Author Topic: 1977 Pinto- project in the works (Read 42415 times)

r4pinto · « **Reply #360 on:** May 20, 2012, 05:05:34 PM »

Now for an update... I have taken the headlight buckets & bumper filler off the car & took them in to Maaco to be reshot. When the car was painted last year the paint stuck pretty good but it started to flake off. From what I could tell a flexible additive wasn't used. No harm, no foul. better to take care of it now.

Aside from that I went to the junkyard today & was able to get the power brake set up from the 78 Mustang II. I got everything I needed, including master cylinder, brake booster, & brake pedal. I also got the proportioning valve & found out that won't need changed. Kinda irritating when you get the part & find out it's the same exact part number as the one on the car. Oh well, at least I have a spare to throw in the parts bin. I also got the neutral safety switch, alternator bracket for the power steering set up & vbelts. They were almost new & have no cracking at all & for only 99 cents each!

r4pinto · « **Reply #361 on:** May 26, 2012, 03:02:57 PM »

Well I removed the old speedometer cable & neutral safety switch & both were shot. The plastic center post on the neutral safety switch was gone altogether, which let the sp& apparently rusted in the housing that when I spun the gear it was to stiff & hard to rotate that I think this was causing the issue with the inaccurate speedometer reading. Having an issue with getting the plug on the neutral safety switch. Just a very tight area so it's being a little tough to plug it in. Now I am also still waiting for the parts to be finished by Maaco. For whatever reason they are having issues with the paint.It keeps getting fisheyes & they are not sure why. If the parts are not done my Tuesday heads will roll since I am going to Carlisle on Thursday.

r4pinto · « **Reply #362 on:** May 29, 2012, 08:28:12 PM »

The exhaust is fixed!!!! It took two adapters & a couple nuts & bolts but the exhaust is finally up in place for the first time in a long long while. No dragging or anything! Carlisle here I come!

dga57 · « **Reply #363 on:** May 29, 2012, 11:33:11 PM »

Hey Matt!

I like the updated picture of Harold II - much more indicative of what she looks like now! Have a great time in Carlisle!

Dwayne

r4pinto · « **Reply #364 on:** May 30, 2012, 12:09:13 AM »

Thanks Dwayne! I wanted a pic with the similar stance of the old one & got around to changing it. There will be no getting pulled over by WV cops this year. The headlights work & the car is quiet lol.

I do need to go to NAPA in the morning to get me another headlight adjuster screw. One of the ones I bought on ebay before decided to break when I was trying to adjust the light, so it's now pointing to the center, like it did before. Oh well, no harm no foul. I am also going to change the oil & go to Maaco to get the parts. If they are not done this time then I will have their heads on a pole. If I have to drive the car with no front end to Carlisle I will but I will be very very pissed if I do.

r4pinto · « **Reply #365 on:** June 05, 2012, 08:15:59 PM »

I am afraid the project is at an end.. The car is just too rusty underneath to save. The car has severe rust to the floor, wheel wells, right leaf spring shock mount, firewall rust.. The car is too far gone for me to continue trying to fix this car. With that being said I won't be able to save the car. There comes a time when you realize that some things cannot be saved and this car is definitely one of them. I will be looking for a replacement car for Harold II and when I find one I will swap out all the usable parts before junking the shell.

Sad, sad day for me & the car. I hate to end a project when it is not finished but in this case I don't have a choice.

Alpine615 · « **Reply #366 on:** June 05, 2012, 09:58:56 PM »

Aww Matt, that is sad news indeed. But the rust you describe sounds so thoroughly complete that it most likely is the best move. Best of luck in finding a suitable replacement!

dga57 · « **Reply #367 on:** June 05, 2012, 11:24:24 PM »

Matt,
It is a sad day, indeed... but best of luck in your search for Harold III.
Dwayne

Pinto5.0 · « **Reply #368 on:** June 06, 2012, 09:39:31 AM »

I feel your pain. I ran into ther exact same problem with my '78 sedan. The rust was everywhere once the fenders came off & it's not worth saving. I need most of the parts off the car anyhow including the clean floorpans so it won't die for nothing. It will live on having provided everything needed to finish my '80 & '73 both.

r4pinto · « **Reply #369 on:** June 06, 2012, 11:28:52 AM »

Thanks guys. It is frustrating bigtime but nothing that can be done about that. All I will do in this case is drive it & enjoy it while I still can & once I find a replacement I will pull everything from this car & put it in the new one. The only thing that will be left is the worn out parts & rust. I would like my next Pinto to be a wagon but I won't rule anything out. The only thing I am looking for is a Pinto with a good body & floor 74-80. Then I can make it looking similar to what Harold II is.

r4pinto · « **Reply #370 on:** June 06, 2012, 11:59:11 AM »

Gotta look at one good thing... All the parts I have put on the car & some I didn't will be pulled off the car, so when it goes to the junkyard it will be going as just a shell. Anything I can salvage will be pulled off. Then I will be taking pics of the car to show how badly rusted the car is. I will even pull the windshield & save that since mine is in good condition & they are at a premium anymore.

r4pinto · « **Reply #371 on:** June 13, 2012, 01:03:39 PM »

Looks like the car gets a slight reprieve from death. Harold II still has almost 3/4 tank of gas & the Pontiac gets crappy mileage. With that said I will be driving Harold II around for the rest of the week & some next week after I fix my brakes. Seems silly to fix them now but I gotta fix them to drive her. I think she really is dying. The car has had an unidentifiable clunk from the rear of the car. Not gonna fix it at this point. No point since it doesn't seem to affect how she drives.

The end is really near.

r4pinto · « **Reply #372 on:** August 17, 2012, 11:44:45 AM »

Well Harold II is still around, hanging on to every last breath but probably not much longer. My Grand Prix is costing me way too much in gas so I gassed up Harold II to drive to work. I been hearing clunking & creaking from the car & today while driving the car to work I heard something hit the underside of the car on the freeway. Only thing is there was nothing on the road, leading me to think something has fallen off the car. I'm beginning to wonder about the safety of this car with all the noises. I have got to get that 1980 runabout back on the road so I can retire this car before something serious happens. I was gonna take the car on one last trip to the Ohio meet but now I seriously doubt the car will have many more trips to work left in her. The drive is getting rougher and rougher so I know something has gone wrong. The drive to Carlisle was fairly smooth but the 25 mile drive to work has gotten very rough on a section of freeway that has given me a very smooth ride in other cars.

r4pinto · « **Reply #373 on:** September 03, 2012, 11:06:22 PM »

No more odd noises & the ride has smoothed out on the car. It's driving alright for now so i will be driving the 77 to the Ohio Pinto meet. I been driving it to work for two weeks now & aside from the shower I get from the leaky windshield gasket the car is doing pretty well. Now that I decide to part out the car she decides to do better. Figures.

r4pinto · « **Reply #374 on:** September 10, 2012, 03:57:40 PM »

Stay tuned for possible updates. I just can't bring myself to scrap this car. I'm gonna save the floor that was gonna be used to fix the 77 & see what I can do to save her. I have thought about this long and hard and I just can't do it. While I would probably be better off getting rid of this car altogether I just can't do it.

I am gonna save this car, one way or another. When I get done I will have two nice Pintos. I dunno, maybe it was driving the car that made me wanna save her but save her I will. Harold II will not die!!

With that being said I am trying to get a transmission to replace the one that just went out this past Friday. I can't complain, as I only paid 20 bucks for it & after driving around 2k miles I definitely got my moneys worth.

r4pinto · « **Reply #375 on:** September 10, 2012, 10:40:20 PM »

Good thing I planned on replacing the transmission on the car. Today I drove the car around the block so I could move it to the driveway & the car wouldn't shift out of first. I would hit the gas & the car would move but it didn't wanna shift at all, and when I backed off the gas it seemed more like it was idling than in gear. About 3/4 around the block it started to slip. If I was in doubt the transmission was bad before I am sure now. Friday I get paid and will be going to a local junk yard that has one from a 1976 Pinto for only $75.00. I will be getting it & installing it in the car. The old one will be eventually torn down & rebuilt to have as a spare for Harold II or the 1980.

dga57 · « **Reply #376 on:** September 11, 2012, 06:48:58 AM »

Matt,
Like you said, you might be better off getting rid of Harold II altogether, but I'm happy to hear that you've scrapped that idea rather than scrapping the car. I've somehow always felt that there was a little more life in Harold II than you were giving her credit for. Congratulation s on the decision to keep her. Sorry that you missed the Ohio get-together... your luck runs about the same direction as mine, I think! Good luck and hang in there!
Dwayne

r4pinto · « **Reply #377 on:** September 11, 2012, 08:53:06 AM »

Thanks Dwayne,

What got me thinking of saving Harold II was when I was talking to my dad about the floor a week or so ago & he came right out & said you never know I might be able to fix it. That really got me thinking about it. We were talking about it after I started driving the car to work since it got so much better gas mileage than my 08 Pontiac. 26mpg for a 35 yr old car with messed up carb isn't too shabby at all lol.

I now have to get the transmission replaced since I gotta drive this car to & from work. Hard to do with no working tranny. Getting the car running solid underneath will make it all worth while. It also means I gotta fix the leaky windshield instead of leaving it but I don't mind. I just wanna keep enjoying the car.

r4pinto · « **Reply #378 on:** September 14, 2012, 12:08:03 PM »

Not having much luck looking for a transmission for my car. The one that was really close to me has been sold. Looks like it is time to park the 77 for the time being.

blupinto · « **Reply #379 on:** September 15, 2012, 11:44:48 PM »

Matty, do you know anyone who can rebuild that one for a decent price? (don't go to Aamco- they gipped me when I had my transmission in my ((at the time)) '82 Mercury Capri "reconditioned" for almost $1,000 in '98. )

r4pinto · « **Reply #380 on:** September 16, 2012, 07:58:07 AM »

No I'm afraid not. The problem I got is I can't afford to have it rebuilt & don't have a place to do it myself. I do plan on keeping the old one & rebuilding it eventually once the garage is reorganised but in the mean time I gotta do what I can to get Harold II back on the road.

dave1987 · « **Reply #381 on:** October 17, 2012, 11:01:43 PM »

Wish we were closer to help with your car, matt.

Reddog · « **Reply #382 on:** October 18, 2012, 10:11:20 AM »

Hey I've got what appears to be a freshly rebuilt c3 that you can have to get Harold back on the road. The only problem is I'm in Mississippi. You figure out how to ship it it's yours. Brent

Reddog · « **Reply #383 on:** October 18, 2012, 10:17:03 AM »

When I bought my 76 2 door a few months ago it included most of the original drivetrain (2.3 w/c3) I'm doing a small v8 install 289(sorta) but who cares about those kinda details??? The guy had the tranny in his shop on a shelf under a blanket. It is super clean, tork converter and seals look brand new.

r4pinto · « **Reply #384 on:** November 26, 2012, 08:55:37 PM »

I've decided to let the car die.

It's too terminal and been on life support long enough. Once the 1980 is out of major surgery the 77 will be driven in to the driveway one last time, to begin her organ doning.

The more I thought about it, it is a matter of safety & the car just isn't very safe to drive anymore. It needs a transmission, major structure repair, rear quarter repair, door repair, LF fender repair, as well as some interior work.

After looking at my priorities and realising what is important, saving a major rust bucket isn't among them. It would cost me around 3-4k alone in rust repairs just to get the car to where it is safe & rot free. This decision has not been an easy one to make but I feel it is the best one in the case of this car.

Pinto5.0 · « **Reply #385 on:** November 26, 2012, 11:10:06 PM »

I know how you feel. I tried to find a way to save my '77 sedan for 2 years. It was just too far gone to save so it's being stripped clean to save my other 3. Same for my '76 wagon. I started assessing it & realized the body had too much damage to save so I got a '74 wagon shell to replace it. At least I can drive it while I get the new body ready to replace it.

We can't save 'em all......

bbobcat75 · « **Reply #386 on:** November 27, 2012, 06:56:29 AM »

atleast you guys are using them to save more then one car!!

r4pinto · « **Reply #387 on:** November 27, 2012, 06:58:58 AM »

Quote from: bbobcat75 on November 27, 2012, 06:56:29 AM

atleast you guys are using them to save more then one car!!

You got that right. The rear bumper on the 80 is in bad shape so for now I am thinking of using the 77s bumpers, engine going in the 80, exhaust will go on the 80 & whatever other parts I have will be either sold off or kept as spares for the 80. Don't wanna do it but have come to terms with the issue.

r4pinto · « **Reply #388 on:** December 02, 2012, 12:24:57 AM »

The parting out of the car will soon start. Once I get the 80 running I will take the wheels & tires from the 77 & put them on the 80. Whatever I don't keep for the 80 will be put up for sale or scrapped.

One thing is for sure... I WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES sell the entire car. I got new parts on there I need to pull and the car is no longer safe to be driven or fixed. If it were I would be fixing it.

Alpine615 · « **Reply #389 on:** December 26, 2012, 03:18:12 PM »

How goes the parting out, Matt? Is the 80 running after the fire?

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Author Topic: 1977 Pinto- project in the works (Read 42415 times)