Author Topic: My 74 Runabout (Read 991 times)

nnn0wqk · « **on:** September 16, 2011, 01:32:23 AM »

I am the original owner of this 1974 Runabout. Car has 229970 miles. I got this the year I graduated from high school. I started to restore it after my 30 year class reunion but as sometimes happens with projects I got side tracked. My stepson graduates this year from high school and needs a senior project. He wants to become a mechanic and last winter we worked on a Toyota Celica for him and installed a motor and transmission. So now he wants to help get the Pinto back on track and going. So only seems fitting to make it a graduation project again. I have most all the original paper work for the car. Only thing missing is the window price sticker. Found the build ticket when I pulled the carpet. Have the original newspaper add it was a weekend special for $3158.58. Regular price was $3569.00. Oh to be able to buy a new car for that price now. Only part that failed during the warrenty period was wiper switch. Out side of brakes once or twice and timing belts every 60000 or so and carb cleaning a couple of times it is as it left the factory. The starter failed the day of the 30th class reunion!! Brush spring broke and would not make contact. Not bad for a cheep car. This is a California emission car out here in Idaho. The neigbors had one that looked the same and was with the exception of the moon roof in theirs. About 100000 difference in serial numbers but also California emission car. Both have the 2.3 engine with 4 speed. I bought it and plan on using the engine out of it for now. Mine has a burnt exhaust valve. In time I will rebuild mine and reinstall into car, but this will help keep cost down for now. So plans are to rebuild back to stock condition. I am adding factory A/C, heated back glass, and remote mirrors. A/C because I always wanted it, glass and mirrors for safety. One of the items I need to find is a source for seatbelts as my driver belt is bad. I would like to find the body molding that goes in the rear wheel wells. So this will be the winter project with my son. I think we are both looking forward to it. Maybe me more so then he but then I am a ASE tech so know what fun we can have! I am going to farm out the quarter panels for replacement as I just do not have the time right now to do them and we want to start on this before long. The only rust that I could find in the car is back of the rear wheels and when I got it stripped just to the left of the dimmer switch. Floor pans and doors looked very good as did front fenders. If the picture post my car is the one on the right. Left is neigbors. Guess they could be called double trouble. Dennis

dave1987 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 16, 2011, 01:49:32 AM »

Very cool! I can't wait to see the project that awaits! My 78 Sedan was my mothers and my dad and I have worked on the car a lot together. I've done more work on it myself, but he still enjoys helping me when he comes home from out of state. It's nice to see another Pinto that is family owned and restored!

joebob · « **Reply #2 on:** September 16, 2011, 10:32:23 AM »

people are always amazed to see a pinto. Some day you could take the pair to a show and blow everyone's socks off.

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #3 on:** September 16, 2011, 03:18:21 PM »

Well it was off to the body shop this morning to get new quarter panels sectioned in. Son John was able to help since his school runs a four day week. Body shop thought they would get started this afternoon so maybe in a couple of weeks we will have it back and can get started on painting it. I farm and trying to get crops in yet so I just do not have the time right now cut out rust and section in new panels. Body shop felt this car was a very good canidate for restoration. They were amazed how little rust damage there really is for the age and miles. John is tying down front of car. Dennis

dga57 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 17, 2011, 08:31:22 PM »

My first Pinto was a solid orange '74 Runabout with the 2.3L/4 spd. combination! I got mine new during my Junior year of high school and it cost $2900... of course mine didn't have the Sports Accent Group like yours. What a bargain! What a neat little car! Those were the days!
Best of luck with your project! Hope you and your son have a ball!

Dwayne :smile:

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #5 on:** September 19, 2011, 11:47:30 PM »

OK so the body shop called today, they have it opened up some around the quarter panels. They found some cancer that we were hoping would not be there. The outer section of the inner fender panels need some attention. So question is what have others done to repair this area? Body guy was not real crazy about making from scratch but it may come to that.

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #6 on:** October 14, 2011, 12:29:37 AM »

Got a break from work so John and I made a trip to the body shop to check on the progress. They had the right inner panel in place and the cancer was gone on the left front corner by the dimmer switch.They were starting on the left inner panel and had found some more rust but I got the impression they were going to fab what was needed to repair that rust. So it is coming along.

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2011, 12:06:49 AM »

John and I tackled the drivers seat last weekend. This is the only seat that was showing wear and tear. I purchased NOS seat material several years ago and after getting that then I ran across the correct seat covers for the car. We installed the covers and will keep the seat material for possible future repairs. This was Johns first time working on seats and he did a wonderful job. We found the seat pan was broke in one cover so traded it out with the parts car. Thought the finish job looked quite nice.

blupinto · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2011, 12:20:25 AM »

WOW! Very nice. You're hired for mine! lol

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #9 on:** November 06, 2011, 02:58:38 AM »

Still waiting on the body to get back from the repair shop. Been busy looking at other parts of the project. Going over the wiring harness's making needed repairs. We had a little time tonight so broke out the soda blaster to see what it would do to a fender. Need to get some HoldTight 102 to wash down the metal after cleaning and it is an item I can not find locally so probably will get off EBay. My other experience with soda blasting was mixed, did a wonderful job of taking paint off and not damaging metal but as soon as you washed it it flash rusted before your eyes and that was a pain to deal with. HoldTight is suppose to stop that so will see. Now to deal with the rust that was under the paint around the side maker light and behind the wheel well at the lower end. Probably will do some very light sandblasting in those areas. We are adding sports mirrors to the project and I cleaned up the right side. That went very fast and got into all the tight corners with no harm to the base metal. I did not get a picture of that.

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #10 on:** November 12, 2011, 11:58:41 PM »

Well the car is back from the body shop. Now to finish the quarter panels and strip the paint off the rest of the body.

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #11 on:** November 26, 2011, 10:45:22 PM »

The bondo work on the quarters is nearing the finish line. The car is about half stripped of paint at this point. Found some minor rust in the rear corners of the doors. Nothing in the outer skins that I can see so that will make life easier. Welded up the passenger door this afternoon and when I get paint off the other door will repair it too. At this point it is a rolling tub. Heater sure was easy to remove once dash was out of car. Anyone interested in a complete heater assembly let me know as I am going back with factory A/C.

Pintopower · « **Reply #12 on:** November 29, 2011, 12:13:54 PM »

Cool! I cant wait to see more. I love when I hear about original owners that still have their cars. As for seat belts:

http://www.ssnake-oyl.com/

They will rebuild your original units. I have used them in my following cars with many belt colors: '74 Pangra in black (which like your '74 has the double retractors), '80 Pinto wagon in light Wedgewood blue, '77 Pinto Wagon in tan, '76 Bobcat in bronze, my sisters '78 Pinto in palomino, '80 Toyota in brown, 1980 Fiat in saddle, along with many friends cars that I have recommended which are from Ford Pintos to Mercedes and Datsuns. They are expensive but if there is one place you should not skimp, it is your safety. I think they run about $100 per retractor (which is a downfall of the '74-'76 since there two per side). They try and add things like re-chroming and painting but I always decline it. They do sensational work. All original colors are available as well. I have seen after market ones installed but the belts don’t go across the driver properly, they are ugly and I don’t really trust $40 seatbelts.

nnn0wqk · « **Reply #13 on:** January 21, 2012, 01:01:37 AM »

Well it has been awhile since I have posted anything here. Son is so busy with school he is not sure which end is up but we are making progress. Found more rust issues than I was aware. We take care of them as we find them. Need to find a new lift gate, when I got the glass out the bottom was rusted through in several places. When I got the drivers door stripped found much rust hiding under the paint and several holes. Will make a trip tomorrow to look at the parts car I have and see if it is any better.

Have the A/C installed in dash. Tonight we were working on getting the heated back glass out of the frame it was in. Yes it was rusted out too. I have two questions as it has been about 5-6 years since I pulled these parts out of a car in the salvage yard. Where does the pilot light go in relationship to the switch? I do not recall if it was to the left or right of the steering. On the back glass where the wires attach there is a plastic clamp. How was that fastened to the glass frame? The frame the glass was in does not show anything. It is possible that the wiring came out of one car and the glass frame from another as I looked until I found a glass that was not burned out. Would anyone have a picture or two that they could post showing this? We are about ready to lay some paint down and will try and post pictures as we do that. May is getting here much quicker than we need.

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Author Topic: My 74 Runabout (Read 991 times)