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Chameleon! 1996 Ford Mustang Mystic Cobra

Ford brought back the Cobra edition of the Mustang in 1993 and gave it a hot, new motor in 1996. To help celebrate the Cobra’s new strength, Ford built 2,000 copies finished in what would be called “Mystic” paint because it looked to change colors depending on the light. This is one of those cars and is said to have just 22,000 miles, meaning it has been babied most of its life. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this largely original beauty is available here on Barn Finds Classifieds for $19,500.

The Mystic Cobra had chameleon-like paint, looking black or deep purple one moment and gold/root beer or evergreen the next. If you had one of these cars, hopefully, you never wrecked it because I don’t know how hard it would be to make it right again. Just 2,000 of these Mustangs were painted that way and the Mystic Cobra as well as other Cobras had the new 4.6-liter SVT engine. It had a dual overhead camshaft, four valves, and hand-built assembly, all adding up to 305 hp, harking back to the performance of the hot Mustangs of the late 1960s/early 1970s.

While the production numbers aren’t high, they are low either. But given the number that is likely to survive today with low mileage like this one, it must be a rare car by 1990s standards. This Cobra was considered collectible by the seller and the owner before him/her, and its condition reflects that. The body, paint, and interior look just fine (except for a ding or two), so you could probably drive it to Cars & Coffee the first weekend you owned it.

Changes from stock are minimal and easily removable. Such as an aftermarket exhaust and wheels while the originals were retained should the next owner want to go back to stock. The tires are newer because of the age of the ones removed and two of them will go with the car. With a 5-speed manual transmission, this powerful little car shouldn’t break the bank at the gas pump, capable of 26 mpg. Is this a Mustang you’d like to slip into your garage?

Comments

  1. Avatar Bob_in_TN Member

    I’ve always liked the 1996-1998 Cobras. The ones with the color-shifting Mystic paint are particularly cool, and a conversation starter at any show. This one looks like a well-kept example. Prices for clean low-mileage late 90’s Cobras aren’t necessarily cheap but haven’t shot up– yet.

    Like 5
  2. Avatar Cadmanls Member

    Didn’t they apply this paint to more than the Mustang? From what I have read you can’t do a minor touch up, it’s like full repaint and it’s quite expensive, the paint not just the labor. It does look amazing in sunlight.

    Like 3
    • Avatar John E Alm

      If i,m not mistaken that chameleon paint was like $2,500 a quart or an ridiculous amount , i was to work at a autobody shop for 20yrs , in & around that paint was the Rage

      Like 0
  3. Avatar unclemymy Member

    A perfect example of my favorite Mustang – plus it really is a special car. No argument on the price – I wish I could have it :(

    Like 2
  4. Avatar SirRaoulDuke

    I’ve always liked these, and that’s a fair price for mileage and condition. If we were not getting ready to move halfway across the country I’d be giving this one some serious thought.

    Bob is right, these Mystics will go up in value.

    Like 2
  5. Avatar Vance

    I worked at a Ford dealership in Tucson when these came out, And the Mystic paint really didn’t do that much for me. It was actually kind of distracting and annoying. These Mustang’s With the 4.6 were anemic, and the 3.8 V6 had a lot of flaws. Now I am not saying the Cobra’s were bad, it was just the body styling was poor as was the interior. The actual price of the paint was atrocious, like 25 large just for the paint. And only a Ford dealership could order the stuff and do the work. The model you wanted was a 1998 Cobra, it had an independent rear suspension that took turns like it was on rails. I believe it had a little more umph in 98 to go with those axel shafts coming out of the rear differential. That car would flat out haul ass. Oh, and they only sold it by the gallon, and if you didn’t use it all, it got sent back to Ford. You could not even keep a touch up bottle. Forget the wacky color and get the 1998 Cobra, it will stop you from having a stroke when someone hits it. It’s Murphy’s Law, you will be obsessive about and it will drive yourself crazy. We sold a lot of vehicles, and I think we sold1 of these, they really aren’t that desirable, It’s novelty that gets old quickly.

    Like 5
    • Avatar Guardstang

      1999 was the model year for independent rear suspension

      Like 1
    • Avatar Jose Rovirosa

      1999 was the first year of the IRS and the ’99’s, even the “fixed” examples, weren’t that much faster than the ’96-’98 cars, I’m guessing because of the slight weight penalty and driveline losses of the IRS. Test drove a ’99 right when they came out and bought my ’97 that same year, so I can confirm that both cars were seriously undergeared from the factory and didn’t feel all that different from a dig.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar Excursion

    I love this model of Mustang. I love the color of this Mustang. What I would like explained is why take a picture of the engine with rodent repellent still there? Where is he keeping this great car?

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Trevor Nightingale

    I have a 99GT and the colour of this stang is laser red which on a sunny day does change colour with an orangey glow and yes I too thought that the engine on this mystic is a bit out of date and may be a little lack lustre.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Psychofish2

    Mica infused IIRC.

    Tacky, not attractive at all. Saturn did this with a green for it’s ION and it was awful: a dull green that went urine yellow and back again when the light hit it.

    I think other manufacturers tried this as well.

    In the ’60s there were shirts that were offered that did the same thing and they were awful. None of the shades they turned were appealing.

    This era of Mustang so much more attractive to me than the later generations, but that paint is just a pointless gimmick.

    Like 2
  9. Avatar Frank

    Still have my 96 Mystic its garaged under cover. But I had to use it for commuting so its mileage went way up… Motorcycle fell over and damage front left fender 2k to fix Paint can be sprayed on and matches not butt matching required (according to Ford) Work done at German Car Repair shop. Love the color changing, call it my drivable mood ring! Need to fix drivesr seat won’t move forward but can’t get to bolts under track as seat is all the way back…. :o(

    Like 0

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