t2d2

Non-Mustang owner here. I picked up a set of '94-04 Mustang Cobra 17x9 wheels; same bolt pattern as my Lexus SC400 and perfect offset for the rears. (Fronts TBD.) They need refinishing of the deteriorating chrome and three are unusable currently (won't hold air as a result of the peeling abomination known as chrome), but the wheels themselves appear to be in good shape. Mild to moderate curb rash that'll probably be 90% gone with the chrome removal.

Only three of them have center caps, so I looked around for a replacement for the fourth and was surprised/confused by a few things. BC-287 is the part # stamped on the back side.

1) This is apparently a much less common Cobra logo. Only one eBay seller has it and this is the only place I found selling them new. They list it as a Shelby Cobra, which would explain it being less common. That's the extent of what I was able to find matching the logo. The eBay seller lists them as replicas, but I don't know if that refers to the version they carry or the logo/caps in general.

2) Doing a bit of research, I learned that Ford made Cobra Mustangs from '93-01 & '03-04, but Shelby wasn't involved again until '14. So, it seems unlikely that these are actually a Shelby version of the Cobra wheels.

Anyone know what exactly I've got, and out of curiosity, which year it might have come off of? I bought them from a guy who planned on using them for his trailer, before realizing he needed trailer-specific wheels, so they sat outside for 6 months and came with no history of their condition or prior usage.

Also, I'm unsure how well they'll fit in front, being such low offset relative to the stock +50. Supposedly, their +24 will work with fender rolling, but I suspect it's still going to stick out an inch. So, it's possible I'll be running them in just the back and looking for different wheels for the front. Any suggestions for a similar look that won't draw too much attention to being different front and back? I saw some Cobra replica wheels listed as 17x8. If correct, that would move it in ~1/2", assuming the same offset, which might work.

t2d2

I found a bit bit more info. The 17x9 version was apparently only on the Cobra R, which was made in '93 (109 produced), '95 (250), and '00 (300). '93 was the previous wheel style, so only 550 sets of mine were made, other than whatever small number of factory replacements might be in circulation. That probably contributes to the rarity of information about the center caps.

Still, it seems like the center caps should be the black background one with a snake poking through a red "R".

To partially answer my last question in the first post, the '98 Cobra had a 17x8 wheel in the same style, like I had seen in some listings. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on perspective, it's only in silver, though, not chrome. That would be great if I had the Cobra R wheels in silver, which is my preference, but would require refinishing to match each other as it stands. It'll definitely be worth keeping a lookout for a pair, at any rate.

t2d2

I must not have permission yet to edit my previous message, so my apologies for the double post. I found this list which says the '00 Cobra R was 17x9.5 and 18x9.5, so my 17x9's could only have come from '95, making them 1 of 250. That answers the question about which year!

Of course, that page also lists a 17x8 Cobra R in '95, which doesn't seem to match other stuff I've found...

t2d2

I had another thought after going to bed. Given the scarcity of these wheels, it's possible mine are replicas altogether. What markings should be present on the back of the spokes for a factory set? Mine show:

OEC WHEEL MS DOT T
MAX WHEEL LOAD 1400 LBS
OFF +24 (followed by a sun with two marks in it that look like zeros)
172581 17x9JJ

172581 doesn't correspond to anything significant, or at least easily matched. All I can find for that is cars with 172,581 miles.

t2d2

Looks like they're most likely replicas, bummer. Originals should have some combination of FORD and/or a Ford part # stamped on the back, specific markings around the valve stem, JWL stamped on the face, or HINODEX on the inside of the rim. I can't locate any of those markings on mine.

http://forums.corral.net/forums/whee...real-fake.html
https://mustangforums.com/forum/5-0l...ra-wheels.html