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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: fordblue72 on December 29, 2015, 03:06:47 PM

Title: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: fordblue72 on December 29, 2015, 03:06:47 PM
Hello, to anyone out there who can recommend a good machine shop in the San Jose , California area. Must be familiar with the 1972 2.0 SOHC motor as I do not have a spare head. and need a valve replaced.Too many sbc shops out there who just do the "usual" and the ole " I never saw one of these before". Thanks Rich T.
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: pinto_one on December 29, 2015, 06:37:46 PM
That depends on how much money you want to spend , one you want a good job and going to change the engine one day or you want a great job and keep it like that forever,   one when this engine was made they had lead in the fuel and the valve seats were ok , now with the unleaded fuel of today I see a lot of older cars having valve problems , new cars have hardened seats , some shops can do it , others will just cut them and grind the valve and take your money and send you on your way , but if you want to spend a few bucks for being done right your in luck, only you have to contact Burton Power in England for a head or head work, they still made this engine way pasts the 90s in cars in Europe , and used unleaded gas , so the right valves and seats in place and maybe a few up grades also , also EFI , look up Dutch wagon on this site , hope this helps
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: fordblue72 on January 05, 2016, 01:27:57 PM
ENGLAND? really? I thought someone here could recommend a good machine shop on this side of the earth. I am aware of the bad shops as my first post said, once again looking for a local shop familiar with this 2.0. Yes I already delt with a shop that wanted to charge $ 480 for a valve job, adding hardened seats and replacing one valve.He finally asked me if it was only one head. Gee for that price I'll just go buy a Souix valve grinder and do it myself. I can see why so many people swing that 2.0 out in favor of a v8...Did that to my last one but lost the charm of the banger. Guess I will keep up the search. Must be some old machinist out there who isn't dead yet.
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: one2.34me on January 05, 2016, 02:27:33 PM
You might want to try calling Esslinger Engineering in Chino, Ca., and see if they work 2.0's. It's still approx. 375 miles from San Jose, but that's a bit closer than England. I hope they're not the shop you already dealt with.

http://store.esslingeracing.com/cart/default.aspx
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: dick1172762 on January 05, 2016, 03:11:28 PM
Find you a new friend in the SCCA in your area. The 2.0 is still used in some road race class's. Joe Escobar over in Oakland will know too. Put a want to be on craigslist. One of the high schools in San Jose use to autocross a 2.0 Pinto back in the 90's. The local Capri club would be another as most were 2.0's. Any English car shop would know as the 2.0 (1.3 / 1.6 / 2.0) was in cars over there as far back as the 60's.
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: Pintosopher on January 05, 2016, 03:33:33 PM
Find you a new friend in the SCCA in your area. The 2.0 is still used in some road race class's. Joe Escobar over in Oakland will know too. Put a want to be on craigslist. One of the high schools in San Jose use to autocross a 2.0 Pinto back in the 90's. The local Capri club would be another as most were 2.0's. Any English car shop would know as the 2.0 (1.3 / 1.6 / 2.0) was in cars over there as far back as the 60's.
As I used to Autocross in the Bay area and Sacto region, My 72 was a frequent topic back in the 80's. Dick has put you on to a fair group of contacts. I'll add a couple of names Mike Stevens of Stevens Auto Works in Milpitas (I hope he's still with us) He built my short block that was from his former IMSA racer. Another contact might be from the Duo of Howard Wolf and Dwayne Komush, They had the most radical English Ford Escort Mk1 ever used in that era. They were dominant clear into the 90's  and beyond in E/P in Solo II and made many trips to the Nationals. Dwayne was (Still is?) a Lockheed engineer and they tweak that car to the limit of the rules at that time. Could be that an SCCA meeting is your best option... :D

 Pintosopher,  A comatose 2.0L Horse in the barn
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: dick1172762 on January 05, 2016, 04:38:00 PM
The San Jose high school that autocrossed a Pinto in the 80's and 90's was built and raced by the school shop class with a dozen or so students and their instructor behind the wheel. Local racer helped out with parts and tires. That ole 2.0 would make 20 to 30 runs on any SUNDAY. One strong motor, but 2.0's are that way. BUT kids move on and after a while the class was no more. The Pinto???? Who knows.
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: dick1172762 on January 05, 2016, 04:44:44 PM
Joe! Mike Stevens is still at it with a turbo Pinto autocross racer. He is pictured in some of Joe Escobar's videos. Racing is hard to walk away from for us old farts. GO PINTOS GO!
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: fordblue72 on January 06, 2016, 06:14:42 PM
WOW! Thanks for the info... Will try to contact .
I had a revelation ... Remembered a shop back in the 80s in Campbell , called Pinto Capri Performance.On e of the gents told me of the Machine shop they used called Champion Engines , owners name is Gary, he said he used to build race engines for them.
whew! Trying to find a good automotive machine shop is like looking for a good doctor or barber!
Title: Re: Looking for a machine shop
Post by: Pintosopher on January 06, 2016, 06:42:34 PM
WOW! Thanks for the info... Will try to contact .
I had a revelation ... Remembered a shop back in the 80s in Campbell , called Pinto Capri Performance.On e of the gents told me of the Machine shop they used called Champion Engines , owners name is Gary, he said he used to build race engines for them.
whew! Trying to find a good automotive machine shop is like looking for a good doctor or barber!

 That Shop in Campbell was called Compact Ford Performance, at least when I first checked it out. It's also where I first met Mike Stevens and bought some of my goodies before he left to go it on his own.
 I no longer need a good barber, the nineties have removed a bunch off the top and the Dawn of my Sixties will ensure gray everywhere...  ;D ::) The Doc thing, well , let's not go there these days!