Message for "Mike" at the Knott's show

Forum > 2007, 3nd National Western Regional Pinto Meet Knotts Berry CA- Archive

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Srt:
'Mike' was a guy about 5'8" or so had a beard. I should have thought to ask him for his address. He said that he had purchased a Pangra in the recent past (?)

We were talking about how many of the cars were modified in the engine and suspension areas by Ak Millers for Huntington Ford. I said that I thought that it was done by us for a period of about 6 months or so. Since the show I have talked to my old boss at Ak Millers way back then and we hashed it out and came to the conclusion that it was probably only for a period of about 3 months at the outside.

Along with other work for additional customers cars that would make for a realistic figure of around 50 to 60 Pintos that we modified for Huntinton Ford.

The red Pangra is definitely one that I had my hands on way back then. It is probably; as they think, one of the first few, if not the first one that was done. I would really like to find out what happened to the Bonneville car that we put together. If only I could get ahold of Jack Stratton

Brad/Barth/Mike if you read this; did your Pangra 2.0 have an 'o' ringed cylinder head or block? and did either one of them have an anti sway bar at the front? Were they equipped with Koni shocks? Do you recall(if you ever had the front springs out)if they appeared to have been shortened? Did either one of them have the windshield washer reservoir set up as a water injector? I noticed that the red car had a Hobbs pressure switch screws into the front #1 intake runner. That is original for sure. I remember that we plumbed the nozzle right into the top of the air cleaner above the carb air horn. Did the battery tray have the front, lower(as mounted on the drivers side) mounting flange (corner) trimmed off? What type of screws were used to fasten the tray to the side wall of the engine compartment? How about distributer specs? We did recurve them and we did originally on the early ones, rig a line to the back side of the vacuum advance canister so that when boost came up pressure would blow against the back side of the diaphram so as to retard the timing a bit and help reduce/eliminate detonation. I'm not sure when Ford stopped using the double sided diaphram. There is also a cam inside at this location on those models that could be adjusted to increase/decrease the amount of vacuum advance/retard.
What am I missing? The more I think the more I remember.

Srt:
Oh yeah; the jetting in the carb. IRC we had the priamry drille dout to .055 or .057 and the secondary to .063.. Ring a bell?

Srt:
:sorry: I think it's time to hit the hay. I can't seem to spell anymore!

Pintopower:
Hey Srt, the Mike you are talking about is Mike Parente. Call or email me for his number (626-221-7681, pintopower@hotmail.com). I spoke to Mike a few days ago and he mentioned speaking to you. I can also give you Barths number so you can ask him more about the Red (was black) pangra. Can you recal building and wagons? If so how many? Were any 74's built? I have a 74 wagon that was purchased by a friend of Jack Stratton. The cars window sticker was 6800!!! It was sold in late 75 for 5000 at an obvious loss. I have the window sticker, it is a full pangra but the odd thing is that it had a turbo charged 2.3. The turbo is long gone but the son of the owner said it was an Ak Miller turbo. It was removed because the his mother (the driver for 20 years) was upset that the factory a/c was not working well. The car was a black (special order) 74 wagon, 2.3, A/C, stick. Any recolection of the car? Hit me up some time,
Alberto

Srt:

--- Quote from: Pintopower on May 08, 2007, 06:49:21 PM ---Hey Srt, the Mike you are talking about is Mike Parente. Call or email me for his number (626-221-7681, pintopower@hotmail.com). I spoke to Mike a few days ago and he mentioned speaking to you. I can also give you Barths number so you can ask him more about the Red (was black) pangra. Can you recal building and wagons? If so how many? Were any 74's built? I have a 74 wagon that was purchased by a friend of Jack Stratton. The cars window sticker was 6800!!! It was sold in late 75 for 5000 at an obvious loss. I have the window sticker, it is a full pangra but the odd thing is that it had a turbo charged 2.3. The turbo is long gone but the son of the owner said it was an Ak Miller turbo. It was removed because the his mother (the driver for 20 years) was upset that the factory a/c was not working well. The car was a black (special order) 74 wagon, 2.3, A/C, stick. Any recolection of the car? Hit me up some time,
Alberto

--- End quote ---

Ak Millers Garage was out of the Pangra business after one of the cars to be delivered was involved in an accident ( a rather nasty one too). The only ones that were modified at Ak Millers for Huntington Ford up to that time were all sedans thru the '73 year model. No wagons and no '74's.

That being said, there were some 2.3 motors that were done across the alley at the turbo shop for individual owners. I believe there was a manifold that they made for the 2.3 (IIRC a modified stock manifold) but that was over 30 years ago Alberto and I really can't say for sure if they made a 'kit' for the Pinto with the 2.3 motor.

I know that just because I crashed one of them it wasn't the end of the car per se, because of all the tooling for body work (molds, etc) and the fact that Ak Miller Enterprises was still a viable entity in the turbocharging business I don't see any reason why the '74 wagon that you have may not be original. I think that it probably just wasn't one of the ones built by Ak Millers Garage.

The guy who can shed a WHOLE lot of light on the subject is Mr. Stratton. Problem is he isn't any where around that I know of. Would he be willing to talk? Probably. I know that I would like to pick his brain too but most likely not as much as you guys!!!

You need to look up that guy that was/is his friend and pick his brain as to the whereabouts of Jack.

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