1979 Pace Car VIN Verification Help Needed

Hi everyone,

I'm researching '79 Pace Cars as I want to make that my next Mustang. Here's where I need help:

I've searched all four corners of the globe with google and I can't find anything about how to verify a '79 Mustang is in fact an actual Pace Car and NOT a replica.

Does anyone have leads on this? One thing to note is that the '79's were made before the 14 digit VIN standard came about. Maybe someone has this info directly from Ford?

Help from you good people is much appreciated as I don't want to buy a car to find it's a "tribute" replica. Thanks much for any help you can give.
 
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From The Official Mustang 5.0 Technical Reference and Performance Handbook by Al Kirschenbaum (something every Fox owner should have) on page 3:

All 1979 Mustang Pace Car models have VINs that contain a distinctive two-digit series. For these cars only, the six-digit consecutive unit number that is part of every Mustang's VIN begins with "48".

So the VIN should be something like 9R03F48XXXX. R is for San Jose, but it could be F for Dearborn. The other F designates 5.0 V8. Substitute W for the turbo 4.

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Buy it now.
 
JrzyBullitt said:
I can't find anything about how to verify a '79 Mustang is in fact an actual Pace Car and NOT a replica.

I don't want to buy a car to find it's a "tribute" replica.
You will not find any of the three "actual" Pace Cars for sale. What you will find for sale are one of the 10,470-somthing "replica" versions.

Two of the three originals are at the Roush Museum (Jack Roush did all of the mechanical modifications on those three) and they don't look like '79 PCs anymore. There were modified and painted for other race pacing duties. The one that still looks original is at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. A picture taken of it at the 2006 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Corral is HERE.

To distinguish between a genuine replica PC and one that has been faked (what you're calling a "tribute"), start with the info that wythors posted. There will also be a small metal Body/Buck Tag attached to the radiator core support with a "500" stamp to it if it's a PC. That tag and the Vehicle Certification Label ("door sticker") will also have a paint code (1E) unique to the PC.