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Author Topic: Cool Pinto idea's  (Read 2709 times)

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Offline warhead2

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Cool Pinto idea's
« on: August 30, 2017, 12:37:15 PM »
So I've been keeping some notes of neat idea's for  my 77 Cruising wagon project  that i have or haven't seen on any other Pinto.  So here they are. Note when i say Pinto logo i mean the word Pinto with the horse.

1. LED arrow turn signal in the mirror and where it shines thru the mirror. Here is a link for how tohttp://store.ijdmtoy.com/Install-Side-Mirror-LED-Arrow-For-Turn-Signal-Lights-a/436.htm

2. LED Pinto logo on the underside of the door. So when you open the door it shines on the ground.

3. Make a custom door sill that has Pinto logo and back lit with LED's. See above

4. LED multiple colors interior lights under the dash and seats and behind pothole window trim

5. LED lights under the car, nice cool glow at night.

6. LED multi color halo headlights. It has LED's around outter edge of the headlights

7. custom made shifter knob that would have color of the car and Pinto logo

8. Recessed gas cap. Where it is flush with the body and has a door and gas cap under the door like a modern car.

9. Red LED accent light inside the rubber door grab so you can see door handle.

10. Add an extra cigarette lighter plug. In the plastic change area below radio. Always nice to have a 2nd plug.

11. LED brake light strip on inside of rear window. Also upgrade all outside lights with LED bulbs. Will help your car be more visible.

12. A rear view mirror from a salvage yard car that has map lights built in. Could help without turning on all interior lights driving down the road. Also possible with a compass

13. Pinto logo in head rest

14. Replace gauges with back lit multi color one's

15. Have custom floor mats with Pinto logo or horse

Thats all i can think of at this time. Now I understand you can over do it with too many logos. What are your ideas

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Offline dga57

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2017, 06:34:25 PM »
Let us know when you figure out how to implement all those ideas!  BTW, re: #8 - Modern Fords don't even have a gas cap beneath the outer door and haven't for at least five years.  I have a '15 Mustang convertible and a '16 Lincoln Navigator and it still seems to strange to fill the tank without twisting off a gas cap!  First car I ever owned with this feature was a '12 Lincoln MKT; not sure exactly when it began, but was being touted then as "new".


Dwayne :)
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Offline warhead2

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2017, 11:05:15 PM »
16. Neon wire or light wire to highlight areas inside

17. Colored spark plug wires

18. Billet or wire mesh grill


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Offline robertwwithee

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2017, 05:13:25 PM »
#12 can be sourced from a chevy truck with compass and temp along with auto dim functionality

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Offline warhead2

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2020, 06:50:06 PM »
Here is another neat idea for customizing your Pinto cruising Wagon. Saw this on the FB group credit to Jeff. Plexiglass Color rings in place in the spot of the crome trim.

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Offline Henrius

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2020, 05:43:39 PM »
I really wanted a rearview mirror with a compass and map lights like my Toyota Corolla has as an option. (Another fun option would be a backup view from a rear camera.) The trouble is such a mirror both a continuous on power feed and an ignition power feed. I could not figure how to run power to a mirror stuck in the inside middle of the windshield.
1973 Pinto Runabout with upgraded 2.0 liter & 4 speed, and factory sunroof. My first car, now restored, and better than it was when it rolled off the assembly line!

Offline Henrius

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2020, 05:45:53 PM »
Does anyone know if there are headlights brighter than halogen that fit in the OEM sockets without wiring up a relay? I would like to have brighter headlights.
1973 Pinto Runabout with upgraded 2.0 liter & 4 speed, and factory sunroof. My first car, now restored, and better than it was when it rolled off the assembly line!

Offline Henrius

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2020, 05:56:33 PM »
By the way, if anyone fabricated a new instrument panel cluster insert for a quality speedo (with trip odometer), tach, and various gauges instead of idiot lights, I would pay a mint for it. Not sure what all the wiring does on the printed circuit board behind the instrument cluster.
1973 Pinto Runabout with upgraded 2.0 liter & 4 speed, and factory sunroof. My first car, now restored, and better than it was when it rolled off the assembly line!

Offline Wittsend

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2020, 11:57:32 AM »
LED bulbs should be brighter and not tax the wiring system. What is available I do not know but I'm sure an internet search will produce something. I don't think anyone has made a instrument panel other than those who would do a "one off" panel for themselves. The area is rather small and thus has its limitations. There was a factory three gauge panel that went where the heater controls normally are. The heater controls being moved to a factory console below.


These are pictures of the one I have. As with many of the Pinto clusters this one is also made of reconstituted moon dust and is rapidly deterioration especially where the connector mounts. These are rather rare mine being the only one of two I ever found in a wrecking yard. I believe I paid $8 for it but the second yard wanted $30 and that was upwards of 10 years ago. I'd imagine that today they go for more..., and then there is the condition of the housing.


Others have just used a hole saw and drilled holes across the face of the dash but that is a permanent change some choose not to make.

Offline Henrius

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2020, 12:48:21 PM »
LED bulbs should be brighter and not tax the wiring system. What is available I do not know but I'm sure an internet search will produce something. I don't think anyone has made a instrument panel other than those who would do a "one off" panel for themselves. The area is rather small and thus has its limitations. There was a factory three gauge panel that went where the heater controls normally are. The heater controls being moved to a factory console below.

These are pictures of the one I have. As with many of the Pinto clusters this one is also made of reconstituted moon dust and is rapidly deterioration especially where the connector mounts. These are rather rare mine being the only one of two I ever found in a wrecking yard. I believe I paid $8 for it but the second yard wanted $30 and that was upwards of 10 years ago. I'd imagine that today they go for more..., and then there is the condition of the housing.

Others have just used a hole saw and drilled holes across the face of the dash but that is a permanent change some choose not to make.


Believe it or not, a tenant abandoned a Pinto in my garage with this 3-gauge set so I stripped it as well as some other parts. The OEM gauges were crap quality and very small. I was able to find an aftermarket set of Volt, oil pressure, and water temp gauges that I glued behind the panel. Still a compromise. If I could fab  a panel from scratch that took 3" gauges, there a tachs that small.
1973 Pinto Runabout with upgraded 2.0 liter & 4 speed, and factory sunroof. My first car, now restored, and better than it was when it rolled off the assembly line!

Offline Wittsend

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2020, 08:18:34 PM »
I built my '88 Turbo Coupe tach/boost gauge into my stock '73 housing. A tad risky given the rarity of good cluster housings and dealing with the sheet plastic wiring. But the illumination lights and the turn signal indicators still work.


Offline Henrius

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2020, 08:33:11 PM »
I built my '88 Turbo Coupe tach/boost gauge into my stock '73 housing. A tad risky given the rarity of good cluster housings and dealing with the sheet plastic wiring. But the illumination lights and the turn signal indicators still work.



This mod is too cool! But what did you do with the gas gauge?
1973 Pinto Runabout with upgraded 2.0 liter & 4 speed, and factory sunroof. My first car, now restored, and better than it was when it rolled off the assembly line!

Offline Wittsend

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #12 on: August 10, 2020, 08:53:59 PM »
I pulled all the gauges out of the Turbo Coupe and set them in wood I painted black. Kind of cheesy but it was done on the quick and I just never got around to perfecting everything. I have a bad habit of getting my cars functional...,  and then get distracted by another car. But for the record the gas gauge (Pinto sender/TC gauge) is not accurate. So recently I just wired the old gauge in and hide it behind the console.

Offline warhead2

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2020, 11:28:04 PM »
A backup camera wouldn't be too hard to wire up they have wireless that is powered by reverse light and you have a dubble din radio with a screen with the receiver for the backup camera or if not a radio believe there is one with a lcd screen that can be temporarily or permanently mounted around the dash.  The rear mirror doesn't have to have continuous power unless you have map lights on it. just when the car is on. There should be a video on YouTube how to wire that type of cricut. Also run the wire up to the top of windshield and follow the wires for the interior light that is right there.

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Offline 71pintoracer

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Re: Cool Pinto idea's
« Reply #14 on: August 19, 2020, 10:15:44 PM »
I have that very setup in my Cruising Wagon. Plus navigation


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