Buying a Boss 302 Mustang is a dream for many car collectors. However, you must authenticate the vehicle properly --- and carefully --- before making your purchase. Because aftermarket parts can make it difficult for the untrained eye to identify a vehicle, learn the proper identification methods for a Boss 302 Mustang.
Locate and record the vehicle's identification number (VIN), located on a plate at the base of the windshield, in the inside driver's side of the vehicle.
Identify the model with the VIN number. Read the VIN number from left to right, looking for a "G" as the fifth digit. All Boss 302s have a "G" in the fifth spot; no exceptions apply.
Identify the fender panel plates. The front fender panels will have stampings that will match the last six digits of the VIN. To locate these stampings, open the vehicle's hood and look for the numbers on top of the inner fender wall near the shock absorber towers. Both sides of the vehicle should have these numbers.
Locate the other tag under the hood, on the passenger side of the vehicle on the radiator support; this tag should also have the last six digits of the VIN number printed on it. The radiator support if the steel structure that holds the radiator, running from the passenger to the driver side of the car, just behind the grille. Sometimes, the plate is located in another area, so also look for it at the top of the passenger side fender, behind the panel stamping near the windshield.
Locate the door identification. Open the driver's side door; on the back portion of the door, inside the door jamb, look for a plate or sticker with the complete VIN. Check to ensure that all numbers match the VIN you have previously recorded.
