-speed manual transmission.
  
  

Second Set

• Pre-1982 Mustang VIN plates contain a second set of digits. The first digit is a number, such as "5," to identify a 1965 Mustang. A letter follows the first number, which identifies the assembly plant. For example, "F" identifies the Dearborn, Michigan, factory. The body serial code follows with "07" for hardtop coupe and "08" for convertible. The engine code follows with a letter, such as "D" for a 289-cubic-inch V-8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor. Each car then receives a six-digit serial number.
  
  

Post-1981 Mustangs

• The post-1981 Mustangs have 17-digit VINs. The first three digits is a world manufacturer identifier that denotes a U.S. Ford passenger car, such as "IFA." The fourth digit denotes the time of restraining safety system, such as "C" for airbags and active seatbelts. The fifth digit identifies the Mustang as a passenger car, while the sixth and seventh digits denote the body style, such as "10" for a 1982 two-door notchback. The eighth digit identifies the engine. "H," for example, denotes a 300-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8. The ninth digit is for Ford internal use and means nothing to the owner. The 10th digit gives the model year, such as "M" for 1991. The 11th digit is a letter to identify the factory. The last six digits are the serial number.