Author Topic: Fuel Cell or what alternative for daily driver Pinto? (Read 3243 times)

Original74 · « **on:** March 27, 2006, 05:16:25 PM »

I am struggling with what to do with my project daily driver. I have the campaign, new in-box, to do the retrofit. My question to those of you who daily drive their Pinto's is your feel for safety. I would love to know there was a fuel cell back there, but all I can find are top fill, which would pose a different risk if rear ended.

I drove 4 Pinto's from 1973-1989. I never worried about roasting in a crash. I honestly think you have the same probability for injury with ANY car that has the gas tank between the bumper and the rear axle, which is about ALL cars on the road!

What are your thoughts and experience?

Thanks in advance,
Dave

UltimatePinto · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2006, 12:07:50 AM »

Hi Dave,

I understand your concerns as where I live, when you get on the highway, there is always someone who gets right on your tail to try to scare you when they see Pinto.

I went to the extream and placed a piece of steel square tube on my 72 Runabout. I wish I could show you what it replaced but a picture just doesn't show how flimsy the original set up was. The rear spring shackles bolt up to it, (the tube), as will the rear bumper.

I have a top fill aluminum cell in place of the gas tank. I had to cut some of it off to make it fit. I've made up a fill line out of two and one half inch exhaust tube that goes right to the original gas cap. I still have as yet come up with a plan on how to cover it all on the inside, will cross that bridge when I get there.

However I did all of this, (plus an eight inch rear), not so much as for fear of getting toasted, but to add some weight to the rear of the vehicle. I lost my first 71 Sedan in a rainstorm when it hydroplaned. It just went out from underneath me in a flash.

The extra weight sure won't make it go any faster, but I'm not into top speeds anymore. Just the acceleration is fun for me now.

Al

Original74 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 28, 2006, 06:53:50 AM »

Thanks for the reply Al.

I found a few posts in the FAQ section. Sounds like very few have placed a top fill fuel cell in daily drivers. My concern, more than getting rear ended with stock setup, is getting fumes or gasoline inside the car in the unlikely event.

The way I understand it, the 1974 and up cars have a much strengthened rear subframe. Had to have a lot of beef back there to hang those huge 5MPH bumpers and associated bracketry. I too am going with an 8" rear end, with the plastic shield and new filler tube. I WANT to think that that is as safe as anything on the road today.

I have thought about some square tubing framing maybe with a skid shield of sorts made with diamond plate, just a thought to protect a bit better from the unlikely event of a rear end hit. That would have to be something that could be removed if/when the gas tank needed to be removed.

Any other thoughts or experiences appreciated!

UltimatePinto · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2006, 08:03:15 AM »

The 74 and above units do indeed have a better set up than the 71 or 72. When I said flimsy, I was referring to these particular years as for all intents and pourpose, "just about", the only thing between the outside world and the gas tank was the rear leaf springs.

I say this as the bumper was at best stamped 11 gauge sheet, (that's being generous), and was attached internally to a 14 gauge bracket welded to the trunk floor on top, and to a piece of 1/4 inch angle iron inside the torque box on the bottom, on which the rear spring shackles were attached on the lower side. Everything else except the bumper it self is mighty thin material to stop a tank from rupturing upon impact.

Having said this, lets please remember that all the concern is a result of a direct hit from a larger vehicle, from directly behind, at a high rate of speed. When you consider all of the Pinto's made as to the few that ever blew up, (and I think most of them were 71's or 72's), I think that the press reports that Ford was out to kill everybody were overblown. Please remember that this was the time of Watergate and sensationalism was just as grand then as it is now.

You may notice that I've not mentioned 1973 models. I'm not sure here, but it seems as though that 73 was a transition year for suspension. I vaguely remember having some trouble matching some suspension parts to 71/72 applications. I've never restored one. Pintony would be the one to ask here.

If you were to be impacted from behind in the early model, (as described above), the trunk floor would crumple and you would have fumes in the vehicle anyway, so a top loader cell would not be a bad choice if you cover and cage it. In a Sedan this might be easier than a Runabout, (what I have), as you already have a confined trunk space. The more I look at my application, the more I wish I stuck to the original fill instead of plumbing to the outside, would have made life easier. However I'll make it work some way.

My fill came to about three inches above the original trunk floor where it goes into wheel well. I plan to use wood on the side to hold up aluminum diamond plate to cover my cell, with an access cover in the middle. My new trunk floor is made of 7 gauge sheet and is directly welded to the tube in the rear, on which the spring shackle blocks are welded, and the original body on the front and sides. The cell cage is made of 1 x 1 & 1/2 tube skinned with 11 gauge sheet. I figure that I'll use a roofing boot for a two inch plumb vent where the fill goes into the wheel well, the neoprene should seal the road dirt out well enough. Anybody who hits this Pony from behind is in for a surprise.

Al

k_harvic_29 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 05, 2006, 10:23:19 PM »

Hello, I am a rookie here, but I used to own a `75 Ford Pinto, and I never once thought about "blowing up" or getting "toasted" in it. Heck, I have a better chance of that in the current car I drive now... A 1991 Chevrolet Cavalier. The petrol tank is in almost the same place as a Pinto. And the mettal in these newer cars these days are so thin, they crush at the smallest crash.

So I say, Drive that Pinto and don't even worry about it. If you were meant to burn alive in a wreck, You would in almost ANY CAR.

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Author Topic: Fuel Cell or what alternative for daily driver Pinto? (Read 3243 times)

Original74

Fuel Cell or what alternative for daily driver Pinto?

UltimatePinto

Re: Fuel Cell or what alternative for daily driver Pinto?

Original74

Re: Fuel Cell or what alternative for daily driver Pinto?

UltimatePinto

Re: Fuel Cell or what alternative for daily driver Pinto?

k_harvic_29

Re: Fuel Cell or what alternative for daily driver Pinto?