VIN Number Decoding
This is everything you need to know about decoding the VIN for your 1983-1988 Cougar, no matter what model you have. Beginning with the 1981 model year, all VIN numbers of autos sold in the U.S. and Canada have 17 characters (letters and/or numbers). Here's a breakdown--with fictitious example--of each of the VIN characters for a 1983-88 Mercury Cougar and Ford Thunderbird:

In the above example, you have a Mercury passenger car (Cougar XR7 coupe) with seat belts, 5.0 engine, 1988 model, made in Lorain, OH, and is approximately Cougar number 10 for that model year at that plant.

One thing to remember is that from sometime in 1984-1985, the Cougar and Thunderbird were made simultaneously at both the Lorain, OH and Atlanta, GA plants. Lorain-built cars were exported to Canada and Europe. In 1986, Cougar/Thunderbird production moved exclusively to Lorain and remained that way until the rear-drive Cougar's demise in 1997. In early 1997, a strike by workers at the Lorain plant necessitated moving Cougar/Thunderbird production to the Lincoln plant in Wixom, MI. In addition, there seems to have been Cougars made in Mexico with a completely different VIN setup.

The last 6 numbers will tell you, approximately, what number on the assembly line your car was. Mercury cars will have the numbers 600000 through 999999 reserved, so your Cougar will have a number somewhere in there. If yours begins with a 7, then that usually indicates that your car's sequence is over 100,000 for that particular model year.

Paul shares this information: "In the Ford system, the sequential VIN number for the last 5 digits is based on the vehicle order, not the order in which they go down the line. So it is possible that there are gaps, due to canceled orders. The factory uses a system called a 'rotation number', the order in which they are introduced to final assembly, which is independent of the VIN number." So it is possible that your VIN number can actually be higher than the total number of cars produced that model year.

Other Codes
Along with the VIN number, there are other codes that abound on your data plate inside the door jamb. There are numerous possibilities for each category, so we cannot give you all the possible codes for each. But if you know your car is stock, you can pretty much figure out what it all means with the information below.

DATE: Date of manufacture (month/year)
GVWR: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs. and kgs.)
Front / Rear GAWR: Gross Axle Weight Rating (lbs. and kgs.)

VEH. IDENT. NO: VIN number
TYPE: Vehicle type (passenger)
EXTERIOR PAINT COLOR: Two character code. You will need this code when buying paint for the car. It is usually printed ABOVE the line on the door tag. If you have a two-tone car, both codes are usually listed.

BODY: Body type code
VR: Vinyl roof
MLDG: Body side molding
INT. TRIM: Interior trim code (first letter=fabric and seat type, second letter=color)
TAPE: Tape stripe/pinstriping
R: Radio type
S: Sunroof/moonroof
AX: Axle code (click here for more information)
TR: Transmission type (click here for more information)

There are also 4 additional letters after the transmission code. These denote all 4 springs for the car (first=front L; second=front R; third=rear L; fourth=rear R).

From 1987-up, there is an additional calibration code sticker in the door jamb as well. This relates to the computer and engine management system for your particular car. You will need this number when buying emissions or electrical parts for your Cougar.

So if your car doesn't have anything in some of the categories, don't sweat because your car did not originally come with those. However, if the rear axle gear has been changed, or the radio is not the factory original, these codes won't do much for you except tell you what you should have had in the first place.

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