vin location question

[amochoru 11]

I have a question concerning where you could find the different vin locations on a mustang. I know there is one on the drivers door and the tag that can be seen through the windows on the drivers side. The tag by the windshield has been cut off so up til now I have been going off ofmthe tag on the floor. I have heards that there was a serial number stamped on the drivers side engine compartment undrneath where the fender bolts on. I have found the number stamped here doesn't match the one riveted on the door. The engine compartment sheetmetal doesn't look replaced but one shows a 302 2v f code while the other vin in the compartment shows it as a 428 r code car. There is no buck tag bolted anywhere so I am wondering if there is another place where a vin could be located to settle which vin is right.

[Angel 24]

If I remember correctly there was only three. And you named them. I could be wrong though. The door was is more likely to have been replaced so I'd go with the one under the fender.

[maxum96 32]

What year Mustang do you have? The only place the VIN should be on a 70 (and I believe a 69) would be the fender aprons and the dash. The door is not a VIN (it's the warranty tag although it's the same number as the VIN). The door tags are often wrong as the original door has been replaced over the years on a lot of these cars.

 

I sent you a PM.

[Pakrat 1,043]

What did you buy the car as? I assume it came with no title? I think the VIN number is stamped in the same location on the passenger side as well, I can't remember for sure though. Did you verify that the windshield VIN was cut off? I've seen many bad dash pad replacements where the VIN got bent back or covered over and no longer visible.

 

Is there an engine in (or came with) the car that matches either number? I don't know much about the 428 but the 302 should have the unit number stamped on the back of the block near where it meets the intake manifold.

 

If the 428 VIN is on the fenders, the windshield tag is missing and the door reads the 302 number then I wouoldn't be surprised if you find this car was once stolen.

[amochoru 11]

I bought the car with a title and it is currently titled in Colorado. I have a marti report based off of the vin from the door and everything appears to match from what that vin says, including the paint color from places where I doubt they would have thought of to spray. I've ordered a marti report on the other vin to see if the color is the same as the vin in the fender as it seems to have the original blue around it. Here is a shot of the vin on the fender.

 

Here is a shot of the fender from inside the engine compartment.

 

Here is a shot of the vin plate from through the windshield.

 

Here is the windshield plate from the inside.

 

Here is the door one though I couldn't get a good enough shot of the vin number.

 

Did the 428 Mustangs always have staggered rear shocks? This one doesn't.

[Pakrat 1,043]

Someone could have replaced the entire front clip from a 428 car like say if the rear end of the 428 car was totaled and the front of a 302 car so they spliced them together. It would have to have been real bad though, you don't part out too many 428 cars. I don't know, all these particular things just send off all kinds of warning bells to me.

 

Did it come with an engine?

[Fordrevhead 29]

your main vin plate on the windshield looks odd. It's bent and marred up and reads 09ZB which is a 69 part number but where's the vin? I suspect the number on the inner fender is correct and the door plate is wrong. sorry.

 

not all 428's had the staggered shocks. It was part of the Competition Suspension package so it was an option. This package was std equipment if you had a Mach1 428 with 4 speed though.

[RogerC 136]

The left shock tower has some non-factory re-inforcement and repair near the motor mount. Also looks like some tack welds on the top flange at the inner aprons to the shock tower. Possible the front clip was replaced or at least some used pieces were used in a repair.

[428scj 10]

No wrap around shock tower reinforcements.Most big block cars had them.

[Fordrevhead 29]

The left shock tower has some non-factory re-inforcement and repair near the motor mount. Also looks like some tack welds on the top flange at the inner aprons to the shock tower. Possible the front clip was replaced or at least some used pieces were used in a repair.

 

Yeah I noticed both of these areas as well but I also noted the lack of the wrap around towers as 428scj pointed out so...

[Cruzzar 22]

The stamped numbers on the engine compartment splash apron don't look to be in the correct location. My '70 has the stamped numbers on the two overlapping portions of the splash apron which is about 20" away from the radiator support. Is a '69's numbers that close to the radiator support (I'm not that familiar with a '69)? If a '69's numbers are located in the same position as a '70 then the sheetmetal has been grafted on.

[Daves69Coupe 10]

my vin on my 69 is about 20inches or so from the radiator apron also.