Verifying the Codes of
The Mystichrome Cobra
Not the original owner of your Mystichrome? Wondering if that car for sale down the street is a true Mystichrome Cobra? No need to fret! To verify if your vehicle is a real, factory-produced, special-edition Mystichrome Cobra and not someone’s attempt at making their own, you must confirm certain components of the VIN, the production date, and the paint and interior trim codes.
VIN Verification
In a matter of speaking, all 2004 Ford SVT Mustang Cobras have similar VINs. However, aside from the check digit and the six-digit consecutive unit number varying per VIN or per vehicle respectively, there is only one component (shown in red below) that differs from one Cobra to another:
| SVT Mustang Cobra (Terminator) coupe | VIN: 1FAFP48Y_4F_ _ _ _ _ _ |
| SVT Mustang Cobra (Terminator) convertible | VIN: 1FAFP49Y_4F_ _ _ _ _ _ |
| Digit(s) | Component | Code | Meaning |
| 1 | Country of manufacture | 1 | United States of America |
| 2–3 | Manufacturer | FA | Ford Motor Company |
| 4 | Restraint system | F | Active safety belts with driver and front-passenger second-generation airbags |
| 5 | Type of vehicle | P | Passenger vehicle |
| 6–7 | Body style/model number | 48 49 |
SVT Mustang Cobra (Terminator) coupe SVT Mustang Cobra (Terminator) convertible |
| 8 | Engine | Y | Supercharged 4.6L V8, 32-valve DOHC EFI (390 horsepower @ 6000 rpm, 390 lb-ft torque @ 3500 rpm) |
| 9 | Check digit | 0–9, X | Varies per VIN |
| 10 | Model year | 4 | 2004 |
| 11 | Assembly facility | F | Dearborn Assembly Plant, Dearborn, Michigan |
| 12–17 | Consecutive unit number | 100001–999999 | Varies per vehicle |
The 17-digit VIN does not contain specific codes for paint, interior trim, or other equipment. Instead, it gives an overall description of the vehicle, in this case verifying a factory-built SVT Mustang Cobra. The check digit verifies the validity of the codes to prevent the creation of fraudulent VINs and other criminal acts against consumers.
Production Date, Paint & Interior Trim Codes
For further verification of a Mystichrome Cobra, on the car’s certification label inside the driver-side door on the body, the specified production date and separate paint and interior trim codes must be verified. All 1,010 factory-built Mystichrome Cobras were produced between December 2003 and January 2004, and all have the following paint and trim codes:
| Component | Code | Meaning |
| Date | 12/03 01/04 |
Produced in December 2003 Produced in January 2004 |
| Paint | G6 | Mystichrome Clearcoat Metallic |
| Trim | MD | Dark Charcoal/Mystichrome leather |
If all of the above specified codes match, then you have a true, genuine, factory-built, special-edition Mystichrome Cobra that was produced at Ford Motor Company’s historic Dearborn Assembly Plant.
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