How to decode a 1986 Mercury Cougar VIN
Characters 1-3 of a 1986 Mercury Cougar VIN
A World Manufacturer Identifier (WMI) is a unique code that identifies the manufacturer of a specific vehicle, and it forms the first three characters of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). For the 1986 Mercury Cougar, the WMI is “1ME,” indicating that the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, United States, is the manufacturer. This code is pivotal in not only determining the vehicle’s origin but also provides insights into the vehicle type, which in this case, is a passenger car. It acts as an essential identifier for regulatory, registration, and identification purposes. The WMI is an integral part of automotive history and consumer vehicle knowledge, serving as a global standard for classifying vehicles by their manufacturer.
List of WMI Codes for a 1986 Mercury Cougar
WMI: 1ME
- Model Years Covered: 1981, 1983-1997
- Example VIN: 1MEBP92F0GH710262
- Manufacturer Name: Ford Motor Company
- Vehicle Type: Passenger Car
- City: Dearborn
- State or Province: Michigan
- Country: United States
Characters 4-8 are the Vehicle Descriptor Section (VDS) of a 1986 Mercury Cougar VIN
These characters correspond to components like:
- Engine type
- Transmission
- Model or trim
- Body style
- Gross vehicle weight range
Below find the known vehicle descriptor codes for a 1986 Mercury Cougar:
| Known VDS for a 1986 Mercury Cougar | |
|---|---|
| BP92F | BP923 |
Auto manufacturers have some discretion to decide how they want to code this section, but its contents and decoded results are generally consistent.
Character 9 is the “check digit” in a 1986 Mercury Cougar VIN.
Based on a formula developed by the US Department of Transportation, it helps reduce fraud by ensuring the validity of the VIN.
10th Character in the 1986 Mercury Cougar VIN — Year Code
| Year Code | Year |
|---|---|
| G | 1986 |
11th Character in the 1986 Mercury Cougar VIN — Plant Code(s)
Known 1986 Mercury Cougar Assembly Factory VIN Code(s)
| Plant Code | Plant City | Plant State | Plant Country | Plant Company Name | Example VIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H | Lorain | Ohio | United States | 1MEBP92F0GH710262 |
VIN Characters 12 - 17 of a 1986 Mercury Cougar
The final 6 characters in a 1986 Mercury Cougar’s 17-digit VIN are its serial number, which will be unique to every vehicle.
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How to find a 1986 Mercury Cougar’s VIN?
Locating the VIN number on your 1986 Mercury Cougar is key for identification. Here’s how to find it:
- Look at the dashboard on the driver’s side of your 1986 Mercury Cougar. The VIN can usually be seen through the windshield.
- Open the driver’s side door to inspect the door post (where the door latches when it is closed). It’s common to find a sticker with the VIN on this spot in your Cougar.
- For the 1986 Mercury Cougar, check the firewall of the engine bay, as the VIN might be stamped onto a plate located there.
- Examine the frame of the vehicle, particularly near the rear wheel well; for some cars, including older models like the Cougar, the VIN might be found stamped on the chassis.
- If applicable, look in the trunk under the spare tire, as sometimes the VIN is located in that area for various models, and it’s a possibility for the Mercury Cougar as well.
- Consult the vehicle’s owner’s manual or maintenance records, as the VIN is typically recorded and kept with the vehicle’s official documents.
What info can a 1986 Mercury Cougar VIN reveal?
- Model Year: The VIN can reveal the vehicle’s model year as the year 1986, providing insights into the age and potential market value of the vehicle.
- Body Class and Doors: The vehicle, a Ford Cougar, can be characterized by a distinctive sedan/saloon body class, and it may have 4 doors, offering detailed insights into the vehicle’s design and structure.
- Engine Details: It has an engine displacement of 5.0 liters (302 cubic inches), which suggests a powerful performance capacity, and is manufactured by Ford with a horsepower range of 150 to 160 hp.
- Fuel Type: The primary fuel type for this vehicle is gasoline, which is important for understanding its fuel efficiency and environmental impact.
- Safety Features: Equipped with manual seat belts, this detail can offer insights into the safety standards and features that were standard for vehicles of its era.
- Manufacturing Information: The VIN highlights that the vehicle was assembled in Lorain, Ohio, United States, providing information about its origin and potentially affecting its collectibility or parts availability.
- Special Features: The engine has central fuel injection with a 2BBL (Two Barrel) carburetor, indicating specific technological features that can affect performance, maintenance, and fuel efficiency.
Don’t have your 1986 Mercury Cougar’s VIN handy? Try our license plate lookup instead!
Sample VIN Decode Report for a 1986 Mercury Cougar
| Vehicle Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Body Class | Sedan/Saloon |
| Displacement (CC) | 4948.893328 |
| Displacement (CI) | 302 |
| Displacement (L) | 5.0 |
| Doors | 2 |
| Engine Brake (hp) From | 150 |
| Engine Brake (hp) To | 160 |
| Engine Configuration | V-Shaped |
| Engine Manufacturer | Ford |
| Engine Number of Cylinders | 8 |
| Fuel Type - Primary | Gasoline |
| Model | Cougar |
| Model Year | 1986 |
| Other Engine Info | Central Fuel Injection 2BBL |
| Plant City | Lorain |
| Plant Company Name | |
| Plant Country | United States |
| Plant State | Ohio |
| Seat Belt Type | Manual |
| Series | LS ,XR-7 |
| Vehicle Descriptor | 1MEBP92F*GH |
| Vehicle Type | Passenger Car |
| Sample_VIN | 1MEBP92F0GH710262 |
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